Introduction

Introduction to International Relations

Welcome to the wild, weird, and wonderfully unpredictable world of international relations! If you’ve ever watched a zombie movie and thought, “Hey, this kind of feels political,” you’re not alone. This textbook takes a fresh (and slightly cinematic) approach to understanding how nations interact, clash, and sometimes cooperate in the face of chaos. We’re going to explore the big theories—like realism, liberalism, and constructivism—but instead of just reading about them, you’ll see them in action through global disasters, dystopian economies, intergalactic first contact, and superhero showdowns. Each of the four units tackles one of the most important themes in international relations: theory and global disaster, international security, economic security, and human security. Trust us, this isn’t your average policy briefing—unless your policy briefings include alien diplomacy, rogue AI, and a generous helping of popcorn.

Throughout this book, film will be your co-professor. Whether it’s World War Z, The Hunger Games, Black Panther, or District 9, we’re using blockbuster narratives to make abstract concepts feel tangible, urgent, and—dare we say—fun. These stories may be fictional, but the dilemmas they present are all too real: How do states maintain order during pandemics? What does a failing economy mean for political stability? Can international law handle alien refugees? By using movies to stretch and stress-test IR theories, we’ll examine how global politics works in both our world and the imagined ones on screen. So grab your syllabus, charge your remote, and prepare for an academic journey where the stakes are global, the questions are pressing, and the lectures occasionally come with laser beams.