Chapter 1: Defining International Relations Through Global Disasters and Film

1.4: Using Global Disasters and Film to Frame International Relations

Sometimes, the world of international relations can feel as complex as a blockbuster movie—only with fewer superheroes and a lot more diplomats. In this book, though, we’ll shake things up by using some of your favorite disaster and sci-fi films as a lens to understand global issues. To start, we will examine the foundational concepts of international relations in Chapter 2 (theories) and Chapter 3 (the state). By drawing on popular movies like World War Z and The Hunger Games, we’ll explore how global crises play out in a fictional setting, helping us make sense of real-life concepts in these two chapters. Afterwards, each unit of this book will explore one major theme in international relations from a unique security related angle, connecting it to familiar stories and scenarios that make the abstract concepts much more relatable. So, if you’ve ever wondered how superheroes or alien invasions could teach you about world politics, buckle up—we’re about to dive into some cinematic chaos.

The next three units of this textbook are centered different concepts of security. Why focus on security to understand international relations? Because security is the heartbeat of global politics—it’s the need for survival, stability, and protection that drives nations, organizations, and people. Whether facing human-made threats or natural disasters, security shapes the way countries behave, helping us grasp why they take certain actions on the world stage. From preventing wars to managing pandemics, security concerns are what often push countries to cooperate, form alliances, or even compete. By focusing on security, we see how the common goal of staying safe can mean vastly different things depending on who’s involved and what’s at stake.

Our journey begins with International Security, a concept that captures the measures states and international organizations take to ensure survival and safety in the face of threats like war, terrorism, and global disasters. In World War Z, for example, countries around the world scramble to contain a deadly virus that turns people into zombies, creating a fictional but thrilling example of how international security might look in a global crisis. By examining how different nations respond to the pandemic, we see how security concerns drive state behavior and shape alliances, as well as the limitations of individual countries acting alone. This concept of security also surfaces in The Hunger Games, where the central government’s tight control over its districts highlights how security measures can become tools for dominance and oppression. In this first unit, we’ll break down these ideas to understand how countries respond to large-scale threats and the trade-offs they face between national security and individual freedoms. Next, we’ll explore an idea that takes security in a different direction—focusing not just on states, but on people.

No disaster movie is complete without a bit of economic chaos, and that’s where Economic Security comes in. This concept refers to the ability of people and countries to maintain a stable income or resources, particularly during global crises. In a real-world context, economic security includes everything from protecting jobs and income to managing national resources. In Unit 3, we’ll draw connections to science fiction dystopian films where economic collapse or scarcity creates intense conflicts, as we see in movies like Elysium or Blade Runner. These fictional worlds depict extreme versions of economic insecurity, where resources are so scarce that they lead to social breakdown. By analyzing these scenarios, we’ll get a better grasp on the factors that contribute to economic security, including fair access to resources, economic policies, and international trade. This focus on economic stability sets the stage for our final unit, where we explore the futuristic themes of robots, aliens, and human survival.

Human Security flips traditional security thinking by putting individuals at the center of safety concerns, protecting them from threats like disease, political instability, and environmental disasters. Unlike the state-centered approach, which prioritizes national borders and military defense, human security emphasizes the well-being and safety of people in their daily lives. To explore this concept, we’ll take an unconventional approach by analyzing films that depict crises of survival, governance, and human rights. Arrival raises questions about global governance and international cooperation as nations struggle to work together in response to an alien presence, reflecting real-world challenges in managing global crises. District 9 offers a stark commentary on international law and human rights, drawing parallels to the treatment of refugees and marginalized groups in times of conflict. Meanwhile, Children of Men explores the tensions between globalization and nationalism in a world where economic and political collapse has led to the widespread persecution of vulnerable communities. Through these films, we’ll examine how human security shifts our perspective on international relations by prioritizing people over states and survival over sovereignty.

So far, we’ve cracked open the toolbox of international relations, met the key actors, peeked at the global system’s rules (or lack thereof), and dipped our toes into the big debates about power, sovereignty, and order. If this all feels a little chaotic—good! That’s the nature of the global stage: complex, contested, and constantly evolving. But don’t worry—we’ve got a whole book to explore how it all fits together (or doesn’t). From why states go to war to how climate change reshapes diplomacy, each chapter will build on these core ideas to help you make sense of the world around you—and maybe even imagine how to change it. To kick things off, we’ll test these foundational concepts with a scenario that’s as absurd as it is revealing: a zombie apocalypse. In Chapter 2, we’ll explore how different international relations theories—from realism to constructivism—might respond when the dead start rising. It’s a fictional crisis, sure, but the lessons it reveals about real-world politics are anything but make-believe.