Meaning of International Relations

BOOK REVIEW Chris Brown, Understanding International Relations . New York: St. Martins Press 1999. ISBN 031217 3385 ( paperback). USD 19.95 "Understanding International Relations"by Chris Brown is a book that is meant to give a general understanding of what International Relations is all about.It is divided into 4 parts. Brown's main concern in Part One of the book is the definition of International Relations.He surveys all the theories in International Relations right from Liberal Internationalism to current theories of neo-realism and neoliberalism. Firstly,he examines the debate between Liberal Internationalism and Realism and the post war realist synthesis.Next, he looks at the debate on methods between the Behaviorists and Traditionalists before setting out Pluralism's challenge to realism as "the" theory of International Relations. Part 2 is a discussion of characteristic realist topics such as Security Dilemma, Foreign Policy Formulation,Balance of Power and War. Part 3,like the first part,is a survey of extensive networks of global governance.Using the European integration experience as a model, he thoroughly analysed the theories of functionalism and neo-functionalism and then critically looks at the world political and economic system by examining the problems caused by international economic relations. The book in its fourth and final part addresses the end of the cold war and its implications for a theoretical understanding of International Relations.He takes a close view of the new agenda setting by both State and Non State actors in International Relations and the issue of global environmental justice. The book is an examination of the theories in International Relations. This explains the adoption of a theoretical approach. It is also well written.The language is simple and the arguments are logical. There is one main research question, which is found in the Introduction, and upon which the others, (sub) - three, in Part Two and one in the Conclusion of the book, are based. The main research question on the definition of International Relations sets the tone for a discussion of the theories and his next step in the first part of the book, Chapters 1 – 3,which is an historical overview, provides the foundation necessary for a good grasp of the current theories in International Relations. His starting point is therefore very good. I think however, that he was judgemental in his treatment of most topics and this runs counter in my view, to a book that is supposedly meant to be a general introduction to the theory of International Relations. He could simply present the arguments of the different thinkers leaving out none. A student, who is still battling with understanding the important theories in International Relations, may become more confused. He punctures for example, Allison's "3 models of decision" as an insufficient account of the sociopsychological, cognitive dimension of decision making, stating that his models may only work in countries which have highly differentiated institutional structures, and using Waltz's arguments ( 1979), he points out the antithesis between the dominance of rational choice theory in contemporary mainstream International Relations and Foreign Policy analysis, stating that on this basis, the only role for foreign policy of the State is to recognize the signals being sent by the system, stressing the fact that the traditional components of foreign policy analysis have little or no role in this. Based on these types of judgmental conclusions in the book, one may be more inclined to give a title such as " A Critique of Realist Theories in International Relations", than "Understanding International Relations". The confusion however gets worse because he did not delineate either of these two objectives and he ends up doing both "unequally" creating some difficulty for someone who is still grappling to understand what International Relations is about. The use of research questions are helpful because they provide a starting point for the readers and ultimately lead him to the root of the debates and theoretical issues in International Relations. In spite of these misgivings,the book gives a general idea of what International Relations is all about. His continuous use of vivid images helps aid understanding. The use of "ant " in Natural Sciences for instance, to show the problem inherent in the definition of International Relations and the metaphor of the "chandelier" to illustrate the Balance of Power together and as a whole, helps give a familiar and concrete understanding of what International Relations is all about. The book on the whole succeeds in presenting the theoretical debates and arguments as it exists in International Relations. His starting point by giving an analysis of the problem inherent in definition and an historical overview help so much the build up in the theories as each of them (although some with an overlap) are placed in specific historical periods.