TITLE: SIGNIFICANCE OF INTERNATIONAL

RELATIONS.

NAME: ALINA MINHAS.

CLASS: BA SEMESTER ONE.

SESSION: FALL 2019.

SUBMITTED TO : Dr. ARIFA KAYANI.

SUBMISSION DATE : 5 SEPTEMBER 2019.

INTRODUCTION:
International Relation is the study of relations among states and other political and
economic units in the International System. It basically reflects the dynamics of
International System. International Relation is the way in which two or more nations
interact with and regard each other, specially in the context of political , economic or
cultural relationships. Particular areas of study within the field of International Relation
include Diplomacy and Diplomatic History, International Law, International
Organizations , International Finance and communication among others. It can be seen in
the history that International Relations has a great significance. As we know that man can
not live in isolation. It is the nature of human that they live in clustures , clans , villages ,
towns , cities and communities . In order to interact with each other they need to go
beyond borders. The earlier relations were among the neighbours and they may be called
“Regional Relations”. International Relation existed long among different states like
Egypt ,Greece and China but they were based on morality. However, it was in
seventeenth century that states established relations beyond regions. International
Relation was not being studied as a discipline until WORLD WAR TWO. It was after
WORLD WAR TWO that many attempts were made in the US and WESTERN EUROPE
to carve a distinct course of study. International relations has been defined by many
scholars , authors and historians , some of them are as follows :
Trevor Taylor (1979) define International Relation as;
“Discipline which tries to explain political activities across state boundaries”

According to Ola Joseph (1999);

“International Relation is the study of all forms of interactions that exist between
members of seperate entities or nations within the International System”
It has a great significance in the sense of provision of absolute opportunity to man to
make research on daily challenging international relations. International Relation is of
great importance in the matter that the issues that can cause major destruction or lead
to any kind of crisis in the future can be resolved through discussion among states and
can result in good and healthy relations among two states. In this way peace can be
prevailed in a region among states.
MAJOR CONCEPTS OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Following are some important key concepts of International Relations:

REALISM:
Realism is one of the dominant schools of thought in International
Relations. It has dominated the study of International Relations since the end of
World War Two. It explains International Relations in terms of power i.e it’s
foundation is the “Principle of Dominance”. It is the exercise of power by states and
is also known as “Power Politics”. Realists view human nature as selfish, conflictual and
competitive. It basically values order and does not welcome change. It is often associated
with Real Politik as both deal with pursuit, possession and application of power.

LIBERALISM:
It’s one of the theories in International System that focuses on
democracy and cooperation. Liberals belief that individuals share many interests and can
engage in cooperation. It is set on an idea that actors in International System could reach
a “Peaceful World Order” ( Burchill, 2005) and not on violence and insecurity that the
realist argue. Basic liberal assumptions are; a positive view of Human Nature, a belief in
progress and a conviction that International Relation can be cooperative rather than
conflictual.

IDEALISM:
In general, Idealism is a term applied to any idea, goal or practice
considered to be impractical. It is employed in International Relations in two ways i.e
broad and narrow one. The broad one sees idealism as a perennial doctrine or disposition
towards world affairs. The narrow one sees idealism as intimately tied to the inter war
period (1919-1939). According to Henry Ford :
“ An Idealist is a person who helps other people to be prosperous”
SIGNIFICANCE OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

The importance of different approaches in International Relations

are as follows:

WORLD ORGANIZATIONS AND IR:

International relations represents the study of
foreign affairs and global issues among states within the international system, including
the roles of states, inter-governmental organisations (IGO's), non-governmental
organisations (NGO's), and multinational corporations (MNCs). It is both an academic
and public policy field and have great significance in every aspect. These organisations
play an important role in International Relations as they can either have a positive or
negative impact on it in any context. The major contribution of NGO's is their impact on
International developement. Since NGO's are not limited by the fluctuating support of the
Government they can work in a better way. On the other hand IGO's transcend country
borders and can have a major impact on the governmental and transactional actors within
states .They are not replacements for governments as they do not govern. The importance
of International Relations can not be discussed through learning about the major aspects
and important organizations that play a key role in this subject, so in order to understand
International Relations we basically have to understand what matters in the practical
world and it’s relations.

WAR , PEACE AND IR:

The significance of International Relations can clearly be
seen in the aspect of WAR and PEACE . In the context of peace, it avoids international
conflicts and ensures international peace.. It helps to understand the true importance of
collective security and disagreement. Good relations between two states can avoid
destruction and it maintains peace within a region. If good relations prevail between
states then , it does not only prove better for humanity but it also results in better
economy and trade. If states make peace then many human lives can be saved and so it all
depends upon the international relations of states with each other. If we look at it in the
context of war then we can see that bad relations among states have always resulted in
destruction and millions of humans have lost their lives just because some states could’nt
make peace with each other. As we look at the history , we come to know that the
WORLD WARS were one of the biggest devastating happenings in the history of
mankind . Those nations which failed to prosper good relations among each other made
the humanity suffer. That is why international relations are very important in the context
of war and therefore people learned from their mistakes and it was after World War Two
that International Relations were given great importance and it was being taught as a
discipline later on.

CONCLUSION:
It can be concluded from the above statements that International Relation has a great
significance in every field of a state and plays an important role in every aspect of life.
It’s study not only educates people in the interest of the very survival of human race but it
also aims at the better understanding of the problems of the world. The importance of
international relations is becoming very popular nowadays because of the
interdependence of the states. This is making way for the new concept of “World Village”
or “World Community”. International Relations are very important for a state to survive
as it is difficult for a state to progress without making enemies and those enemies can be
overcome through strategies and better understanding of International Relations.
International relations are also very important for a state’s own good as it can help in their
economic, political , diplomatic and cultural development. Moreover international
relations can lead a state to becoming major power if it knows how to maintain those
relations. It’s very significance for a state to have international relations not to just live in
the world but in order to interact with other states and survive. So, it is quite clear that
International Relations have great significance and there are certain ways through which
they can prove better for the progress of a state.