Introduction to International Relations and Global Politics

Citation

Sørensen, G., & Møller, J. (2025). Introduction to International Relations and Global Politics (9th ed.). Oxford University Press.

Chapter Summary

The ninth edition has 17 chapters in three parts and about 500 pages in all. It continues the textbook earlier published as Introduction to International Relations and then Introduction to International Relations: Theories and Approaches (for example the seventh edition of 2018 and the eighth of 2021, both with Robert Jackson as a co-author), and the publisher says it has been restructured. A new Chapter 1 replaces the former Chapters 1 and 2, a new Part 2 has been added, and the theory chapters of Part 1 have been shortened to make room. The publisher also notes that each chapter ends by discussing how theories have tried to combine international and domestic factors.

Chapter 1: What Is International Relations and Global Politics and Why Study It?

A 40-page opening chapter. According to the publisher, it introduces the new structure of the book.

Part 1, Chapters 2–6: Realism; Liberalism; International Society; International Political Economy: Marxism and Its Competitors; Social Constructivism

Five chapters on the classical and contemporary IR traditions, each about 25–32 pages. The publisher's description lists realism, liberalism, International Society, international political economy and social constructivism, and says the chapters encourage readers to weigh each theory's strengths and weaknesses and the main points of contention between them.

Part 2, Chapters 7–10: Post-structuralism; Postcolonialism; Feminism and Queer Theory; Green Theory, the Environment, and Climate Change

The part added in this edition, occupying pages 193–300. It covers the approaches the publisher groups as Global Politics theories. Chapter 10 links green theory to the environment and climate change.

Part 3, Chapters 11–15: Issue: Politics, Economics, and Power; Issue: Development and Underdevelopment; Issue: What Is Economic Globalization and Who Benefits?; Issue: International Terrorism; Issue: Religion in World Politics: A Clash of Civilizations?

Five short issue chapters of 11 to 15 pages each. The publisher says the final part shows how theory can be used as a tool to make sense of major global issues, and that the issue chapters have been reworked so that Global Politics perspectives are included.

Part 3, Chapters 16–17: Foreign Policy; The Big Question: World Order or World Chaos?

Two longer closing chapters, of 30 and 27 pages. Chapter 16 takes up foreign policy, and Chapter 17 puts the book's closing question of world order or world chaos.

Key Concepts

Part 1: Major IR Theories and Approaches (Chapters 2–6)

• Realism and liberalism: the two longest-standing traditions, with a chapter each.
• International Society: the tradition given its own chapter, between liberalism and political economy.
• International political economy: treated through Marxism and its competitors.
• Social constructivism: the final theory of Part 1.

Part 2: Major Global Politics Theories and Approaches (Chapters 7–10)

• Post-structuralism and postcolonialism: the two critical approaches added to the book.
• Feminism and queer theory: gender-focused perspectives on world politics.
• Green theory: the environment and climate change as a theoretical and practical concern.

Part 3: Theory Meets the Real World (Chapters 11–17)

• Power, development and economic globalization: the first three issue chapters.
• International terrorism and religion in world politics: the two issue chapters on non-state and cultural dimensions.
• Foreign policy: the subject of Chapter 16.
• World order: the concluding question of Chapter 17.

Critical Analysis

Strengths

• Theory is the organising principle. The publisher describes the book as an accessible, succinct introduction to the principal IR theories, with an emphasis on how theory can be used to analyse key global issues. Each part of the contents follows from this aim.
• A wider range of theories in this edition. The new Part 2 gives post-structuralism, postcolonialism, feminism and queer theory, and green theory their own chapters. Angela Pennisi di Floristella (Malta) is quoted as welcoming the equal weight given to postcolonial, feminist and post-structural theories alongside traditional approaches, and Maya Nguyen (SOAS) as praising a comprehensive and balanced coverage of traditional and contemporary perspectives.
• A built-in habit of critique. The publisher stresses that the book presents the strengths and weaknesses of each theory and the points of contention between them, so students see theories as competing rather than as a menu.
• Continuity with a long-running text. The book descends from earlier editions with an established structure; the publisher says all chapters have been updated and that there are many new boxes and figures.

Limitations

• Concise by design. The publisher calls the book succinct, and the page counts reflect that. Theory chapters run about 25–32 pages, and the theory chapters of Part 1 were shortened in this edition.
• Issue chapters are brief. The five issue chapters are 11–15 pages each, enough to show theory being applied but leaving little room to introduce the substance of each topic.
• Limited topic coverage. The contents list has no chapters on war and security as such (beyond the chapter on terrorism), on international organizations and law, or on trade and finance beyond the chapters on political economy, so these need a more empirically organised text.
• Restructuring. Because chapters were merged, added and reworked, chapter references from the earlier editions do not map onto this one.

Where It Fits in the Course

This is the theory-centred introduction in the international-relations list. Reus-Smit's International Relations: A Very Short Introduction is described on the site as a short introduction organised around how political authority is arranged globally, so it makes a lighter first read before Sørensen and Møller. Baylis, Smith and Owens's The Globalization of World Politics is an edited introductory textbook that covers the history of the international system, the main theories, structures and processes, and global issues, and is the broader, issue-rich alternative. Frieden and co-authors' World Politics is built around a single framework (interests, interactions, institutions) rather than around the competing schools.

The primary texts behind two chapters are also on the list: Waltz's Theory of International Politics is the statement of structural realism behind Chapter 2, and Wendt's Social Theory of International Politics is the foundational statement of constructivism behind Chapter 6. They are better read after the textbook chapters than before.

How to Use This Book

The book suits undergraduates taking a first or second course in international relations or global politics, particularly where the syllabus is organised by theory. The publisher's page lists no prerequisites; some knowledge of modern history and current affairs, as suggested for this site's listing, will help with the examples in Part 3.

A practical plan:

• Start with Chapter 1, which explains the structure, then read the theory chapters in the book's order, Chapters 2–6 and then 7–10, comparing each theory with the previous ones using the strengths-and-weaknesses discussions.
• Core for most courses: Chapters 2, 3 and 6 (realism, liberalism, constructivism), with Chapter 4 on International Society and Chapter 5 on political economy where the syllabus includes them.
• Optional by emphasis: the Part 2 chapters can be taken as a block for courses on critical and global perspectives, or singly alongside a related topic, such as Chapter 10 with a unit on climate.
• Apply the theories: choose one of the Part 3 issue chapters and test it by writing a short comparison of what two theories would say. Chapters 16–17 are suitable for a closing seminar.