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Concepts in International Relations
A New Introduction
Edited by:
- Felix Berenskötter - King's College London, UK
Additional resources:
Other Titles in:
International Relations | International Studies | Political Science & International Relations
International Relations | International Studies | Political Science & International Relations
November 2025 | 432 pages | SAGE Publications Ltd
How can we better understand global issues? And what does it mean to do international relations theory today?
Concepts in International Relations offers a fresh and accessible introduction to IR theory through the lens of the key concepts that shape our world – power, security, race, gender, the environment, and more. Unlike traditional textbooks, this book treats concepts not just as tools but as the very foundation of international thinking and practice.
Concepts don’t just describe the world – they make it. Politicians, scholars and activists all use them to frame debates, justify actions and imagine alternatives. By interpreting and reimagining these concepts, theory becomes a powerful way to engage with global politics.
This book is the essential companion for undergraduate and postgraduate students approaching IR or IR theory for the first time.
Concepts in International Relations offers a fresh and accessible introduction to IR theory through the lens of the key concepts that shape our world – power, security, race, gender, the environment, and more. Unlike traditional textbooks, this book treats concepts not just as tools but as the very foundation of international thinking and practice.
Concepts don’t just describe the world – they make it. Politicians, scholars and activists all use them to frame debates, justify actions and imagine alternatives. By interpreting and reimagining these concepts, theory becomes a powerful way to engage with global politics.
This book is the essential companion for undergraduate and postgraduate students approaching IR or IR theory for the first time.
Felix Berenskötter
Chapter 1: Introduction
Felix Berenskötter
Chapter 2: Studying Concepts
Annette Freyberg-Inan
Chapter 3: Rationality
Simon Koschut
Chapter 4: Emotions
Felix Berenskötter
Chapter 5: International Order
Jasmine Gani
Chapter 6: Colonialism
Tanja Aalberts
Chapter 7: Sovereignty
Jaakko Heiskanen
Chapter 8: The Nation
Somdeep Sen
Chapter 9: Race
Halvard Leira
Chapter 10: Diplomacy
Mark Lacy and Felix Berenskötter
Chapter 11: War
Felix Berenskötter and Sachiho Funabashi
Chapter 12: Peace
Laura Sjoberg and Thomas Worth
Chapter 13: Gender
Pinar Bilgin
Chapter 14: Security
Lee Jarvis
Chapter 15: Terrorism
Stephanie Winkler
Chapter 16: Power
Piki Ish-Shalom and Jonas Wolff
Chapter 17: Democracy
Oliver Kessler
Chapter 18: The Market
Heloise Weber
Chapter 19: Development
Oumar Ba
Chapter 20: Justice
Mor Mitrani and Evgeny Roshchin
Chapter 21: International Community
Michael Albert
Chapter 22: Climate Change
Supplements
Watch the webinar recording
Teaching undergraduate students to understand and engage with IR theory through the traditional ‘isms’ can be challenging. But what if we introduced concepts as an alternative and accessible way of thinking about - and teaching - international relations?
While courses introducing students to International Relations traditionally focused on theoretical paradigms or real-world problems, the last decade has seen a shift towards organising teaching material around key concepts, ranging from traditional ones, like power, security, or sovereignty, to long-neglected concepts such as emotions or race.In this webinar and panel discussion, Dr Felix Berenskötter will discuss the relevance of, and pedagogical approaches to, working with concepts as windows into world politics. It is premised on the view that concepts play a crucial role in ordering and giving meaning to reality for both academics and practitioners.
Drawing on the new Sage textbook Concepts in International Relations, the author and editor Dr Felix Berenskötter and chapter authors Dr Somdeep Sen and Professor Tanja Aalberts will discuss the analytical and political power of concepts, their relationship to IR theories and significance in real world politics, and how they can help students to understand IR better.
While courses introducing students to International Relations traditionally focused on theoretical paradigms or real-world problems, the last decade has seen a shift towards organising teaching material around key concepts, ranging from traditional ones, like power, security, or sovereignty, to long-neglected concepts such as emotions or race.In this webinar and panel discussion, Dr Felix Berenskötter will discuss the relevance of, and pedagogical approaches to, working with concepts as windows into world politics. It is premised on the view that concepts play a crucial role in ordering and giving meaning to reality for both academics and practitioners.
Drawing on the new Sage textbook Concepts in International Relations, the author and editor Dr Felix Berenskötter and chapter authors Dr Somdeep Sen and Professor Tanja Aalberts will discuss the analytical and political power of concepts, their relationship to IR theories and significance in real world politics, and how they can help students to understand IR better.
