Concepts in World Politics

Felix Berenskoetter is Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) at SOAS, University of London. He holds a PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and specializes in international theory and concepts, in particular friendship, identity, power, security, peace, and time; as well as German foreign policy, European security and transatlantic relations. He has published articles in various journals and co-edited Power in World Politics (Routledge, 2007). Felix is a former editor of Millennium: Journal of International Studies, founder and former chair of the ISA Theory Section and currently an associate editor of the Journal of Global Security Studies.

Chapter 1: Unpacking Concepts - Felix Berenskoetter PART 1: CLAIMS Chapter 2: Power - Stefano Guzzini Chapter 3: Security - Holger Stritzel/Juha Vuori Chapter 4: Rationality - Annette Freyberg-Inan Chapter 5: Identity - Richard Ned Lebow PART 2: CONDITIONS Chapter 6: War - Antoine Bousquet Chapter 7: Peace - Oliver Richmond/Felix Berenskoetter Chapter 8: Anarchy - Alex Prichard Chapter 9: Society - Oliver Kessler/Benjamin Herborth Chapter 10: Capitalism - Benno Teschke/Frido Wenten PART 3: SYSTEMS OF GOVERNANCE Chapter 11: Sovereignty - Tanja Aalberts Chapter 12: Hegemony - Alejandro Colas Chapter 13: Democracy - Piki Ish-Shalom Chapter 14: Religion - Maria Birnbaum PART 4: MODES OF TRANSFORMATION Chapter 15: Revolution - Rahul Rao Chapter 16: Intervention - David Chandler Chapter 17: Integration - Thomas Diez Chapter 18: Globalization - Stephan Stetter

In the beginning was the word, the word took on many meanings and became a concept. The concept went on to create the social world. Follow it all here. -- Iver B. Neumann This fascinating and insightful edited volume has an incredibly useful yet simple premise: unpack seminal concepts in the study of world politics in order to understand their history, meaning and usage. Frequently evoked yet poorly understood, concepts such sovereignty, power, democracy, globalization and many others are carefully unpacked by some of the best theorists in the field today. This volume is an invaluable resource for anyone who has puzzled over the meaning of foundational international relations concepts, asked why these ideas are so important, and questioned what role these concepts play in both the study and practice of world affairs. -- Jennifer Sterling-Folker It should come as news to no one that basic concepts in international studies such as 'intervention' or 'sovereignty' are contested bundles of meaning that change over time. This volume goes well beyond that observation, using it as a starting-point for a set of richly detailed investigations into the plurality of meanings composing those concepts both inside and outside of the world of academic scholarship. Such a mapping of the basic 'mental furniture' of international affairs provides an excellent point of departure for discussions about the ongoing production and reproduction of the world we inhabit. Excellent for students of international affairs at all levels, including those advanced students who sometimes style themselves 'professionals'. -- Patrick Thaddeus Jackson