International relations / Alpana Bimal Agrajit.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Concepts in international relations -- Principles of liberalism in international relations -- Theories of international relations -- The age of nationalism and imperialism -- Balance of power -- International relation and world politics -- Poststructuralist theories of international relations -- International economic systems -- Factors determining foreign policy.

"The concept of power in international relations can be described as the degree of resources, capabilities, and influence in international affairs. It is often divided up into the concepts of hard power and soft power, hard power relating primarily to coercive power, such as the use of force, and soft power commonly covering economics, diplomacy and cultural influence. However, there is no clear dividing line between the two forms of power. Realism is a straightforward approach to international relations, stating that all nations are working to increase their own power, and those countries that manage to horde power most efficiently will thrive, as they can easily eclipse the achievements of less powerful nations. The theory further states that a nation's foremost interest should be self-preservation and that continually gaining power should always be a social, economic, and political imperative. International Relations, like the world community itself are in transition. In a rapidly changing and increasingly complex world, it encompasses much more than relations among nation states and international organization and groups. It includes a variety of transitional relationships at various levels, above and below the level of the nation states. International relations are a multidisciplinary field gathering together the international aspects of politics, economics, geography, history, law, sociology, psychology, philosophy and cultural studies. It is a meta-discipline. Readers are also encouraged to consult this book's companion text, International Relations Theory, which expands greatly on the subject matter of this book"-- Back cover.