Session 3: IR- Reinventing the Science that it never was

International relations is a multidisciplinary field which offers a comprehensive view of relations between various countries across the globe. This field is becoming increasingly relevant as the world is growing and becoming more interconnected through trade, social media and imperative global environmental issues.

Stanley Hoffman, in his article, describes how theory is divided into three main kinds; normative theory, empirical theory and policy theory. International Relations has developed over the years relying heavily on normative and policy theory but has given little attention to the empirical element. An amalgamation of both the qualitative and quantitative techniques should be used in developing a policy or analyzing the global trends. International Relations relies heavily on qualitative research where subjectivity may lead to procedural problems. In the past, policies were designed keeping in view the position of a country and these policies had a detrimental effect at a global level in the long run. What should be done instead is that the macroeconomic factors should be taken into account and the domestic policies should be designed accordingly.

Ethnographies should be compiled. They are basically the presentation of empirical data on human societies and cultures. This method was primarily adopted in anthropology, but has now become more popular in sociology too. Thus, social scientists should use this toolkit in International Relations too for comparison, which might help to establish patterns and statistical models for better evaluations.

All in all, International Relations is a subject that is far more than might meet the eye. It is intellectually rigorous, theoretically demanding and historically conversant. Therefore, all three kinds of theories suggested by Stanley Hoffman should be used in equal proportions in analyzing, theorizing, examining and assessing the politics of the world that we all have to share.