Intro to International Relations

As kids and college students were heading back to school a couple weeks ago, I shared a story about finding my voice. The title of that post is “A Quiet Journey”. Then, last week I continued with the theme of school related posts by sharing one of my favorite speeches that I did in school. It was a persuasive speech about volunteering using Monroe’s Motivation Sequence. It is called “Making a Difference”. And this week, I am sharing my favorite informational speech from college. So, let’s get started shall we?

Everyone always ask me, "What are you studying?" or "What are you majoring in?" When I tell them I am majoring in International Relations, people are often confused and do not know exactly what that entails. I am here today to share the importance of majoring in International Relations. In particular, International Relations can be used in various ways. It can help you to become more open-minded when you meet new people, learn more about the world, and it can prepare you for a career post-college. Either way, International Relations is important in the world today. Therefore, I will explain what International Relations includes, it’s significance, and how it can be useful to others.

You might be wondering what International Relations is. Or you may have a slight idea but not know the depth and definition of it. According to eHow's definition, "International Relations is a multidisciplinary field that seeks to understand a variety of various global issues, foreign affairs, and the geopolitical interactions of nations and states within the international system”. International Relations draws from many different aspects of Social Science, including: geography, history, sociology, political science, economics, anthropology, and law. At the University of Texas-at Austin this major is broken down into four concentrations; otherwise, known as focus areas which are: "Culture, Media, and the arts (so art, music, journalism, and international studies courses); International Security (mostly criminal justice and law classes); Science, Technology, and the Environment (focuses on biology, chemistry, and geology classes); International Political Economy (so political science and economics classes).

A major similar to International Relations is International Politics. Although it is similar, International Politics is more focused in political science classes. In addition to that “International politics help steer and shape the precedents set by industrialized nations so they may hopefully be embraced and implemented in developing nations" (yahooanswers.com).

Another major similar to International Relations is International Studies, which is focused more on cultures as a whole. As the Princeton Review states, "As an International Studies major your focus is more on depth than breadth, so while you will gain a greater appreciation for the commerce of the world as a whole, you will probably concentrate on a specific region of the globe, studying in detail its unique history, economy, and political structure."

Last but not least, International Affairs is similar to International Relations, except International Affairs is more in the business aspect of things. As East Tennessee State University proves, "The International Affairs major is a study of behavior of states, international organizations, and domestic political actors within the international community. The major provides a basis for analyzing international issues such as international cooperation and conflict, the global political economy, US foreign policy, world cultures, global health and environmental concerns, and international law and organization."

So as I shared three majors that are awfully quite alike to International Relations. I, now will discuss their similarities and differences. The similarities between the majors are that they do not focus on just one area. They want classes from many different subjects. They prepare you for the government here and overseas, such as US embassy. Study abroad is strongly recommended. There are trips you can go on for two weeks, a semester, and six months. Here at Elgin Community College, they have a two week trip to China. But it is recommended that you first take a class in Mandarin. In addition to that, within each major you will learn about a culture or society from many different perspectives, such as music, history, politics, and the economy. On the other hand, the differences are that they each vary in a different concentration from politics to culture to business. They also need a different set of classes ranging from Political Science classes to Anthropology and Sociology to Macroeconomics and Microeconomics.

In the meantime, International Relations is global. Meaning you can go anywhere and everywhere. It all depends on what you want to do. You can be in Asia, Africa, South America, Europe, North America, Australia, but the list goes on and on. While you can go all around the world, there are plenty of jobs here in the United States as well. You can work for the US State Department, Council on Foreign Relations, work in International Business, or go into Journalism. You can be a Social Science teacher, Foreign Correspondent, Consultant, Intelligence Officer, or Foreign Service Officer just to name a few. There is not one job or career path that you are limited too. There are additional benefits to majoring in International Relations, but to name a few being open-minded when you meet new people because you learn to put yourself in other people's shoes, you get to meet people far and wide, and you get to travel all around the world. Plus, the world is becoming more and more globalized and connected.

While there are so many positive intangibles, there is a negative impact as well. This has to deal with tensions arising between nations due to cultural differences, different rules or laws of the land, and differing of beliefs. The specific example I had previously mentioned was/is the tension between Russia and Ukraine. When I first wrote this, I was discussing when Russia first entered Crimea, Ukraine in 2014.

As for the reason why I am majoring in International Relations it is because I will get to help change people's lives, make a difference, and help fix global problems. Now the next time someone asks you, "What is International Relations?" You can tell them what it is, what it can do, and how it can help other people. You will also be able to tell them how International Relations is a global phenomenon. But the main thing you will be able to tell them is the positive and negative benefits. Such as, being more open-minded towards others, having the opportunity to travel the globe, and making friends. Maybe there are some hot tempers, but hey... it can be life-changing!

The End.

Here is little back story that I would like to share. I first became fascinated by an International Studies major when I was attending the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. There I took a semester class of World Geography as well as Introduction to International Studies. I had phenomenal professors for both classes which only enriched the experience. Anyhow, I will never forget how engaging my World Geography professor was. He would start each class by sharing an YouTube video from around the world. So much so, I would go home and share these videos with friends and family. Meanwhile, in my Introduction to International Studies my professor had recently returned from Sri Lanka and had us complete a project where we had to come with an idea to create or improve a system somewhere in the world. Although I do not quite remember all the details, my suggestion was to create sustainable wells in desert portions of Africa. Overall, that project alone opened my eyes to a multitude of issues, perspectives, and ideas. Since having majored in International Studies, I think Introduction to International Studies, International Affairs, International Politics, or International Relations should be a required core class at every college or university. It taught me a lot over the years. But that is strictly my opinion.

As a signature of this blog, I want to end each post with a suggestion to “Pass on kindness”. After all, there is no such time as the present to “Inspire Those Who Inspire You”. Passing on kindness does not need to be this big, elaborate ordeal.  You could smile at a stranger, compliment something you love about someone’s outfit or personality, tell someone how proud you are of them or that you thinking of them. Even small acts of kindness can have a huge impact on someone. I know it does for me. So with that, have a beautiful day!