This book examines the ways in which the study and practice of international relations are misunderstood, both by scholars and politicians. It begins by examining critical errors in reasoning and argument which determine the way key issues in the field are discussed and explained. It then explores a number of case studies which are affected by these errors, including the legal status of the modern nation-state, the Israel-Palestine conflict, the idea of the Deep State, the relationship between the West and radical Islam, the impact of moral righteousness on historical understanding, and the role of class in modern Western politics.

Well argued and balanced, Leichtova provides an alternative and more constructive understanding of what drives Russian foreign policy. The book is based on the concepts of constructivism and orientalism in international relations to analyse the policies of the Russian Federation. This book highlights that Russian foreign policy is a complex phenomenon constructed from internal as well as external developments, perceptions and expectations. At the same time, it also highlights that Western states are the most significant Other in construction of the Russian foreign policy and even Russian identity and, at the same time, actively create an 'image of Russia' in international politics which is widely based on their own Western assumptions about the country. The author introduces the reader to an alternate portrayal of relations between Russia and the West which all analysts should take into consideration before drawing conclusions.

In this volume, experts on East Asia focus on each of the past five decades to explain the weak predictive power of traditional IR theory as applied to the region and uncover the true forces driving change.

Although international cultural exchange is an important feature of contemporary international relations, it remains one of the most neglected areas of research and training. Since World War II, more than six million academics and countless other individuals have spent significant amounts of time studying and visiting in countries other than their own. Still, despite this phenomenal development in international cultural exchanges, we have relatively little knowledge of what is involved in such actions, and what their individual, societal, organizational, and governmental effects may be. This volume, a collection of papers presented at the International Cultural Exchange Symposium, examines the study of international cultural exchange and the role that cultural factors play in contemporary international relations. The book explores the state of this yet-to-be-recognized field, identifying the conceptual, methodological, and administrative problems involved in cultural exchange, and recommending measures that could improve the quality, effectiveness, and costs of international programs. Although the primary focus remains on the issues of U.S.-Japanese exchange, broader themes that touch upon cultural relations in general are also discussed. Topics covered in the various contributions include problems of U.S.-Japanese educational exchange; issues in British cultural exchange policy; educational cooperation between the University of Massachusetts and Hokkaido University; international broadcasting; and student exchange and the use of technology. The book's contributors represent some of the United States' and Japan's leading academic institutions, including the University of Massachusetts, Tokyo University, Columbia, the University of Kyoto, and Harvard. This book will be a valuable resource for courses in international relations and communications, cultural anthropology and sociology, and international education, and a necessary addition to libraries at universities, cultural institutions and international organizations.

Well argued and balanced, Leichtova provides an alternative and more constructive understanding of what drives Russian foreign policy. The book is based on the concepts of constructivism and orientalism in international relations to analyse the policies of the Russian Federation. This book highlights that Russian foreign policy is a complex phenomenon constructed from internal as well as external developments, perceptions and expectations. At the same time, it also highlights that Western states are the most significant Other in construction of the Russian foreign policy and even Russian identity and, at the same time, actively create an 'image of Russia' in international politics which is widely based on their own Western assumptions about the country. The author introduces the reader to an alternate portrayal of relations between Russia and the West which all analysts should take into consideration before drawing conclusions.

Well argued and balanced, Leichtova provides an alternative and more constructive understanding of what drives Russian foreign policy. The book is based on the concepts of constructivism and orientalism in international relations to analyse the policies of the Russian Federation. This book highlights that Russian foreign policy is a complex phenomenon constructed from internal as well as external developments, perceptions and expectations. At the same time, it also highlights that Western states are the most significant Other in construction of the Russian foreign policy and even Russian identity and, at the same time, actively create an 'image of Russia' in international politics which is widely based on their own Western assumptions about the country. The author introduces the reader to an alternate portrayal of relations between Russia and the West which all analysts should take into consideration before drawing conclusions.