There have been significant political eras which have shaped not
only the structure of world politics but the way in which it has
been studied. The geopolitical and ideological contours of the Cold
War period, for example, had an impact on almost every aspect of
world politics and the study of international relations for around
45 years.

This book argues that, just as the collapse of the Soviet Union
in the period following the fall of the Berlin Wall signalled the
end of strategic polarization, it also marked the apparent end of a
particular form of polarized debate around political, social and
economic ideas. The various new directions taken by scholars of
international relations in the post-Cold War era constitute a large
part of a 'new agenda' for the discipline. This collection
reflects the variety of issues and approaches that have become part
and parcel of this agenda over the past ten years.

Issues tackled in this volume include the power of culture and
ideology, the concept of globalisation, inequality, human rights
and security as well as reflections on new forms of polarization in
the post-Cold War world. Each contributor addresses the nature of
changes and continuities in world politics, considers how the
discipline of international relations itself has changed and
reflects on possible directions for the twenty-first Century.

This book will be of great interest to scholars of international
relations, global politics, economics and related disciplines.