Analyzing Violence: Why Study It in International Relations Today?

This essay explores the ongoing debate in international relations regarding the inclusion of violence as a subject of study. It begins by defining violence as an extreme form of aggression and international relations as the study of interactions between nation-states. The essay then presents argument...Read More

Running head: VIOLENCE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND WHY?
VIOLENCE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND WHY?
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

1VIOLENCE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND WHY?
Introduction:
Currently, one of the major debates in international relations is considering to study
violence in international relations. There are certain aspects that raise the question of including
‘violence’ in international relations (Adler 2013). Society is richly connected to each other, they
are complex and demands professionals who would help maintain these relations between
countries. The study and practice of international relations are interdisciplinary by its nature. It is
a blending of various fields involving economics, security, global ethics and political
environment, economics, political environment and globalisation. International Relations is
concerned with the relations existing across the boundaries of nation-states (O'neill 2017).
Violence can be defined as a global phenomenon that results in death, injuries and traumas. As
per the UN’s global Study, almost half a million people across the world died due to intentional
Homicide. There is no country that is untouched by violence since it is an increased aspect of
today’s society. It has become increasingly interpersonal which is now tied to criminal activities
specifically in the urban areas. There is a need to understand the causes of the increasing rate of
homicide and take appropriate measures. The paper aims to understand violence, international
relation and the relation between both in order to understand the need of studying violence
should be studied in international relation.
The conception of violence:
Violence can be defined as an extreme form of aggression involving murder, killing and
injuring. According to world health organization, violence can be defined as the intentional use
of physical power or force that may be due to threatened or actual against another person,
oneself, group or community that usually result in or injury, death, psychological harm,

2VIOLENCE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND WHY?
deprivation or maldevelopment (Fox, Levin and Fridel 2018). The definition that is provided by
the World Health Organization is associated with human intensions that specifically target the
act itself regardless of the results and the outcomes that can happen. Violence includes
unintentional actions as well where there is involvement deaths and injuries such as car accidents
and other accidents (Fiske and Rai 2014).
Association with power and security:
According to Wrong (2017), the term ‘power’ is often added with the term ‘violence’ due
to the use of the phrase ‘use of physical force’. The phrase let the concept broaden in its nature of
the violent act and helps in expanding the conventional understanding of violence that results
from a power relationship. Threats, acts of omission and neglects are included in the knowledge
of violence. Therefore, the phase is understood including every type of negligence and every
kind of physical, psychological and sexual abuse, self-abusive acts and suicide. According to the
World Health Organization, the definition of violence covers a range of outcomes such as
deprivation, psychological harm as well as maldevelopment (Hughes 2013). It is a reflection of a
growing recognition that has caught the attention of researchers and scholars. Therefore, it was
highly essential to include violence that does not necessarily result in death or injury. However,
it does consists of a substantial burden upon families, individuals, communities and healthcare
system worldwide. Various forms of violence that involves women, children and elderly that do
not end up with results involving any injury, death or disability. The consequence of these
incidents also varies which can be latent, immediate or for a long term. Therefore, defining an
action as violence solely on the basis of the result will only limit and create an obstacle in
understanding the full effect of violence on communities, individuals and society at large.

3VIOLENCE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND WHY?
The conception of International relation:
According to Burbules and Torres (2013), International relation is an increasingly
growing job role that is considered to be highly relevant. The world today is interconnected due
to trade and commerce along with the rising trade of migration. The internet has made possible
globalization in its simplest form than ever before with the help of social media. The interrelation
between nations is widely common in the contemporary era where nations are continually
connecting in order to achieve global success or global environmental problems (Hart and Spero
2013). There is certainly no question that a globalised world calls for academics and
professionals who are trained and experienced in comprehending the complex interaction that
takes place between nations across the globe. An expert based understanding and crafting policy
as well as business solutions in order to meet the exceptional challenges of modern society’s
present and future. The demand inclusive of all the mentioned above factors is the reason
international relation offers. It is a combination of significant aspects of society that are required
in to have a better understanding of today’s complex situation. The study involves
comprehensive and adaptable toolkit specifically to suit the employment that is changing rapidly.
It attempts to explain the interaction between states on the global level and explains behaviour
that occurs across the boundaries of states, the broader relationships involving private, state,
nongovernmental and intergovernmental. According to Nicholson (2015), while some investigate
institutional process and politics as a factor contributing to the externally directed goals and
behaviours of state, some look at the foreign policy makers through psychological and social-
psychological understanding. There can be a valid explanation between participants and their
balance of power, where the experts can be well aware of and take better decisions on that
specific basis.

4VIOLENCE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND WHY?
Reasons violence should not be studied in international relations:
Violence conceptualized:
According to Griffiths and O'callaghan (2013), it is certainly surprising that in the latest
IR syllabus, the concept of violence is missing. It is certainly to wonder that if IR is specialised
to maintain relations between states and nations why a significant problem such as violence is
not inclusive in it. Violence is understood from various angels by theorists and critics. Although
the term is recognized in the broader terms the usage of the term is done in a narrow perspective.
The term violence is a broad concept, and many theorists understand the concept in a broad way.
According to Sylvester (2013), violence is often used with very little or no clarity which fails to
ensure what is being referred and in which direction it is referred. It is likely to become unclear
and vague to interpret violence as physical, direct violence or a mere word only to indicate the
word violate. Therefore, one of the reasons why violence is should not be studied in the
International Relation is due to the potential of the word ‘violence’ that may mean or be
presumed in many forms. Violence can be referred to as a contested concept and while the
importance of understanding the meaning of the word can be asked, it is essential to understand
every word that is used in politics. Words in politics are the ‘tools of the trade’, and they are
important for researchers as it conveys the meaning and communicates ideas. Thus, the word
violence is very prone to be misused in the IR. For example, the language that is used in order to
tell a story about the violence certainly will impact on the story.
According to some scholars and researchers, there is a need to challenges the concepts of
politics in order to challenges the foundations of society as well as a political order. Therefore,
since it is difficult to use the term in the political context, it is much safe to not to use the term in
IR and study violence in in-depth. The concept in politics consists of inherently fuzzy boundaries

5VIOLENCE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND WHY?
where lies fine lines that are common of either a lesser or greater degree (Bendix 2017). The
term political as well as a term that is highly diplomatic. Political is a ubiquitous and seemingly
indispensable term when it considers the discussion of human affairs. It is used on daily basis
and used on different kinds of things such as institutions, actions, expenditure, conflicts, a type
of discourse, and many more. It is even applied to the life and thoughts of the modern nations,
primitive tribes as well as ancient cities. In the business, the term is often referred to the internal
affairs of business, unions, schools and churches. The term is used widely yet with different
interpretation and purpose which makes it highly sensitive.
Violence as a means:
There is always a substantial cost when violence is resorted as there is damage to the
security of individual lives or causes loss of lives. Therefore, usage of the term may lead to a
result that may have high costs comparing with the ends that were required to meet. It is of no
concern if it is for national liberation, correction of injustice or imperialistic domination, any loss
of lives is a loss of the nation. Using the term or studying violence in IR is not excluded only for
a simplistic understanding but writers aware of the fact that it may lead to a destruction of
societies. The public, as well as sensitive writers, are aware that there are pleasures that
accompany the violent activity (Kirby 2013). A complete understanding of its use, as well as
control, depends highly on grasping this specific aspect. Violence is used in order to gain
pleasures by several political workers. There is a certain group of people that enjoy violence in
society. Violence as a mean is a dangerous tool and it is important to understand the
attractiveness of violence. When there is a big achievement through violence, it is used as a mean
to achieve that specific goal. However, there is a difficulty to understand this specific attraction
in comparison to the cost of victims and the users. It is difficult to imagine the consequences in

6VIOLENCE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND WHY?
the place any intrinsic satisfaction that results from violence. It is hard to match the pain, death
and the anguish that results that infects on its own victims. Therefore, it can be understood that
violence always involves a serious cost, the cost that is explosive in nature and difficult to
control. The entire notion would be meaningless and unjustified even if they're absent of other
means to achieve a certain goal without violence. Therefore, in order to have a future that will
hold no place for violence, IR should not be studied violence should not be studied in IR.
Reasons violence should be studied in International relation:
Historically, the study of international relation have largely been concerned with states and the
effects of anarchy on their foreign policies. The policies that involve communication with other
states have been one of the tasks of international relations. The study along with mere
performing according to the international relation, it is also performing towards a global society.
The main focus is the improvement and development of the nations through helping each other.
International relation is a study that involves studying regarding the ways nations can best be in
good terms, specifically in the modern era where interaction is mandatory. Therefore, it consists
of exceptionally talented and knowledgeable candidates who would be able to make appropriate
decisions involving international organizations, transnational corporations, nongovernmental
organizations and other forms of networks. Since violence has become a massive issue, it can be
considered significant enough to be studied in international relation. With its wide ranges of
external as well as internal networking and connection, the field can become highly beneficial.
Conclusion:
As discussed above, currently, one of the major debates in international relations is
considering to study violence in international relations. There are certain aspects that raise the

7VIOLENCE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND WHY?
question of including ‘violence’ in international relations. Society is richly connected to each
other, they are complex and demands professionals who would help maintain these relations
between countries. The study and practice of international relations are interdisciplinary by its
nature. International relations are touching lives daily as global market, the World Wide Web as
well as foreign travel. Violence is one of the major social issue that is faced by the modern
world. International relation is the study of networking with the states across the globe. There is
a presumption that studying violence in international relation will be one of the most beneficial
fact that can help globally. However, as discussed above it is not safe to study and use the term
‘violence’ in the study of international relation. The term is categorized as holding a vast
meaning. It is open to interpretation and therefore, the word is safe when it is kept outside the
field of international relation. Also, studying violence in international relation may lead the
students take path of violence to achieve a goal and any programs that aims to use violence only
loses lives. However, since the field involves connection and the appropriate ways of
networking, there is possibility studying violence will help reducing violence or the rate of
homicide. However, since the term is highly political, it is best advised to keep it away from
international relationship.

8VIOLENCE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND WHY?
References:
Adler, E., 2013. Constructivism in international relations: sources, contributions, and
debates. Handbook of international relations, 2, pp.112-144.
Bendix, R., 2017. Nation-building and citizenship: Studies of our changing social order.
Routledge.
Burbules, N.C. and Torres, C.A., 2013. Globalization and education: Critical perspectives.
Routledge.
Fiske, A.P. and Rai, T.S., 2014. Virtuous violence: Hurting and killing to create, sustain,
end, and honor social relationships. Cambridge University Press.
Fox, J.A., Levin, J. and Fridel, E.E., 2018. Extreme killing: Understanding serial and mass
murder. Sage Publications.
Griffiths, M. and O'callaghan, T., 2013. International relations: The key concepts. Routledge.
Hart, J.A. and Spero, J.E., 2013. The politics of international economic relations. Routledge.
Hughes, C.W., 2013. Japan's economic power and security: Japan and North Korea.
Routledge.
Kirby, P., 2013. How is rape a weapon of war? Feminist International Relations, modes of
critical explanation and the study of wartime sexual violence. European Journal of
International Relations, 19(4), pp.797-821.
Nicholson, S., 2015. A recipe for meaningful gamification. In Gamification in education and
business (pp. 1-20). Springer, Cham.

9VIOLENCE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND WHY?
O'neill, K., 2017. The environment and international relations. Cambridge University Press.
Sylvester, C., 2013. War as experience: Contributions from international relations and
feminist analysis. Routledge.
Wrong, D., 2017. Power: Its forms, bases and uses. Routledge.