New directions in IR as a Social Science: The promise of interpretive approaches to IR

In recent years, much discussion about IR as a discipline has focused on the lack of applicability of theory to the 'real' world of global politics. For some, these critiques stem from the 'great debates' in the discipline and, more recently, the emergence of post-positivist, critical and postcolonial IR, which have led to a fracturing of IR as a 'field' of research. Other scholars have pointed towards the methodological limitations of conventional, comparative and critical IR while recognising the need for more empirical and applied research, novel forms of data collection and individual, in-depth case study research. This short talk will consider new directions for interpretive IR, introduce applied methodologies, and highlight overlaps with existing interdisciplinary research from Area Studies and Political Sociology and mixed methods research in general. 

Dr Cerwyn Moore is an Associate Professor in International Relations at the University of Birmingham. 

Registration will close two hours before the event begins.