Postcolonial Theory and International Relations: A Critical Introduction

What can postcolonialism tell us about international relations? What can international relations tell us about postcolonialism?

In recent years, postcolonial perspectives and insights have challenged our conventional understanding of international politics. Postcolonial Theory and International Relations is the first book to provide a comprehensive and accessible survey of how postcolonialism radically alters our understanding of international relations.

Each chapter is written by a leading international scholar and looks at the core components of international relations – theories, the nation, geopolitics, international law, war, international political economy, sovereignty, religion, nationalism, Empire etc. – through a postcolonial lens. In so doing it provides students with a valuable insight into the challenges that postcolonialism poses to our understanding of global politics.

Sanjay Seth is Professor of Politics and co-Director of the Centre for Postcolonial Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London. He has published extensively on social and political theory, postcolonialism, and modern Indian history. He is the author of Subject Lessons: The Western Education of Colonial India (Duke UP 2007) and a founding co-editor of the journal, Postcolonial Studies (1998-).