Career Profiles

Career Profiles

Political Science & International Relations

Politics is one of the big conceptual constructs which defi nes the world and drives our lives. Political processes could be thought of as higher-order versions of the family and group dynamics which condition us as individuals to issues of dominance and dependence, reward and punishment, having and not having, and the experience of ‘us’ and ‘them’. To this extent we are all ‘born political’ and proceed to live our lives in the context of a variety of political systems.

Political activity is basically about the exercise of power. Power itself comes in many forms, including the power to control other people, the power to allocate resources, and the power to manipulate consequences. Power can be blatantly obvious or very, very invisible. It can be unsettling, exciting, and deeply compelling. So can politics.

Political Science and International Relations are complementary and inter-related disciplines that take hold of the political dimension and pull it into focus. They provide language and concepts with which to explain, justify and criticise the modern world. They examine ideologies such as colonization and socialism. They explore systems of ideas like the new right, religious fundamentalism, and postmodernism. They analyse social movements that are organised around sexuality and gender. They identify the principle concepts, issues and theoretical debates within the fi elds of international relations. They dig into issues of power, confl ict, diplomacy, arms control, terrorism, developmental politics, civil society, foreign policy, humanitarian aid, and the international political economy.

Why Study Political Science and International Relations?

Studying these disciplines carries a range of benefits.

There is the personal satisfaction and social confidence that comes from training your brain and raising your understanding of not only world events but also the many episodes that comprise daily life. Being able to step back and see a larger (political) process at work is very empowering at an individual level. It can take the sting out of tense or emotional situations and provide you with strategies that enable you to behave constructively and proactively. Being able to rise above difficulties and move on is enormously valuable in any work environment, particularly when professional issues or competing interests are involved.

Political Science and International Relations are embedded not only in social processes and group dynamics, but also different cultural realities. This raises your sensitivity to the taken-for-granted aspects of cultural and ethnic experience, making you more open to different points of view and value systems, including those which are emergent properties of different political regimes. The ability to move comfortably within and between different cultures and political systems is fundamental to international business and trade activities; development support; humanitarian aid, and peace-keeping missions. Those with this kind of understanding are more likely to be successful in multi-national corporations and professional practices, non-government organisations (NGOs) such as aid agencies, and government agencies including diplomatic services and defence forces. They are also valuable ‘at home’ working in organisations where cultural or ethnic identity has a relationship with other social or political processes.

Both Political Science and International Relations are intrinsically linked to the media and public perceptions, and these connections are studied specifi cally. Those able to work with spin, impression management and damage control techniques, either for the purpose of debunking them or doing them convincingly, are also dealing with deeper issues of truth, accuracy and the right to know. These issues underpin many political, social and educational institutions, business enterprises and systems of justice, particularly where public accountability is a requirement.

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