The Big Picture as an Approach to the Study of International Relations

Rita Floyd is Professor of International Security and Ethics at the University of Birmingham and co-editor-in-chief of International Affairs, a Chatham House journal. Her publications include The Duty to Secure: From Just to Mandatory Securitization (Cambridge University Press, 2024) and The Morality of Security: A Theory of Just Securitization (Cambridge University Press, 2019). Laust Schouenborg is Associate Professor of International Politics and Director of the Centre for Statecraft and International Order at Roskilde University. His publications include The Scandinavian International Society: Primary Institutions and Binding Forces, 1815-2010 (Routledge, 2012), International Institutions in World History: Divorcing International Relations Theory from the State and Stage Models (Routledge, 2017) and, with Barry Buzan, Global International Society: A New Framework for Analysis (Cambridge University Press, 2018).

'Big picture, long view. Sturdy frames, familiar themes, a fresh sensibility. All this in a spacious, well-lit gallery, exhibiting some of Barry Buzan's ablest admirers. And then there's the old master himself, on yet another grand mission to reimagine International Relations.' Nicholas Onuf, Professor Emeritus, Florida International University

• Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction Rita Floyd and Laust Schouenborg; Part I. The Big Picture and International Relations Theory: 2. The role and structure of theory in big picture historical theorizing Ole Wæver; 3. The big picture as a goodbye to international relations? Mathias Albert; 4. Big picture ethics? Why normativity is unavoidable in the big picture John Williams; Part II. The Big Picture and International Society: 5. World society: from analytical dustbin to master concept of international relations? Robert Falkner; 6. A big picture of the standard of civilisation: what is in there, what not, and why it matters Filippo Costa Buranelli; Part III. The Big Picture and Global History: 7. The biggest picture: macro-history, grand theory and international relations Ayşe Zarakol; 8. Big pictures in shallow frames: international relations and the challenge of anthropological history Inanna Hamati-Ataya; 9. International society as an historical subject: the bigger picture Cornelia Navari; Part IV. The Big Picture and Security Studies: 10. Securitization theories: big picture theorizing vs. 1:1 mapping Rita Floyd; 11. Mapping the globe: the ambiguities of regional security complex theory Thomas Diez and R. Emre Midilli; Part V. The Big Picture and International Political Economy: 12. Re-viewing IPE's western-centric understanding of the global economy through big picture analysis John M. Hobson; 13. Historical foundations for global IPE Eric Helleiner; 14. Capital Markets and the global international system Louis W. Pauly; Part VI. Conclusion: 15. Reflections on the big picture approach Barry Buzan; Index.