International Communications within IR

As a student interested in improving cross-cultural relations, reading about long-standing historical tensions in Northeast Asia, or ill-relations between nation-states in the Middle East shows that more international communication is needed within IR.

By stating that international communication is needed, I mean to say that communication is a necessary tool for establishing relations between two or more nations, and a connection between people of different nations.  In the 21st century, international communications plays a major role in IR in areas such as: national and international security, politics, economic and trade relations, education, environmentalism, human rights, and development.  International communications encompasses a large number of disciplines and/ or areas.

In the post-WWII era,  international communications was acknowledged as not only a part of humanities, but a social science.  It's importance in IR grew as new relations formed between states through increased economic trade and the polarization of the world during the Cold War.  Presently, international communications continues to play an encompassing part in not only state-to-state relations, but people-to-people relations.  People, and states in different parts of the world can communicate today using traditional forms of communication (i.e. direct contact, postal service, and telecommunication) highlighted in the Armand Mattelart reading or more modern forms of communication (i.e. international meetings, wireless communication & internet/ or social media tools).  These modes of communications have all greatly contributed to increased relations both domestically and internationally.

However, as new communication tools continue to emerge, dialogue form of communication will continue to remain an important part of IR.  Academic scholar Dr. Gary Weaver, author of Evolution of International Communication, is a firm believer that international communications via dialogue form of communication will play an even greater role in the future of state relations and interactions due to the rise of global interconnectedness.  I can agree with Dr. Weaver's viewpoint when analyzing the rise of economic interdependence between states, in addition to the rise of state nationalism.

In the world we live in there is a strong need for strengthening relations between states.  Through continued communication both people and states can overcome ethnocentrism and strengthen cross-cultural relations.  In pursuing international communications within IR, openness to cultural understanding is needed.  Openness toward mutual understanding of another culture can play an important part in forming closer ties, and reducing tensions and ill-relations between people and states.