Personal Statement:Politics and International Relations 1

Politics and International Relations Personal Statement

Through studying international relations and politics at university, I hope to be able to understand the globally interdependent world in which we live. What are the causes of the current situation in international politics? How will the picture change in decades to come? What influences the main actors to operate in the way that they do? The scope of these debates fascinates me and I anticipate studying them at a higher level.

Part of why I want to study this subject is because it encompasses several different fields. EH Carr’s ‘Twenty Years Crisis’ linked ‘The Wealth of Nations’ to the harmony of interests doctrine and I found it interesting how models of inter-state relations have evolved in reaction to new ideas and world events. I have also read Robert Kagan’s essay ‘Paradise and Power’, on American-European relations in which he invoked philosophers Hobbes and Kant in order to compare the European rule and process approach to the more unilateral and power-based American style. The way theories from these centuries-old texts could be applied to governments in this decade interested me, so I later read Rousseau’s ‘Origin of Inequality’ and Machiavelli’s ‘The Prince’. These have evoked an interest in conflicting theories on the best way for society and states to function and how theories such as liberalism and realism can be related to the way we are governed today.

I have an interest not only in government and relations between states but also in the impact of IGOs and NGOs. As part of my AS Biology coursework, I studied global polio eradication efforts. I found the instrumental role of NGOs in co-ordinating a huge reduction in the infection rate of particular interest, and followed this up by reading about the work of MSF, including the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative.

Opinions of world events and politicians in particular have permeated much of the WWI literature I have studied in AS English which shows how politics affects so many areas. I feel that the essay writing and critical thinking skills necessary in English Literature have improved my ability to construct my own arguments and assess others, skills I think will be important when reading this subject. I found AS Politics an interesting introduction to British politics and enjoyed learning about how our governing structures work. Class discussions have informed my own opinions.

I enjoy reading a wide range of news and opinion. Regularly reading The Economist introduces me to many global issues but I feel it is important to balance this with other perspectives. Recently, I have read articles in Russia in Global Affairs relating to energy, relations with the US and the 2008 war with Georgia.

In addition to sixth form, I have been employed for over a year. I have moved from working as a cashier to working on the customer services desks, dealing with challenging customers and more recently doing floor sales. Balancing 16-20 hours per week of work with study has been challenging at times but I feel that I have really matured because of the responsibility and the necessity to manage time effectively.

I look forward to the fresh challenge of undertaking a degree and feel that I will be able to flourish studying this immensely exciting and important subject in greater depth.

• Share this story:
• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share on Google+
• Share on Pinterest