Insights from Global Environmental Governance

Abstract

The field of international relations (IR) is fragmented along several lines, some stirring more debate than others: Theoretical divides have been discussed ad nauseam in the so-called "great debates"; the split between qualitative and quantitative methods remains a recurring theme of discussion; disciplinary walls continue to structure academia; and the differences between European and North American traditions have flowed into recent fashionable exchanges. Countless conferences and publications have documented these divides, often calling for new bridges across those lines Answering these calls, an increasing number of books and articles in IR develop middle-range theories, rely on mixed methods, borrow from several disciplines, and are co-authored by researchers from different countries. Yet, fewer studies have addressed the mutual ignorance of the different thematic areas of IR -supposedly united by a joint interest in international affairsand explored potential avenues for bridging them.