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acaemia · 3 years

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Hiii! You are studying IR, right? Could you please recommend me some sites in English language which you consider useful for your studies? Sites where I can read about current international questions, global challenges? I only know some news sites but if there are sites (or shorter books) that contain short analises or anything like that would be so helpful. Thank you and have a nice day! :))

Hello Darling Anon! ~

Sorta! :)) I’m taking up International Studies, which is like a fraternal twin of IR? IS (at least in my uni) is a lot more general compared to IR which delves deeper into diplomacy. (As in if u wanna be a Diplomat vibes.) I spent the last three years studying theories, tactics (lack of a better term but like the soft power + foreign policy shit I see it as manipulation styles LOL), and the European Union (I major in European Studies). Just need to point that out in case it matters(??)

Could you please recommend me some sites in English language which you consider useful for your studies? Sites where I can read about current international questions, global challenges?

For research papers, I rely on credible journals I find through google or the databases my university provides for us. My uni is a research university so students have access to a lot of journal databases. You should check ur uni’s website to see what student perks you have. You might have full access to JSTOR! Make ur tuition worth it HAHA. JSTOR is a classic but I find stuff over at Emerald Insight too.

For current events, news sites are definitely your friend. My professors would sometimes assign supplementary articles for us. They get their shit from Reuters, The Atlantic and Global Asia to name a few. Maybe that can be a good place to start in terms of current events/run-downs on certain issues.

I don’t go to these sites myself (like on my own volition) but back when I tried to be updated on news, I downloaded this app called Press Reader which gave me access to different magazines and newspapers so that could also be another option! I just checked and apparently it’s free but I know it was paid back then so yay? (I got it for free bc of my uni).

Press Reader gives you access (this sounds like a skillshare ad HAHAH) to a lot of different media from many places and that can really help you develop your critical thinking skills + see different perspectives on the same issue. This is a skill which is very important for us IS/IR students. (NGL everyone should have this skill! We should be able to look at different sources and then come to conclusions on our own/see patterns).

...sites (or shorter books) that contain short analises or anything like that would be so helpful

In terms of books, the only book I can swear by is Global Politics by Andrew Heywood. It’s not short but the font is big?? I found it online freshman year so if you need it I think I can try making a dropbox for it? You can mosey over to libgen.io (free pdfs!) though. I bet it’s there. I got a physical copy from Amazon (I invested since I know it would be useful) and the information on there was useful for my other classes. It has a lot of general IS stuff like the basic theories (realism, liberalism bleh bleh), history, and notable people. Definitely a good source for foundational information which you can build on in your essays or use as a source!!

Unsolicited Advice

Can I just say!! You’re so cool for being interested like this and I wish you nothing but the best fellow IS IS baby.mp3 <3

I’m not sure what year you are so you might know this already? But since I’m already talking about stuff useful for my personal studies I’ll just thrown in this part LOL.

I think the most important thing an IR/IS student should know is how to analyze information. Especially since we write a lot of essays. Honestly IS to me is just professional overthinking but make it nerdy somehow?? You need to know how to apply what u learned to what u see playing out in the international arena. Analytical skills are really important! Some assignments I got required us to read three journal articles then write a cohesive piece about it. Sometimes, we have to watch videos then answer guide questions. This is where regular reading and healthy media consumption comes in.

Best part is: You can practice analyzing content using any kind of material. It doesn’t have to be international affairs stuff!

Do you watch people like dangelowallace, tiffanyferg or even those tea channels (lol) on Youtube? There’s a massive rise of analytical content the past few years and I think you can study the way these people break down drama/internet lore. What makes their video so interesting? How does everything connect? How do they organize their content?

There’s a reason why these videos gain millions of views. They make issues accessible and neat but they make it so interesting at the same time. You can also read fashion magazines since they also have articles which analyze style or talk about a specific piece.

Honorable mentions: Buzzfeed Unsolved, Storytime Mukbhangs, Kennie JD’s Bad movies and a beat, Crime stories youtubers, etc.

Alternatively, watch your favorite movies and take time to think about why you liked it! Do a character analysis! Watch video essays about your favorite movies/shows on Youtube!! It’s nice to just chill and watch these stuff but at times, try being an active watcher and take note of their reporting style. Talk to your friends about shows you watched. Gather their insights and come up with your own. Analyze popular memes! (Why do spongebob memes have a gorilla grip on gen z??? Why is the white girl dance so freeing? — ngl I do have an opinion about this phenomenon as an asian who “dances like a white girl” but this is so long already HAHAH)

here are a couple of videos:

Mina Le (Fashion) -- In this video, Mina breaks down the wardrobe of Emily in Paris and how the choices weren’t so good in terms of the storyline. Emily is seen in designer clothing but her character never shows interest or awareness regarding fashion. (this is jus one point she talks about) For viewers who aren’t into fashion or something, they might not notice this detail at all! But since Mina is viewing this show from a fashion perspective, she was able to pick up these details and connect it to the bigger picture.

It’s the same for IS. We look at things through different perspectives and from there we can make sense of certain decisions or events! We deal with a lot of problem solving and above all else, we study events so we can understand them. People like Mina Le are perfect examples of good researchers!! They just study different things but its all the same.

ModernGurlz (Fashion/Contemp Stuff) -- This video dissects the style of the characters in Mean Girls and how it says so much about the personality of each girl. For Cady, she has a lot of different styles and it really reflects how her character changes throughout the movie. It helps as a visual guide for us viewers but her clothes tell a story too.

For IS, Every decision made in the International Arena is important. Everything tells a story. Small actions can say so much about the bigger picture so its important for us to pick up on details the way ModernGurlz did so we can explain developments of a certain issue. (Like how Cady started with very conservative style, then she met the Plastics and that changed her and led her to wearing more revealing clothing, then that gets stripped away because of the plot learns her lesson blah blah and she goes back to slightly relaxed clothes combined with revealing clothes aka her true self i guess).

If you’re not into fashion, you can just analyze whatever ur interested in! These are just some videos I enjoy watching. :)) Astrology is another cool practice! I started getting into astrology and it requires a lot of analysis. It’s fun so it doesnt feel like a chore.

Final Word (HAHSDHF SORRY THIS IS SO DRAMATIC)

I honestly don’t study or read about international affairs unless I happen to chance upon it. The most helpful things for me aren’t even related to IS. HHH I watch and read a lot of different content and I think that helped me so much with this course!

I love memes a lot and I usually plug them in a lot of conversations. I guess I use that skill when it comes to my homework in IS when they ask us to talk about a certain topic? I can think of stuff that might be able to connect i guess??? IDK KSDHFKSHD IDK IF any of this makes sense im sorry I just like talking about stuff shdkfhasd. If these tips don’t apply, let it fly. <3 You just need to find your own way of learning.

I hope that these links can help you tho! Thank you so much for reaching out, it means a lot. Send another ask if u need more help and thank you for your well wishes. Stay safe and take care my luv <3

#ask pia #sorry I geeked out

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