PSCI 240: Introduction to International Relations (Updated Series) - Sovereignty or Survival? How IR Theories Explain the Amazon Crisis

Is the battle over the Amazon a question of sovereignty? A failure of global institutions? A crisis of capitalism, colonialism, or even human-centered thinking itself? In this final video of our IR and the Environment unit, we put seven major international relations theories to the test — Realism, Liberalism, Constructivism, Marxism, Postcolonialism, Feminism, and Green Theory — to answer one big question: What is really happening in the Amazon rainforest? Each lens offers a radically different diagnosis and solution, revealing how theory shapes the way we see power, justice, and survival on a rapidly warming planet. This is not about choosing the “right” theory. It’s about learning to ask better, deeper questions.