Critical international relations theory

Critical international relations theory is about understanding why countries do what they do and how they interact with each other. It's like asking why some kids in your class are the bullies and why other kids are nice to everyone.

When we think about international relations, there are different ways to approach it. Some people say that countries act in their own self-interest and that's the only thing that matters. But others say that there are deeper reasons for why countries behave the way they do. This is where critical international relations theory comes in.

Imagine you're playing with blocks and someone takes away the block you were going to use. You might get upset and want to take back the block or get revenge in some way. But why did the other person take your block? Maybe they felt like you weren't sharing the blocks equally or they thought they needed that block more than you did. Understanding the reasons behind why someone did something can help us come up with better solutions to conflicts.

In the same way, critical international relations theory tries to understand why countries act the way they do. Maybe one country is trying to protect its citizens, while another country is trying to gain power over others. By understanding these reasons, we can figure out better ways for countries to work together and resolve conflicts peacefully.

Overall, critical international relations theory helps us look deeper into why countries act the way they do and come up with better solutions to problems between them.