Dr Meighen McCrae1
1Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
Biography:
Meighen McCrae is an historian of international history and the history of war. She is interested in the themes of coalition wars, notions of victory, and how individuals think about future war during periods of conflict or great international tension. She is an Associate Professor in the Strategic & Defence Studies Centre at The Australian National University.
Abstract:
We rely on concepts to decipher, imagine and structure the world: they underpin models of global governance and international law; they are integral to the articulation of international ethics; and they inform how we theorize and historicize within the discipline of International Relations. Yet concepts are not fixed, neutral or static. Rather, they are products of historical, political, social, economic and cultural influences, open to continual contestation and (re)negotiation. So how might we approach concepts in international relations to understand what they can tell us about themselves, as well as the contexts in which they are used?
In this session, panellists will address key concepts in historical international relations, including appeasement, development, and solidarity; interrogate the history and present of these concepts; and consider the implications for international relations and contemporary IR scholarship.