Bridges and Boundaries: Historians, Political Scientists, and the Study of International Relations

(Paperback)

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"Bridges and Boundaries" offers a conversation between what might loosely be described as traditionalist diplomatic and military historians, and political scientists who employ qualitative case study methods to examine international relations. The book opens with a series of chapters discussing differences, commonalities and opportunities for cross-fertilization between the two disciplines. To help focus the dialogue on real events and research, the volume then revisits three empirical topics that have been studied at length by members of both disciplines: British hegemony in the 19th century; diplomacy in the interwar period and the causes of World War II; and the origins and course of the Cold War. For each of these subjects, a political scientist, a historian, and a commentator reflect on how disciplinary "guild rules" have shaped the study of international events. The book closes with overviews by Robert Jervis and Paul W. Schroeder. "Bridges and Boundaries" explores how historians and political scientists can learn from one another and illustrates the possibilities that arise when open-minded scholars from different disciplines sit down to talk.

Reviews

"Unlike most attempts to build bridges across the chasms that divideacademic disciplines, Bridges and Boundaries succeedsspectacularly in spanning the gap. The Elmans have collected ahigh-quality group of contributors, leaders in their own disciplinesof history and political science, yet experiencedbridge-crossers. Their penetrating essays, including paired treatmentsof international historical issues by scholars from both fields, areespecially good at identifying what the real boundaries between thedisciplines are, why they exist, and how these complementarydifferences can make intellectual exchange across the boundaries soprofitable. This is simply the best volume on the topic, including theElmans' highly acclaimed special issue of InternationalSecurity, which this collection builds upon and surpasses." Jack Snyder, Chair, Political Science Department, and Robertand Renee Belfer Professor of International Relations, ColumbiaUniversity

Author Bio

Colin Elman and Miriam Fendius Elman are Assistant Professors of Political Science at Arizona State University and International Security Fellows at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University. Miriam Fendius Elman is editor of Paths to Peace (MIT Press, 1997).