The Politics And International Relations Of Fantasy Films And Television

"This is a masterful examination of fantasy films and television series, and the ways that they illustrate political themes. The book effectively employs constructivist theory to show how fantasy franchise norms, values, and institutions have changed over time. Looking in detail at Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, the Harry Potter movies, along with fairytales and children's tales, readers gain a sense of the usefulness of these stories as vehicles for understanding politics. They also come to appreciate these movies and TV shows as allegories of contemporary politics and international relations." -Hieyeon Keum, University of Seoul, South Korea "Fantasy movies create...a broad canvas on which authors and filmmakers weave amazing yarns that express our fondest hopes and greatest fears. This book is one of the best studies of fantasy films and television and their expression of political ideas. I was particularly struck by the author's illustration of the changing roles of women and girls in many of these stories, as female empowerment recently has become a major theme of fantasy projects. You can learn much about both fantasy stories and politics. Buy this book." -Barry Pollick, Okinawa University, Japan This book uses several fantasy movies or movie series and television series to explain political and international relations (IR) concepts and theories. It indicates the importance of fantasy in literature, film and television, and its increasing impact on politics and International Relations. It then presents the political, IR, and social issues in each franchise, and in five chapters uses these tales' key story arcs or plot points to illustrate major political and IR themes. The volume pays particular attention to such fantasy franchises as Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, the Harry Potter films, recent fairytale and children's stories, and female-led fantasy projects. Joel R. Campbell is Associate Professor of political science at Troy University. He teaches in the Masters of Science in International Relations (MSIR) program in Troy's Pacific Region (Japan and Korea).

This book uses several fantasy movies or movie series and television series to explain political and international relations (IR) concepts and theories. It begins with an overview of the importance of fantasy in literature, film and television, and its increasing impact on the field of International Relations. It then presents the political, IR, and social issues in each franchise, and in five chapters uses these tales’ key story arcs or plot points to illustrate major political and IR themes. The volume pays particular attention to such fantasy franchises as Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, the Harry Potter films, recent fairytale and children’s stories, and female-led fantasy projects.

This examination of film genres discusses how various films in five genres reflect or comment on political themes and ideas. The author uses constructivist and feminist political theory to examine the development of the political discourse in these films, and considers new ways to conceptualize the relationship between film or television and politics.

This book examines the security challenges and opportunities that the nation-states of Asia confront in an era of globalization. With consideration of the increasingly border-less nature of international relations via the integrative process of globalization, this book explores the emerging threats to regional and national security in Asia. It looks beyond traditional military threats, analysing non-traditional aspects of security including economic, social, environmental, transnational, energy, health concerns and threats posed by organized-crime groups. Its approach is organized both theoretically and, in a country-specific, case study form which provides contemporary examples of the threats faced in the region. By acknowledging that contemporary Asian security has become much more complex and complicated, it highlights the uncertainty and instability that the nation-states of the Indo-Pacific region confront. Presenting both a globally oriented and expanded vision of Asian security, this book is an excellent resource for scholars and students of Asian Studies, International Relations and Global Studies.

Poli Sci Fi: An Introduction to Political Science through Science Fiction allows readers, students, and instructors to explore the multiple worlds of science fiction while gaining a firm grasp of core political science concepts. This carefully composed text is comprised of sixteen brief chapters, each of which takes a prominent science fiction film or television episode and uses it to explore fundamental components of political science. The book is designed to serve as a supplemental text for undergraduate political science courses, especially Introduction to Political Science. The structure and content of the volume is shaped around the organization and coverage of several leading texts in this area, and includes major parts devoted to theory and epistemology, political behavior, institutions, identity, states, and inter-state relations. Its emphasis on science fiction—and particularly on popular movies and television programs—speaks to the popularity of the genre as well as the growing understanding that popular culture can be an extraordinarily successful vehicle for communicating difficult yet foundational concepts, especially to introductory level college students.

This book examines politics in terms of space fiction, international relations and theory, using the Star Wars and Star Trek television and movie franchises to illustrate these dimensions.

For eight seasons the hit HBO series Game of Thrones painted a picture of a fantasy world filled with images such as white walkers (the undead), a three-eyed raven, and dragons. All these elements set the series visually apart, far distant from our realities. And yet, after each episode and season, viewers were left pondering about the wars, political games, diplomacy, and human rights violations that somehow resonated with the world today. Laura D. Young and Ñusta Carranza Ko’s groundbreaking book provides the answers to these questions that international relations scholars, historians, and fans have been wanting to know. How does Game of Thrones mirror international politics and how may the series provide a useful tool for better understanding the theories, concepts, and thematic issues in international relations? Game of Thrones and the Theories of International Relations connects the prominent international relations theories—realism, liberalism, constructivism, and critical identity theories—to the series, providing examples from various characters whose actions reflect applied scenarios of decision-making and strategizing.

Increasingly resistant to lessons on international politics, society often turns to television and film to engage the subject. Numerous movies made in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries reflect political themes that were of concern within the popular cultures of their times. For example, Norman Jewison's The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (1966) portrays the culture of suspicion between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, while several of Alfred Hitchcock's movies as well as the John Wayne film Big Jim McLain (1952) and John Milius's Red Dawn (1984) helped to raise and sustain skepticism about the Soviet Union. World Politics on Screen: Understanding International Relations through Popular Culture uses films and television shows like these as well as contemporary including 24, The Simpsons, South Park, and The Daily Show to guide readers to a deeper understanding of enduring issues in international politics. In this unique and insightful volume, author Mark Sachleben demonstrates that popular culture reflects societal beliefs about the world, and that the messages captured on television and film transcend time and place. Using films such as Secret Ballot (2001), Under the Bombs (2007), and Wall E (2008), he addresses topics such as international relations and diplomacy, the study of war, nuclear weapons, poverty, immigration and emigration, human rights, and genocide. An engaging read for students and for anyone with a general interest in politics and popular culture, World Politics on Screen succeeds in its argument by illuminating unexplored assumptions about international policy.