Explaining the Development of International Relations: The Geo-Epistemic, Historiographical, Sociological Perspectives in Reflexive Studies on IR

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This article provides a state-of-the-art of ‘Reflexive studies on IR’, namely the research literature that has recently questioned the identity, traditional narratives, and conditions of knowledge production in the academic field of International Relations. Empirical accounts of International Relations’ existence make explicit the social and political relations that order the academic field as well as the biases and the myths that are perpetuated in associated scholarly practices and literature. To further our understanding of Reflexive studies on IR, this article delineates a typology of the main perspectives recently developed in this research agenda, namely the geo-epistemic, the historiographical, and the sociological. This typology is a valuable tool for analysis, synthesis, and further engagement. Reviewing these three perspectives also illustrates how Reflexive studies on IR can help scholars and students to extend their critical awareness towards the historical and current conditions of knowledge production, which reflects the understanding of science as a product of complex social interactions.