Missing from the Curriculum: A Content Analysis of Labor Politics in International Relations Textbooks
By Sina Mirzaei, Ayotunde Giwa and Eyal Bar, Northern Arizona University
International relations textbooks shape how students understand global politics. content analysis of thirteen undergraduate IR textbooks reveals that labor-related topics appear on fewer than 3% of pages in most texts, with limited index entries for “workers” or “unions.” While textbooks acknowledge non-state actors broadly, labor organizations receive minimal treatment compared to other non-state actors. This pattern persists across theoretical frameworks, where critical perspectives discussing economic classes often lack the contemporary examples provided for mainstream theories. Understanding these pedagogical choices helps educators recognize potential gaps in how students learn about diverse actors shaping international relations today.
The Journal of Political Science Education is an intellectually rigorous, path-breaking, agenda-setting journal that publishes the highest quality scholarship on teaching and pedagogical issues in political science. The journal aims to represent the full range of questions, issues and approaches regarding political science education, including teaching-related issues, methods and techniques, learning/teaching activities and devices, educational assessment in political science, graduate education, and curriculum development.
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