This work investigates how the discipline of International Relations fails to adequately address the role of cultural difference in shaping global structures and processes. The authors, David L. Blaney and Naeem Inayatullah, argue that the field has historically neglected the qualitative aspects of cultural interaction. They propose a re-imagining of International Relations as a site for studying the dialectical relationship between wholes and parts, and sameness and difference, providing a theoretical framework to better understand how these dynamics influence the international system.

Scholars in the field recognize this text as a significant contribution to critical international relations theory. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is intended for advanced students and researchers in political science and sociology.