The Great Educators? The Societal Relevance of Game of Thrones from an International Relations’ Perspective

Abstract

AbstractWhat impact does Game of Thrones (GoT) have on International Relations (IR) as a discipline and how can IR contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the dynamics in Westeros? Research has shown that this epos has a pedagogical, an interpretative and an explanatory function. The series allows scholars to teach IR theories more effectively and enjoyably, it helps us to better understand contemporary political and societal phenomena, and political activists can utilize GoT to cause change in real-world. This article has two aims: first, it summarizes these three strands of research and by doing so, explains the developments in Westeros from an International Relations’ perspective. Second, it addresses a fourth aspect of GoT that has not been seriously considered yet: its educational function. Game of Thrones conveys key concepts of IR to ordinary people without the need of academics as intermediaries. GoT is able to condition the way ordinary human beings and political decision-makers think. Consequently, the epos has a constitutive effect on the behavior of these individuals. Hence, the creators are great educators because they are more successful than most academics in making central concepts and insights of IR known to a broader public.