冷戦後の時代、アメリカ同時多発テロ事件の余波、世界金融危機、G20を経て、国際秩序が米国中心から多極化に移行し再形成されていくとの予想は少数派でした。それにもかかわらず、BRICSと呼ばれるブラジル・ロシア・インド・中国・南アフリカの新興国は、現状維持をしようとする西洋中心の国際秩序に異議を申し立てるべく著しい発展を遂げています。本書では歴史的前例を繙き、BRICSの現状や影響力を分析しながら、国際政治の中におけるその課題について検討します。
　　

• Provides an informative, analytical and comprehensive overview of the BRICS
• Addresses a wide range of issues concerning the BRICS in our contemporary political landscape
• Offers an explanation of what the BRICS have been able to accomplish as a hybrid club, forum, and lobby group in global politics, and their potential trajectory going forwards

   
In the wake of the post-Cold War era, the aftermath of 9/11, the 2008 global financial crisis, and the emergence of the G20 at the leaders level, few commentators expected a reshaping of the global system towards multipolarity, and away from the United States. And yet, the BRICS - encompassing Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - has emerged as a challenge to the international status quo. But what is its capacity as a transformative force? And can it provide a significant counter-narrative to the Western dominated global order? 
  
In this Very Short Introduction Andrew Cooper explores the emergence of the BRICS as a concept. Drawing on historical precedent, Cooper provides a contemporary analysis of the BRICS' practice and influence as as a forum and a lobby group in advancing a distinctive but amorphous agenda amongst global politics.