TEST 3

System

The assumption that humans whether as individuals or as groups, act in ways that produce patterns of behavior among them that can be described as systems.
The relationship between units.

External linkage groups

other political systems, actors, or structures in the international system with which the national system under examination has direct relations

Subsystem

a system that is part of some larger system. Examples: middle East, LATAM

Fundamental approaches

Reductionist approach and holistic approach

Reductionist approach

Focused on actors and their interactions (relationship between 2 units) at the individual or state level.

Holistic approach

Places emphasis on the structures that provide the framework where the interactions happen at the international level.

Structuralism

Assumes the existence of structures that are permanent and immutable.

Structure

It gives the framework where actors respond and relate to one another

Structurationist ontology

Systems, together with agents and structures (the relationship that exists between the structure and the agents that results in the patterns)

Co-determined irreducibility

Describes the relationship between the structures and actors, where the system of interaction among actors are made possible by the structure where they exist.

Social systems

Regularized practices of actors that make possible the social structures that make those practices, and the actors who engage in those practices possible

Giddens theory of structuration

This theory contains what he sees as the duality of structure and system agents operate within structures; and they also relate to each other to produce recurrent behavioral patterns, or interaction

Structuration

The conditions of governing the continuity or transmutation of structures, and therefore the reproduction of social systems. Systems and structures are related to each other here.

System analysis

A set of techniques for systematic analysis that facilitates the organizing of data, but which possesses no ideal theoretical goals

System theory

Series of statements about relationships among independent and dependent variables, where changes in 1 or more variables are accompanied by changes in other variables or combinations of variables.

General system theory

A whole which functions as a whole by the virtue of the interdependence of its parts called the system, and the method that aims to discover how this is brought about in the widest variety of systems

Stable system

Requires an input of considerable power to upset the system, capable of absorbing new components and processing a variety of inputs while functioning normally, adjusting to changes

Unstable system

more risky and way easier to lose balance

Interdependence

A political and economic situation in which two states are dependent on each other for their well-being

2 main authors that we have done a lot of work on interdependence

Keohane and Nye

Asymmetric interdependence

This occurs when parties have different levels of dependence among each other

What are the two dimensions of interdependence

Sensitivity and vulnerability

Sensitivity

The degree of responsiveness in a political framework (how quickly do changes in one country bring costly change in another)

Vulnerability

An actor's liability to suffer cost imposed by external events after policies have been altered

Interaction

Consists of not only the actions of nation states, international organizations and non state actors; but also the transactions across national boundaries (trade, investment, tourism)

System overload

This is being caused because the inputs (problems) in the international system are coming faster than the outputs (solutions)

Cascading interdependence

internal failures caused by capacity exceedance induced by flow redistribution

Interlocking tensions

Being interlocked, derive strength and direction from each other and cascade through the global system

The rise of subgroups in the fragmenting world means that loyalties of individuals have been transferred from a ________

larger to smaller entity

Crisis of authority

Diminishes the utility of creating a state as an appropriate focal point for theory building

Global turbulence

Rosenau used this term to refer to the way the system was during the early 21st century, the proliferation of actors, the impact of technologies, globalization of national economies, more interdependence

Fragmegrative dynamics

Describes contrasting fragmenting and integrative forces at work simultaneously in the turbulent 21st century world.

What are the three basic levels of interactive patterns?

Ideational or intersubjective level, behavioral level, institutional level

Ideational or intersubjective level

Based on what people perceive to be the ordering of the world, or how the world is socially constructed in the mind of its actors

Behavioral level

What people actually do on a regular basis to maintain existing global arrangements based on their ideational understandings or perceptions (negotiations, threats to enemies)

Institutional level

Consists of the institutions and regimes in or through which states and other actors act in keeping with their ideational and behavioral expressions

Kenneth classified the systems according to levels of increasing complexity.
Least complex to most complex:

-Mechanical
-Homeostatic
-Biological
-Higher animals
-Humans

Image

Humans have the capacity of self-knowledge, which makes it possible for selection of information based on a particular cognitive structure or mental representation as a basis for decision making.

Folk knowledge

Collective images of the members of political systems

Action system

Places people both in the role of subjects and in the role of objects. Subject (alter) and object (ego) interact in a system

What are the subsystems that composed the Parsonian system?

-The personality system
-The social system
-The cultural system

Moving equilibrium

For Parson, a system needs to be stable to receive inp

Four functional conditions to maintaining social equilibrium

-Pattern maintenance
-Adaptation
-Goal attainment
-Integration

Pattern maintenance

The ability of a system to ensure the reproduction of its own basic patterns, values, norms

Adaptation

Goal attainment

Integration

Of the different functions and subsystems into a cohesive, coordinated whole

Systems theory

It is based on the idea of political life as a boundary - a maintaining set of interactions embedded in a surrounded by other social systems that constantly influence it.

input-output analysis

Structural functional analysis

Assumes that it is possible to 1)specify a pattern of behavior that satisfies a functional requirement of the system. 2)to identify functional equivalents in several different structural units

Structural requisite

Patter or observable uniformity of action necessary for the continued existence of the system

Functional requisite

Generalized condition, given the level of generalization of the definition and the unit's general setting

Functional sociology

More worried about activity than the entity where the activity happens

central to systems are several categories of questions, concepts, and data:

-The relationship and boundaries between system and its environment and, in particular, the nature and impact of inputs from and outputs to the environment.
-The functions performed by systems, the structures for the performance of such functions, and their effect on the stability of the system
-the classification of systems as open or closed, or as organismic or non organismic systems

The theory focuses on the relationship between structure, based on the distribution of power in the international system, and the frequency of war.
The debate of polarity is focused in the relationship between the distribution of power and stability. The theory that a bipolar system is more or less prone to war than a multipolar system, because the two powers would want to gain more power, compared to a multipolar system in which multiple powers hold equal importance.

Polarity

Refers to the number of actors and the distribution of capabilities among them

Terms related to polarity

Unipolarity: One state holds a larger part of the power (PAX Britannica)
Bipolar: Power is centered on two states (During the cold war)
Multipolar: Three or more states hold power (right now)

Stable system (according to Gaddis)

It prevents a state from dominating the system, ensures the survival of its members, and prevents the outbreak of war

Main sources of conflict according to Mearsheimer

The keys to war and peace is on the structure of the international system and individuals
-Armed conflict may rise due to imbalance of power of major states (if we're talking about a multipolar system)
-He also assumes that number of the actors and distribution of capabilities shape the intensity and frequency of conflict

Regional subsystems

Consists of a set of geographically proximate and regularly interacting states that share to some degree a sense of regional identity and are so perceived by external factors. EX: European Union

-The nature and level of cohesion in the properties of the political entities and the degree of interaction
-The nature of communications within the region
-The level of power of nations in the subsystem
The structure of relations within the region

Louis Cantori and Steven Spiegel divided each subsystem into

Core sector

Peripheral sector

Intrusive sector

World System analysis

This analysis represents an attempt to evaluate the relationships of structure and process within a modern and historical context