POLS 112 - Approaches to Global Politics

Realism

States are the most important actors in global politics; inspired by the writings of Machiavelli and Hobbes

Strong suspicion about applying moral concepts (e.g., justice and “just war”) to international affairs

A state is expected to maximize its material power and focus on national security

Pessimistic view of human nature; selfishness and competitive, any cooperation among states is transient

Egoism + zero-sum game

Egoism and Realism

Greater concern with one’s own interests or well-being

Realism and Hans Morgenthau

Sought to transform realism into a scientific approach to guide diplomats and decision-makers

Structural Realism

Also known as Neo-Realism, builds upon the premises of realism

More emphasis on the structure of the international system, which is viewed as anarchical - anarchy = not chaos, but international system based on self-help with no meaningful overarching sovereign entity

Structural Realism and the Balance of Power

States will seek to balance the hegemonic ambitions of other states by increasingly their own material power and/or joining alliances; expected to lead to equilibrium whereby no state predominates over others; systemic characteristics reduces the possibility of war

Structural Realism and Kenneth Waltz

Emphasized structure of int’l system (anarchic) over human nature and morality

Liberal Institutionalism

Key writers include Locke and Ruggie

Humans tend to be rational and moral, which balance concomitant self-interested behaviour (and hence a more optimistic views of international affairs)

Although states may pursue self-interests, fundamentally they wish to find ways to cooperate

International regimes and international institutions are mechanisms to promote cooperation sharing knowledge, and reducing uncertainty

International Regime

A set of norms, rules, laws, and/or expectations that govern the interactions of states and non-state actors; incorporating TNCs in particular

Lattice Analogy (Non-Zero-Sum Game)

One actor’s gain does not necessarily result in another actor’s loss (and vice-versa)

Constructivism

Seeks to uncover asymmetries in the international system

Interactions between and among state actors about beliefs, values, language, and assumptions that structure how states perceive themselves AND what constitutes the structure/contours of international system

Differs from structural realism, anarchy of international system is based on the perceptions of each state

Agential Constructivism

Shares constructivism’s beliefs, values, language and assumptions - but places greater emphasis on the importance of agency, norms, and non-state actors

Differs from constructivism by placing more emphasis on the agency and influence of “marginalized” actors

Also places more emphasis on material considerations of power (combining with socially constructed considerations) and positivist epistemology

Marxism

Applies insights from exploitative socio-economic domestic relations to international relations

Focuses on the unequal structure of the international system - exploitation of the “periphery” (Global South states) by the “core” (Global North states)

Holds that the system of national and international capitalism biases economic outcomes to the benefit of certain social classes within the most powerful capitalist countries

Focuses our attention on an area of weakness for realism, structural realism, and liberal institutionalism; the way that economic power and political power create interests and shape outcome

Dependency Theory

Variant of Marxism, also known as dependent development

Postulates that market relations between rich and poor states are based on + reinforce inequality

Neo-Gramscianism

Inspired by Antonio Gramsci, best known for his writings during the 1920s and 1930s in his Prison Notebooks; a founding member and one-time leader of the Communist Party of Italy

Applies insights from exploitative socio-economic domestic relations to international relations

IR/IPE scholars inspired by his use of historicism and concept of hegemony to help understand order and organization in the international system

Historicism

Is the application of historical or past events to help explain current events or phenomena

An organic logic exists to the succession of historical events while maintaining that local conditions may very well impact or influence this succession of historical events

Is applied to the perceived progression of society through various modes of production - primitive society; ancient society; feudalism; capitalism, and then communism

Hegemony

Gramsci; sought to explain why the worldwide socialist revolution to bring about communism had not yet occurred and why capitalism was so resilient

Order and Hegemony

Capitalism tainted control not just through violence and political and economic coercion, but also ideologically, through a hegemonic culture in which the values of the bourgeoisie became the “common sense” values of all

Feminist Critiques of Realism’s View of Security

Masculine stereotypes concerning rivalry, power-seeking, competition, the inevitability of conflict, and the unitary character of actors

Its concept of national security tends to be self-defeating owing to the dynamics of the security paradox

Security Paradox

The build-up of military capacity designed to strengthen national security may be counterproductive because it can encourage other countries to adopt a more threatening and hostile stance - insecurity of security

Gender and Conflict

Public = masculine, private = feminine

Nature of war and armed conflict can be gendered in terms of conduct and outcomes, as well as the myths and narratives that men tend to be “just warriors” and women tend to be “beautiful souls” to be saved

Neo-Colonialism

Applies historical insights exploitative socio-economic relations to contemporary global politics

Focuses on the continuing unequal structure of the international system (Global North dominates Global South states - even after the end of colonialism)

Holds that the global south is subject to “suppression” or “silencing or rendering invisible to certain issues and trends in global politics and cast as victims or passive recipients of global public goods

Race

Focuses our attention on an area of weakness for traditional approaches how race is embedded in + shapes the language, perceptions, geographical regional focus, political economy, and experiences of global politics in general, and specific issue areas in particular

Foundational US-based scholarly journal, Foreign Affairs, originally had major themes on racial differences between developed and developing worlds

Indigeneity

Applies insights from Indigenous sources of knowledge, draws attention to previously overlooked issue-areas involving marginalized groups that have a cross-border or transnational character (e.g., climate change, illicit economies, human trafficking)

Encourages looking at various issue-areas from different perspectives and viewpoints