alternate theories quiz

Are realism and liberalism necessary and sufficient for understanding IR issues?

no, they are not sufficient because they fail to explain how states define their interests and why actors choose one pathway of interests

what are the alternate theories?

constructivism, marxism, feminism, political psychology, postcolonialism

how are the alternate theories useful in helping us understand the international system?

they offer different points of view that realism and liberalism do not (R+L only focus on outcome, Alt. theories focus onsocially constructed meaning, psychology, gender inequality, and class inequality)

(4) what is missing from the realist and liberalist stories?

socially constructed meaning, psychology, gender inequality, and class inequality

why (study) alternate theories?

they are necessary to move us towards sufficiency (haha)

how do we define power?

weapons, sanctions, nationalism, fist, technology, money, other shit

what is constructivism?

IR theory that says meaning is socially constructed (we give things meaning) and situated in a belief structure, basically concepts have different meanings for each state

what matters to constructivists?

people and culture

how would constructivists define a state?

something we believe is real

what are the assumptions of constructivism?

1. people give things meaning

2. we are a product of our belief structure, value system, and history

3. our worldview is defined by our beliefs, perceptions, and lessons learned from history

4. decision makers share our world view

how do different theories approach regime types?

realists do not differentiate, liberalists differentiate between the types of regimes, constructivists differentiate between states

constructivist research

questions tend to open longer time frames and dig deeper into the concepts and the causes (rather than the outcome)

inequality

unequal treatment or perceptions of individuals based on particular attributes

importance of alternate theories

they focus on inequality as a dominant feature of the IS

what is the solution to conflict?

end inequality

What is marxism?

IR theory that interprets IR as a struggle between classes (the haves and have nots), says the state is just a tool of the dominant class used to exploit and oppress the lower class (founded karl marx)

outcomes of marxism

the rich oppress/exploit the poor and the rich state oppressor/hegemon exploits the poor states

lenin’s theory of capitalist imperialism

global struggle among international corporations/banks for territory/resources, endorses violence

neomarxism

says capitalism should be reframed but not destroyed, argues for dependence theory

dependence theory

says resources and power flows from the poor states to rich states and how only when a state builds its own identity and substitutes foreign goods with their own can they gain independence

world systems theory

divides the world into a core and periphery where the core imposes their free market onto the periphery to keep them dependent and in poverty, the interests of the core and periphery are in conflict with each other

core

economically developed states that exercise hegemonic power

periphery

former colonies and underdeveloped stateswh

antiglobalist movement

says globalism only benefits rich statesp

pink shift

2000s, when several latin american states adopted softer versions of marxist policies focusing on economic equality

what is feminism?

IR theory focusing on gender inequality, political domination by one gender and the oppression of another, many believe if more women had positions in IR the world would be much more peaceful

what are the assumptions of feminism?

1. women do not have equal rights in IR

2. global changes are required to achieve social justice

3. most important IR positions have gone and go to men

4. defense and security policies are historically rooted in a masculine culture that accepts war + violence

takeaways from the article “Feminist International Relations After 9/11”

• globalization and neoliberal market have had devastating effects on womens lives and leave little room for women to make claims or arguments against such policies/politics

• feminists claim that post 9/11, women disappeared from the conversation that became all about “…men attacking, saving lives…”

• feminists claim that even though the US did turn some attention to Afghan women, that was only women from one specific place and that was only after the attacks

• feminists claim post 9/11 and the war on terror created “competing masculinities and stigmatized femininities” and disrupted what was the slow incorporation of feminist policies into IR

• feminists claim war is not necessary

unitary masculine actor problem in IR

when a complex state and set of forces is reduced into a singular male player

tribalism

nationalism but with religion or ethnic group

nationalism

an individual/collective form of identity with a state or nation (rooted in a desire for independence)

prospect theory

even when people seeming act rational, they use various cognitive shortcuts that miscalculates their chances of success/failure

the weird equation

president (bush) = (business failure + alcohol) → ( finding religion + combatting evil)

bounded rationality

there are limits when it comes to our decisions

rational theory

claims politicians typically think logically to minimize negative outcomes and maximize positive ones

what is post colonialism?

critique of western domination and its self-ascribed racial/cultural superiority over latin america, asia, and africa, claims europe and north america are the root of most global conflicts

what is political psychology?

study of interactions between political and psychological factors in individual and group behaviors

what are some common themes among the alternate theories?

inequality of some sort and a focus on people and what they believe/how they behave

what is pearl harbor syndrome?

individual attitudes and state policies focused on avoiding sudden and devastating attacks post 9/11

what are the three international environments?

hobbesian model (IS is a battle ground), lockean model (IS is more “healthy competition” and compromises), and kantian model (IS is an opportunity for global peace)

what are the three main factors of IR policy making according to constructivism?

norm development, identity, and ideational power

when have states over/underestimated threats against them?

post pearl harbor japan didnt think US would retaliate, US is like freaking the fuck out over china even tho they havent like attacked us yet

what are the key differences between how canada and cuba approached the US and why?

canada and US had mutual values and trade so they became friends, but cuba did not so they fell under SU hegemonic power

what are the key points of lenin’s theory of capitalist imperialism?

global struggle occurs because of struggle over territory + resources

why are postcolonial studies discussed as a conflict approach?

the percieved western superiority/domination of latin america, asia, and africa has caused unrest and struggle for independence in these states

how does masculine culture relate to IR?

according to feminists, masculine culture has been ruling IR

what are the three political cultures?

1. parochial/traditional- citizens are remotely aware of whats going on, they make decisions based off state policies bc they dont know whats going on (one could argue china)

2. authoritarian- people obey the government bc they will face consequences if they dont (north korea)

3. participatory/democratic- government is powerful bu people actually speak out and influence politics (USA)

why is a states political culture relevant to IR?

it is how states policy, domestic and foreign, gets made

how does identity affect peoples views/actions related to IR policy?

ones identity is their beliefs and values so the IR leaders each have their own beliefs and values they want in IR policy

what are the roots of liberal-democratic political cultures?

european age of enlightenment

how does nationalism influence IR?

has potential for war, everyone thinks their state is “best”

what is xenophobia and how does it affect IR policy?

fear and hate of foreign states/people causes dominant states to primarily pass policy in favor of the white male

what is political fundamentalism?

someone’s identity is rooted in religion and they insert that in politics (having the church as the state)

why dont rational models fully explain political behavior?

a lot of politicians are only interested in their own beliefs, not necessarily with logical thinking and minimizing negative outcomes/maximizing positive outcomes

what are the trhee types of biases?

1. consistency- new info is likely to be accepted if it agrees with a persons alreayd held beliefs

2. resistance- people tend to stick to what they already believe even if new info challenges it

3. accessibility- people dont pick the best option, but the option that is easiest to understand and impliment

what do political socialization studies add to our understanding of foreign policy?

how one acquires their political beliefs, especially politicians/world leaders, can give us some insight into why policies are passed

who are visionaries and fanatics in IR?

visionaries are “better” and want change for the better whilst fanatics are like freaks and weirdos who take thei ideologies too far (hitler)

what is the munich analogy?

that failing to confront dangerous states may lead to greater conflicts later, as seen in World War II

why is it important to monitor the psychological health of world leaders?

so another hitler doesnt happen

what is bureaucratic bargaining?

political groups + government institutions fight for their interests and make compromises

what are cognitive maps?

mental framework allowing policymakers and analysts perceive and interpret global dynamics, relationships, and power structures

what are the two levels in Punmans theory?

international and domestic factors

how can foreign policy affect domestic policy?

changes in the intl. sphere may change things domestically (restriction or growth of intl. trade may change taxes)