Assumptions Critiques Key Persons 1980s, rise after Cold War Focus on human in world affairs. Neo-Realism

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1 Constructivism Assumptions Critiques Key Persons 1980s, rise after Cold War Focus on human in world affairs Neo-Realism Social aspect of IR rather than material aspect (military power, Norms exist but they disregarded by econ capability) powerful states Key concepts: Ideas, beliefs States being friends due to their social The international system is constituted by ideas, not material interaction is not possible forces Social interaction is not always secure, System of norms, set of ideas uncertainty in the system, security Alexander Wendt: Anarch is what states made of it dilemma still exist Alexander Wendt, John Ruggie, Ernst Change is possible, create new norms Haas, Edward Said Social world is not given, it is constructed by human thoughts, ideas Discourses of signs, signals, understandings Social learning, lessons drawing Focus on inter-subjective beliefs Interpretive understanding Identities, interests are not given but constructed, created States interests are formed by ideas and social interaction State behaviour is defined by identity and interests

2 Post-Modernism Assumptions Critiques Key Persons Challenge to the traditional ideologies Not a theory Scientism about Enlightenment ideologies in terms of they are too homogenous, no universalism Modernism: reason, progress, confidence Post-modernism questions this confidence Challenge to the state, rather than peace&war it focuses on the new issues; ethnicity, gender, religion (plurality of issues) More pluralistic world, less sure of itself, more open to change Has an oppositional nature Feminism: Woman is supressed, subject to oppression 3 strands: Liberal Feminism: Woman ought to have the same liberal rights as men, equality in education, politics and work. Equalize male and female pay and working conditions. Representation of women interests. Regard the state as the only legitimate authority for enforcing justice in woman rights. State s role is limited to public sphere, private sphere remains personal choice Socialist Feminism: Focus on economic equality. Same working conditions, payment and social rights. Radical Feminism: 1960s. Not just a matter of inequality. It claims not only equality but liberation in all levels of society (public realm, family rel). State should regulate both public and private sphere, otherwise state contributes to the gender based oppression. It is criticized in terms of having totalitarian tendencies. Image of woman helpless, victim Does not offer at all what should be done about modernist processes No guidance to action Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida, Ann Tickner, Jean Elshtain, Robert Ashley Environmentalism:

3 1970s, Concern for natural environment Existence of severe env. problems and their transnational impacts: air pollution, use of pesticides in agriculture, extinction of plants and animals, ozone depletion, climate change Reformists: Advocate sustainable development. Economic growth and env.protection can exist together. Ecological modernization (growth can be sustainable, use of renewable energy, wind, solar, energy conservation. Radicals: Radical Greens; there should be a limit to growth. Advocate decentralized small scale self sufficient anarchist type communities, loose authority structures. Eliminate large scale industrial production. Enable people to be closer to nature Post-Modernism Multiculturalism 1960s, challenge to nationalism, states based on ethnicity Advocates pluralistic states based on many different religious, cultural and ethnic identities Policy of integration versus policy of assimilation It is regarded as challenge to social unity by some scholars There is little evidence that mult leads to social conflict. Indeed, solution to cultural diversity in modern societies. Religious Fundamentalism Becomes ideological if it seeks to organize political principles along religious lines 16 th and 17 th century Catholics and Protestants Lockean principle separated church from the state. Secular regimes, constitution. Religion becomes a private pursuit Use of force and violence Anti-democrat and morally conservative Fundamentalism occurs in all religion

4 International Political Economy (IPE) Assumptions Key Thinkers Core of IPE; state and markets, economics and politics Before for IR Theory the focus was only on war&peace, conflict&cooperation Focus shifted to wealth and poverty Economic strength and political power Economics is pursuit of wealth then politics is pursuit of power. IPE is the interaction btw economics and politics Bretton Woods System: After WWII to foster economic growth. Fixed exchange rate Deep crisis: 1. US Vietnam War, Oil Crises 3. Decolonization: Third World Countries US president Richard Nixon abounded the Bretton Woods and gold convertibility of US dollar 3 main theories of IPE: Samin Amin, Immanuel Wallerstein, Susan Strange, Robert Gilpin, Benjamin Cohen 1. Mercantilism Economics is a tool of politics, basis for political power Economics is to increase state power International economy is an area of conflict rather than mutual gain Zero-sum game Wealth is used for political power (military) Politics has primacy over economics. Economy is subordinate to politics. Security interests have priority Defensive Mercantilism: national economic interests to increase national security Aggressive Mercantilism: exploit the international economy through expansionary policies. Colonial powers

5 2. Economic Liberalism Separation of political sphere from economic system Advocate free market Critique of mercantilism State is not central actor of economic affairs but individual Adam Smith: Individuals are rational actors mutual gain from free exchange Economic market place is the main source of progress, cooper and prosperity Eco exchange via market: positive sum game, every gains Int econ should be based on free trade Market economy will operate spontaneously acc. to its own laws and mechanisms Laws are inherent in the system David Ricardo: law of comparative advantage: free trade specialization increases efficiency and productivity and benefits\ global wealth increases Laissez faire: freedom of the market from all political restrictions and regulation. Classical version of econ lib. International Political Economy (IPE) Neo-liberalism Economic policies of Margaret Thatcher and Renald Reagan Political intervention sometimes necessary to correct or avoid market failure Degree of interfere? John Stuart Mill, John Keynes After WWII popular 3. Marxism Concerns development and distribution of wealth Situation on Third World countries Development and Third World was not an issue before 1950, colonies of European states Decolonization, focus on development, new states in Africa and Asia

6 Modernization Theory: progressive journey, as earlier by the developed count. Traditional, pre-industrial, agrarian society towards a modern, industrial, mass consumption society Supports relations with the world market, foreign trade with developed countries as for growth Critique comes from Neo-Marxists, Underdevelopment Theory, Dependency Theory Do not support Soviet model with centralized and highly auth. model. Favor a socialist model more decentralized and democratic. Defends third world against globalizing capitalism. Underdevelopment begins with global capitalism. It creates underdevelopment and poverty. Samir Amin: Third World countries have to cut off or limit relns with capitalist world market. Questions the meaning of development : is not merely growth, but distribution and welfare, not only satisfaction of material needs but democracy, participation, freedom and self realization. Modernization and growth. International Political Economy (IPE) Globalisation: is a topic of IPE. is the spread and intensification of economic, social and cultural rels across international borders. Intensified interdependence, economic interconnection World eco no longer depends on the autonomous national economies but a global market for production, distribution, and consumption. Trans national companies, Tncs: cross border action Nation-State s traditional roles are under pressure, the roles decline or stronger? Challenge to NS? Neo-Marxist: Glo.is a challenge to state. Economic glob. a form of capitalism, capitalist class domination, exploit of poor people. Econ glob is uneven Economic liberalism: Glob.challange to the state, TNCs new actors Mercantilists: State become stronger since through globalization they can use the technology for their benefit, can use international borrowing instead of internal sources

7 Critical IR Theories Generally about the role of power in social relations Has existed since the formation of the Institute for Social Research at Frankfurt University Challenge to dominant paradigms. Realism, liberal institutionalism Interdisciplinary approach; political science, IR, sociology, history, psychology Extends IR to ethics, political philosophy, and philosophy of history States are not the only unit of analysis, but identities rather than states. Defining state through identity: Ex-communist state, developing state, democratic state, Asian state. To understate a state behavior by studying these particular identities and policy choices There is no clear cut definition Some philosophical approaches can be called critical theory such as feminism post-colonial criticism, post-modernism. Realists: focus on role of state. But CT incorporates NGOs transnational companies, domestic politics, influence of religion, culture, history They criticize state centrism, science and objectivity in IR Critical theory offers a multidisciplinary approach to society, is subject to change but is rooted in the dialectical tradition of Marx and Hegel Marxian tenets: We lie in a society dominated by the capitalist mode of production, and a society based on exchange principals of value and profit Capitalism is not a harmonious social world. Contradictions between socially generated illusions and actuality lead to potential crisis It reproduces idealist (utopian) positions Unnecessary concern about philosophical and theoretical problems Its preoccupation with negativity It developed from a purely academic setting and thus was isolated from working-class politics and became increasingly embroiled in abstract issues Robert Cox, Richard Ashley, Mark Hoffman, Jürgen Habermas

8 Frankfurt School Emerged from the work of German theorists collectively with the creation of The Institute for Social Research The thinkers who promoted the Idealism of Karl Marx First Marxist oriented research school in Europe Critical IR Theories Seeks human emancipation in circumstances of domination and oppression. This approach sought to revise Marx s critique of capitalism and the idea that revolution was the best way to change the social and political structure Affected by Hegel: liberation of individual. A key component to understanding Hegel is that he assumes that humans are driven by a common interest in freedom. Max Horkheimer: Defines society as a totality that was continuously restructuring itself which resulted in the idea of social absolute. Endorsed the idea that there is no absolute truth of reality. History is the arena is which humans seek the freedom to manifest universal rationality Jürgen Habermaas: He was influenced by the works of Marx, Weber. Concerned with reformulating Marxian theory in the light of twentieth-century social changes. Expands Marx s conception of humanity by adding language to work He is the father of Communication Theory Mass Media and Mass Culture: The development of a culture industry for the manipulative control of consciousness Wanted a society where people are free to assemble and communicate openly

9 Communication and understanding of language are the keys to understanding and comprehending knowledge for the emancipation of individuals. Critical of scientism-identifying knowledge with science Believed that critical theory should be a critique of knowledge, opposed positivism because it attempted to objective knowledge.