Transcript Lecture 6.1 - Midlands State University

Lecture 6.1
THEORIES OF INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS
In an effort to deal with diversity of actors and
diversity and complexity of interaction
international scholars have come up with
themes as tools of analysis that facilitates a
better understanding of the international
system.
Lecture 6.2
• A theory can be said to be a set of propositions
and hypothesis that are logically related to each
other. It brings organisation and capacity to gather
knowledge and enable a scholar to tie together
positions.
• Hoffman has observed that theory is understood as
a set of interrelated government capable of
guiding research both of empirical and normative
variety.
6.3
• Theories and Methods in IR
•
Differences in scholarly ways of knowing what is known
• Description: Some IR scholars are interested in describing
events in the international system.
• Theory: Some IR scholars are interested in developing theories
that can be used by others to understand patterns of behavior in
the international system.
1. Traditionalists: Use individual insight and philosophy (normative).
• Behavioralists: Use mathematical models and statistics
(empirical).
6.5
• Conservative, Liberal, and Revolutionary World Views
• Goldstein suggests that these different theories and
methods have produced three broad perspectives among
scholars and students of IR:
1. Conservative: Values maintenance of the status quo and
discounts the element of change in IR.
2. Liberal: Values reform of the status quo as an evolutionary
process.
3. Revolutionary: Values transformation of the status quo
through revolutionary and rapid change.
6.6
• Conservative World View
• Emphasizes power politics (realpolitik) and
international security issues;
1. States are the most important actors in the
international system;
2. Values order (stability) as an international norm;
3. War and conflict are seen as part of the natural
order of the international system;
4. Economics is an extension of state power mercantilism or realeconomik.
6.7
• Liberal World View
• Emphasizes the mutual benefits to be gained by
interdependence and reciprocity;
1. Some nonstate actors rival states as important
actors in the international system;
2. Values freedom as an international norm;
3. War is not a natural tendency that can be
minimalized through international agreements;
4. Economic interactions should benefit all nations
and should be based on the principle of free trade.
6.8
• Revolutionary World View
• Emphasizes the unfair and exploitive aspects of the
international system;
1. States are not as important as class divisions in
international system;
2. Values justice as an international norm;
3. Focuses on the injustice of North-South
relationships;
• War is a product of underlying exploitive economic
relationships.
6.9
• The Connection Between World Views and
Paradigms
• The Conservative World View: Uses the realist and
neorealist paradigms
• The Liberal World View Uses the idealist and
neoliberal paradigms
• The Revolutionary World View: Uses neo-Marxist
world systems theory and dependency theory
Lecture 6.3
• IDEALISM/IDEALIST THEORY/
UTOPIANISM/RATIONALIST
LIBERALISM
• It refers to an approach to IR that stresses
the importance of moral values, legal
norms,internationalism, and harmony of
interests as the guides to actions and
interaction of actors.
Lecture 6.4
• Pays little attention/respect/consideration of national
interest, power and independent state survival.
• It is premised on questions of what aught to be rather
than questions on “what was” what is” Thus it
emphasise on abstract principle rather than factual
reality.
• The idealist school of thought viewed IR in terms of
trying to prevent wars especially after the end of world
war two. The establishment of bodies such as the league
of nations to which all nations would adhere to/for
peaceful resolution of conflict.
Lecture 6.5
• They view man as rational and moral being
who would reason to prevent war. Idealist
also placed emphasis on self determination,
international law,political comity and
morality.
6.12 REALST THEORY
• A) It arose as a reaction to the emphasis made by
idealist on the rational and moral being which it
viewed as error and utopian.
• B) The theory is normative and policy oriented.
• C) Carr and Morgenthau major contributors to the
theory.
• D) Ideas can be traced back to ancient Greeks.
6.13
• E) Tenets:
• 1. The tradition focuses on the nation-state
as the principal actor in the world politics
• 2. The purpose of the statecraft is national
survival in a hostile environment
• 3. Acquisition of power is the proper,
rational and inevitable
6.14
• F) Realist define politics as the struggle for power
• G) Power is sought both as a means to an end or
an end in itself
• F) International politics like all other politics is a
struggle for power.
• H) History have shown that nations active in
international politics are continuously preparing
for and actively involved in in or recovering from
organized violence in the form of War.
6.15
•
•
•
•
Three assumptions are central:
States are coherent units and are the dominant actors in
world politics. This suggests that states are
predominant, and they act as they coherent units.
They assume that force is an unsuitable and effective
instrument of policy. Other instruments may be
employed but using or threatening force is the most
effective means of wielding power
Realists assume the hierarchy of issues in world
politics headed by questions of military security: the
high politics of military security dominates the low
politics of economic and social affairs.
6.16
• J) Critique: criticism has been legion.
• 1. The realist defines an ideal type world politics.
They allow us to imagine a world in which politics
is conditionally characterized by active or
potentially conflict among states, with the use of
force possible at any time.
• 2. It has been attacked for lack of methodological
consistence, imprecision in the definition of terms
and for its ethical considerations/implications and
overall policy costs.
6.17
• 3. The lessons in history convinced the realist that the key
to IR lay in history of power politics. Herein one finds flaw
in of power theory. Because of preoccupation with the
balance of power system is unidirectional.
• 4. Power is presented solely as an end in itself which states
must pursue all the time. Carr once lamented the theory is
rather static and deals with what is and ignores what aught
to be and what is becoming.
• 5.Power seems to be an independent variable when power
can also be dependent variable.
6.18
• 6. the theory contains a near dogmatic belief in its
presentation of power as the vital national interest that
states pursue and defend above all else.
• 7. its obsession with high politics and its presumption
about impermeability and centrality of the state have led to
alternative approaches were non strategic diplomatic issues
and non state actors are highlighted.
• 8. Realism has been criticized also for failing to explain
post WW2 events in particular the co-operative and
integrative movements in Western Europe.
6.18
• K) However the theory remains an
important world view and one in which for
generations of scholars and practices best
captures the essence of the international
political system.. The state system is
anarchic states are central actors and the
great powers are still most dominant.
6.20
•
•
•
•
Postscript
Life is about carrot and stick
Machiavelli: love and hate relationship
Not all people pursue power- Ghadi, King,
Wilson.
6.21 liberalism
•
•
•
•
LIBERALISM
A. Alternative to realism
B. Six tenets of liberalism
1. Focus of liberal theorists (what they
seek to explain): cooperation
• 2. Actors are diverse- NGOs, MNCs,
States
6.22
• 3.Goals are multiple, economic, social as
well as military
• 4.Means- interdependence, issue-specific
power
• 5.organizing principle- anarchy mitigated
by norms, rules and principles of
international law
• 6.Dynamics of international systemalternating cooperation and conflict
depending on who is interacting with
whom on what issue
6.23
• C.LIBERALISM: liberalism, institutionalism,
regime theory, neo-liberalism, and complex
interdependence: will use terms
interchangeably.
• D.States can cooperate if they have or can
create interdependence.
• 1.Even if faced by prisoner’s dilemma states
often find ways of cooperating and they do so
through interdependence.
6.24
• .
A. Normative argument
1. Democratic norms and culture- democracies rely on consent and
compromise for domestic conflict resolution
E. Owen’s theory: democratic states tend not to fight other
democracies but are tempted to fight non-democracies more often.
6.25
• DEPENDENCY THEORY
• Introduction
• Proponents: Walter Rodney, Samir Amin, Claude
Ake, Wallestian, Andre Gunder Frank etc.
• A. Focuses on the historical origins and the
subsequent development of underdevelopment.
• Basic tenet that all contemporary societies are
integrated into a single world economic system, the
capitalist system
6.26
• A. Basis its roots in the Latin American
historical experience
• 1. which had been long in long contact
with European imperialism.
• 2. Been colonized in the 15th century
BC and did not regain independence
until first two decades of the 19thh
century.
6.27
• A. In the 1960s social scientist begun to construct theories
to explain the inability of Latin American countries to
escape from limits imposed upon them by their former
colonial powers and by both political and economic
dominance by the USA.
• B. Dependence- means a situation in which the economy
of certain country is conditioned by the development and
expansion of other economies to which the former are
subjected.
• C. Sometimes termed neo colonialism- the survival of the
colonial system in spite of formal recognition of political
independence in emerging countries.
6.28
• A. Tenets:
• 1. All developing and underdeveloped
states are depended on the developed as
for technology, finance and capital,
monetary systems and trade. Capitalist
has monopoly over means of production.
• 2. Dependency and monopoly is
synonymous with control of exploitation.
• 3. Dependency is a result of the
incorporation of the developing countries
into the capitalist system
6.29
• Incorporation was a result of imperialism and
colonialism which saw the building of the first
networks not for the integration of all
countries economies but for the facilitation of
the exploitation of raw materials to the
capitalist center
• B. Solutions:
• 1. Development can only be realized if
capitalism is overthrown.
6.30
• Self-reliance through import substitution, rapid
industrialization behind high tariffs.
• B. Thomas. B identified 3 components of self
reliance:
• 1.partial disengagement- reducing proportion of
trade, monetary and technical assistance with
capitalist center
• 2. Restructuring relations- deliberate fiscal and
monetary policy aimed at altering consumer values.
• 3. re-association
6.31
• Reasons for failures:
• 1. Third world industries had no
comparative advantage thereby creating
inefficient industries
• 2. The strategies were not aimed at export
led growth hence crippled performance of
their economies.
• 3. Third world markets are small and
products cannot be absorbed completely by
the domestic market
6.32
• Due to excessive protection the quality
of goods diminished
• 2. Because of the need to imports
machinery and technology there was
Balance of payment and debt problems.
6.33
• Critique of the theory:
• 1.criticised for believing that the problems faced
by LDCS are external rather than internal.
• 2. Degree of exploitation cannot be measured
• 3. Criticized for circular reasoning (the chicken
egg reasoning) underdevelopment and
dependency.
• 4.use of single independent variable
• 5. Tends to emphasize conflict, revolution and
violence
• 6. Failed to define development
6.34
• Has contributed to the understanding of the
mechanism of poverty and
underdevelopment, the complexity and
intensity of interaction between the developed
and developing countries, the impact of
internal
• B. Alliance is not alliance of countries but
class in the center and ruling class in the
periphery
6.35
• Bourgeoisie in the periphery are being bought
by those in the center (collaborators within
classes in the center. WHO WILL DELINK?
• B. Its survival is dependent on this, hence it
cannot be nationalistic- at most it is
comprador.
• C. It does not mean that every ruling class is
comprador others are nationalistic
6.36
• A. It’s a symbolic relationship – It is but is there is
commonality of interest.
• B. Parasitic class –because it feeds upon its own
people(translated also to international arena).
• C. Strategies –import substitution-Who will get what.
• New International Economic O rder1970s (It
has died/ failed )
• realigning –South Co-operation ( G77, OAU)
6.37
• If ruling is Comparable why do they
need to realign with others .
• V.?Singapore developed as a result of
linkage with the west-Opened up the
economy for MNCs hence became a
regional headquarters
6.38
• BENEFITED:
• - Employment, Infrastructure, Generates
economic spill off to the locals
• Foreign exchange $90 billion exchange
reserves
• 4 million population, 1 million
foreigners, 3 and ½ thousand MNCs
• Y. United Arab Emirates- success has been
achieved by opening up
6.39 interdependence theory
• INTERDEPENDENCE THEORY
• A. INTRODUCTION
• B. Interdependence implies that actors
are interrelated or connected such that
something happens to at least one actor
on at least one occasion, in at least one
place, will affect all the actors.
6.40
• A. In any given system of relations the more
the more places and the more occasions, the
greater independence.
• B. According to Koehene and Nye 1977
interdependence implies sensitivity
• C. Whether all actors are affected equally
will define whether the interdependence is
symmetrical or not
6.41
• A. Symmetry is usually seen as the starting
point against which actual instances may be
judged. In reality it is not likely to be perfect
• B. Conversely, if one actor in a system is
relatively indifferent about some change in
relationships while another is crucially accepted
by it, then interdependence is asymmetric.
• C. This often leads to highly manipulative set of
relations with one actor or group being totally
dependent upon some other actor or group.
6.42
•
More discerning writers recognized that
interdependence, as a characteristic of
relationships, could be identified with one of the
most persistent features of the state systemalliance
• B. In alliance situation the degree of dependence
will depend upon how much allies need each
other and how dependent they are upon each
other’s capability to meet external threat.
• C. 2oth century has witnessed the growth of
interdependence in military security issue area.
6.43
• A. However recent scholarship have
identified the wealth welfare economic issue
area rather than military security.
• B. Complex interdependence is a term used
to reflect new portrayal of reality.
• C. As an explanatory model of the world
politics it assumes multiple channels of
contact between societies, an absence of
hierarchy among issues and disutility of
military power or at best minor role for the
use of force
6.44
• Depicted by military pacts- E.g.
• B. Independence is not always positive in
outcome- EU cannot do without US power.
• C. Not all states are interdependent- though
they can exchange compliments and insults.
• D. Asymmetrical- means may win/ lose but
not in the same way.
6.45
• A. Supra-national organizations
suggest interdependence
• B. But USA has refused
• 1. Kyoto
• 2. 1972 Ballistic Missile
• 3. International criminal court
• 4. Zimbabwe said no to CITES
6.46
• Free trade benefits both sides even
though it might be unequal
• B. Not all parts / individuals within
states are part of the interdependenceGokwe and Harare, Individual in Harare
and one in Mukumbura, those
dependent are affected.
• Interdependence create vulnerabilities
6.47
• Even the powerful e.g. 1970 oil crisis
• 2. New technology brings possibility
and makes us more dependent
• A. Beef- EU benefits, Zimbabwe
benefits
• B. IMF conditionality are good, but the
way they are applied is questionable.
•
6.48 game theory
• GAME THEORY
• A.INTRODUCTION
• B. According to Huizinger human culture
cannot be fully comprehended unless
we realize that human beings ply games
from childhood through old age in all
dimensions of life love to making war.
6.49
• According to Schelling game theory is
concerned with situations- games of strategy
in contrast to games of skill or game of
chance in which the best course of action for
each participant depends on what he expects
the other participants.
• E. it is assumed that players will seek to
maximize their gains or to minimize their
losers- thus micro economics principles of
utility maximization and disutility minimization
6.50
• Thus if people in a certain situation wish to
WIN that is to accomplish an objective which
the other part seeks to deny them we can sort
out the intellectual process by which they
calculate what kind of action, is the most
likely to be advantageous to them, assuming
that they believe their opponents also to be
rational calculators like themselves equally
interested in second guessing and trying to
outwit the opponent.
6.51
• G. zero sum can be identified when the pay
offs in the matrix added together equal to
zero.
• H. The Zero-sum game is the game of pure
conflict, there is no cooperation on offer at all
the motives displayed are totally antagonistic.
• I. Again on one side is seen as a loss by the
opponent.
6.52
• The minimax is a very useful rule to guide to
follow and a stable solution will be reached.
This is stable because neither player can
have incentive to prefer another strategy.
•
• K. The situational characteristics that game
moves are supposed to be made without prior
knowledge of what the other side has done
appears to be real handicap when a more coordinate and cooperative strategy is sought
6.53
• The prisoner’s dilemna
• 2. Chicken- the payoffs in the chicken game
there seem to imply that behaving in a
deliberately risky, if not reckless, way can be
rewarded if the other side ground.
• 3. Deadlock- most basic and unrepentant
form of conflict. No noble ground, interest are
diametrically opposed, zero-sum conflicts
6.54
• Both sides have an ambiguously preferred
strategy that involves harming the other side
• b) Although both sides preferred outcome is the
other side stopping from engaging in the conflict
while they continue (i.e. kill them without being
killed in exchange), if they cant have that they
prefer continuing the conflict over halting it.
• c) Although deadlock can become another game
overtime, and then may be subject to
cooperation, so long as preference are truly
deadlock preferences, there is no solution
• d) Examples: ancient hatreds, ethnic violence,
and conflicts over values
6.55
• Collaboration- hard because although
states have incentives to agree, even
after states agree on how to cooperate,
there are still strong incentives to agree,
even after states agree on how to
cooperate, there are still strong
incentives to defect (tragedy of the
commons, prisoner’s dilemna)
6.56
• There are costs to both or all players of
cooperating depends on all others
contributing, so it makes little sense to
contribute if nobody else does (since the
goal wont be accomplished, but it also makes
little sense to contribute if everybody else
does since the goal will be accomplished
even if you don’t contribute and you can
serve the cost of compliance
6.57
• Both or all sides in the problem prefer mutual
cooperation to mutual cheating but both
prefer even more their own unilateral
cheating
• c) Game assumes symmetry in the positions
of the actor- both are assumed as polluters,
which may not be the case.
• d) Examples: arms control, trade, and many
environmental problems particularly over
harvest of a resource.
6.58
• 5 coordination- easy because all states have
incentives to agree and once states agree on
how to cooperate, there are no incentives to
defect. E.g. use of English language in airline
pilots
a) Two possible equilibriums, one of which
benefits one side and one that benefits the
other but where both prefer cooperation to
non-cooperation. E.g. satellite slot
allocations, navigation rights, language for air
traffic controllers
6.59
• 6. PERSuasion problems- really hard
because some states have no incentives to
agree and even if they agree, they still have
incentives and ability to defect
• a) Both strong and weak states benefit from
cooperation but strong state is willing to
provide all the benefits without help but
prefers the weaker states contribute
6.60
• Weaker states have “a strong incentive
to free ride, knowing that public goods…
will never the less be provided” Martin
1992.
• c) Burden sharing with respect to
security in Europe during cold war
(arguably burden sharing in Iraq war.
6.61
• Upstream/down stream problem.
• a) Upstream states receive no direct benefits
from cooperation and probably incurs costs to
cooperate. Willing to cooperate if receive side
payment that outweigh these costs.
• b.very strong incentives for upstream states to
renege on their commitments after agreements
are reached
• c) Examples: French reduction of pollution of
Rhine river, Canadian control of dams in
Columbia, nuclear weapons programs of weak
states
6.62
• Assurance problems- all states want to
collaborate and believe they will be
better off if they do, but they lack perfect
information and so may fail to
coordinate their behavior by accident
and because of excessive lack of trust.
• a) Problem is one of imperfect
information not one of incentive
6.63
• Critique
• 1. The theory is purely formal, quantitative set
of precepts thus retaining purity but in the
process has little relevance as an ideology or
metaphor for containing real world situations.
• 2. Attempt to apply theory to real life
situations is met with limitation.
6.64
• INTERGRATION THEORY
• A. Introduction
• 1. Multilateralism and institution (part one
course)
• 2. The 20th century trend in global politics
• 3. Whether it will continue and consolidate
itself is tested with time.
• 4. But signs exist for better- EU, and AU
institutions
6.65
• Integration is seen both as a process and an
end state
• B. The aim of the end state is:
• 1. To establish a political community
• 2. Ensure economic gains of cooperation
• 3. Joint efforts to curtail crisis
• 4. Collective reliance
• 5. Policy gains if tied to each other.
• 6. Avoid beggar they neighbor.
6.66 Feminist theory
•
•
•
•
The facts are that:
95% of the world heads are male
96% of the world’s heads of ministries are man
94% of senior positions in national policy making
and intergovernmental organisation are male
• Women do 705 OF THE PRODUCTIVE WORK
but receive 1/10th of the world’s income
• Women are disproportionately illiterate,
impoverished, overworked, underrepresented and
killed at birth.
6.67
• But not all sex specific outcomes favour
men. Women’s life expectancies are
consistently higher- suicide, incarceration,
alcoholism, conscription, and occupational
fatalities hit men harder than women.
• Whether it works in whose favour it
remains to be answered but political base is
tilted in favour of men.
6.68
• Emphasise the centrality of women in
international relations- as agents for change for the
better.
• Men are warlike than women.
• The role of women is not visible because they are
dominated by man.
• Large numbers of women in leadership will
change the character of the international system.
• But increase in peaceful people may lead to
disorder…others take addvantage.
6.69
• Modern societies are patriarchic but some
societies are matrimonial – who dominates who
remains a problem.
• Does war becomes unacceptable if women are
involved in combat, but were freedom fighters.
• Did wars end with women leaders in UK, India,
Sri Lanka
• Are women’s views the same in relation to power
or they also seek to dominate others given the
opportunity.
6.70
• Gender drawn differences are only
situational not only situational not defining
totality-possibility of options exist.