International Relations Theories Discipline and Diversity - third edition PDF
Preview International Relations Theories Discipline and Diversity - third edition
International Relations Theories New to this edition ● Updated chapters and case studies refl ect new developments in world politics. ● A new chapter on critical theory expands coverage of a key school of thought. 1 International Relations Theories Discipline and Diversity THIRD EDITION Edited by Tim Dunne , Milja Kurki , and Steve Smith 1 Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, United Kingdom Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries © Oxford University Press 2013 The moral rights of the authors have been asserted First edition published 2007 Second edition published 2010 Impression: 1 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, by licence or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above You must not circulate this work in any other form and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Data available ISBN 978-0-19-969601-7 Printed in Italy by L.E.G.O. S.p.A—Lavis TN Links to third party websites are provided by Oxford in good faith and for information only. Oxford disclaims any responsibility for the materials contained in any third party website referenced in this work. Preface Welcome to the third edition of International Relations Theories . The responses to the fi rst two editions have been overwhelmingly positive and so we have kept changes to this new edition to a minimum. We cover the same theoretical ground as in the previous edition except for one major change. In light of the fact that there has been some demand for a detailed run-through of the critical theoretical literature, we decided to devote an entire chapter to this important theoretical orientation in the discipline. The new chapter contribution on critical theory is written by Steven C. Roach. All the chapters have been updated to refl ect recently published work and the cases have been revisited to include considerations of new developments in world politics. Rationale for the book Underpinning the ethos of the book are a number of thematics about theory and the nature of the discipline of International Relations (IR). When using this term, we are following the important convention that distinguishes between capital IR denoting the academic study of International Relations, and lower-case international relations which is shorthand for the object of the discipline’s investigations (the actors, interests, institutions, and identities on a global scale). This distinction enables us to examine the sociology of knowledge of IR as a discipline: how and when it became a distinct subject, what kinds of topics get taught, where the subject is studied, what kinds of research get funded. If we were to do away with the distinction, we would end up assuming that there is a direct read- across from the discipline to the interactions that constitute the real world of international relations. What thematics, then, underpin this book? We highlight seven as follows: 1. Theory is the discipline’s centre of gravity. Academic IR is a broad church. It includes a number of very active sub-fi elds, many of which are motivated by applied agendas. We would argue that the centre of gravity of the fi eld is IR theory (a point made by Ole W æ ver in the concluding chapter). It is no coincidence that histories of the discipline tend to map directly onto the major theoretical contestations or debates. 2. Theory helps us to explain the world of international relations. All contributors agree that theory is central to explaining the dynamics of world politics, whether one is interested in regionalism, identity, security, or foreign policy. To put it more graphically, there is no hid- ing place from theory; there is no alternative but to engage with issues concerning causation, interpretation, judgement, and critique. The introduction and the opening chapter deal at some length with what theory is, how it is interpreted differently, and what is at stake in applying theory to the world. PREFACE vi 3. Theoretical diversity is to be valued. All books on IR theory include a variety of dif- ferent theoretical positions, particularly the historically dominant traditions of realism, liberalism, and Marxism: latterly, it is commonplace, especially in US-based scholarship, to include constructivism in the mix. We go much further in terms of defending diversity. To these four we have added the English school (resurgent in the last two decades), feminism, critical theory and poststructuralism (powerful critical voices since the 1980s), and two relatively recent theories in the form of postcolonialism and green theory. The order of the chapters proceeds along a continuum, from established at the beginning of the book to the newer theories at the end. This does not mean, however, that we believe the established traditions ought to be discounted for being ‘old’: indeed, the fact that we allocate two chapters to realism and neorealism, and liberalism and neoliberalism, underscores the importance we attach to these two rich theoretical perspectives as well as recognizing the presence of a signifi cant fault-line within each. 4. Theoretical diversity is contested. Related to the above, we are aware of the fact that the positive value we attach to theoretical diversity is not universally shared. Many established scholars think that the core of the discipline—the focus on inter-state dynam- ics of confl ict and cooperation—is being undermined. We disagree. We think more is better, and that theoretical pluralism not only enables old issues to be addressed in new ways, but also opens up new agendas which speak more directly to changing threats and potentialities. As Steve Smith shows in his introduction, inside the thick walls of the acad- emy, this debate has generated a great deal of anxiety. Those committed to a particularly narrow concept of theory as a set of propositions formulated as testable hypotheses have unnecessarily sought to discipline diversity. 5. The limits to theoretical diversity. The book does not have a clear answer to the ques- tion whether there are limits to theoretical diversity. On the one hand, the arguments we advance for letting new voices be heard must be extended into the future. Yet on the other, we agree with Ole W æ ver that theoretical innovation within existing perspectives is more likely (hence the proliferation of different ‘wings’ within each overarching theory, discussed in the chapters themselves). 6. Choosing between theories. Those who advocate theoretical diversity need to con- front the question—often posed by students—how to decide between them. The introduc- tion goes into this issue in some detail. At this stage we remind our readers that each contributor is defending his or her particularly theory. As Milja Kurki and Colin Wight put it in the fi rst chapter, it is important that we remember theorists are ‘selling’ their ideas. They may not always admit to the weaknesses in their own position, which is why it is important for ‘buyers’ to read the alternatives. 7. Diversity and the reinvention of the discipline. The penultimate chapter by Colin Hay differs from the previous fourteen chapters in that it is not ‘selling’ a particular IR theory in the same sense as the others. Instead, the reader will fi nd an analysis of the impact globalization is having on mainstream IR theories such as realism. Rather than concluding that changes in global politics have brought the legitimacy of the entire disci- pline into question, both Hay in Chapter 15 and W æ ver in Chapter 16 recognize that there are powerful structures at work which will ensure the ongoing resilience of International Relations. PREFACE vii How to use the book We anticipate that students will read the book in different ways, and that course tutors will recommend the book for different purposes. With some certainty, we can predict that all IR theory courses will cover some of the ground contained in the volume. It is equally certain that only a few IR theory courses will cover all of the same ground. The book has been compiled in such a way that tutors and students can read chapters as though they are free-standing. However, for those courses that follow more closely the pro- gression established throughout, we anticipate that there will be a pay-off in terms of cumu- lative learning. We think this is particularly true in the case of the introduction and the two opening chapters which cover contextual issues to do with the relationship between IR theory, and the social sciences, and between IR theory and ethical inquiry. Furthermore, many similar themes are interwoven through various chapters—understanding construc- tivism is going to help the reader to comprehend what is meant by feminist constructivism in a later chapter. Each chapter has followed the same format, and incorporates many of the learning aids which have proved to be highly successful in companion volumes such as Baylis, Smith, and Owens (eds.), Globalization of World Politics, also published by Oxford University Press and in its fi fth edition. Acknowledgements We would like to thank Kirsty Reade our editor at Oxford University Press, and our previous editors Ruth Anderson and Nicki Sneath. Throughout the six-year lifespan of the book and its two previous editions they have been extremely positive about the book and their input has been invaluable. We would also like to thank Jodie Hobbs, an editorial assistant with the fi rst edition, and Madeleine Fagan who helped us compile a consolidated bibliography and the glossary for the second edition. Our fi nal debt is to our students. It would be unthinkable to be involved in a project of this kind without the shared experience of talking about theory to excited (and sometimes frus- trated) students. In a very particular sense, the three editors directly shared this experience in that Steve taught both Tim and Milja; the former at the University of East Anglia in the late 1980s and the latter at Aberystwyth in the early 2000s. This book will have succeeded if it can stimulate the minds of the next generation to engage critically with the ever-changing disci- pline of International Relations. Tim Dunne, Milja Kurki, Steve Smith May 2012 Brief Contents Preface v Acknowledgements viii Detailed Contents xi About the Contributors xvii Guided Tour of Learning Features xx Guided Tour of the Online Resource Centre xxii Introduction: Diversity and Disciplinarity in International Relations Theory 1 Steve Smith 1 International Relations and Social Science 14 Milja Kurki and Colin Wight 2 Normative International Relations Theory 36 Toni Erskine 3 Classical Realism 59 Richard Ned Lebow 4 Structural Realism 77 John J. Mearsheimer 5 Liberalism 94 Bruce Russett 6 Neoliberalism 114 Jennifer Sterling-Folker 7 The English School 132 Tim Dunne 8 Marxism 153 Mark Rupert 9 Critical Theory 171 Steven C. Roach 10 Constructivism 187 K. M. Fierke 11 Feminism 205 J. Ann Tickner and Laura Sjoberg 12 Poststructuralism 223 David Campbell BRIEF CONTENTS x 13 Postcolonialism 247 Siba N. Grovogui 14 Green Theory 266 Robyn Eckersley 15 International Relations Theory and Globalization 287 Colin Hay 16 Still a Discipline After All These Debates? 306 Ole W æ ver Bibliography 329 Glossary 351 Index 359 Detailed Contents Preface v Acknowledgements viii Brief Contents ix About the Contributors xvii Guided Tour of Learning Features xx Guided Tour of the Online Resource Centre xxii Introduction: Diversity and Disciplinarity in International Relations Theory 1 Steve Smith All these theories but the bodies keep piling up 4 What do the theories share? 8 Diversity and disciplinarity 9 1 International Relations and Social Science 14 Milja Kurki and Colin Wight Introduction 14 The philosophy of social science in IR: a historical overview 16 Science, the fourth debate and beyond 20 Exploring the key implications of meta-theoretical differences in IR theory 26 Conclusion 32 Questions 33 Further reading 33 2 Normative International Relations Theory 36 Toni Erskine Introduction 36 Normative IR theory: defi ning a distinct fi eld of scholarship 38 Normative IR theory: exploring IR’s implicit ethical assumptions 46 Case study: duties to ‘enemies’ and civilian casualties in Iraq 49 Conclusion 54 Questions 55 DETAILED CONTENTS xii Further reading 56 Important websites 57 3 Classical Realism 59 Richard Ned Lebow Introduction 59 Classical realism on order and stability 61 Classical realism and change 67 Classical realism on the nature of theory 71 Case study: classical realist analysis of Iraq 72 Conclusion: the tragic vision 74 Questions 75 Further reading 76 Important website 76 4 Structural Realism 77 John J. Mearsheimer Introduction 77 Why do states want power? 78 How much power is enough? 80 What causes great power war? 84 Case study: can China rise peacefully? 88 Conclusion 91 Questions 91 Further reading 92 Important websites 93 5 Liberalism 94 Bruce Russett Introduction 94 Four big changes in the world 96 The ‘epidemiology’ of international confl ict 98 Analysing the global experience of a century 103 Are democracies peaceful in general? 104 A self-perpetuating system? 105 Case study: the European Union 108 Promoting order in anarchy 109 Conclusion: power, hegemony, and liberalism 110 DETAILED CONTENTS xiii Questions 112 Further reading 112 Important websites 113 6 Neoliberalism 114 Jennifer Sterling-Folker Introduction 114 How did neoliberalism emerge? 115 What are the barriers to international cooperation? 118 How does neoliberalism study international institutions? 120 Case study: the World Trade Organization 126 Conclusion 129 Questions 130 Further reading 131 Important websites 131 7 The English School 132 Tim Dunne Introduction 132 The interpretive mode of inquiry 135 International society 138 International society: between system and world society 144 Case study: human rights 146 Conclusion 149 Questions 150 Further reading 150 Important websites 151 8 Marxism 153 Mark Rupert Introduction 153 Historical materialism and the meaning of dialectical theory 154 Western Marxism and Gramsci’s theory of hegemony 160 Global power and hegemony 162 Case study: from Bush to Obama—US global power as twenty-fi rst-century imperialism? 164 Conclusion 167 Questions 168 DETAILED CONTENTS xiv Further reading 168 Important websites 169 9 Critical Theory 171 Steven C. Roach Introduction 171 The Frankfurt School 172 Critical international relations theory 174 Later phase: universal morality and political economy 175 Empirical challenges and institutional norms 177 Case study: the Arab Spring 180 Critical security studies 182 Conclusion 183 Questions 184 Further reading 184 Important websites 185 10 Constructivism 187 K. M. Fierke Introduction 187 The social construction of reality 188 Constructivism and rationalism 189 Constructivism as middle ground 193 Consistent constructivism 196 Case study: the War on Terror 199 Conclusion 201 Questions 202 Further reading 203 Important websites 203 11 Feminism 205 J. Ann Tickner and Laura Sjoberg Introduction 205 Gender in IR 206 Typology of IR feminist theories 208 Gender, security, and global politics 212 Case study: UN sanctions on Iraq 215 Conclusion 219 Questions 220
The list of books you might like
