The NGO Challenge for International Relations Theory

359 Pages·2015·1.614 MB·English

by  William E. DeMars, Dennis Dijkzeul

NGOs have been challenging international relations theory for some
time, and this essential volume clearlyarticulates the manyways it has.
More importantly, it also charts a path for future theorizing.
Michael Barnett, University Professor of International Affairs and
Political Science, George Washington University
ThisnewvolumeonNGOsprovidesarootandbranchcritiqueofhow
all the major IR theories overlook the politics of NGOs. Redeploying
core themes of power and practice, it provides an in-depth under-
standing of the global order, locating the ‘bridging’ role that NGOs
play for many issues and across many societies. The chapters offer new
insights into the strategies and impacts of NGOs in international
affairs, and the conclusion synthesizes the various ways in which
NGOs force radical reorientations of IR theory. This book should be
read by any student or scholar of international relations.
Anthony F. Lang, Jr., Chair in International Political Theory
and Director of the Centre for Global Constitutionalism,
University of St Andrews
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The NGO Challenge
for International
Relations Theory
It has become commonplace to observe the growing pervasiveness and
impact of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). And yet the
three central approaches in International Relations (IR) theory, Liber-
alism, Realism,andConstructivism,overlookorignoretheimportance
of NGOs, both theoretically and politically.
Offering a timely reappraisal of NGOs, and a parallel reappraisal of
theory in IR, this book uses practice theory, global governance, and
new institutionalism to theorize NGO accountability and analyze the
history of NGOs. This study uses evidence from empirical data from
Europe, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia and from
studiesthatrangeacrosstheissuesofpeacebuilding,ethnicreconciliation,
and labor rights to show IR theory has often prejudged and misread
the agency of NGOs.
Drawingtogetheragroupofleadinginternationalrelationstheorists,
this book explores the frontiers of new research on the role of such
forces in world politics and is required reading for students, NGO
activists, and policy-makers.
WilliamE.DeMarsisProfessorandChair,DepartmentofGovernment,
WoffordCollege,USA.
Dennis Dijkzeul is the Research Coordinator of the Institute of Inter-
national Law of Peace and Armed Conflict and Professor of Conflict
and Organization Research at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany.
Global Institutions
Edited by Thomas G. Weiss
The CUNY Graduate Center, New York, USA
and Rorden Wilkinson
University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
About the series
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The books in the series also provide a segue to the foundation
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Understanding global governance—past, present, and future—is far
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A complete list of titles appears at the end of this book. The most
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IBSA (2014)
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Who Participates in Global Governance? (2014)
by Molly Ruhlman
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edited by Vesselin Popovski and Trudy Fraser
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The NGO Challenge
for International
Relations Theory
Edited by
William E. DeMars and
Dennis Dijkzeul
AddAddAddAdd AAAdddddAdAdAddddAddd
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Firstpublished2015
byRoutledge
2ParkSquare,MiltonPark,Abingdon,OxonOX144RN
andbyRoutledge
711ThirdAvenue,NewYork,NY10017
RoutledgeisanimprintoftheTaylor&FrancisGroup,aninforma
business
©2015WilliamE.DeMarsandDennisDijkzeulforselectionand
editorialmatter;individualcontributorsfortheircontributions.
TherightofWilliamE.DeMarsandDennisDijkzeultobe
identifiedaseditorsofthisworkhasbeenassertedbythemin
accordancewiththeCopyright,DesignsandPatentAct1988.
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereprintedor
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Trademarknotice:Productorcorporatenamesmaybetrademarks
orregisteredtrademarks,andareusedonlyforidentificationand
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BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData
AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritish
Library
LibraryofCongressCataloginginPublicationData
TheNGOchallengeforinternationalrelationstheory/editedby
WilliamDeMarsandDennisDijkzeul.
pagescm.–(Routledgeglobalinstitutionsseries;92)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
1.Non-governmentalorganizations.2.Internationalrelations–
Philosophy.I.DeMars,WilliamE.(WilliamEmile),1953-editorof
compilation.II.Dijkzeul,Dennis,editorofcompilation.
JZ4841.N3472015
327.101–dc23
2014031081
ISBN:978-1-138-84529-9(hbk)
ISBN:978-1-138-84530-5(pbk)
ISBN:978-1-315-72815-5(ebk)
TypesetinTimesNewRoman
byTaylor&FrancisBooks
Contents
List of illustrations xi
List of contributors xiii
Acknowledgments xvi
Abbreviations xviii
PARTI
Introduction 1
Introduction: NGOing 3
WILLIAME.DEMARSANDDENNISDIJKZEUL
PARTII
Theory 39
1 How to study NGOs in practice:
a relational primer 41
MORTENSKUMSRUDANDERSEN
2 Global governance and NGOs: reconceptualizing
international relations for the twenty-first century 65
KARENA.MINGSTANDJAMESP.MULDOONJR.
3 Network institutionalism: a new synthesis for
NGO studies 82
ANNAOHANYAN