A brief written comparison between two of the major approaches to the understanding of international affairs and their relevance in explaining current events - Essay Example

Therefore, male domination is always present in each and every society. As a matter of fact, masculinity and power go hand in hand. International politics is a combination of several aspects that are interconnected to each other. The foreign policy of any nation depends on the responses and relationships with other nations. However, the realist approach influences the current policies and strategies of the nations in the international system. Moreover, power concepts and practices mainly depend on a system of hierarchy (Bajpai & Siddharth, 2005. Pp. 347 -348).

In the international system power plays a key role and dominates practices. On the other hand, feminist theory is based on gender. It addresses the identity crises and challenges of gender based identities. Under this approach, the nation – state is the political identification of the nation in the international arena, rather than gender based identity. Therefore, it emphasizes the political identification of the nation. Proponents of feminist theory always protest against gender issues. They argue that women are not given much of an opportunity to take decisions in nation states.

In addition to their claims, the principles of feminist theory have not been incorporated in international relations or other fields, such as security studies. Realism has not reformed this practice. It has merely accommodated more women in international relations and expanded its perspective. Therefore, women are isolated from National security and international relations (Bajpai & Siddharth, 2005. Pp. 347 -348). Realism is associated with coercive power. The realist theory considers nations as units that can be used in analysis.

In general, the power of a state is represented by its military capabilities. Nations with military power can dominate over other states. Similarly, the status of the economy determines the power of a state. Thus, the economy constitutes an important element for the