International Relation Theories - Report Example

International Relation Theories College: Introduction International relations refers to the study of the relationships among states, roles of sovereign states, international non-governmental organizations, inter-governmental organization, non-governmental organizations, multinational corporations and other political and economic units in the international system. Therefore, theories of international relations are set of propositions and concepts that seek to explain international relation phenomena by specifying the relationships among the concepts, analyzing political events and their background as well as building diplomatic relationships within countries. In simple terms, international relations theories are sets of ideas that explain how the international system works (Shimko, 2013, p.43). This essay will discuss deeply the theories of international relations as well as their level of analysis from the individual stage to the international stage. Level of analysis term The term ‘level of analysis’ is a social sciences term that points to the location, size, or scale of a research target whereby the individual is the most important unit of analysis. International relations are analyzed using three general levels of analysis namely the individual, state as well as the internationals system (Shimko, 2013, p.35). All these levels if analyses attempt to explain the complexities of the world and the issues that are facing the international community. Individual Individual level of analysis is the most significant unit which focuses on decisions made by individual persons that go on to shape foreign policy. It involves examining the desires, personality traits, perception, and ideals of the individual, and the impact that they had on decisions that affected world politics. State The state level of analysis emphasis on the nature of the state and the impact it has on the way it behaves internationally by simply analyzing that particular state’s cultural influences, types of economic system (capitalist or socialist), the state’s historical legacy and geographical location as well as types of government (authoritarianism or democracy) in attempt to explain how it acts internationally (Shimko, 2013, p.36). International System This level of analysis examines the international system to find out how it influences the way in which states react with the main focus of the analysis being evaluating the way states respond to changing international influences. The most crucial factor under this analysis is how powerful the country is within the international system. Features of the international system are believed to significantly influence states behaviors. Theories of international relations Liberalism idealism Liberalism refers to a society that is featured by freedom of thought for individuals, people who can improve their moral and material conditions limitations on the power of government and religion, the rule of law, the free exchange of ideas, a free market economy that supports private enterprise and a system of government that is transparent. It is based on the independence of humans and the natural goodness of individuals since the theory suggests that societies believes that injustice, aggression and war, are not predictable though they can be moderated or even erased through the reform of collective action or the institution (Shimko, 2013, p.43). At the individual level, liberalism is founded on the conviction that individuals know exactly what is best for them because they are rational human beings and they understand the decrees that are universally applicable to govern both nature and the society. This means that individuals are capable of improving their condition by forming a just society because they can understand the universal laws. Under individual analysis of the liberalism idealism, it is assumed that when a society is not just then the fault rests upon the inadequate institutions (result of a corrupt environment) (Marks and Palgrave Connect (Online service), 2011, p50). Analysis of the liberalism/ idealism theory under the state level suggests that there is a lot of collaboration in the world and not just rivalry (Kaufman, 2013, p.39). The theory assumes that states try to build a more just world rather than just competing or worrying about power. Liberalists believe that countries do so because most of them have understood that cooperation is the way out and a better strategy than conflict. As a result of this, they try to create enforceable international laws since they act like progressive forces for social justice. For instance, liberalism could have looked at the Cold War and examined the diverse values of the USSR and the US and highlight the repressive and murderous nature of the Soviet state as the key to the US and USSR animosity as well as look at the decades-worth of US-USSR cooperation in the midst of the cold war (arms control, the lack of direct conflict). Realism Realism theory is portrays individuals as highly selfish and power seeking creatures who are organized in states, each of which acts in a unitary way in pursuit of its own national interest, defined in terms of power. The key highlights under realism theory include the fact that power is primarily thought of in terms of material resources necessary to physically harm or coerce other states with states being believed to exist in an anarchic international system, characterized by the absence of an authoritative hierarchy. The theory suggests that countries are concerned most about managing their insecurity thus relying primarily on balancing the power of other states and deterrence to keep the international system intact. Realism theory of international relations has four basic presumptions that are deeply explored in the Thucydide’s ‘History of the Peloponnesian War’. they include the concept that state is the principal actor in war and politics in general, the state is a unitary actor (once a decision is made to go to war or capitulate, the state speaks and acts with one voice), decision makers acting in the name of the state are assumed to be rational actors (rational decision making leads to the advance of the national interest) as well as the assumption that state’s need to protect itself from enemies both foreign and domestic which is achieved by state augmenting its security by building up its economic prowess and forming alliances with other states. Other scholars have later added some materials on the theory though the above mentioned ones are the most fundamental (Marks and Palgrave Connect (Online service), 2011, p50). Interpretation and application of the realism theory with respect to the Iraq war would emphasize on the on state-level and international-level factors. Realists find the international system as rebellious and that only a few states except the US would be capable and willing to free the international community from the Iraq threats. Iraq was termed as a major security menace to the US with the only option to curb the situation being overthrowing the Baathist regime from power. However, not all realists agree that the policy the United States pursued was the right one with the argument between John Mearsheimer (an offensive realist) and Stephen Walt (a defensive realist) being a clear support for this disagreements. George Bush and other pragmatist theorists believed that Saddam Hussein was not deterred effectively and use of chemical weapons against the Kurds in the past meant that it was probable he would use them to threaten the United States (Marks and Palgrave Connect (Online service), 2011, p46). Neorealism Neorealism theory of international relations is said to give precedence to the construction of the international system as an explanatory factor over states (Marks and Palgrave Connect (Online service), 2011, p114). The key highlights in this theory include the concepts that structure is determined by the ordering principle (the distribution of capabilities among states),and international structure is a force in itself meaning that it constrains state behavior and states may not be able to control it thus determining outcomes. Just like in classical realism theory, balance of power is a crucial principle of neorealism theory though many neorealists believe that the balance of power is largely determined by the structure of the system. According to this theory, state’s survival highly depends on how much power it has over its competitors though states may cooperate so as to achieve their rational desires and protect their own interests. Neo-liberalism Neo-liberalism is a branch of liberalism theory and it focuses on the way in which institutions can influence the behavior of states by spreading values or creating rule-based behavior (Kaufman, 2013, p.39). Neo-liberals can focus on the duties of the World Trade Organization (WTO) or United Nations (UN) in molding the foreign policy conduct of states. Neo-liberals could have also looked at the cold war and suggested approaches that would be used by UN to fix the Cold War. Neoliberal institutionalism inquires why countries choose to cooperate most of the time even in the anarchic condition of the international system (Jackson and Sørensen, 2012, p.101). Answers to this question have been explained by theorists using various techniques among them being the story of the ‘Prisoner’s Dilemma’, a story that was developed by Robert Axelrod and Robert Keohane. The prisoner’s dilemma as explained in the story provides Neo-liberals with a rationale for cooperation in a setting where there is no international authority mandating such cooperation. Radicalism Radicalism theory of international relations assumes the importance of economics for clarifying nearly all other phenomena (Kaufman, 2013, p.73). Karl Marx’s (1818-83) writings are central to all radical thoughts. According to Karl Marx, private interests control market exchanges and labor a factor that result to a clash between the controlling, capitalist bourgeois class and the controlled proletariat workers. Some radicals believe that new patterns of communal relations were developed during the evolution of the economic manufacture process from feudalism to capitalism with other types of radicals strongly believing on centers on the construction of the global system. Radicals are interested in explaining the relations between means of productions, social relations and power (Jackson and Sørensen, 2012, p.93). Under these theories, structure is deemed to be the by-product of imperialism, or the development of certain economic systems into other parts of the world. A good example that signifies radicalism is the political colonialism that spawned imperialist systems in which the economic desires of the capitalist nations were paramount. In the Middle East for instance, capitalist’s economic desires were to secure oil fields, a misconception that other radicals deem to be the main reason that made US invade Iraq. Constructivism Constructivists tend to hold on key theoretical proposition such as the suggestion that individual, state, international community interests are not predetermined or fixed. Constructivism theories assume that individuals in collectivities forge, shape, and change culture through ideas and practices with state and national interests being result of the social identities of these actors. Constructivists avoid the idea of material structures as depicted by one of the renowned constructivist theorist, Alexander Wendt who argues that political structure explains nothing and tells us little about state behavior. Majority of the constructivists focuses on normative structures and see power in discursive (Hudson, 2007, p.58).  Interpretation of the Liberal theory with regard to the 2003 Iraq war would focus on Saddam (individual) as an abusive leader who engaged in various acts of animosity, look at the Iraq (state) as having authoritarian nature, and replacement by a democracy would lessen the coercive threat of the state and enhance stability in the Middle East as well as look at Iraq as a rebellious country that was not confronting to its duties under various UN Security Council resolutions, a factor that made the international community to take collective action. However, for the case of Iraq invasion by the US, the international community did not respond since the UN Security Council did not endorse the action and the fact that there was inadequate evidence to support that were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. In conclusion, some of the most popular theories of international relations include the liberalism, realism, constructivism, radicalism, neo-liberalism, and neorealism. Liberalism refers to a society that is featured by freedom of thought for individuals, people who can improve their moral and material conditions limitations. Liberalism argues that societies understand that injustice, violence and war are not foreseeable though they can be toned-down or even wiped away through the improvement of collective action or the institution. Constructivism theories On the other hand assume that individuals in collectivities forge, shape, and change culture through ideas and practices with state and national interests being result of the social identities of these actors. Radicalism theory of international relations assumes the importance of economics for clarifying nearly all other phenomena. Realism theories portray individuals as highly selfish and power seeking creatures who are organized in states, each of which acts in a unitary way in pursuit of its own national interest, defined in terms of power. Bibliography Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Hudson, V. M., 2007, Foreign policy analysis: Classic and contemporary theory, Rowman & Littlefield Pub, Lanham. Jackson, R. H., & Sørensen, G., 2012, Introduction to international relations: Theories and approaches, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Kaufman, J. P., 2013, Introduction to international relations: Theory and practice, Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Lanham. Marks, M. P., & Palgrave Connect (Online service), 2011, Metaphors in international relations theory, Palgrave Macmillan,New York. Shimko, K. L., 2013, International relations: Perspectives, controversies and readings, Wadsworth, Boston, MA. Bottom of Form Read More