International Relations Theory
Introduction ............................................................................................................................1
Chapter I – Building blocks .......................................................................................................2
Chapter II – Realism ................................................................................................................6
Chapter III – Liberalism .......................................................................................................... 14
Chapter IV – English school .................................................................................................... 22
Chapter V – Marxism.............................................................................................................. 27
Chapter VI – Constructivism .................................................................................................. 36
Chapter VII – Feminism .......................................................................................................... 40
Chapter VIII – Postcolonialism ............................................................................................... 43
Chapter IX – Poststructuralism ............................................................................................... 47
Chapter X – Foreign policy analysis ........................................................................................ 52
Introduction
Information about the course
Follow the international news, the most important developments
Not everything will be said in the classes → complete via the syllabus
2 reading exercises, each worth 2 of the 20 points
- Liberalism
- Postcolonialism
→ No longer a part of the exam
Theories
Theories make claims about the ontology (= what is the reality) of international politics
We don’t look at methodology (= how do we learn about …)
Theories vary across time and space
Theories are like different lenses → problem of bias
One theory can’t explain everything, but we can combine theories
Contribution of theories
Analytical: defining, frameworks
Explanatory: explaining, predicting, generalizing
Normative: assessing, prescribing
1
,Chapter I – Building blocks
Levels of analysis
Different spheres in social reality to focus on, where causes for international political
phenomena are located: individuals, relationships, structures, systems, level of the states, level
above states, entire world history …
- Ontological: belong to the reality of world politics
- Epistemological tool: a way to divide complex matters into levels for analytical purposes
Most schools of analysis adopt a specific position concerning which level(s) of analysis hold(s)
the most explanatory value
Waltz identifies 3 main levels of analysis for inter-state war
- Human nature / the individual
- The state
- The international system
Levels of analysis
- Human nature
- Pessimistic image on human kind: evil, egoistic and power-thirsty by nature, we
can’t expect a peaceful world (fatalism, defeatism)
- Optimistic image on human kind: solidarity, cooperative, reasonable, learning
from mistakes
- Feminism (VII): Differences between men and women? Nature or nurture?
- Human nature is a general level of analysis: can’t explain specific periods
- Individual character
- In contrast to Waltz’ division, this is a different level of analysis
- Personality and psychology
- The state
- The character of states: aggressive, authoritarian, democratic, capitalist,
communist
- Variation in history, sociology, culture
- Strategic culture: stable over time, can change through radical shifts
- Domestic institutions
- The international system
- Anarchical = lacks a supernational government
Great powers and small states
- Waltz: all states want to secure territorial integrity
→ the international system > states as the main level of analysis
- Macro- and microlevel
- Geopolitics
- World-Systems Analysis <Wallerstein (V)
- The second image reversed <Gourevitch
How the international system shapes states, how states adapt to external
pressures in order to survive
- Two-level games <Putnam
Level I = multilateral forums for negotiation
2
, Level II = domestic arena for competition
International agreements are possible if level II agreements overlap on level I
- The world society
- Transnational interaction of non-state actors
- Deepening interdependence of states
- Erosion of the Westphalian system?
- Diplomatic and institutional processes
- The discursive structure
- Discourses can become hegemonic (= dominant), can strengthen or weaken
certain actors/ideas
- Many leaders put a lot of effort into influencing / changing discourses → must be
important
- The totality and history of the reality
- Empires, crusades, colonisation, decolonisation
Actors
Actors = entities that are clearly defined, possess agency, can make decisions
- States: when viewed as unitary actors, the domestic actors and processes are neglected
- Transnational government networks: growing importance due to modernization and
specialization BUT democratic deficit
- International governmental organizations (IGOs)
- Formal: UN, WTO, IMF
- Informal: G7, G20, BRICS
- Non-governmental organizations (NGOs): moral power, expertise, mobilization
- Multistakeholder partnerships = informal networks of governmental and non-
governmental actors
- A way of governments to evade responsibility?
- Influenced by main funders
- Lack of oversight
- Epistemic communities = institutionalized network of experts
Ex. IPCC
- Classes: key actors in Marxist IR theory (V)
- Individuals and elites
Interests
Interests = what actors want
Material / immaterial
Red lines = actors’ limits, scenarios that actors don’t accept and will counter in any way
possible, human-made mental constructions that can shift
How are interests formed?
- Neorealism: states’ interests are derived from the anarchical international system
(<Waltz)
- Classical realism: anarchical system + inherent nature of states to build-up
- Liberalism
- Domestic actors have different interests
- Aggregated at government level
- Altruistic interests
3
, - Marxism
- Classes have different interests
- Constructivism
- Interests are socially constructed, not exogenously given
- Socialization
- No government has a clear sharp direction of interests because interests keep
changing/shifting, they are continuously being formed
Interests are multi-layered: one interest can be derived from the other
Power
Power is what actors can, to accomplish their interests
Power is the production, in and through social relations, of effects that shape the capacities of
actors to determine their circumstances and fate
Power as resources approach → possessing the resources of power = having power
Relational power approach → the actual power exertion between actors
Forms of power exertion
Relations Specificity
Direct Indirect
Interaction Compulsory Power Institutional Power
= classical power Interactive but mediated by
institutional factors
Interactive and direct without
Rules determine/influence the
mediation
power of certain actors
Ex. the US is the only state with
a veto in the Board of Peace
Constitution Structural Power Productive / Discursive Power
Social Direct and constitutive Power through language and
relations discourses
of … Structural relationships
(hierarchy) determine the nature Ex. when an organisation is
of actors called “terrorist” it is bad for its
image and power
Ex. colonizers and colonized,
core and periphery Variant: soft power
= winning over the hearts and
minds of others → convincing
others to want what you want
Consent instead of coercion
≠ non-military power
Sources of power
- Material sources
- Market power = attractive economy
- Military power
- Immaterial sources
- Willingness to use resources
- Courage
- Quality of diplomacy
4
Introduction ............................................................................................................................1
Chapter I – Building blocks .......................................................................................................2
Chapter II – Realism ................................................................................................................6
Chapter III – Liberalism .......................................................................................................... 14
Chapter IV – English school .................................................................................................... 22
Chapter V – Marxism.............................................................................................................. 27
Chapter VI – Constructivism .................................................................................................. 36
Chapter VII – Feminism .......................................................................................................... 40
Chapter VIII – Postcolonialism ............................................................................................... 43
Chapter IX – Poststructuralism ............................................................................................... 47
Chapter X – Foreign policy analysis ........................................................................................ 52
Introduction
Information about the course
Follow the international news, the most important developments
Not everything will be said in the classes → complete via the syllabus
2 reading exercises, each worth 2 of the 20 points
- Liberalism
- Postcolonialism
→ No longer a part of the exam
Theories
Theories make claims about the ontology (= what is the reality) of international politics
We don’t look at methodology (= how do we learn about …)
Theories vary across time and space
Theories are like different lenses → problem of bias
One theory can’t explain everything, but we can combine theories
Contribution of theories
Analytical: defining, frameworks
Explanatory: explaining, predicting, generalizing
Normative: assessing, prescribing
1
,Chapter I – Building blocks
Levels of analysis
Different spheres in social reality to focus on, where causes for international political
phenomena are located: individuals, relationships, structures, systems, level of the states, level
above states, entire world history …
- Ontological: belong to the reality of world politics
- Epistemological tool: a way to divide complex matters into levels for analytical purposes
Most schools of analysis adopt a specific position concerning which level(s) of analysis hold(s)
the most explanatory value
Waltz identifies 3 main levels of analysis for inter-state war
- Human nature / the individual
- The state
- The international system
Levels of analysis
- Human nature
- Pessimistic image on human kind: evil, egoistic and power-thirsty by nature, we
can’t expect a peaceful world (fatalism, defeatism)
- Optimistic image on human kind: solidarity, cooperative, reasonable, learning
from mistakes
- Feminism (VII): Differences between men and women? Nature or nurture?
- Human nature is a general level of analysis: can’t explain specific periods
- Individual character
- In contrast to Waltz’ division, this is a different level of analysis
- Personality and psychology
- The state
- The character of states: aggressive, authoritarian, democratic, capitalist,
communist
- Variation in history, sociology, culture
- Strategic culture: stable over time, can change through radical shifts
- Domestic institutions
- The international system
- Anarchical = lacks a supernational government
Great powers and small states
- Waltz: all states want to secure territorial integrity
→ the international system > states as the main level of analysis
- Macro- and microlevel
- Geopolitics
- World-Systems Analysis <Wallerstein (V)
- The second image reversed <Gourevitch
How the international system shapes states, how states adapt to external
pressures in order to survive
- Two-level games <Putnam
Level I = multilateral forums for negotiation
2
, Level II = domestic arena for competition
International agreements are possible if level II agreements overlap on level I
- The world society
- Transnational interaction of non-state actors
- Deepening interdependence of states
- Erosion of the Westphalian system?
- Diplomatic and institutional processes
- The discursive structure
- Discourses can become hegemonic (= dominant), can strengthen or weaken
certain actors/ideas
- Many leaders put a lot of effort into influencing / changing discourses → must be
important
- The totality and history of the reality
- Empires, crusades, colonisation, decolonisation
Actors
Actors = entities that are clearly defined, possess agency, can make decisions
- States: when viewed as unitary actors, the domestic actors and processes are neglected
- Transnational government networks: growing importance due to modernization and
specialization BUT democratic deficit
- International governmental organizations (IGOs)
- Formal: UN, WTO, IMF
- Informal: G7, G20, BRICS
- Non-governmental organizations (NGOs): moral power, expertise, mobilization
- Multistakeholder partnerships = informal networks of governmental and non-
governmental actors
- A way of governments to evade responsibility?
- Influenced by main funders
- Lack of oversight
- Epistemic communities = institutionalized network of experts
Ex. IPCC
- Classes: key actors in Marxist IR theory (V)
- Individuals and elites
Interests
Interests = what actors want
Material / immaterial
Red lines = actors’ limits, scenarios that actors don’t accept and will counter in any way
possible, human-made mental constructions that can shift
How are interests formed?
- Neorealism: states’ interests are derived from the anarchical international system
(<Waltz)
- Classical realism: anarchical system + inherent nature of states to build-up
- Liberalism
- Domestic actors have different interests
- Aggregated at government level
- Altruistic interests
3
, - Marxism
- Classes have different interests
- Constructivism
- Interests are socially constructed, not exogenously given
- Socialization
- No government has a clear sharp direction of interests because interests keep
changing/shifting, they are continuously being formed
Interests are multi-layered: one interest can be derived from the other
Power
Power is what actors can, to accomplish their interests
Power is the production, in and through social relations, of effects that shape the capacities of
actors to determine their circumstances and fate
Power as resources approach → possessing the resources of power = having power
Relational power approach → the actual power exertion between actors
Forms of power exertion
Relations Specificity
Direct Indirect
Interaction Compulsory Power Institutional Power
= classical power Interactive but mediated by
institutional factors
Interactive and direct without
Rules determine/influence the
mediation
power of certain actors
Ex. the US is the only state with
a veto in the Board of Peace
Constitution Structural Power Productive / Discursive Power
Social Direct and constitutive Power through language and
relations discourses
of … Structural relationships
(hierarchy) determine the nature Ex. when an organisation is
of actors called “terrorist” it is bad for its
image and power
Ex. colonizers and colonized,
core and periphery Variant: soft power
= winning over the hearts and
minds of others → convincing
others to want what you want
Consent instead of coercion
≠ non-military power
Sources of power
- Material sources
- Market power = attractive economy
- Military power
- Immaterial sources
- Willingness to use resources
- Courage
- Quality of diplomacy
4
