Archive for 2010

Why is examining public EU attitudes such a complex task?

Amber-Jayne Daniels • May 10 2010 • Essays

Examining public EU attitudes is so complex because of the diverse sources of the EU public opinion and the incomplete structure of the EU itself. There is no European polity, no holistic conception of what it means to be a European citizen and no European-level social culture.

Postcolonial Theories as Critique and Challenge to ‘First World-ism’

Anna M. Agathangelou and Heather M. Turcotte • May 7 2010 • Articles

The critiques of postcolonial feminists and critical feminisms have contributed epistemic, knowledge frameworks, and material insights into hegemonic power relations, and in particular global violence. Such theorizations have raised questions about the ‘geopolitical’ in order to transform IR’s contentious emphasis on geographical and territorial realms of power

The persistence of military domination in Myanmar

Mark Dearn • May 6 2010 • Essays

Myanmar’s post-colonial era is characterised by the domination of the military as the key actor in the state’s politics over the 62-year period since British rule ended. Democratic elections have only once resulted in the installation of a civilian-led government in Myanmar. Indeed, the country offers a counter-argument to the conventional wisdom among political scientists that ‘military rule is the shortest form of authoritarian regime in the developing world’

Contradicting Norms of Secession in the Balkans

Richard White • May 4 2010 • Essays

Ethno-nationalism has become a potent force in international and domestic politics. Gradually, norms have developed favouring a right of self determination for national groups seeking self-government.

The Use of Dehumanizing Rhetoric in the War on Terror

Ryannon MacLeod • May 3 2010 • Essays

Does George W. Bush’s rhetorical framing of the “War on Terror” conform to standard discourse regarding the practice of dehumanizing one’s enemies in times of war?

Contemporary Conceptualizations of Women in Conflict

Birte Vogel • May 1 2010 • Essays

This paper examines the conceptualization of women in contemporary counterterror conflicts. It analyzes in which ways constructed gender dichotomies as the beautiful soul and the just warrior are reinforced and manipulated by political elites focusing on the case of Afghanistan. The paper’s core is the (re)construction of women as victims by politicians, namely the Bush administration.

What are the contradictions implicit in the idea of a global civil society?

Yulia Kiseleva • Apr 29 2010 • Essays

‘Globality’ can hardly be achieved if it does not embrace at least the majority of the Earth’s population. While global civil society may be a reality as an occurrence that has no precedent in history, this does not necessarily lead to the conclusion that global civil society is ‘global’ in the way it is envisioned by its most ardent supporters.

The World(s) of IR: continental perspectives

Knud Erik Jørgensen • Apr 28 2010 • Articles

The case of continental Europe is special in several ways and contains several intriguing paradoxes. It is a continent that has produced some of the most prominent contemporary social theorists – e.g. Jürgen Habermas, Pierre Bourdieu and Niklas Luhmann – but the insights of their social theory has not really been ‘translated’ into IR theory in any comprehensive or structured fashion.

The EU Strategy Towards the Developing World

Alexander Papadovassilakis • Apr 27 2010 • Essays

Regardless of whether increased EU influence comes purely from self-interest or is solely fixated on the goals of the Cotonou Agreement, it is clear that the EU has altered its strategy towards the Developing World.

How independent can Australia’s foreign policy be?

Antony Lewis • Apr 26 2010 • Essays

The independence of Australian’s foreign policy will never be absolute. It can only become more independent through possibility thinking rather than being “weighed down by myths of past centuries”, including the taking of a more flexible, independent line in its bilateral relationship with the United States.

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