Experiences of ‘the international’ include folklore, legend, and oral history – places where IR is unable to go because of its preoccupation with rationality and order. It is time this cloak is removed.
There is a paradox which stalks the discipline of IR: as it speaks of peace, the principle of sovereignty, which is at the centre of its world view, looks out upon messy – and often very violent – social relationships.
Reflecting on masters courses in the 1970s, questions emerge on whether these courses help or hinder England understand its view of itself in the world.
There are two paths in IR and, for all the claims of plurality, IR’s equivalent of the dirty little secret is that the margins and the mainstream seldom converge
Expert opinion has been drawn upon to shape public opinion on all manner of issues; yet there are some important questions to raise about what passes for expertise.
As quickly as mining shafts were sealed in Johannesburg they have been re-opened and worked by a new generation of illegal miners run by gangs.
South African politics must move beyond narrow thinking and recognise political economy as a tool not only for sound analysis, but also for good policy-making.
Next year marks the Centenary of the First World War. Watching the tragic events unfold in Syria provokes one to think of the lessons learned from the carnage brought about by WWI.
The Cuban Missile Crisis remains of great interest to scholars, but a lack of public interest suggests that understanding how humans make history takes a little longer.
It has become apparent how dependent IR is on hiding behind jargon. The work of economic historians provides a valuable guide to making things more intelligible.
The Norwegians may be living through a painful ordeal, or switching off, as they choose. Yet, the truth is that we are all responsible for Breivik and this terrible crime against humanity.
Will the IR-Zone always be, as Stanley Hoffman noted, an American discipline? Something other than an obsession with exercising America’s place and power in the world?
South Africa’s achievements rest on interdependence and an unwavering belief in constitutionalism. This is Nelson Mandela’s lasting legacy.
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