International Theory

Is the EU a Normative Power?

Daniel Hardwick • Sep 3 2011 • Essays

The EU, by using non-normative means to diffuse norms and by not being able to detach itself from state self-interest, has regressed from being a normative power in the international system. This repositioning places the EU on a middle ground between ‘normative’ power and political realism.

Liberal Institutionalism: An Alternative IR Theory or Just Maintaining the Status Quo?

Rebecca Devitt • Sep 1 2011 • Essays

Institutionalism rejects the realist assumption that international politics is a struggle for power in which military security issues are top priority and argues that instead, force is an ineffective instrument of policy. In order to understand the impact of internationalism on IR theory and its criticisms we must first look at its definition and how it differs from realist perspectives.

Typologies of Islamic Thought

Alex Griffiths • Aug 30 2011 • Essays

Islamic thought defies straight forward typological organisation. Nevertheless, efforts to do so have become an important part of Islamic studies and serve as a key point of reference for any student wishing to understand how writers organise the faith, culture and identity of Islam.

Huntington’s Clash of Civilizations

Holly Flynn-Piercy • Aug 30 2011 • Essays

Despite the wide-ranging and largely valid critiques, Clash of Civilizations continues to affect the thinking of scholars and policymakers alike as the “triumph” of capitalism in the post-Cold War era and a movement towards liberal democracy on a global scale make cultural differences such as language, history, religion, and customs more important as a way to distinguish between different groups

Realist and Constructivist Approaches to Anarchy

Miriam Dornan • Aug 29 2011 • Essays

Anarchy is a central concept in international relations theory. Both realism and constructivism, whilst divergent in nature, accept that the structure of the international system is anarchical. However, there is debate as to whether or not the effects of anarchy, such as self-help, can be overcome without fundamentally changing the structure of international politics.

Can ‘International Sanctions’ in Foreign Policy be Ethical?

Wei He • Aug 27 2011 • Essays

Although they face extreme difficulties, international sanctions in foreign policies can still be ethical. This essay begins by stressing the two dimensional problem of ethics and gives the reasons why the existence of international ethics is still possible. The essay will then analyze the difficulties sanctions face, and under which conditions ethical international sanctions can be realized.

Has Globalization spread Democracy around the world?

Sophie Crockett • Aug 27 2011 • Essays

Even though globalization has many advantages and one of them is the opportunity for economic growth both at an individual and a national level. This means that governments now try and compete for foreign capital and design their policies to please global investors and firms, which results in them not necessarily acting in the best interest of its citizens and this disregards its primary purpose.

How should post-conflict societies balance their demand for truth and justice?

Sweta Madhuri Kannan • Aug 27 2011 • Essays

The reconciliation of war-torn, divided societies is a long and difficult process. It is incorrect to expect individuals to be healed within one, two or three years after the conflict as for some this might take a lifetime. The most important factor to bear in mind is the distinct differences between healing processes that take place at the societal level and those that concern individuals.

Disciplining the Discpline: International Relations as a Mature Science

Luuk Molthof • Aug 26 2011 • Essays

Ever since the so called ‘interparadigm debate’ in the 1970s and 1980s, the discipline of International Relations is perceived to be characterised by a series of paradigms. Even though a range of post-positivist theories have sprung up in recent years, leading some scholars to proclaim the post-positivist era, positivism is likely to remain the dominant paradigm in the discipline.

Why did the EU enlarge to the East? A Neo-Gramscian critique of Schimmelfennig’s Constructivist Approach

Tom McCarthy • Aug 24 2011 • Essays

Enlargement has been fuelled by transnational actors, aiming to enhance the economic prospects of transnational capital within Europe, and secure the interests of the hegemonic bloc. It was part of a wider process to increase economic competitiveness and remove internal barriers to trade.

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