“Hopenhagen” to “Nopenhagen”? The Role of Public Expectation at the Copenhagen Summit.
It can be said that the expectations at COP15 were not so high that they were unattainable. However, domestic pressures in key countries, procedural difficulties, insufficient pre-cooking and the “ClimateGate” scandal certainly played a role in why a comprehensive agreement was not reached.
White Women War Reporters: Interrogating the ‘Third Gender’ Category
White women war reporters are being classified as a third gender, enabling them to break into the war reporting career, but this only perpetuates patriarchal ideas.
‘There are occasions when the use of force should be required’. Discuss.
This essay will attempt to examine the validity of the claim that not only is there such a concept as ‘justified’ or ‘legitimate’ force, but that in certain circumstances such force is not merely permissible, but an absolute necessity. Perhaps force is required in order to ferment global peace by enforcing international laws, which ultimately promote global justice.
What have been the Central Objectives of British Foreign Policy since the end of the Cold War?
With the end of the Cold War, Britain’s position in world politics was ambiguous and the future direction of its foreign policy uncertain. Torn between the increasingly divergent interests of Europe and America, the familiar charge that Britain had lost an empire and was struggling to find a role seemed difficult to dismiss. In this essay, I will critically assess Labour’s attempts to define a new role for Britain in the post Cold War era.
The ‘Great Debates’ in international relations theory
Almost a century after its birth, IR is still in the process of defining itself. The Great Debates stimulated discussion about the essential characteristics of the discipline, and through these IR theory has undoubtedly advanced in complexity and nuance since its founding, and doubtless will continue to do so.
Decision Makers, Personal Belief, and Foreign Policy
Beliefs do matter in foreign policy as decision-making rarely conforms to demanding rational choice models. The power of ideas in international relations highlights particular human weaknesses, which might help understand a number of seemingly inexplicable decisions. Beliefs, however, are only one part of a wider framework.
The Financial Flows of Sovereign Wealth Funds in South-South Cooperation: The Way Forward?
In the new millennium, the idea of South-South Cooperation has become more popular, especially due to the continued widening of the development gap and the seeming failure of North-South development strategies. South-South Cooperation initiatives could lead to the dawn of a new economic order, where the global South is on equal terms with the global North.
Is America an Imperial Power by Design or by Accident?
America, much like most great powers, has behaved imperialistically at various times throughout its history. To some degree, it may have been a response to external events. At alternate junctures, the United States has either behaved as a ‘reluctant superpower’ or a purposeful imperial power.
A Pragmatic Approach to Social Science
In short, a similar emphasis on power, the contingency of truth, and reflexivity of scientific communities lead to a shared skeptical view of unidirectional ‘progress’ in science.
Does the Idea of a Clash of Civilisations Hinder our Understanding of World Politics Since 9/11?
Even though the clash of civilisations thesis encompasses different levels of analysis from man, civilisation, and the world at large, it concentrates on solely cultural factors. Allowing these factors to override other sectors of analysis in the discipline of international relations does not necessarily lead to enhancing our understanding of world politics.
