This document provides an introduction to postmodernism and related theories in international relations. It begins with definitions of postmodernism and modernism, noting that postmodernism has emerged in various disciplines. It then discusses key aspects of modernism versus postmodernism. The document proceeds to outline some major postmodern thinkers and their ideas, including Foucault, Derrida, Lyotard and Baudrillard. It also discusses post-structuralism and how it critiques and builds upon structuralism. Finally, it briefly defines post-colonialism and the work of Edward Said on orientalism.

1. International Relations
Theories
Post-Modernism
Post-StructuralismPost-Structuralism
Post-Colonialism
Dr Vaezade
Sepehr Arefmanesh
Spring 2014

2. Introduction
Postmodernism is a concept which appears in a wide
variety of disciplines or areas of study including art,
music, film, literature, architecture, and technology and
nowadays has burst into popular usage as a term for
everything from rock music to the whole cultural style
and mood of recent decades.
Postmodernism is a concept which appears in a wide
variety of disciplines or areas of study including art,
music, film, literature, architecture, and technology and
nowadays has burst into popular usage as a term for
everything from rock music to the whole cultural style
and mood of recent decades.

3. Modernism
Modernism refers to the broad
aesthetic movement in
visual arts, music, literature,
and drama and modernity
refers to a set of
philosophical and ethical
ideas which provide the
basis of the aesthetic aspect
of modernism. Therefore,
“modernity” is older than
“modernism.” For the sake
of simplicity the authors use
modernism for both terms.
There has been a long
debate among scholars on
when exactly modernism
starts and how to
distinguish between what is
modern and what is not
modern.
Modernism refers to the broad
aesthetic movement in
visual arts, music, literature,
and drama and modernity
refers to a set of
philosophical and ethical
ideas which provide the
basis of the aesthetic aspect
of modernism. Therefore,
“modernity” is older than
“modernism.” For the sake
of simplicity the authors use
modernism for both terms.
There has been a long
debate among scholars on
when exactly modernism
starts and how to
distinguish between what is
modern and what is not
modern.

4. No. Modernism Postmodernism
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
objective
rational
scientific
global claims
positivist
utopian
central
the best
linear
generalizing
theoretical
abstract
unification
subjective
irrational
anti-scientific
local claims
constructivist
populist
fragmented
better
non-linear
non-generalizing
practical
concrete
diversity
Postmodernism
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
objective
rational
scientific
global claims
positivist
utopian
central
the best
linear
generalizing
theoretical
abstract
unification
subjective
irrational
anti-scientific
local claims
constructivist
populist
fragmented
better
non-linear
non-generalizing
practical
concrete
diversity

5. “truth” is not
universal
Postmodernism is
preference and truth
is a social construct
to be eliminated.
Truth and persons
are given value only
as the group values
them.
Postmodernism is
preference and truth
is a social construct
to be eliminated.
Truth and persons
are given value only
as the group values
them.
constitutes the postmodern are rendered
impossible by postmodernity’s rejection of the
very metanarratives that would be integral
to such an analysis. Other than ‘an incredulity
towards metanarratives
A commonality of Post-
Modern views of IR is an
emphasis on how
political action is affected
by language, ideas,
abstract concepts, and
norms.

6. Actors are missing: women, MNCs,
poor countries, classes, etc.
States are not unitary and thus
not rational – states are
abstractions
Thus, no such thing as national
interest.
Actors are missing: women, MNCs,
poor countries, classes, etc.
States are not unitary and thus
not rational – states are
abstractions
Thus, no such thing as national
interest.

7. Knowledge
And Power
Knowledgeis not
stableandeternalas
thehistory ofscience
hasshown us,it refers
toprobabilities rather
thancertainties,
betterratherthan the
best.
The idea that some
people (experts)
know more than
others (non-experts)
are not espoused.
They believe that
interaction between
the knower and non-
knower is often best
seen as a dialog in
which both are
involved in an
interactive process of
knowledge creation.
Dialog replaces
monolog.
Knowledge is not
immune from the
workings of power –
what we know depends
on power in our lives.
Knowledgeis not
stableandeternalas
thehistory ofscience
hasshown us,it refers
toprobabilities rather
thancertainties,
betterratherthan the
best.
The idea that some
people (experts)
know more than
others (non-experts)
are not espoused.
They believe that
interaction between
the knower and non-
knower is often best
seen as a dialog in
which both are
involved in an
interactive process of
knowledge creation.
Dialog replaces
monolog.Definition of power is limited
mostly to tangible
measures, not power of
ideas, norms, words, etc.

8. Post-structuralism P
o
s
t
-
s
t
r
u
c
t
u
r
a
l
i
s
m
P
o
s
t
-
s
t
r
u
c
t
u
r
a
l
i
s
m

9. Structuralism was an intellectual
movement in France in the 1950s and
1960s that studied the underlying
structures in cultural products (such as
texts) and used analytical concepts
from linguistics, psychology,
anthropology, and other fields to
interpret those structures. It
emphasized the logical and scientific
nature of its results.
Post-structuralism offers a way of
studying how knowledge is produced
and critiques structuralist premises. It
argues that because history and
culture condition the study of
underlying structures, both are subject
to biases and misinterpretations. A
post-structuralist approach argues that
to understand an object (e.g., a text),
it is necessary to study both the object
itself and the systems of knowledge
that produced the object.
Structuralism was an intellectual
movement in France in the 1950s and
1960s that studied the underlying
structures in cultural products (such as
texts) and used analytical concepts
from linguistics, psychology,
anthropology, and other fields to
interpret those structures. It
emphasized the logical and scientific
nature of its results.
Post-structuralism offers a way of
studying how knowledge is produced
and critiques structuralist premises. It
argues that because history and
culture condition the study of
underlying structures, both are subject
to biases and misinterpretations. A
post-structuralist approach argues that
to understand an object (e.g., a text),
it is necessary to study both the object
itself and the systems of knowledge
that produced the object.

10. Jean-Francois Lyotard
• The figural resists representation
• In 1974 he predicted that no knowledge
will survive that cannot be translated
into computer language--into quantities
of information.
• Made critical distinction between
narrative discourse and scientific
discourse
• The figural resists representation
• In 1974 he predicted that no knowledge
will survive that cannot be translated
into computer language--into quantities
of information.
• Made critical distinction between
narrative discourse and scientific
discourse
Jean Baudrillard • Death of modernity, “the real,” and
sex
• Semiotic analysis of commodities
• binary oppositions that minimize
difference(s)
• the simulation, simulacra, becomes
the real
• The role of the hyper-real
• The Merchants of Cool/Reality TV

11. Michel Foucault
View language as the “container” of possible practices
within a discourse (profession).
Speaking is not an innovative activity, but a selection from
a fixed set of practices, governed by rules that are
permissible in the language.
• World is a “text” that must be interpreted.
– World is constructed like a text.
– Cannot refer to anything “real” – only
“interpretive experience”
– Quoting Montaigne: “We need to interpret
interpretations more than to interpret things”
• stable and natural concepts and relations
are artificial concepts.
Jacques Derrida
• World is a “text” that must be interpreted.
– World is constructed like a text.
– Cannot refer to anything “real” – only
“interpretive experience”
– Quoting Montaigne: “We need to interpret
interpretations more than to interpret things”
• stable and natural concepts and relations
are artificial concepts.

12. Like structuralism, they
rejected the centrality of the self, believing
that it is not the self that creates culture, it
is culture that creates the self;
and unlike
structuralism, they
rejected scientific pretensions and applied
the structural-cultural analysis of human
phenomena to the human sciences
themselves, which are after all human
cultural constructions.
Like structuralism, they
rejected the centrality of the self, believing
that it is not the self that creates culture, it
is culture that creates the self;
and unlike
structuralism, they
rejected scientific pretensions and applied
the structural-cultural analysis of human
phenomena to the human sciences
themselves, which are after all human
cultural constructions.

13. WhatisPost-colonialism?
What is colonialism?
•An extension of a nations rule over
territory beyond its borders
•a population that is subjected to the
political domination of another
population
WhatisPost-colonialism?
Post-colonial theory deals with the reading and writing
of literature written in previously or currently colonized
countries, or literature written in colonizing countries
which deals with colonization or colonized peoples
- it embraces no single method or school

14. How does it work?
•Assesses the position of the
colonial or post-colonial subject
•Offers a counter-narrative to
the long tradition of European
imperial narratives considering:
Political oppression
Economic
Social/cultural
oppression
Psychological
oppression
■ What happens after colonization?
* What language do you speak?
* what culture do you follow?
■ Two terms to describe the results of
colonization on those colonized
■ Awareness of culture before
colonized and during colonization
and what emerged as a result.

15. Edward Said
• “Power and knowledge are
inseparable”(following Foucalt’s belief)
Orientalism is the 1978 book that has been
highly influential in postcolonial studies.
• Attempted to explain how European/Western
colonizers looked upon the ‘’Orient”
What is the Orient?
• A mystical plane that was stereotyped due to
lack of knowledge and imagination
• “Power and knowledge are
inseparable”(following Foucalt’s belief)
Orientalism is the 1978 book that has been
highly influential in postcolonial studies.
• Attempted to explain how European/Western
colonizers looked upon the ‘’Orient”
What is the Orient?
• A mystical plane that was stereotyped due to
lack of knowledge and imagination