global trends notes

1. GLOBAL TRENDS
CHAPTER ONE:
INTRODUCTION TO
INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS

2. Conceptualizing Nation, State and Nationalism
 Principle of self-determination made group of
people to constitute an independent political
unit.
 The nation has come to be seen as the natural
basis of the state. What is then Nation?
 A cultural political community that has been
conscious of its autonomy, unity and particular
interests.
 Primordially, the state is conceived as institution,
gradually territorial state began to take shape. It
is understood as

3. Continued
 A state (whether it is the apparatus of government or the
field in which the apparatus works) is the unit of
political power.
 A state is an autonomous political unit,
encompassing many communities.
 It is essential to distinguish state of nation (state
of mono-language society) and state of nations
(state of multilingual societies).
 State of Nation (Japan, Iceland, North and South
Korea
 State of Nation (Ethiopia, Nigeria, China … etc)

4. Ctd.
Differences between Nation and State
Nation State
• Cultural entity / Ethnic entity • Political entity / Geographical
entity
• No physical boundary • Has physical boundary
• Described as natural or organic • Described as artificial /
conventional

5. Continued
 What is Nationalism?
 It is identification of one's own nation and
support for its interest.
 It is an advocacy or support for the political
independence of a particular nation or
peoples.
 It is an ideology and movement that promotes
the interest of a particular nation with the aim
of gaining the nation's sovereignty (self-
governance) over its homeland.

6. Defining International Relations (IRs)
 IRs is the totality of all forms of relations (private
or official) established between states
 Relations are political and non political (cultural,
environmental…) carried out peacefully and non-
peacefully
 IRs is the study of who gets ---what, when and
how
(Assume two governments negotiate over fishery
on international waters)
 The Who of IRs --- States, Non-state Actors including
terrorists, International organizations … etc.

7. IRs ctd.
 The What of IRs --- Political, economic, social or
cultural kind
 The When of IRs --- can be continuous activity
(usually of states) or episodic (periodic) activity
(usually of private international organizations)
 The How of IRs --- Instruments used to achieve the
goals, such as military force, propaganda, foreign aid,
diplomacy … etc.
Nature and Evolution of IRs
1. Ancient Period
 Before the coming of the state, relations were inter-
family, inter-clan and inter-tribal types

8. Ctd.
2. Medieval Period
 Characterized by unstable political situation (demise of
Roman Empire)
 No great development in inter-state relations
 Modern nations state system is the legacy of medieval
political developments (cumulative effect)
3. Modern Period
 Decline of Church (Catholic) marked the emergence of
Nation-states equipped with sovereignty and nationalism
 Diplomacy assumed a significant role in IRs
 Transition from internecine war to the conduct of bilateral
and multilateral treaties and alliances

9. Ctd.
4. Contemporary Period
 Out break of World War First and Second have effect
in changing the pre -1914 political issues and resulted
in the rise of Cold War
 IRs become more vital as a discipline

10. Actors of IRs
 With the change in international system, actors
at global level is steadily showing rise. The actors
are:
1. State Actors
a) States --- most powerful actors
b) Governments --- make decisions, formulate policies
and react to decisions and policies of other
governments
2. Non-state Actors
 Exist outside of state structure
 Includes International Government Organizations
(IGOs) such as: African Union, United Nations, EU …

11. Ctd.
 International Non- Government Organization (INGOs)
such as World Council of Churches, Council of Islamic
States, Red Cross, Red Crescent …
3. Sub-state Actors
a) These are domestic actors pursuing their goals
through international activities (intermestic politics)
 Examples --- Political Parties, Interest Groups
b) Individuals manifested as public actor (use state
resources) and private actor (symbol of moral
cause)
 Examples --- Haile Gebre Silassie, Betrand Russel, Osama
Bin Laden …

12. Level of Analysis
There are three levels of analysis of IRs
(1) System Level Analysis
Deals with the international system & sub-systems
Consisting of states, Multinational Corporations,
International organizations … etc.
Has three / four categories:
Uni-polar (one dominant power)
Bi-polar (two dominant powers)
Tri-polar (three dominant powers --- EU - USA - China ???)
Multi-polar (four and above dominant powers)

13. (2) State Level Analysis
Examines the forces and factors within the
state that determine the foreign policy (FP)
and relations with other states
States internal factors (domestic political
system, political culture, political leaders,
public opinion, political parties …

14. Ctd.
(3) Group Level Analysis
Focuses on Foreign Policy,
Examples that express the nature of Group Level
Analysis
 Lobbyists influencing national decision making on
issues. In US, Lobbying is becoming a $3.5 Billion
huge industry. For the passing of the recent US
Senate Resolution 97, role of a Lobbyist was great
 Voters expressing their view in decision making on
an issue
 Political parties picking up issues during election
campaign

15. (3) Individual Level Analysis
Consider human beings as actors in IRs
How groups behave and how interactions
affect decisions
How motivations, ambitions and perceptions
of political leaders affect states FP and
relations with other states

16. Concept definition
A. Power
 Capacity of one’s actor to persuade or coerce another,
thus allowing for the control of that actor
Categories of Power
1. Soft Power --- A capacity to persuade another actor to
do something through influence. Example: Japan being
economically and technologically state of soft power
2. Hard power --- Using force to impose its will on others
through military or economic clout (influence). UN
coalition forces which drove Iraqi forces from Kuwait in
1991
3. Smart Power --- Blending of hard and soft power.
Example: After the rise of terrorism in post 1990
period, US employs smart power keep its interests

17. Ctd.
B. Anarchy
 A doctrine that opposes established political
authority in all its forms (advocate liberty from state
machinery)
 In international relations, it does not mean chaos
and lawlessness but absence of formal system of
government

18. Ctd.
C. Sovereignty
 Between 1400 – 1600 territorial units
o began to appear that world foreshadows
o some of the modern states of today
 1648 peace of Westphalia ended the war by
recognizing the sovereignty of each king
 Sovereignty is the cornerstone of the modern
state and 1648 is dated as the beginning of
modern international system

19. CHAPTER TWO:
THEORIES OF INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS

20. Theories of IRs
A theory is a way of understanding an issue or a
process with consistency and coherence.
Some of the theories of IRs are:
Realism, Neo-realism
Liberalism , Neo-liberalism
Marxism, Neo-Marxism and the likes
1. Realism
Took place under anarchism which states
interact in competitive and conflict, unregulated
by central authority

21. Continued
Politics is the struggle for power which states
seek to maximize their power (people are self-
centered and act accordingly through the state)
IR took place under anarchy (strong states act as
they please and weak states bearing the burden)
2. Neo-Realism
Known as structural realism
World structure is the determinant factor of
outcomes at the international level
The structure of the world is: configuration
(pattern) of power distributed among the major
states

22. 3. Liberalism
Known as idealism
War was not a product of human nature, but
result of misunderstanding by politicians
It is an inside-out approach (internal factors
determine the external
Suggest democratic society (liberties
respected and market relations prevail) is
leverage for peaceful world order

23. 4. Neo-liberalism
Believes that states has to pursue their
interests under conditions of anarchy
(struggle for power)
This is the potential for sustained
international cooperation
Difference with Realism is:
Realists believe cooperation under hegemony
Neo-liberalists believe cooperation under
anarchy

24. 5. Marxism (Structuralism)
System of economic production determine institutional
and ideological structures
Who controls the economic system (base) also
controls the political system (superstructure).
This is economic determinism.
Point of analysis is relations of production.
Marxists under-estimated the impacts of
nationalism, international relations, diplomacy
… on the structure of world.

25. 6. Neo-Marxism
Do not believe that the spread of capitalism will
bring industrial development to poor nations; rather
generates inequality between the Global North and
South
Neo Marxism is a relaxation of the economic
determinism.
Shifted the analysis from relations of
production to relations of exchange
This is a new thought in the age of increasing
global inequality

26. 7. Constructivism
Stands on relations between agents (individuals) and
structures (states)
The essence of IR exists in the interactions
between people
States (structure) do not interact but agents
(individuals) of those states (which are known
as politicians, diplomats …)

27. 8. Critical Theory
Has emancipation interest and has contributed to IRs
Identify positions that have been ignored or
overlooked within IRs
Serves as voice to marginalized groups
(women, children, the global South…)
Advocates for freedom, justice, ...