Showing papers on "International relations published in 1992"
TL;DR: The debate between realists and liberals has reemerged as an axis of contention in international relations theory as mentioned in this paper, and the debate is more concerned today with the extent to which state action is influenced by "structure" versus "process" and institutions.
Abstract: The debate between realists and liberals has reemerged as an axis of contention in international relations theory.’ Revolving in the past around competing theories of human nature, the debate is more concerned today with the extent to which state action is influenced by ‘structure’ (anarchy and the distribution of power) versus ‘process’ (interaction and learning) and institutions. Does the absence of centralized political authority force states to play competitive power politics? Can international regimes overcome this logic, and under what conditions? What in anarchy is given and immutable, and what is amenable to change?
3,964 citations
Book•
27 Nov 1992
TL;DR: In this paper, Walker offers an analysis of the relationship between twentieth-century theories of international relations, and the political theory of civil society since the early modern period, and argues that international relations theories should be seen more as aspects of contemporary world politics than as explanations of modern world politics.
Abstract: In this book Rob Walker offers an original analysis of the relationship between twentieth-century theories of international relations, and the political theory of civil society since the early modern period. He views theories of international relations both as an ideological expression of the modern state, and as a clear indication of the difficulties of thinking about a world politics characterized by profound spatiotemporal accelerations. International relations theories should be seen, the author argues, more as aspects of contemporary world politics than as explanations of contemporary world politics. These theories are examined in the light of recent debates about modernity and post-modernity, sovereignty and political identity, and the limits of modern social and political theory. This book is a major contribution to the field of critical international relations, and will be of interest to social and political theorists and political scientists, as well as students and scholars of international relations.
1,557 citations
TL;DR: In 1989, peaceful change, which a leading realist theorist had declared a very low-probability event in international politics less than a decade before, accommodated the most fundamental geopolitical shift of the postwar era and perhaps of the entire twentieth century as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: In 1989, peaceful change, which a leading realist theorist had declared a very low-probability event in international politics less than a decade before, accommodated the most fundamental geopolitical shift of the postwar era and perhaps of the entire twentieth century: the collapse of the Soviet East European empire and the attendant end of the cold war. Many factors were responsible for that shift. But there seems little doubt that multilateral norms and institutions have helped stabilize their international consequences. Indeed, such norms and institutions appear to be playing a significant role in the management of a broad array of regional and global changes in the world system today.
919 citations
TL;DR: The authors argue for the re-conceptualization of geo-politics using the concept of discourse and argue that the irony of such practical geo-political representations of place is that they necessitate the abrogation of genuine geographical knowledge about the diversity and complexity of places as social entities.
513 citations
Book•
01 Jan 1992
TL;DR: In this article, a combination of game theory, statistical analysis and case histories is used to evaluate the conditions that promote negotiation, status quo and war in international conflict avoidance, and two theorists of international relations analyze the strategies designed to avoid international conflict.
Abstract: In this work two theorists of international relations analyze the strategies designed to avoid international conflict. Using a combination of game theory, statistical analysis and case histories, the authors evaluate the conditions that promote negotiation, the status quo and war.
413 citations
TL;DR: For example, surprise remains one of the few things one can count on, and very few princes have succeeded in avoiding it, however assiduous the efforts of their respective wizards, medicine men, counselors, advisers, and think tank consultants to ward it off as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: I Pr inces have always sought out soothsayers of one kind or another for the purpose of learning what the future holds. These hired visionaries have found portents in the configurations of stars, the entrails of animals, and most indicators in between. The results, on the whole, have been disappointing. Surprise remains one of the few things one can count on, and very few princes have succeeded in avoiding it, however assiduous the efforts of their respective wizards, medicine men, counselors, advisers, and think tank consultants to ward it off. Surprise is still very much with us. The abrupt end of the Cold War, an unanticipated hot war in the Persian Gulf, and the sudden disintegration of the Soviet Union astonished almost everyone, whether in government, the academy, the media, or the think tanks. Although there was nothing inherently implausible about these eventsthe Cold War did have to end sometime, war had always been a possibility in the Middle East, and communism’s failures had been obvious for years-the fact that they arose so unexpectedly suggests that deficiencies persist in the means by which contemporary princes and the soothsayers they employ seek to discern the future course of world affairs. No modern soothsayer, of course, would aspire to total clairvoyance. We have no equivalent of Isaac Asimov’s famous character, the mathematician Hari Seldon, whose predictive powers were so great that he was able to leave precise holographic instructions for his followers, to be consulted at successive intervals decades after his death.’ But historians, political scientists, economists, psychologists, and even mathemati-
400 citations
Book•
12 Apr 1992TL;DR: The Evolution of International Society as mentioned in this paper is a seminal work in the field of international relations that explains how international societies function across time, starting by examining the ancient state systems before turning to look in detail at the current worldwide international society.
Abstract: `This is a real feast of a book. ... a landmark book. It is clear enough to be used as a teaching text, and could make an excellent introduction to the discipline for those courageous enough to revise their courses.' International Affairs
`This is a bold, successful and valuable book... It is written with admirable clarity and merciful conciseness.' International Relations
`A stunning success. Watson's book is a masterful piece of theoretical and historical analysis.' John A. Vasquez, Rutgers University
Adam Watson, who died in 2007, was a former diplomat who in his later academic career became a pioneer of the discipline of international relations. Originally published in 1992, The Evolution of International Society made a major contribution to international theory and to our perception of how relations between states operate, and established Watson’s place within the canon.
This acclaimed and uniquely comprehensive work explains how international societies function across time, starting by examining the ancient state systems before turning to look in detail at the current worldwide international society. The book demonstrates that relations between states are not normally anarchic, but are in fact organized and regulated by elaborate rules and practices.
In this timely reissue, a new introduction by Barry Buzan and Richard Little assesses Adam Watson's career as a diplomat and examines how his work as a practitioner shaped his subsequent thinking about the nature of international society. It then contextualises Watson's original work, situates it alongside current work in the area and identifies the originality of Watson's key arguments, helping us to understand Watson’s place within the canon.
386 citations
TL;DR: The recent literature on international cooperation has made two general contributions as discussed by the authors, namely, it has developed a concept of cooperation, which can help distinguish what behavior counts as cooperation and which has been adopted widely in the field.
Abstract: Cooperation among nations has become the focus of a wide range of studies in the past decade. The recent international relations literature about cooperation has adopted a distinct approach. It has tended to focus on the systemic level of analysis. It has also used game theory as its central tool of analysis. This review evaluates this literature, arguing that these methodological choices have contributed to both the greatest strengths and the greatest weaknesses of the literature in explaining cooperation among nations.The recent literature on international cooperation has made two general contributions. First, it has developed a concept of cooperation, which can help distinguish what behavior counts as cooperation and which has been adopted widely in thefield.Second, the literature ha* tried to illuminate the conditions under which cooperation is likely to emerge. Using game theory to model relations at the systemic level parsimoniously, scholars have developed at least six hypotheses about the circumstances that promote cooperative behavior.The recent literature also suffers from at least two serious problems. The first problem flows from the assumptions used to generate the relatively parsimonious hypotheses. In particular, the way in which the assumption of anarchy is used causes problems. Second, and relatedly, the literature shows a remarkable neglect of domestic politics. As will be argued, this poses a serious limitation for understanding cooperation. Systemic theory simply cannot take us far enough. The international-level hypotheses depend on implicit theories about internal politics. Hypotheses about domestic influences on cooperation among states are not well developed. Although systemic theory has been touted for a variety of reasons, the biggest gains in understanding international cooperation in the future are likely to come from domestic-level theories.
361 citations
01 Jan 1992
TL;DR: The authors argues that relations between states are not normally anarchic, but organized international or supernational societies regulated by elaborate rules and practices, which derive substantially from experience, and that our present international society, for all its individuality, is only the latest in the series.
Abstract: This comprehensive historical study analyzes and explains how international societies function. After examining the ancient state systems, the author looks in more detail at our worldwide contemporary society, which grew out of them. The book argues that relations between states are not normally anarchic, but organized international or supernational societies regulated by elaborate rules and practices, which derive substantially from experience. Our present international society, for all its individuality, is only the latest in the series. Current interest in international order and hegemonial authority, and the renewed concern with history in political science, make this a timely book. This book should be of interest to undergraduates, postgraduates and academics interested in history and international relations.
331 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a statistical study of the flow of students from 18 developing nations out to the world and to the United States in particular was conducted, which indicated strong participation by students from Third World nations and the popularity of five industrialized host nations.
Abstract: Recognizing that academic, scientific and technological strengths have become increasingly important in international relations, this study hypothesizes that the flow of knowledge resources among nations is interconnected with global political, economic and cultural relationships. As a means of validating this premise, this study analyzes one component of academic interaction - international study at the level of higher education. This article outlines changes in international study patterns in the decades following World War n and explores how the postwar context affected international exchange relationships. International exchange during the 1960s and 1970s indicated strong participation by students from Third World nations and the popularity of five industrialized host nations. These relationships are explored through a statistical study of the flow of students from 18 developing nations out to the world and to the United States in particular. The findings assess the importance of key economic factors (such as involvement in global trade and concentration of trade), educational variables (including national emphasis on education and the availability of domestic opportunities) and political arenas (such as international assistance and scholarship dependency) in determining international study patterns. As current shifts in our postwar world order unfold before us, better understanding of historical factors underlying international exchange may be instrumental as we anticipate its future within the context of new geopolitical alliances.
304 citations
TL;DR: The prima facie case for the importance of multilateral activity in the international realm would seem great. as mentioned in this paper argues that most external effects of production and consumption are external not only to the household but also to the country in which they occur.
Abstract: Why has the concept of multilateralism not played a more prominent role in theories of international relations? The prima facie case for the importance of multilateral activity in the international realm would seem great. The world, we constantly tell ourselves, is increasingly drawn together. The Swedish economist Assar Lindbeck argues that most external effects of production and consumption are external not only to the household but also to the country in which they occur. According to many different indicators, interdependence is on the increase in nearly all parts of the world. International political economists talk about global indivisibilities, ranging from peace to pollution. Most important international problems-including pollution, energy, managing airline traffic, and maintaining rules for trade and investment-intrinsically involve many countries simultaneously. What makes a problem international is that often it cannot be dealt with effectively within the national arena. Costs and benefits spill into the external arena. These external effects are frequently so great that domestic goals cannot be accomplished without coordinated multilateral action.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors evaluate the potential contribution of prospect theory to our understanding of international relations and raise conceptual and methodological problems which complicate the theoretical and empirical application of prospect theories to international behavior.
Abstract: In this essay I evaluate the potential contribution of prospect theory to our understanding of international relations. I begin with the implications of loss aversion, the endowment effect, risk orientation, and framing for theoretical questions relating to the stability of the status quo in international politics, deterrence, bargaining, and preventive war. I then raise conceptual and methodological problems which complicate the theoretical and empirical application of prospect theory to international behavior. I illustrate my arguments with references to some recent attempts to use a prospect theory framework to guide case studies of crises decision-making. I conclude that in applying prospect theory to empirical cases, the analyst must demonstrate not only that empirical behavior is consistent with the theory but also that the observed behavior cannot adequately be explained by a rational choice model which posits the maximization of expected value.
TL;DR: Based on the assumption that the international system is characterized by anarchy and that states are unitary actors seeking to survive in this anarchy, some security analysts are predicting that a world of several great powers will lead to a return to the shifting alliances and instabilities of the multipolar era that existed prior to World War II as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: As the world moves away from the familiar bipolar cold war era, many international relations theorists have renewed an old debate about which is more stable: a world with two great powers or a world with many great powers. Based on the chief assumptions of structural realism—namely, that the international system is characterized by anarchy and that states are unitary actors seeking to survive in this anarchic system—some security analysts are predicting that a world of several great powers will lead to a return to the shifting alliances and instabilities of the multipolar era that existed prior to World War II. For instance, John Mearsheimer argues that “prediction[s] of peace in a multipolar Europe [are] flawed.” Thomas Christensen and Jack Snyder argue that states in a multipolar world can follow either the pre-World War I or the pre-World War II alliance pattern, thus implying that a third course is improbable. They further assert that “the fundamental, invariant structural feature, international anarchy, generally selects and socializes states to form balancing alignments in order to survive in the face of threats from aggressive competitors.” The realist argument predicts that great powers in a self-help international system will balance one another through arms races and alliance formations.
TL;DR: In this article, the I.M.F. has imposed "conditionalities" in sub-Saharan Africa as integral elements of Structural Adjustment Programmes (S.A.Ps) that affect not only the lives of all the inhabitants, but also the nature and landscapes of the nations concerned.
Abstract: International economics and global politics are unfamiliar territory for many. However, the operations of institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (I.M.F.) have profound impacts upon the countries with which they treat, and these extend beyond financial issues and geo-politics. This article indicates how the I.M.F. has imposed ‘conditionalities’ in sub-Saharan Africa as integral elements of Structural Adjustment Programmes (S.A.P.s) that affect not only the lives of all the inhabitants, but also the nature and landscapes of the nations concerned — their very geographical composition.
Book•
25 Jun 1992
TL;DR: In this article, the authors develop a single theoretical framework to account for past liberalization practices and also to anticipate ongoing changes in the international organization of trade policy by combining economics, politics, organization and law.
Abstract: International trade liberalization historically has taken many organizational forms - unilateral, bilateral, minilateral, and multilateral. Given the proliferation of normative views about which of these should be pursued, economists and political scientists have devoted surprisingly little attention to the reasons for the observed variation in the chosen forms. This book is the first to develop a single theoretical framework to account for past liberalization practices and also to anticipate ongoing changes in the international organization of trade policy. Growing out of a multidisciplinary effort combining economics, politics, organization and law, the book's strategic organizational approach will interest students of trade, international relations, or institutional arrangements. Central to the strategic organizational approach is the view that organizational variety reflects alternate governance structures used to facilitate and enforce agreements. Among the successes of the approach are explanations of unilateral liberalization by 19th century Britain, U.S. governance of multilateral liberalization under the early postwar GATT, growing use of bilateral governance to limit nontariff trade barriers, and anticipatio of major moves toward minilateral governance, such as Europe/1992 and the Canada-U. S. Free-Trade Agreement.
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TL;DR: The observation that democracies rarely if ever fight each other was made by Dean Babst nearly three decades ago, but has had little impact on the literature on peace research and international relations until recently.
Abstract: The observation that democracies rarely if ever fight each other was made by Dean Babst nearly three decades ago, but has had little impact on the literature on peace research and international relations until recently. But now every volume of the leading journals contains articles on minor and major aspects of this theme. Professional jealousy and confusion of levels of analysis are possible explanations for the late acceptance of the idea of a democratic peace, but above all it seems to have been hampered by the Cold War. Erich Weede has taken a bold step in reconsidering his own previous view and other should follow. The Cold War has ended in the real world, and it should end in peace research, too.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: Tickner and Walker as discussed by the authors argued that the liberal state as an agent of feminist change is not a good fit for women's empowerment, and pointed out the security paradox of the state's power and gender.
Abstract: Preface, J. Ann Tickner introduction - states of gender and gendered states, V. Spike Peterson what exactly is wrong with the liberal state as an agent of feminist change?, Mona Harington gender and the security paradox, Rebecca Grant sovereignty, power and gender - a feminist's critique of coup and invasion in Grenada, Dessima Williams women and revolution - structure and legitimacy in the "new age", Mary Ann Tetreault the "state" of nature - a garden unfit for women and other living things, Anne Sisson Runyan sovereignty, identity, sacrifice, Jean Bethke Elshtaln feminists and realists on autonomy and obligation in international relations, Christine Sylvester on the discourses of sovereignty - gender and critique in the theory of international relations, R.B.J. Walker.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that governments, like academics, must wake up to the structural changes in world politics and pay proper attention to the increasing importance of firms, and propose a new research agenda in international relations.
Abstract: Susan Strange reports on her recent work on relations between states and firms, and proposes a new research agenda in international relations: the study of firms as actors in world politics and of state-firm and firm-firm bargaining as two new dimensions to diplomacy She argues that governments, like academics, must wake up to the structural changes in world politics and pay proper attention to the increasing importance of firms
Book•
01 Jan 1992
TL;DR: In this paper, a theoretical framework that traces the connection between war preparation and changes in state-society relations is presented. But the authors focus on the Egyptian and Israeli war preparation strategies were a function of systemic, state and societal variables, and argue that leaders in each state attempted to balance the demands imposed by international conflict with their domestic economic and political objectives.
Abstract: What determines the strategies by which a state mobilizes resources for war? And does war preparation strengthen or weaken the state in relation to society? By exploring these questions, Michael Barnett develops a theoretical framework that traces the connection between war preparation and changes in state-society relations, and applies that framework to Egypt from 1952 to 1977 and Israel from 1948 through 1977. The study addresses major issues in international relations, comparative politics and Middle Eastern studies. The author argues that Egyptian and Israeli war preparation strategies were a function of systemic, state and societal variables, and that leaders in each state attempted to balance the demands imposed by international conflict with their domestic economic and political objectives.
TL;DR: Chopra and Weiss as discussed by the authors address the fundamental issue in international relations today: the sacrosanct sets of sovereignty, and propose laws to guide states and collections of states in determining when this line can or should be violated.
Abstract: Chopra and Weiss address perhaps the fundamental issue in international relations today: the sacrosanct sets of sovereignty. The word “sovereignty” explains why the international community has difficulty countering human rights violations. The authors address questions such as “Is there a line between a state's sovereignty and the international community?”, and “Can there be laws to guide states and collections of states in determining when this line can or should be violated?” by studying recent cases where human rights came into conflict with intervention.
TL;DR: The author finds that international migration reveals a contradiction between the main economic purpose of the postwar international order—to promote exchange—and the national perquisites of sovereignty and citizenship.
Abstract: In this article I have developed a political-economic framework for understanding international migration in postwar Europe and the United States. The author begins by reviewing four theories of international relations and gives a short critique of their main assumptions. He "finds that international migration reveals a contradiction between the main economic purpose of the postwar international order--to promote exchange--and the national perquisites of sovereignty and citizenship." (EXCERPT)
TL;DR: Grotian thought in international relations, Benedict Kingsbury and Adam Roberts the importance of Grotius in the study of international relations as discussed by the authors, Hedley Bull and the international politics of the 17th century, C.C.Roelofsen and Gentili -a reassessment of Thomas E.Holland's inaugural lecture, Peter Haggenmacher Groties' place in the development of legal ideas about war, G.I.
Abstract: Grotian thought in international relations, Benedict Kingsbury and Adam Roberts the importance of Grotius in the study of international relations, Hedley Bull Grotius and the international politics of the 17th Century, C.C.Roelofsen Grotius and Gentili - a reassessment of Thomas E.Holland's inaugural lecture, Peter Haggenmacher Grotius' place in the development of legal ideas about war, G.I.A.D. Draper Grotius and the law of the sea, W.E.Butler Grotius and international equality, Hidemi Suganami Grotius, human rights, and intervention, R.J.Vincent Grotius' influence in Russia, W.E.Butler Grotius and the development of international law in the United Nations period, Rosalyn Higgins Q.C. are Grotius' ideas obsolete in an expanded world, B.V.A.Roling the Grotius factor in international law and relations - a functional approach, Georg Schwarzenberger.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a model for "the voice of sanity getting hoarse" in ethnic conflict resolution, and the dynamics of ethnic conflict peace-keeping and peace-making.
Abstract: Part 1 General issues: approaches to ethnic conflict the international dimension of ethnic conflict. Part 2 Ethnic conflict resolution - a model: \"the voice of sanity getting hoarse\" - the dynamics of ethnic conflict peace-keeping and peace-making peace-building and conflict transformation.Part 3 The United Nations and ethnic conflict: the United Nations and ethnic conflict resolution the international protection of ethnic minorities.
Book•
[...]
01 Jan 1992
TL;DR: In this article, a collection of essays on just war theory is presented, focusing on the issues faced by military strategists, politicians, social theorists, and anyone concerned with the provocations and costs of military action.
Abstract: Available Again! Long before the "shock and awe" campaign against Iraq in March 2003, debates swarmed around the justifications of the U.S.-led war to depose Saddam Hussein. While George W. Bush's administration declared a just war of necessity, opponents charged that it was a war of choice, and even opportunism. Behind the rhetoric lie vital questions: when is war just, and what means are acceptable even in the course of a just war? Originally published in 1991, in the wake of the first war against Iraq, Just War Theory explores this essential dilemma. With a new preface by the editor, the essays in this indispensable collection move beyond the theoretical origins of just war theory to examine issues faced by military strategists, politicians, social theorists, and anyone concerned with the provocations and costs of military action. Popular wisdom once claimed that notions of just war would become obsolete with the onset of "total warfare," characterized by attacks on civilians and undiscriminating weapons of mass destruction. While the last decade has been ripe with brutality, just war theory is more critical than ever to the future of international relations and public discourse. This readable collection is an invaluable introduction to the debate.
01 Jan 1992
TL;DR: In the 1990s, Morton Deutsch, truly one of the founding fathers of conflict studies, highlighted five major themes which have dominated the discipline in the last twenty-five years or so as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: In his keynote address to the Annual Conference of the International Association of Conflict Management in 1990, Morton Deutsch, truly one of the founding fathers of conflict studies, highlighted five major themes which have dominated the discipline in the last twenty-five years or so.1 The study of mediation is one of the five themes. Given the widespread use of mediation in virtually every area of human interaction, and its increasing importance in international relations, it is not surprising that mediation should figure so prominently in our research. What might, perhaps, seem as somewhat surprising is that after so many years, and a plethora of studies, there is still considerable disagreement amongst scholars, and a state of confusion amongst practitioners, as to what constitutes an effective mediation and how to evaluate it. Hopefully what follows will go some way toward rectifying this situation.
TL;DR: The authors argue that all social reality is subject to historical change, a normative discourse of understandings and values entails corresponding practices, and that social theory must include interpretation and dialectical critique.
Abstract: The discipline of international relations faces a new debate of fundamental significance. After the realist challenge to the pervasive idealism of the interwar years and the social scientific argument against realism in the late 1950s, it is now the turn of critical theorists to dispute the established paradigms of international politics, having been remarkably successful in several other fields of social inquiry. In essence, critical theorists claim that all social reality is subject to historical change, that a normative discourse of understandings and values entails corresponding practices, and that social theory must include interpretation and dialectical critique. In international relations, this approach particularly critiques the ahistorical, scientific, and materialist conceptions offered by neorealists. Traditional realists, by contrast, find a little more sympathy in the eyes of critical theorists because they join them in their rejection of social science and structural theory. With regard to liberal institutionalism, critical theorists are naturally sympathetic to its communitarian component while castigating its utilitarian strand as the accomplice of neorealism. Overall, the advent of critical theory will thus focus the field of international relations on its “interparadigm debate” with neorealism.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used prospect theory to examine the failed rescue mission of the American hostages in Iran in April 1980 and discussed the relationship between political and military risk in the options that were considered at the time.
Abstract: This article uses prospect theory, a descriptive theory of decision-making under risk, to examine the failed rescue mission of the American hostages in Iran in April 1980. The argument is that President Carter was in a domain of losses both internationally and domestically at the time of the crisis. In this context, loss aversion predisposed him to take military risks to secure the release of the hostages that he would not ordinarily have been willing to pursue. This article also discusses the relationship between political and military risk in the options that were considered at the time.