What Is Significant About Developments in Post-Cold War Ir Theory?
What is significant about developments in Post-Cold War IR theory?
This essay will explore the significance of developments in post-Cold War International Relations theory. It wasn't surprising that the collapse of the Soviet bloc, arguably the third greatest cataclysm of the Twentieth Century and an event which drew a line under the Two World Wars, would pose some serious theoretical questions for International Relations. In order to do this the essay will be broken down into two sections. The first will analyse globalisation and the effect of it on Realism. The second the will analyse culture and its effect on Liberalism. As a result this will demonstrate, theoretically, that issues in post-Cold War international relations can be used to critique the orthodox theories of International Relations: Realism and Liberalism.
Realism is said to be the most established theory in International Relations and was in its height during the Cold War. It deals with what is best for the state (state-centric) in order to ensure survival. This means having sufficient power to enable security for the state. A modern realist Hans Morgenthau defines this as "man's control over the minds and actions of other men" (Morgenthau [1948]1955:26 taken from Baylis and Smith 2001: 150). So what effect does globalisation have on the traditional theory of Realism? It's undeniable that globalisation is a capitalist process. It has taken off, as a concept in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union and of socialism¹, as a viable alternate form of an economic organisation. Now the West is a major influence in ex-communist countries. Left critics of globalisation define the word quite differently, presenting it as worldwide drive toward a globalised economic system dominated by multinational corporations (MNCs), such as Shell and Microsoft, and banking ¹ There is no definite starting point to globalisation, but the circumnavigation of the globe, in the 1519 to 1521, is seen as the
This essay will explore the significance of developments in post-Cold War International Relations theory. It wasn't surprising that the collapse of the Soviet bloc, arguably the third greatest cataclysm of the Twentieth Century and an event which drew a line under the Two World Wars, would pose some serious theoretical questions for International Relations. In order to do this the essay will be broken down into two sections. The first will analyse globalisation and the effect of it on Realism. The second the will analyse culture and its effect on Liberalism. As a result this will demonstrate, theoretically, that issues in post-Cold War international relations can be used to critique the orthodox theories of International Relations: Realism and Liberalism.
Realism is said to be the most established theory in International Relations and was in its height during the Cold War. It deals with what is best for the state (state-centric) in order to ensure survival. This means having sufficient power to enable security for the state. A modern realist Hans Morgenthau defines this as "man's control over the minds and actions of other men" (Morgenthau [1948]1955:26 taken from Baylis and Smith 2001: 150). So what effect does globalisation have on the traditional theory of Realism? It's undeniable that globalisation is a capitalist process. It has taken off, as a concept in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union and of socialism¹, as a viable alternate form of an economic organisation. Now the West is a major influence in ex-communist countries. Left critics of globalisation define the word quite differently, presenting it as worldwide drive toward a globalised economic system dominated by multinational corporations (MNCs), such as Shell and Microsoft, and banking ¹ There is no definite starting point to globalisation, but the circumnavigation of the globe, in the 1519 to 1521, is seen as the
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