2. concepts
• INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS:
CONCEPTUAL ISSUES
• IR is the study of how the world works,
the study is not only restricted to states.
Individuals are also of paramount
importance.
• States decides as to who gets what,
when and how.
2.1
• Changing political behavior has to be looked
at very closely- hence the need to examine,
explain and conclude why such
behavior/changes occur.
• Iraq under Saddam- invasion
• China-human rights abuses- US&UK
silent
• USA has a history of human rights
abuses
• Osma bin Laden
2.2
• Old and New schools of thought exist.
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• Two questions can be asked in the field of
international relations.
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• 1) In what ways can the study of IR reflect
changing nature of the world.
• 2) In what ways can the study better the
understanding of issues and events?
2.3
• DEFINITION OF IR
•
• Since the field of IR embodies a great deal of
works no single definition will encompass all
of the work presented as a contribution to the
study of the discipline. However
distinguishing the core and the relevant
scope of definition can provide a working
definition.
2.4
• According to Wright such definitions
must reflect both the condition and the
study of that condition i.e. the
international system and the
interactions within it. The discipline is
concerned with relations between
national boundaries and within nations.
2.5
• According to Portique “as a field of inquiry IR
studies the distribution of power on a global
scale and the interplay between and among
power centers”. The definition analyzes
power, which encompasses the entire range
of man’s influence i.e. the ability of actors to
exert or the actual exertion of influence and
control over or action over other actors.
• Bin Laden and the holy war
• Commonwealth and Zimbabwe
2.6
• There is definition of power it relates to
everyone in contact with others, possesses
some ability to influence others. There is
diffusion of power on global scale, groups exit
that have joint activities, such group power
can be organized in a given territory through
sovereign government. NATO, FIVE-POWER
DEFENCE ARRANGEMENT…
• International system therefore have power
globally distributed sovereign states.
2.7
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CLINE
Power =(C+M+E)* (S+W)
C=CRITICAL MASS
M=MILITARY CAPABILITYY
E=ECONOMIC CAPABILITY
S=STRATEGIC PURPOSE
W=WILL TO PURPOSE STRATEGY
2.7
• Spykman 1933 defined international
relations “as relations between
individuals belonging to different
states…international behavior is a
social behavior of individual or groups
aimed at …or influenced by the
existence or behavior of individuals or
groups belonging to a different state”
2.8
• Loosely defined IR also encompass many
different activities- international
communication, business transactions,
athletes contests, tourism, scientific
conferences, educational exchange programs
and religious missionary activities.
• It is important to realize that IR scholars have
never agreed where the boundaries of the
field lie.
2.9
• According to Dunn IR is seen as the actual
relations that take place across national
boundaries or as body of knowledge, which
we have of those relation at any given time.
• Thus the core of IR is the interaction of
governments of sovereign states, such
interactions take many forms all of which are
of concern to IR.
2.11
• The interaction of states takes place in a
multi-state system. However there are other
non state actors in the international system
(individuals,NGOS, INGOS,Al Queda,
MNCS/TNCS.The relevance of such nonstate actors to the case of IR varies according
to the extent upon the environment in
intergovernmental relations and upon power
policies of government and sovereign states
such as in normal politics.
2.12
• DEVELOPMENT OF IR
•
• IR deals with human behavior attempts
to explain totality of human interaction.
State is static in terms of occupying
geographical position. The safeties of
states rely on the behavior of the state
in IR.
2.13
• The development of nation state in the 18th
century particularly after Westafalia treaty
when there was recognition of the state
system particularly in Western Europe led to
the interest in IR.
• Much of the writings were on military thought,
strategic studies to some extent international
law and diplomacy. Important to notes that
there was interstate relationship and
recognition of sovereignty of different states.
•
2.14
• It was after the founding of the League of
Nations that some form of international order
was attended at.
•
• With the collapse of the League of Nations
came to the UN both were attempts to end
war through the establishment of international
bodies.
•
2.14
• The WW1 and others before had
demonstrated the capacity of man ‘s
destruction. To this arose the need to
study war and ways to prevent it. US
universities introduced the subject of IR
to seek a greater understanding of
causes of conflict and find ways of
handling it so as to find ways of
achieving a peaceful world.
2.16
• There begun to be a systematic analysis of IR
but however this post world war period was
dominated by nationalist approach to IR.
Internationalist appealed to the rational and
moral being to end war and have peace.
• Such views were propounded by people like
Woodrow Wilson who was of the idea that the
nationalist had led to the war and had to
undertake a thought of things to eliminate
war.
2.17
• firstly absolute government
replaced by democratic government
(Fukuyaman thesis)
• 2nd the need to extend self
determination to all people thereby
eliminating oppressive regimes
• 3rd the creation of an international org to
police the world.
2.18
• However, it must be noted that
each appeals by internationalist schools
forgot to examine why states behave
the way they did. This was evidenced
by the collapse of the League of Nations
with the outbreak of WW2.
2.20
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QUESTION
WHAT CONTROLS BEHAVIOUR.
Institution or individual
Why do crimes continue to exist when
institutions to control exist
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• The ontology debate. How much of the world
is known.