International Relations Escapes Me

November 12, 2008 6:31 PM

What are the leading/competing International Relations theories that exist today?

I'm working on a report about gender in international relations, but I need some help with the context of it all. The book I'm reading, currently, focuses on criticisms of realist theories, and a small number of liberal theories

I was under the impression that classical realism is no longer a fully accepted theory. Instead, it's been replaced with various forms of neorealism and neoclassical realism. Is this assessment correct? Or is realism still thriving?

Similarly, same goes for classical liberalism.

What about deconstructionist and post-positivist theories? Do they have any weight in the world of IR?

So, I guess the a better rewording for my question would be: If we polled every single prominent IR theorist, what theories would come out on top?

I hope these questions makes sense; too much time at the library seems to have fried my brain.

Thanks in advance for any insight!

posted by Geppp to Education (3 answers total)

This survey from 2005 may be interesting to you. In particular, check out the top of page 31 in which IR professors identify the paradigm to which they are "most devoted" in their research.
posted by Clandestine Outlawry at 7:23 PM on November 12, 2008

You can make a good argument for any one of them being viable. You can also make a good argument for any of the three main schools being absolutely wrong. That's the problem. Also, if you were to poll any number of IR scholars, each of them is going to have a nuanced opinion on which one most accurately describes how IR works.

For example, liberals will trot stuff out like the democratic peace theory, which states that no two democracies have ever made war upon each other. This is true to a certain extent, but a realist will point out instances like the conflict in the former Yugoslavia. Milosevic was certainly elected by Yugoslavs, and a whole bunch of democracies (NATO) took part in beating the snot out of opposing forces as they intervened in Kosovo. So who's right? And why did the Yugoslav conflict happen?

The short answer to your question is that while constructivist beliefs are gaining credence and support as of late, the two big kids on the block are still various flavors of realist and liberal thought.
posted by peeet at 8:48 AM on November 13, 2008

er, 'the big kids' -- nix the 'two'. but i think it's still clear.
posted by peeet at 8:50 AM on November 13, 2008