american admin on 20 Nov 2008 01:12 am
The History of American Foreign Relations
For the last century the system of political analyses has developed and created its theories and methods. Many of them can be applied not only to political analyses but to ethnological, social, cultural and others as well. That is why it is important to view this subject in the interdisciplinary aspect. It is an established fact that the times change not separately for one state or one social sphere. The changes in one state are connected with processes in other countries, and the changes in political life reflect themselves in all spheres of life of society: in culture, in economics, in philosophy, etc. Thus, the research is to be carried out viewing the process in the connection with all the processes happening in the society.
The crucial point of the International Relations study is the definition of the area of study, and it produces another problem - defining the unit of study. Different researchers take different units as the object of their study, and it brings to the differences in chosen methods. Thus, some focus on the state as the unit of study, some - on individual or global system. Since there is no unity in categories in international relations study it brings to the existing of different paradigms. We can say that the main problem is the problem of paradigm. In modern study of long -term change exist: Realism, Pluralist, Structuralism (or Globalism) paradigms. Some researchers point also at the new post-modernism paradigm.
According to K.R. Dark the long-term analyses function as means of discussing emergence and decline of states, international systems in global arena.
As K.R. Dark mentions, they are used to research such aspects as war-origins, nationalism, economical growth and decline, formation of national identity, role of environment, etc. There is a variety of these methods and Dark gives a good overview of them in his book.
K.R. Dark reviews the whole history of the Realism and points to the difference in the ideas of the scientists who share this theory. The classical study of realism is to be found in the works of Carr and Morgenthau. Besides, such researchers as Giplin, Modelski, Organski, and others studied the long-term change from the point of view of Realism.
Besides classical Realism there are other directions such as neo-Realism, structural Realism, but that only proves that the Realism used to be the basic method of study of international relations.
The Realism makes one state as the object of its study. In the international system the main is state-centric or anarchical approach. That means that the state is the main unit of study at it is viewed as the independent element that determines the changes, thus the interconnection of it with other states and its influence on the political change is given not so much importance as in the Structuralism and pluralism. The anarchical position means that there is no world government, so the progress is achieved by the competition of every state for emergence, this can be the reason of political conflicts and wars. Some specialists consider the wars the key to political change.
There is another opinion expressed by Giplin that the process of political development is determined by the stability of the state. Thus destabilization results in conflict and brings to changes.
Another researcher, Waltz bases his theory on rise and fall of great powers. It is also connected to the notion of “self-interest in action” where the great powers influence the development of state and its relations with other states on the basis of inter-state interests. This is where the cost-benefit analysis is applied as well.
The pluralism takes the state in the connection with its relations with other states as the unit of its study. Thus the paradigm of pluralism is broader than the one of realism. The interconnected states with common goals and interests represent more complicated object where the relations are determined by the complex of these interests and intentions, and political change happens as the result of the inner and inter correlation in the union of states. Here the unions and different associations of states can be studied at the historical material.
Structuralism (or globalism) views the international relations through the perspective of modern globalization and the tending of the states to merge into one politico-social and economical complex. Thus the relations between the states can be approached not as exterior relations of the state but as the interior ones of one global state and the political change depend on the development of the global society and its inner conflict.
Thus, the difference in paradigms of these main theories of long-term political change in the international relations determine the difference in the methods of investigation and brings to the various conclusions concerning the reasons and results of the political change. It is also complicated because of the connection of political life with the economical, social, cultural and other changes in the state and in the world.
research paper
custom essays
Custom written essays
Aaron is a professional freelance writer at custom essays writing service: custom-essay.net
He is also a technical writer, advertising copywriter, & website copywriter for Custom Essay Writing Service.