Marxist approaches to international security Flashcards
1
Q
According to marxism what makes the most important actors in the international economy?
A
- socio economic class, peoples relationship to the economy
2
Q
States are organised to serve who? Relate this to security studies
A
- capitalist class (insecurity)
3
Q
Revolution as a source of what would achieve what?
A
- SECURITY
4
Q
Describe historical materialism with a quote
A
- just as Darwin discovered the law of development or organic nature, so marx discovered the law of development of human history
- historical materialism is empirical and can be subject to analysis
- relationship of rich and poor (analysable)
- How different epochs produce different social relations
5
Q
marxism means what in international security?
A
- Critical realism
6
Q
who is a key thinker of critical realism? What are the key tenets of critical realist thought?
A
- Bhaskar
- merging of empirical realism (positivism) with constructivist idealism
- Aims to understand theory (it must constantly be revised)
- Wants to understand ontology
7
Q
exemplify marxism as oppressive (threat to indi security)
A
- Mao Zedong in China
- USSR
8
Q
exemplify modern neo marxist movements
A
- G8 caused mass protests 1997
- Occupy wall street movement in 2011
9
Q
Why is it relevant to security studies?
A
- Been responsible for state failure
- sees capitalism as a source of constant conflict
- critics of globalisation rely on marxist ideology to justify their oppostion
10
Q
Whereas liberalism sees the individual as the main actor in international relations, marxism sees what as the main actor in IR?
A
- marxism sees class conflict as the principal actor of IR
11
Q
What are the downfalls of marxism?
A
- In explaining people of developing world making own states and not joining socialism
- Why the USSR collapsed
- Why Russian elites amended the socialist system
