Post-Colonialism, Subaltern Realism and Non-Western IR Flashcards
What is an issue with how IR is studied and the narratives it discusses today?
IR is predominantly studied from a Western perspective, neglecting the views and experiences of a vast portion of the world. It imposes norms and values on the rest of the world.
How does Japan as a country not fit within the demands placed upon it by the Western international system?
Japan has been pushed to advance its military capabilities, despite having a pacifist constitution post-WW2, in order to counteract the threat of China from the region. These demands are made by the West to fit within its parameters of what is deemed to be a strong state.
What issues exist with Western theories being applied to the rest of the world?
Western theories have a statist view of the world that does not apply to non-Western state-nations. They also see things through the prism of power politics ahead of other concerns. They favour either unipolarity or bipolarity - MARGINALISING THE NON-WEST
What does Amitav Acharya argue should be the main approach taken to studies of IR?
Acharya believes that non-Western lenses should be readily and frequently adopted to view IR. This includes looking at things from religious, regional, gendered, racial perspectives.
What is the aim of the postcolonial perspective?
The postcolonial perspective aims to acknowledge colonial history and the impact this history has on the world to this day. It acknowledges the benefits accrued by former colonial powers from this history and makes efforts to incorporate non-Western views into its scholarship
Explain Ayoob’s theory of Subaltern Realism
Ayoob still sees states as the primary unit of analysis, yet wishes to challenge the Western view of states as unitary, sovereign actors: they have internal struggles, weak bureaucracy, threats within the state, no standing in intl politics! Most states are problematic rather than stable.
What is orientalism? What does this aim to suggest?
Orientalism regards the non-West as being primitive, aggressive, effeminate, childlike and hyper-masculine all in one. A series of negative stereotypes all cast on the non-West to discredit it as a field of analysis.
What issue is there with Western (and particularly Realist/Neorealist) views of states that do not comply with non-Western IR?
Western theories of states see these as being the main and dominant actors in IR, as well as often being the solution to issues: by strengthening the state, you resolve your problems. This does not fit non-Western contexts given that in many cases non-Western states are weak and illegitimate (Ayoob).
What is ‘reverse anarchy’ in the theory of Subaltern Realism?
Reverse anarchy revolves around the idea that many postcolonial states lack internal legitimacy and face threats from within to their survival. By contrast, the international system within which government elites operate is far more stable than the internal dimension of states, hence the concept of reverse anarchy.
Explain how the NATO coalition’s invasion into Libya panned out - why was this ultimately damaging to R2P?
NATO was given UN approval to conduct an operation to protect the Libyan population from abuses by Gadaffi, imposing a no fly zone in the region to prevent bombing. However, this ended up leading to Gadaffi being killed, arguably off the back of NATO’s intervention, tarnishing the reputation of R2P and arguably going beyond it.
What issues exist with the concept of R2P?
R2P creates concerns from developing states about intervention, with them fearing this having recently escaped from colonialism (Ayoob). It has also required a shifting of the world’s understanding of sovereignty without this being formally ratified. It has been selectively invoked in powerful countries’ geopolitical interests.
What example is there of R2P interventions being more limited in the aftermath of Libya?
Following the Libyan intervention, R2P has been far more limited, with an example of this being the lack of action following Assad’s use of chemical weapons on his own people in Syria.
