Post-Colonialism Subaltern Realism and Non-western IR Flashcards
Background
Decolonisation is one of the greatest events of the 20th century but neglected in mainstream IR, it is at the heart of IR, why is western IR built on anything but this.
Western, Non-western and Global IR
IR is a very one sided perspective, seen from a western angle. Whenever a book is written on IR, it is written from the perspective of the lived experience of a tiny majority of the world.
What is the problem
Why is it important to have the lived experience of the majority of the world included in the discipline, Biology/physics etc. do not change with different perspectives. Difference between a natural and a social science. It is a perspective of the world by different individuals.
The discipline has Anglo-Saxon roots, ‘Theory is always for someone and for some purpose’ Robert Cox.
‘English speaking peoples are past makers in the art of concealing their selfish national interests in the guise of the general good’. E.H. Carr.
Examples of this
Ideas of ‘Rising’ or ‘Threatening’ or ‘Not a normal country’ for example in the case of Japan. Japan and Article 9 of the constitution, self defence forces only, no army. Lots of pressure from the west on Japan for them to become a ‘normal country’ with a army and strong defence. WHY? To deter China, interests of the west.
‘Rogue state’ - North Korea
We must question these phrases.
What is wrong with western IR
IR theory is a study of Western History, a euro centric study of the world, you only get a partial world view of international politics, you don’t learn about a variety or number of solutions to world problems.
Western scholars, a vast lived experience of non-western scholars excluded.
West is the subject, it is the reference point, automatically the way things are done in the west are the only way things should be done. What is and what should be go hand in hand.
Ideas of defence and stopping the boats - those attitudes. Everyone should be doing the same.
Its a very Westphalian understanding of the world, it creates individual, strong sovereign states. Huge focus on ‘Individualist’ and ‘Rational’ ideas. The Westphalian approach is a very self centred and selfish approach, this is the way the world is built.
Other understandings
There are other understandings such as communitarian ideas in Asia and a non parochial understanding or in other words a universal understanding of the world not limited to a single region.
Neo Realism and liberalism
Neo realism is a very statist view of the world, in many parts of the world there is no state, this idea is not a universal understanding of the world.
Liberalism is again a very statist view of the world, states loom after individual liberty, they interact, trade and prosper. American understanding, this is because the USA benefit from such trading arrangements.
English school theory
English school theory, argues that European states when they signed the treaty of Westphalia, they laid the foundation of international society based on the theory of non intervention and sovereignty. This is problematic as they argue from its core society expanded outward. The heart of civilisation is therefore Europe, western and racial undertones.
Balance of Power, hegemonic stability theory, democratic peace, unipolarity. (Acharya and Buzan 2007, 294).
Democratic peace theory
Democratic peace theory, Democracy to not fight with each other, however it also implies that non democracies will fight with democracies, so the best way to reach peace is everyone to become democracies. Bias again.
There is a failure to understand the non-West, the case of ASEAN. This organisation has ensured long peace in south east Asia since the Vietnam war until today, almost zero militancy. Western countries do not understand this idea, neo realists argue that after the cold war ASEAN would dismember as it was a front to keep the countries together against the soviet union or the US, defence expenditure would rise after the cold war. However they continue with a arrangement that respects each others culture. The ASEAN way is characterised by the principles of non-interference, consensus-building, and mutual respect. Cooperate, build confidence and preserve peace, Neo realism does not understand this.
Decolonization
World wars as opposed to decolonization (Acharya, 2014 648), the decolonization was the most significant event of the 20th century, the most consequential. However it is given hardly any space in IR and politics.
World War, do we stand in silence for the victims of the empires. Amritsar massacre, innocent civilians asking for their rights, the empire went in to take over, not to live peacefully.
States seen as strong solid sovereign states, the ‘solution’ of the world, and if we do not have these than there is a problem.
Amitav Acharyas
We should not ignore or forget the history of the non west, the western understanding is based on the interest of a certain race, gender and religion.
Every challenge facing every country has linkages with the global history and the contemporary international phenomenon. King Leopold and Belgium took ownership of Congo, right arm chopping in the rubber fields. You walk in, mess up the country and place dictators in charge and when they try to flee the narrative is stop the boats and don’t let them in.
Subaltern Realism
Knowledge is power and power is knowledge (Ayoob 2002, 30) Those who have power also shape knowledge, they tell you what knowledge is, they tell you what to study and what to exclude.
Most of the world states don’t have a ‘monopoly’ of violence over their borders, this is the idea of a sovereign state, this is not the case outside the west in many places. Take a look at Yemen.
Anarchy meaning
Anarchy has a different meaning for them, ‘reversed anarchy’ this is a situation where inside the post colonial states, there is chaos and anarchy, the state has little control over their borders boundaries and territories. Externally they will have very organised relationships with the rest of the world.
In most of the world State is seen as ‘problem’ rather than a ‘solution’. It is the primary oppressor, it is causing problems for so many. We only talk about the statist world, this is the neo realist idea, post colonial states are weak and fragile, state control is minimal. Most of the time the state is the primary oppressor, the PROBLEM.
Alternative approach to understand the world system
Alternative approaches to the mainstream, dependency theory. The state is not composed of states, the world is built of three circles, core, semi perifary and peripahry, the core benefits the most from the riches of the world and the periparhy have lost their resources and they have nothing the gain. This is the case inside different nations, for example Birmingham and London, even inside of London.
Post coloniol perspective
Why is it key to contemporary social sciences, the colonial experience shaped the world what it is today.
What is a colonial outlook on life
Hegemony and resistance, we have the right to assert our hegemony and when they resist it can be regarded as evil. No, this is a interconnected world. Congo were given three months to establish themselves after decolonisation, not a surprise they fell into chaos and war until today.
1947 the British left India, independence was planned for 1950, but instead happened 1 month later, 1.5 million were killed in the violence they left behind.
