Purposes Of Theory

Question 1

What is IR Theory?

Answer 1

Theory is a “systematic reflection on phenomena, designed to explain them and to show how they are related to each other….” (Dougherty and Pfaltzgraff, 1997:15)

Question 2

Why do we need IR theory?

Answer 2

Social world is complex. Theories developed specifically to think about the international system. Explanation, understanding and recommendations.

Question 3

Why do we need more than one IR theory?

Answer 3

• Different theories have different purposes
• some IR theories help us explain, even predict things
• Some IR theories help us understand how the world is constituted.

Question 4

Meta theory

Answer 4

Meta-theory explores the underlying assumptions of theories & tried to understand the consequences of these assumptions. Makes assumptions about: ontology, epistemology, methodology

Question 5

Ontonology

Answer 5

-What exists to be know?
All theories make assumptions about what can we uncover about world politics, what matters most, what should we be concerned with?

Question 6

Epistemology

Answer 6

-What are the conditions of acquiring knowledge of ‘what exists’?
- All theories are grounded in assumptions about how we can know anything about the social world
Empiricism: only genuine knowledge can have is based in facts that can be experienced using human senses
Constructivism (not the theory): knowledge is contingent upon conventions, perceptions and social experience

Question 7

Methodology

Answer 7

-Which method can best be applied to understand what we are interested in?

Question 8

Rationalism v. Reflectivism

Answer 8

• methodology reflects positivist accounts of science (observations, measurements) ; general laws of how world functions
• critique, a post-positivist account of science, emphasizes reflexivity interest in ‘unobservable’ entities

Question 9

Types of Theory

Answer 9

1. Explanatory- causal explanations of events
2. Constitutive- explores how social ‘things’ are constituted
3. Critical- aims to reveal how events are described
4. Normative - examines what out to be the case (i.e. feminism)

Question 10

What makes for a good IR theory?

Answer 10

• Coherence: theories should be consistent, without internal contradictions
• Clarity of expression: formulated clearly
• Unbiased: candid about normative premises and values
• Scope: relevance for a large number of issues
• Depth: explain and understand as much as possible