Theories

Question 1

Critical Security Studies

Answer 1

• All approaches to security studies which reject the main approaches Realism and Liberalism
• Concerned with power structures- not just the state but also within academia
• Focused on the ideas, values and norms which make up communities
• It focuses on the ideas of social construction and discourse as well as questioning the dominant discourses about security
• Critical theory provides a basis from social change it can foster emancipation
• incorporates post structuralism
• Scholars: Krause, Williams

Question 2

Post Structuralism

Answer 2

• The idea of power relations. It examines power structures within society
• Also questions prominent discourses
• There is no one truth or way to live
• Prominent scholars include Richard Ashley, and Jim George

Question 3

Motivational Realism

Answer 3

• Emphasizes the importance of variation in state’s motives and goals and argues that the key to understanding competitive and conflictual behaviour lies in the nature of individual states- specifically their greedy motives, instead of in the international structure.
• Strengths: it acknowledges the role of motivation in creating conflict
• Weaknesses: minimizes the role of the international structure in creating conflict

Question 4

Constructivism:

Answer 4

• Identity and discourse are central to international affairs
• Strengths: Acknowledges the role of perceptions and the fact taht the world is of our making
• Weaknesses: Doesn’t provide substantivite knowledge or hypothesis about the behaviour of states or state systems
• Example: US finding Iran’s nuclear capabilities scary when Britain and France have them too but tehy aren’t scary
• Scholars: Wendt and Onuf

Question 5

Liberalism/idealism

Answer 5

• States act altruistically
• non-state actors are important as they can significantly influence international affairs, IOs and NGOs also important as they can be used to advance peace and security through increased cooperation
• Spreading democracy will reduce the likelihood of conflict
• Strengths: Acknowledges the role of non-state actors and their influence on IR
• Weaknesses: Can be seen to overestimate the ability of nations to cooperate
• Scholars: Nye
• Example: Rise of China: liberalism predicts a more peaceful rise than realism due to the economic interdependence between them and the US

Question 6

Realism

Answer 6

• All states seek to advance their own interests
• Their ultimate goal is power which leads to security
• The state is the referent object
• International system is anarchic
• States will engage in conflict when their interests are threatened
• Strengths: Good for understanding human nature
• Weaknesses: Fails to acknowledge the role of actors aside from the state in IR
• Example: Rise of China= see’s conflict with the US as inevitable
• Scholars: Mearsheimer, Waltz

Question 7

Defensive realism

Answer 7

Argues that because of the anarchical structure of the international system only under certain conditions do incentives exist for state expansion, thus it encourages state to maintain moderate and reserved policies to attain security

• The security dilemma is central and will result in reciprocal behaviour
• Strengths: The way in which it encourages states to maintain moderate and reserved policies rather than actively trying to expand and promote aggression
• Weaknesses: It is impossible to tell when states attain a satisfactory level of power; Defensive realism also cannot theorise and make assumptions about the policies of specific states
• Scholars: Waltz
• Example: Iran building up their nuclear capabilities could be seen as them acting defensively against the likes of the US that already have them

Question 8

Offensive realism

Answer 8

Holds that the anarchic nature of the international system is responsible for aggressive state behaviour in international politics. It depicts great powers as power maximisers who privilege buck-passing over balancing strategies and act with the ultimate aim of dominating the international system

• Strengths: Provides an alternative to defensive realism; can theorise and make assumptions about the policies of specific states
• Weaknesses: Extremely restrictive and doesn’t take into account domestic politics
• Example: Nazi germany
• Mearsheimer