1

Course Name: Global

Trends
Chapter One

Understanding
International Relations
 Conceptualizing Nations,
Nationalism and States

The Nature and Evolution of

International Relations
Actors of International
Relations
Power, Anarchy and Sovereignty in
the International System
 Conceptualizing Nations, Nationalism and
1.1.

States
• Nation
For nationalists, a nation is a collective group of people who share a
number of common social, cultural and ethnic characteristics.
It is a social collective involving various criteria and characteristics
that are unique to each nation. These characteristics can include
language, tradition, ethnicity, religion, myths, beliefs, symbols and
blood ties.
It can also be deemed as persons Ethnic Origin.

The idea of the nation is largely subjective and is self-selective in

the sense that each nation defines what it is to be part of that
nation.
The nation, in this sense, is a social phenomenon that differentiates
different peoples in the world.
Cont’d……..
• Nationalism
• Nationalism is the doctrine that asserts the nation as the basic
political unit in organizing society.
• As apolitical doctrine , nationalism is the belief that the world’s
peoples are divided into nations, and that each of these nations has
right to self-determination , either as governing units within
the
nations or as nation states of their own.
• As acultural ideal , nationalism is the claim that while men and
women have many identities, it is the nation that provides them with
their primary form of belonging.
• As amoral ideal , nationalism is an ethic of heroic sacrifice ,
justifying the use of violence in the defense of one’s nation against
enemies, internal or external.
 Cont’d……..

• It is the most influential force in international affairs

which is deemed as a factor for the collapse ofage old
empires , marker for new borders, a powerful component
emergence of new states and it is used to
for the
reshape and reinforce regimes in history.

• Consequently nationalism is often cited as a source of

wars, ethnic conflict, persecution of minorities and
belligerence. While the nationalism of the nineteenth
century was perhaps viewed as a positive phenomenon
hat brought people together, as in the case of Germany.
Cont’d…….
• MAIN TYPES OF NATIONALISM
Civicnationalism: A ‘social contract’ between citizens and the state
Ethnic nationalism: Often involving a strong hereditary principle
Cultural nationalism: The nation is bonded together through a sense
of shared culture.
Liberal nationalism: Nationalism based upon the principles of
equality, freedom, tolerance, individual rights and identity
Pan-nationalism: Form of ethnic and cultural nationalism in which
various groups in different states shares similar features or
characteristics
Diaspora nationalism: National grouping of ex-patriots who live
outside their homeland or home state
 Cont’d…………
• STATE
• Is a political entity of the society.
• Throughout history states have existed in many forms, from the city
states ofancient Greece to the feudal states of the medieval period
to the modern system of states in place today.
• The modern system of states originates from the Peace of Westphalia
in 1648. A number of important principles or elements emerged from
the Westphalian settlement such as:
* Population
* Territory,
* Government
* Sovereignty and
* Reciprocal recognition.
Therefore, In common parlance, the words ‘nation’, ‘state’ and
‘nationality’ are used interchangeably and this is not correct
 1.2. The Nature and Evolution of International Relations
• Originally, the study of international relations (a term
first used byJeremy Bentham in 1798 ) was seen largely
law, philosophy or history .
as a branch of the study of

• Until the 1970s the study of international relations

centered mainly on internationalsecurity studies that is,
war and peace.
questions of

• Today, international relations could be used to describe a

range of interactions between people, groups, firms,
associations, parties, nations or states or between these
and (non) governmental international organizations.
Cont’d…….
• International Relation [IR] is the study and practice of
political relationships among the world’s nations,
especially their governments.
• Participation in international relations or politics is also
inescapable. No individual, people, nation or state can
exist in splendid isolation or be master of its own fate.
• On the other hand, there are legal, political and social
differences between domestic and international politics.
Domestic law is generally obeyed, and if not, the police
and courts enforce sanctions.
International law rests on competing legal systems, and
there is no common enforcement.
Cont’d……...
• Scholars and practitioners in international relations use concepts
and theories which lad to major philosophical disputes about the
fundamental nature of international relations:

The Hobbesian versusthe Lockean state of nature in the 17th

century.
Thomas Hobbes , writing in 1651, interpreted the state of society to
be: ‘continual fear, and danger of violent death; and the life of
(Pessimistic Approach).
man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short’.
Whereas,John Locke took a more optimistic view and suggested that
sociability was the strongest bond between men & men were equal,
sociable and free; but they were not licentious because they were
governed by the laws of nature. (Optimistic Approach).
Cont’d……
• International politics is also about maintaininginternational order
through different international organization like UN by the mean's
power, coercion and bargaining .
of

Evolution of IR
• In medieval Europe there were two institutions with pretensions to
power over the continent as a whole i.e.
A. The (Catholic) Church and
B. The Empire.
The Church was the spiritual authority, with its centre in Rome.
The Empire known as the Holy Roman Empire (includes todays Italy,
France Netherlands and Belgium.
Cont’d……..
• In this climate of Medieval period, the increasingly self-assertive
states were not only picking fights with universal institutions but
also with local ones and leads to break out different driving
forces/revolutions like:
French revolution
Industrial revolution
Reformation
• The European states emerged in the midst of struggle and strife,

and theTreaty of Westphalia, 1648, which concluded the 30 years of

bloodiest warfare (1618-1648), has come to symbolize the new way
of organizing international politics.
 Cont’d…..
• From this point onwards, international politics was a matter of
relations between states and no other political units which
separates the state from the pope and the emperors. (Turning point
in the International relations).

• Towards the end of the nineteenth century, other European

countries joined in this scramble for colonies, not least in Africa.
Colonial possessions became a symbol of ‘great power’ status, and
the new European nation-states often proved themselves to be
the colonized peoples had no
very aggressive colonizers since
ation-states and enjoyed no self-determination.

• After all the world experienced the First World War in 1914
and the
Second world war in 1940’s and this is how the modern world was
made.
1.3. Actors in International Relations
 The participants in international relations, often calledactors, have

a great influence on the relationships between nations and on world

affairs.

 The major participants include:

The state (nations themselves, the leaders of those nations)

Sub-state actors (groups or organizations within a nation),

Transnational actors (organizations operating in more than one

country), and international organizations.

 Cont’d……
• The State Actors
All states have their own capitals, armies, foreign ministries, flags
and national anthems.
International politics come to be defined in terms of interactions
between states in an international system of states where these
‘sovereign’ entities, territorially bound, and independent
are
ultimately of any external authority .
Nations vary in size and power
The great powers include the United States, Great Britain, Russia
(formerly the Soviet Union), France, China, Germany, and Japan.
These powers are the most important actors in international
relations.
Leaders (The most important individual actor within a nation is the
top leader of that country, i.e.The president/The Prime Minister ).
Cont’d…..
• Non/Sub-State Actors
Are groups and individuals within that nation that influence its
international relationships. Thesedomestic actors , include
particular industries with distinct interests in foreign policy (such
as the automobile or tobacco industry) and ethnic constituencies
with ties to foreign countries, as well as labor unions, cities, and
regions.

These groups can influence a nation’s foreign policy in several ways,

such as by lobbying political leaders, donating money to political
candidates or parties, or swaying public opinion on certain issues.
Cont’d…..

• Transnational Actors
Are Organizations/firms which are operating in more than one
country.

Transnational actors include

A. Multinational corporations
B. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs),
C. Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) like; EU

They are usually created to promote cooperation between

different nations on a particular issue or in a particular geographic
region.
 1.4. Levels of Analysis in International
Relations
A. The individual level
• International relations can be analyzed from the perspective of
individuals. Here we would look at the behaviors, motivations, beliefs
and orientation of the individual in affecting a particular
international phenomenon.
• This can be seen in the psychology and emotions behind people’s
actions and decisions, their fears and their visions as well as their
access to information and capacity to make a difference.
B. The group level
A group-level analysis focusing on foreign policy would look at
the role of lobbying groups, special interest groups and the
way they influence national decision-making on an issue.
Cont’d……..
C. The state level
Also known as‘state-centrism’ .
In this level of analysis the state acts as the arena in which
state officials, politicians and decision-makers operate.
The state is seen as the framework that encapsulates
society and as the main point of reference for the
individual.
A state-level study would also require careful
consideration of what kinds of states we are looking at
How they are ordered politically,
Their geographical position,
Their historical ties and experiences and their economic
standing.
Cont’d…….
D. The system level
 This level of analysis conceive the global system as the
structure or context within which states cooperate,
compete and confront each other over issues of national
interest.
It is a level above the state.

It is usually distributed into three main types of systems

i.e.
i. Uni-polar system
ii. Bipolar system and
iii. Multipolar system.
• In a uni-polarinternational system there is one state with the
greatest political, economic, cultural and military power and hence the
ability to totally control other states.

• In the case of thebipolarsystem , there are two dominant states

(super powers) and the less powerful states join either sides through
alliance and counter alliance formations.(E.g.. Cold war period).
The problem with bipolar system is that it is vulnerable for zero-sum
game politics because when one superpower gains the other would
inevitably lose.
• Multipolar system usually reflects various equally powerful states
competing for power.

 In such system, it is possible to bring change without gaining or losing

power.
 1.5. Power, Anarchy and Sovereignty in the International
System
Power
Power is the currency of international politics. As money is for
economics, power is for international relations (politics).
In the international system, power determines the relative
influence of actors and it shapes the structure of the international
system.
Power can also be defined as‘A’ s’ ability to get ‘B’.
Anarchy
Anarchy is a situation where there is absence of authority
(government) be it in national or international/global level systems.
Within a country ‘anarchy’ refers to a breakdown of law and order,
but in relations between states it refers to a system where power is
decentralized and there are no shared institutions with the right to
enforce common rules.
Cont’d…….
An anarchical world is a world where everyone looks after themselves and
no one looks after the system as a whole.
Sovereignty
 Sovereignty is another basic concept in international relations and it can
be defined as an expression of:

i. A state’s ultimate authority within its territorial entity(internal

sovereignty) and,
ii. The state’s involvement in the international community(external
sovereignty).
In short, sovereignty denotes double claim of states from the international
system, i.e., autonomy in foreign policy and independence/freedom in its
domestic affairs.