Approaches to International Relations.pdf

Approaches to International Relations
Approach is a way of looking at and then explaining a particular phenomenon. The perspective may be broad enough to cover a vast area like the World as a whole or it may be very small, embracing an aspect of local, regional, national or international politics. Besides, it may cover within its fold every other thing related to the collection and selection of evidence followed by an investigation and analysis of a particular hypothesis for an academic purpose. In this way, an approach consists of a criterion of selection criteria employed in selecting the problems or questions to consider and in selecting the data to bring to bear. It consists of standards governing the inclusion and exclusion of questions and data.

An approach is distinguishable from a theory. An approach is closely related to a theory in view of the fact that it’s a very character determines the way of generalization, explanation and prediction. An approach is transformed into a theory if and when its function extends beyond the selection of problems and data about the subject under study. There are several distinct approaches to the study of International Relations, these include:
Traditional Approach
Scientific Approach
Behavioral Approach
Post Behaviouralist Approaches
Systems Approach

Traditional Approach
In view of the complex variables influencing behavior of states, the traditionalists focus on the observed behavior of governments. They explain observable government behavior on the basis of concepts like balance of power, national interest, diplomacy etc. Traditional realists try to understand and resolve the clashing of interests that inevitably leads to war. This is an approach to international relations that emphasizes the studying of such disciplines as diplomatic history, international law, and philosophy in an attempt to develop better insights.

Traditionalists tend to be skeptical of behaviouralist approaches that are confined to strict scientific standards that include formal hypothesis testing and, usually, the use of statistical analysis. Traditional theorists regard international relations as a sub-discipline of history and political science. There are historical, philosophical and legal variants to the traditional approach Continued ..........

1. Approaches to International Relations
Approachisawayoflookingatandthenexplainingaparticular
phenomenon.Theperspectivemaybebroadenoughtocoveravastarea
liketheWorldasawholeoritmaybeverysmall,embracinganaspectof
local,regional,nationalorinternationalpolitics.Besides,itmaycoverwithin
itsfoldeveryotherthingrelatedtothecollectionandselectionofevidence
followedbyaninvestigationandanalysisofaparticularhypothesisforan
academicpurpose.Inthisway,anapproachconsistsofacriterionof
selectioncriteriaemployedinselectingtheproblemsorquestionstoconsider
andinselectingthedatatobringtobear.Itconsistsofstandardsgoverning
the inclusion and exclusion of questions and data.
Anapproachisdistinguishablefromatheory.Anapproachiscloselyrelated
toatheoryinviewofthefactthatit’saverycharacterdeterminestheway
ofgeneralization,explanationandprediction.Anapproachistransformed
intoatheoryifandwhenitsfunctionextendsbeyondtheselectionof
problemsanddataaboutthesubjectunderstudy.Thereareseveraldistinct
approaches to the study of International Relations, these include:
●Traditional Approach
●Scientific Approach
●Behavioral Approach
●Post Behaviouralist Approaches
●Systems Approach
Traditional Approach
Inviewofthecomplexvariablesinfluencingbehaviorofstates,the
traditionalistsfocusontheobservedbehaviorofgovernments.Theyexplain
observablegovernmentbehavioronthebasisofconceptslikebalanceof

2. power,nationalinterest,diplomacyetc.Traditionalrealiststrytounderstand
andresolvetheclashingofintereststhatinevitablyleadstowar.Thisisan
approachtointernationalrelationsthatemphasizesthestudyingofsuch
disciplinesasdiplomatichistory,internationallaw,andphilosophyinan
attempt to develop better insights.
Traditionaliststendtobeskepticalofbehaviouralistapproachesthatare
confinedtostrictscientificstandardsthatincludeformalhypothesistesting
and,usually,theuseofstatisticalanalysis.Traditionaltheoristsregard
internationalrelationsasasub-disciplineofhistoryandpoliticalscience.
Therearehistorical,philosophicalandlegalvariantstothetraditional
approach.
Scientific Approach
Scientificscholarschallengedthetraditionalist,arguingthatIRistoobroad
andcomplexafieldtobeasub-disciplineofpoliticalscience.Theybegan
constructingconceptualframeworksandpartialmodelsofinternational
systems,andtriedtocollectandanalyzedatatorefuteorvalidatea
formulatedhypothesis.Suchtheoristsfocusonstatisticalcorrelations
betweenvariableslikeincidenceofwarandalliancepoliciesfore.g.While
thisapproachhasbroughtamethodologicalrigortoIR,itreliesmoreheavily
onprocessanalysisthanonexperimentation.Evenobtainingdataisdifficult
in IR and the units of analysis vary (terrorism for e.g. is a relative term).
Behavioral Approach
Inthe1960sand70s,scholarsbeganarguingthatpoliticscannotbestudied
factuallywithoutreferencetovalues.Behavioralapproachisinformedby
socio-anthropologicalandpsychologicalperspectives.Itfocuseson
understandingthereasonsbehindtheactionbehaviorofstatesandother

3. internationalactors.Thisapproachhascontributedtounderstandinghow
peopleandorganizationsofdifferentculturesinteract,theeffectsof
propagandaandstereotypicalviewsonconflictsituationsandinternational
relations.
Itisdifficulttodeterminethebehaviorofstates,whichistheaggregate
behaviorofalargenumberofindividualsandofsuperimposingauthorities.
Anapproachtothestudyofpoliticsorothersocialphenomenathatfocuses
ontheactionsandinteractionsamongunitsbyusingscientificmethodsof
observationtoincludequantificationofvariableswheneverpossible.A
practitionerofbehaviorismisoftenreferredtoasabehaviorist.Behaviorism
referstotheideasheldbythosebehavioralscientistswhoconsideronly
observedbehaviorasrelevanttothescientificenterpriseandwhoreject
what they consider to be metaphysical notions of "mind" or "consciousness".
Post Behaviourist Approach
Inthe1980s,anattemptwasmadetocombinenormativeandempirical
approachestostudyIR.Thisapproachcanbeusedtotestthevalidityofthe
idealists’hypothesistoseeifdemocraticorauthoritarianstatesaremore
likely to be engaged in internal conflicts.
Systems Approach
Thisapproachplacesmoreemphasisonthecomplexinteractionbetween
andwithinstates,whileretainingapost-behaviouralscientificorientation.It
doessobyfocusingoninternationalsystemswhichareinterdependentand
interrelated.Thesesystemsrangefromsmallsystemstointermediateand
largesystems.TheUNsystem,individualnations,ethnicgroups,individual

4. voters,politicalparties,MNCsetc.canallbecategorizedintocorresponding
systems to understand the complex nature of IR.