When Martians Go to Venus: Structural Realism in Europe

Wivel, Anders

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-58455-9_9

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 43 publications

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“…He particularly highlights the potential of neorealism theory for larger engagement with these topics. This is due to the fact that neorealism not only on material capabilities but also on perceptions, making soft balancing an appropriate tool of diplomacy, hence reaching one's goals by peaceful means (Wivel, 2017). These considerations can help contribute to the research on peacebuilding, as it is concerned with the kind of peaceful change that leads to a transformation of society, institutions and power relations in a country.…”

Section: What Realism Has To Offer: Realists' Contribution To the Topicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Realism – Forgotten Theory for Peacebuilding

Baihuzhakava

2023

10.14746/ps

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The article brings attention to the gap in the research on peacebuilding from the perspective of realist theories. Started by Johan Galtung, the peacebuilding field has been largely influenced by his understanding of peace and violence, as well as by the peace studies discipline itself. An Agenda for Peace turned the theoretical concept into international practice, and the liberal spirit accompanying it imprinted on the research approaches that guide peacebuilding activities. Executed in the form of democratic transformation and statebuilding, peacebuilding operations often did not bring the expected results and called on a lot of criticism. Besides, throughout the decades dominating approaches (liberalism complemented by institutional and critical IR theories) have not been able to explain the continuous unattainability of sustainable peace and exacerbation of violence. A little attention has been given to peacebuilding by the realist theory, which has limited interest in local conflicts. In this aspect, the article aims to discuss how the realist theories have been addressing the topic of peacebuilding so far, analyse what are the main assumptions related to peacebuilding from a realist perspective; and assess if the realist theories can be helpful in resolving the problem of peacebuilding ineffectiveness. The article opens further discussion on whether the realist perspective and its focus on states’ interests, rather than (democratic and liberal) values and institutions, can be used for analysing the problems of the peacebuilding process and can help to better understand situations, where it is ineffective.

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Section: What Realism Has To Offer: Realists' Contribution To the Topicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Realism – Forgotten Theory for Peacebuilding

Baihuzhakava

2023

10.14746/ps

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Introduction: Understanding Polarity in Theory and History

Græger

Heurlin²,

Wæver³

et al. 2022

Governance, Security and Development

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Foreign Policy Analysis and Realism

Wivel

2024

The Oxford Handbook of Foreign Policy Analysis

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Realists emphasize the importance of structural and systemic factors for foreign policy but differ in their views on the density of the international system, the typical foreign policy behaviour of states, the impact of domestic politics and individuals on foreign policy, and the relative weight of and interplay between material and ideational factors. They unpack the foreign policy challenges and opportunities following from the anarchic structure of the international system, explain how relative power matters for what states can and cannot do, and explore the mechanisms by which structural incentives are translated into foreign policy through decision-makers and domestic politics and discourses. The chapter provides a critical overview of realist approaches to foreign policy analysis (FPA) and discusses how one of these approaches, neoclassical realism, may be reconceptualized as a template for multi-factor and multi-level analysis benefitting from recent advances in FPA.

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When Martians Go to Venus: Structural Realism in Europe

Cited by 3 publications

References 43 publications

Realism – Forgotten Theory for Peacebuilding

Realism – Forgotten Theory for Peacebuilding

Introduction: Understanding Polarity in Theory and History

Foreign Policy Analysis and Realism

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