Processes in international relationships: A critical review

Abstract

AbstractIn the present review, the author draws upon Bell's (1987) critical race theory – especially as reflected in Crenshaw's (1989) construct of intersectionality – en route to examining the results of four studies of international relationship processes that have been published since 2002 (i.e., Holzapfel et al., 2018; Kaya et al., 2019; Kuramoto, 2018 and van Mol & de Valk, 2016). One common theme that emerged from the four studies was the importance of satisfaction‐related processes in international relationships – a theme that Thibaut and Kelley's (1959) interdependence theory would anticipate within intranational and international relationships alike. Although persons from African, Central American, and South American nations are conspicuously missing from the studies in question, the author does not attribute such omissions to structural racism. Implications for future research on inclusivity and the dynamics of international relationships are discussed.