The View from the South

Abstract

Is there, could there be, a ‘view from the South’? Leave aside for a moment the term ‘South’, a good question is whether International Relations theory is to be seen as universal in its findings or as working differently for different parts of the world. International Relations has been described as an ‘American social science’ (Hoffmann 1977), and on a simple headcount it is certainly true that most scholars of International Relations are American or work in the United States. However, it would be more precise to broaden the point; characteristically, the dominant ideas about international relations have always tended to originate in the rich and powerful parts of the world rather than in poorer, weaker areas. Does this matter? There are some 180-plus states in the world today, and yet the vast majority of scholars in International Relations work in fewer than ten of them, all comparatively rich, and all, except Japan and Korea, with majority populations of European origin. Scholars from elsewhere are generally trained in — and use textbooks written in — these countries. Again, does this matter?