Field Of International Relations Research Articles

Communities of Practice in World Politics: Advancing a Research Agenda

Abstract This special forum focuses on international communities of practice (CoP) as a concept and an object of inquiry in International Relations (IR). The Introduction discusses the concept’s origins and how it has entered the field of IR. It addresses why and how CoPs matter to IR scholars by looking at how structure, agency, processes, institutions, and knowledge manifest themselves in communities. This special forum’s main contributions are: (1) capturing the political and economic effects of shared knowledge creation and diffusion through practices; (2) identifying the sources of knowledge production and learning, as well as the normative and political contestation within and between CoPs; (3) studying the social processes that originate at the boundaries between CoPs; (4) examining how people and processes generate, transform, and communicate knowledge; and (5) exploring how CoPs cultivate global governance’s norms, values, and practices from the bottom up. The Introduction also helps distinguish CoP from other relational concepts in IR such as networks, fields, regimes, and epistemic or security communities. It ends by way of situating the contributions to the special forum and outlining a research agenda on CoPs in world politics.

Information and psychological warfare in the context of the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia

The purpose of the paper is to highlight the development of information-psychological warfare, its history, concepts, technologies and methods, which are one of the most important areas of work in the field of international relations. The concept of ‘information warfare’ has concentrated a number of phenomena from the sphere of mass communications and during the 20th century was called various terms, such as ‘disinformation’, ‘propaganda’, ‘psychological warfare’, ‘psychological operations’.
 Within the scope of the study, the importance of psychological warfare in today’s context has been examined using the example of Azerbaijan and Armenia. It has been emphasized how Armenia effectively employed psychological warfare tactics and propaganda to gain an advantageous position in the late 20th century. In the early 21st century, the significance of Azerbaijan gaining a superior position in psychological warfare and using propaganda effectively has been discussed. Additionally, the article delves into the importance of using white propaganda during psychological warfare and the drawbacks of black propaganda within the context of the psychological warfare between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
 The novelty of the paper lies in a comprehensive analysis of information and psychological warfare and operations in the context of the Azerbaijan-Armenian conflict.
 Conclusions. In the 20th century information and psychological warfare and operations became part of the military policy of states. Now, due to the current situation on the world stage, the methods and means of conducting information warfare are changing and every year they are reaching a higher level. It can also be stated that in the 21st century, information wars have become more widespread. In summary, the historical context and evolution of information warfare demonstrate its enduring significance as a tool for states to achieve their strategic and political goals. As technology and global politics continue to evolve, information warfare is likely to remain a key component of statecraft and international relations.

Kazakhstan’s Foreign Policy in the Context of Geopolitical Turbulence

The purpose of the paper is to reveal the impact of the war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine on the foreign policy of Kazakhstan, as well as to consider the potential development of Kazakhstan’s relations with China, Turkey, the United States and others. Analysis, induction, deduction and synthesis serve as the main methods of research on this problem. The article discloses the problem of preservation by Kazakhstan of a multi-vector, neutral policy in relation to its partners in modern conditions. The strategic programme documents adopted by the government of Kazakhstan were also studied. The analysis of interstate trade turnover for 2022 was used to determine relations between Kazakhstan and Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Separately, it was considered whether the Russian Federation poses a military threat to Kazakhstan. The materials of the article are of practical and theoretical value for political scientists and specialists in the field of international relations, and researchers of the foreign policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan interested in the features and aspects of the implementation of a multi-vector policy by its leadership.

Race and systemic crises in international politics: An agenda for pluralistic scholarship

Abstract In recent years, scholars of global politics have shown that issues of race and white supremacy lie at the centre of international history, the birth of the field of International Relations, and contemporary theory. In this article, I argue that race plays an equally central role in the 21st century’s current and future crises: the set of systemic risks that includes intensifying climate change, deepening inequality, the endemic instabilities of capitalism, and migration. To make this argument, I describe the contours of the current crisis and show how racism amplifies its effects. In short, capitalism’s winners and losers and the effects of climate change fall along racial lines, amplifying both direct and indirect racial discrimination against non-white migrants and states in the Global South. These interdependent crises will shape the next 50 years of international politics and will likely perpetuate the vicious cycle of global racial inequality. Accordingly, this article presents a research agenda for all IR scholars to explore the empirical implications of race in the international system, integrate marginalised perspectives on global politics from the past and present into their scholarship, and address the most pressing political issues of the 21st century.

MECHANISMS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE OF THE REPUBLIC OF TATARSTAN AND THE POSSIBILITIES OF THEIR USE BY THE ENTITIES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

In a turbulent economic macro-environment, to ensure sustainable development of the state and its regions, classical commodity exchange operations are being reformatted both through changing basic partners, changing the geography of markets and product lines, and through intensifying the launch of new multinational production projects that make it possible to compensate for the loss of part of foreign supplies in the format of import substitution , generate innovative solutions based on synergy that become domestic intellectual property. The Republic of Tatarstan is one of the supporting regions of the Russian Federation, a leader in many macroeconomic indicators, investment attractiveness and quality of life. Its developments in the field of international relations and trade are analyzed from the standpoint of efficiency, features of the work of infrastructure elements, such as special economic zones, foreign representative offices, business missions, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Investment Development Agency, and the Export Support Center. Conclusions are drawn about the intensification of all types of cooperation with the People's Republic of China, countries of the Muslim world and with various countries of the EAEU and the CIS, indicating the determining role of the economic structure of all partners, including the presence of preferential regimes of interaction. If increasing global trade turnover is clearly a positive process, then the selection of international industrial cooperation projects should be accompanied by in-depth business analysis of the complementarity of the goals and capabilities of the countries participating in industrial cooperation. Another important conclusion is the need to analyze the potential of Russian regions to identify opportunities for scaling the experience of Tatarstan - the presence of a foundation of industrial cooperation that is mutually beneficial for all parties and infrastructure that ensures the effectiveness of international cooperation. Differences between the Russian and regional economy as its meso-level may lead to an unsuccessful attempt to scale the best practices of the Republic of Tatarstan. In this regard, it is proposed to create a system for connecting part of the regions of the Russian Federation to the channels of international cooperation created in the Republic of Tatarstan to enhance interaction primarily with partners from the countries of the Islamic world.

Diplomacy of Non-State Armed Actors: A New Reality in International Relations?

ABSTRACT The current international system finds itself in a phase where foreign relations are shaped not only by the official governments of individual states but also by other, often diverse, actors. In particular and far more than ever, non-state actors have begun to establish foreign contacts through the same foreign policy tools and activities to increase their political, military, economic and ideological positions. However, despite this trend, the academic field lacks conceptualisation and research into the international activities of non-state armed actors in the current academic field. Hence, this study has the ambition to present a new conceptual approach to the ‘diplomacy’ of non-state armed actors; and initiate a debate in the field of International Relations in the context of the research question of whether we can consider the international activities of non-state armed actors as a new branch of diplomacy.

Beyond Westphalia-The Difficulties of the Three Principles of Realism

International actors are fundamental units of research in the field of international relations, with state actors being the primary focus. The political relationships between countries serve as the basis for current mainstream research in international relations theory. However, the author believes that with the evolution of the international system and the increasing complexity of the international community, the traditional Westphalian system and its derivative concept of absolute sovereignty have become outdated. This limits the effectiveness of the current paradigm used to describe objective reality and its ability to guide practical applications. As a result, it is necessary to redefine these propositions. In this paper, the author will use literature investigation and historical analysis methods to deconstruct the three mainstream views of the national center, rational countries, and single country perspectives. This will demonstrate that a variety of international actors and power centers have emerged in the field of international relations and are playing increasingly important roles. This highlights the need to move beyond the limitations of a single nation system towards a more nuanced understanding of international relations. Through a multi-center perspective and utilizing multidisciplinary research methods, including techniques from quantum mechanics, the author will work towards developing a more accurate theory based on the reality of the international relations system.

Turkey’s Role in South Caucasus

This paper will study Turkey’s influence in South Caucasus. The study applies Barry Buzan and Ole Waever’s Regional Security Complex Theorem (RSCT) to understand Turkey’s politics in the region since the end of the Cold War. The author of this paper shares the belief with the coiners of the RSCT that it is necessary to combine systemic, regional, national, and domestic factors to provide the most accurate description and prediction of potential developments in international politics. Importantly, it is crucial to wisely combine the age-old tenets of Realist theory with important constructivist concepts to better explain security. In this regard RSCT, in the humble opinion of the author, is the most complete theorem in the field of international relations to analyze the behavior of any particular state and/or dynamics of global and regional interaction among states. For the purposes of the research it is important to place Turkey correctly in the framework of Buzan and Waever’s theory and concepts - that is, classify Turkey correctly according to their taxonomy and fortunately, they help me with this. They have devoted important part of their work to insulator states such as Turkey. Turkey’s role as an insulator state is particularly interesting to me. To paint a comprehensive picture of the geopolitics in Caucasus the roles of the US, Russia and EU will be investigated from the perspective of RSCT. Again, the investigation will be detailed and hopefully, productive. Theoretical Framework: Following theories will be presented before the author suggests the goggles that should be fashioned for the purpose of this research: "Political realism theory", whose main subject is the state; The theory of "cooperative security" - Cohen's concept, which includes recognition of common threats by states and joint efforts on it; Complex theory of regional security - RSCT, which is also related to the Copenhagen school.

The Importance of Soft Power in Türkiye’s Foreign Policy in 2002-2022

After a difficult path of criticism and justification, the concept of soft power has found its place in the international academic environment and has given a new breath and creative motivation to important scientific research in the field of international relations, which aims to create new concepts that can respond to the challenges of the modern world order. Along with the world powers, this concept was thoroughly taken up by Türkiye, which had the historical, cultural and geographical resources to put it into practice. A large number of neighbors and a complicated history of relations force Ankara not only to rely on traditional ways of diplomacy, but also to find other forms for the successful realization of its foreign policy interests. Compared to Turkish foreign policy before 2002, Türkiye’s soft power has increased significantly since the Justice and Development Party came to power and has become one of the priorities of its foreign policy strategy. It is important to emphasize that state and non-state institutions, which are the main instruments of this policy, do not compete with each other but successfully complement each other. Türkiye has ambitiously sought to create its own original model of “soft power,” with an emphasis on historical heritage and cultural commonality. Türkiye’s toolkit for realizing its soft power is quite extensive. Türkiye adopts the best practices of leading international actors and actively implements its own approaches and understandings with a focus on culture, state and non-state organizations, and education policy. In this context, soft power policy for Türkiye has proven to be very viable and attractive. Türkiye’s soft power potential, which has been successfully manifested from the Balkans and the Middle East to the Caucasus and Central Asia, has serious cultural and historical foundations and contributes to the promotion of Turkish interests in areas of special interest. Over the past two decades, Türkiye’s soft power policy, which is based on historical-cultural and religious traditions, geographical and economic resources, has become one of the main directions of its foreign policy.

THE ANALYSIS OF ROBERT COX'S CRITICAL THEORY: THE INHERENT SUBJECTIVITY AND PURPOSEFUL NATURE OF THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS


 
 
 Robert Cox's assertion that “theory is always for someone and for and some purpose" is a fundamental tenet of political science and international relations, emphasizing the inherent subjective and purposeful nature of theoretical frameworks. This study critically examines Cox's contribution to International Relations (IR) through critical theory. This study is based on a qualitative research approach and uses an extensive literature review to gather relevant information, thorough analysis of existing journals and books, providing a comprehensive understanding of Cox's critical theory and its impact on the field of IR. The finding of this study highlights the need for continued evaluation of Cox popular IR theory and the application of Cox's theoretical foundations to deepen understanding of the world. Cox's critical theory brings new perspectives and contributes significantly to the diversity of theoretical frameworks in IR. This study highlights the transformative impact of Cox's critical approach and its relevance to shaping contemporary debates in the international relations. 
 
 

The Interplay Between International Relations and Science, Technology and Innovation: An Analysis of Embraer’s International Partnerships

International partnerships have been fundamental to Embraer’s technological advancement. The very creation of the company was only possible due to prior support received from specialized institutions in countries such as the United States, with governmental support. Even so, academic works on Embraer focus very little on its international agreements. This article maps and systematizes literature on international partnerships involving Embraer retrieved by Scopus, Scielo and the CAPES Thesis and Dissertation Catalog. In addition to presenting quantitative data that corroborates the finding on low participation of specific literature on international partnerships involving Embraer, this article demonstrates that almost none of the articles retrieved by the search are from the field of International Relations. In general, concepts and theories on which the mapped literature relies assume a purely transnational component in the partnerships without taking into account, for instance, the role of states in supervising international knowledge flows. Contributions made by the literature, while relevant to understanding business partnerships involving knowledge flows, do not necessarily consider the uniqueness of such flows when they cross national borders. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the mapped literature does not take the partnership axis (North-South or South-South) as a relevant variable for effectiveness.

Decisiveness in Domestic Public Policies

Abstract Constructivists in the field of International Relations assume that states not only seek to ensure their physical security but also try to secure their identities by maintaining durable behavioral patterns in their relations with other actors. The dominant identity of the Israeli state is associated with policies characterized by resoluteness and decisiveness. This article argues that this state identity also manifests itself in the domestic sphere and presents case studies of two such manifestations. The first pertains to the development of Israeli offshore gas fields in the Eastern Mediterranean while the second deals with the country's COVID-19 pandemic containment strategy. The two cases are similar in the decisive and extraordinary character of the measures that the government attempted to use. At the same time, in the first case study this attempt was mostly unsuccessful and only in the second case the decisive stance was effectively implemented.

The International Political Theory of Dialogue of Civilisations: Philosophical Issues

Abstract Starting from a conception of dialogue as “fusion of horizons” inspired by Gadamerian hermeneutics this article aims to give a philosophical foundation to the argument for a dialogue of civilisations within a broad set of theoretical debates that have taken place in the fields of philosophy, political theory, and international relations. Such a discussion contributes to the international political theory of dialogue of civilisations as an argument for the construction of a multicultural peaceful international society against the background of our troubled contemporary global politics.

Whether the China Threat Theory Represents Chinas International Role Analysis Based on the Transformation of Chinese Foreign Policy

In recent years, China has actively adjusted its foreign policy, integrated into the international order with a more open attitude, and strived to play Chinas role in the region and the world and shoulder Chinas responsibilities. However, the United States and some of Chinas neighbors view Chinas rise with suspicion and fear, and vigorously promote the China threat theory. Based on this background, this paper puts forward the research topic of whether the China threat theory represents Chinas international role from the perspective of the transformation of Chinas foreign policy. As a rising power, it is of great significance in the field of international relations to understand whether the purpose of Chinas rise poses a threat to other countries and the current international order. This paper uses the qualitative analysis method to analyze and study the South China Sea dispute and the Diaoyu Island issue as cases, and draws the conclusion that the China threat theory is not Chinas current international role.

Meditations on ‘international friendship’: Situating twinning in global struggles for solidarity, recognition, and restitution

Abstract This article takes the practice of twinning as an entry point for problematising conventional accounts of ‘international friendship’ in the field of International Relations. In particular, the paper zeroes in on three examples of twinning practice, past and present, that have challenged the status quo: twinnings established in opposition to the Contra war in Nicaragua; twinning as an act of recognition for communities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; and twinning as a vehicle for the recovery and return of sacred artefacts to post-colonial Kenya. Through these examples, it argues for an alternative conceptualisation of international friendship – one that pushes beyond the methodological nationalism and ontological rigidity of dominant approaches.

Artificial Intelligence and its Impact in International Relations

In an era marked by remarkable technological advancements, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a powerful force in the realm of International Relations. AI's adaptability, which includes automating the processes of foreign policy-making and improving predictive analytics, is swiftly reshaping the ways in which countries participate in international affairs. The impact of AI is notably observed in activities like data analysis, policy assessment, conflict resolution, cybersecurity, language translation, and disaster response, all of which streamline diplomatic activities and enhance communication. This article discusses how AI technology will shape the field of International Relations.

Through the Eyes of Attackers: A Comprehensive Analysis of Cybersecurity Strategies in International Relations

In this interconnected global landscape, where technology forms the foundation of diplomatic interactions, understanding the complicated methodologies of cyber attackers has become of utmost importance. This study delves into the core of worldwide cybersecurity, introducing a unique viewpoint that involves an exploration of offensive tactics from the vantage point of those orchestrating attacks. Employing an interdisciplinary methodology, the research amalgamates case studies, expert publications, and the analysis of threat intelligence to decode the incentives, strategies, and aspirations of these digital assailants. By closely examining historical events like the Stuxnet incident, the investigation reveals the evolution of offensive cyber activities and their consequences in the international relations field. Through a comprehensive assessment of attack avenues, techniques, and the motivations driving attackers, this analysis brings to light the complicated interaction between cybersecurity, global politics, and the stability of nations. By anticipating emerging trends in cyber threats and delving into regional perspectives, this study offers a forward-focused outlook on the challenges and possibilities that lie on the horizon. Ultimately, this research emphasizes the pressing requirement for international collaboration, innovative policy development, and proactive measures to navigate the complex terrain of offensive cyber tactics and to ensure the preservation of the future landscape of international relations.

Analysis of the Relations Between China's Ruling Parties and Russia in the Context of Diplomacy of Heads of State

Cooperation between parties is an important part of the party’s work in the field of international relations. As Chinese-Russian relations deepen, the CCP actively promotes inter-party exchanges with Russia and promotes comprehensive, wide-ranging and multi-level cooperation between Chinese and Russian political parties. Interaction of political parties of the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of China plays an important role in relations between the two countries and within cooperation «One belt – one union» (“一带一盟”). Since the XVIII Congress of the Communist Party of China, its Central Committee, led by Xi Jinping, has comprehensively promoted great-power diplomacy with Chinese specificity in a new era based on an accurate understanding of changes in the world structure and China’s overall development trends. Xi Jinping's diplomatic thinking has become a guide to action for Chinese-specific diplomatic work. In practice of cooperation between the political parties of China and Russia, Xi Jinping used the diplomacy of the heads of state to ensure clear leadership of cooperation between the political parties of China and Russia, led the direction of cooperation between the political parties of the two countries, planned the goals of cooperation between their political parties and determined the future of bilateral strategic partnership. Diplomacy towards the head of the Russian state is a concrete example of Xi Jinping's diplomatic thinking and an important innovation in the diplomacy of a great power with Chinese specifics.

Sovereignty and imperialism: International business, finance and the position of Sudan in the British empire

This article examines the relationship between Sudan and Egypt during the colonial period to explore how control over international business and finance integrated Sudan within the British empire. We examine how the locus of power and control over these economic factors began to change, and how this altered the position of Sudan. To do this we explore three areas. First, we examine how the field of international relations has considered the question of sovereignty. We use this to problematise how imperial relationships influence notions of sovereignty in the context of a colonial state. Secondly, we examine the business history of Sudan in relation to the structure of the Sudanese economy. Third, we explore how finance shaped the relationship between Sudan and the British empire. Finally, we discuss the implications of the business and financial history of Sudan in relation to the historiography of imperialism and coloniality in the MENA region.

Reflex to turn: the rise of turn-talk in International Relations

The field of International Relations (IR) is being spun around by a seemingly endless number of ‘turns’. Existing analyses of turning are few in number and predominantly concerned with the most prominent recent turns. By excavating the forgotten history of IR’s earliest turns from the 1980s and tracing the evolution of turn-talk over time, this article reveals a crucial yet overlooked internalist driver behind the phenomenon: the rise of reflexivity. Rather than emerging in the 21st century, turn-talk began at the end of the 1980s as a series of turns away from positivism and towards reflexivity. Cumulatively, this first wave of turns would denaturalise IR’s state-centric ontology while enshrining reflexivity as a canonical good among critical scholars. By the mid-1990s, however, these metatheoretical critiques of positivism had produced a substantial backlash. Charged with fostering an esoteric deconstructivism, a new generation of reflexivists set out to demonstrate the feasibility of post-positivist empirical research. As a result, IR’s turning also took on a different form from the 2000s: whereas the first wave of turns had mounted an epistemological and methodological attack against the positivist mainstream, the second wave set about bringing new ontological objects under the scrutiny of reflexivist scholars. This shift from anti-positivist to mostly intra-reflexivist turning was facilitated by the institutionalisation of critical IR as a major subfield of the discipline. It is the privileged position of reflexivity among critical IR scholars that is the condition of possibility for endless turning, accentuated by mounting pressures to demonstrate novelty in an increasingly competitive environment.