Realist Perspective Research Articles

The Implications of Sino-American Relations on the World Order – The Taiwan Strait Issue –

This article aims to highlight, in a realist perspective, the importance of Sino-US relations and the diplomatic steps taken by the main global actors in the context of the military actions in Ukraine. In order to provide an authentic portrayal of the characteristics of the international security environment and, in particular, of the Asia-Pacific region, with a focus on the Taiwan issue, I have taken an overview of the situation in the region, with reference to recent history and the current context, while showing the implications of Sino-American relations over security and the role of the AUKUS and QUAD alliances in the politico-military sphere. The current crisis on the international arena, triggered by the individual or joint actions of certain state actors, has political, economic and military aspects with serious repercussions for the whole community and affects global security to a degree that brings the military component to the fore. This “atrophy” is being addressed by a number of events taking place at different points around the globe, namely the war in Ukraine, the Asia-Pacific region and the Taiwan Strait, where the interests of major state actors are involved and are finding it difficult to reach a consensus.

Why Burundi intervenes in the DRC: Self-interest to Pan-Africanist considerations?

Questions have abounded as to what Burundi’s motives and interests have been in sending troops, and spearheading the intervention in the eastern DRC. With reference to the case of Burundi’s intervention within the East African Community’s (EAC) response to the growing conflict in the eastern DRC, this article considers a broad range of what Burundi’s motives and interests might be. This includes security and stability, both nationally and regionally, regional political dynamics and the position of Burundi within this, and trade and business opportunities.
 This article discusses that in terms of intervention, while the realist perspective can help us to understand Burundi’s intervention in DRC to a large extent, an additional layer of complexity is the multifaceted relationships that African neighbouring states have with one another, and to the continent as a whole. Manifestations of this can be seen in the emphasis by the African Union and individual African states on ‘African Solutions to African Problems’, the principle of subsidiarity, and the Responsibility to Protect. These considerations not only place people at the centre of intervention as opposed to placing the state at the centre, but they also speak to issues of African agency, African resistance to external ‘interference’, Pan-Africanist interests and the decolonial concern of addressing the ongoing colonial legacy.

Systemic Hypocrisy in United States Foreign Policy

Why is contemporary United States foreign policy systemically hypocritical? This essay offers a legal realist perspective, which considers human rights and democracy-oriented narratives as morally appealing meta-discourses that are subject to reframing, weaponisation, and instrumentalisation by a wide variety of contending political actors in pursuit of concrete material or policy objectives. The perspective of legal realism is used in the case of post-Cold War United States foreign policy to understand how normative discourses are used across various geographies of geopolitical contestations in which state-initiated violence and death are prevalent. This commentary suggests that in pursuit of its geostrategic and economic objectives, the United States government’s human rights rhetoric abroad did not match the actual consequences of its domestic and foreign policies, thereby showing systemic hypocrisy.

Evolution of the US’ Strategic Ambiguity in the Cross-Strait Relations

Purpose: This paper analyzes how the US policy on Taiwan is gradually evolving from strategic ambiguity to strategic clarity. First, I would like to analyze China's Taiwan policy in terms of the core interests of the Communist Party of China. Second, I would like to specify why the US policy on Taiwan is evolving from strategic ambiguity to strategic clarity. Third, in the event of the Taiwan contingency, the security threat to the Korean Peninsula is identified and policy alternatives are proposed.
 Method: This paper delves into the US policy on Taiwan with the Balance of Interest theory of Randall Schweller. A neoclassical realist suggests that national foreign policy is indirect and complex and must be reinterpreted through a parameter unit of domestic factors. According to Neo-Classic realists, the parameters that affect a country's foreign policy are such as domestic interest groups and the political leader’s ideology and identity.
 Results: The main parameters of the US policy shift towards Taiwan from the perspectives of Neo-classical Realism are as follows. First, it is Biden’s identity of value diplomacy which prioritizes democracy and human rights. Second, Xi Jinping's military threats to annex Taiwan, and the pursuit of a gray zone strategy are driving factors for the US Policy shift from strategic ambiguity to strategic clarity. Third, the US policy shift to Taiwan was initiated by curbing China's rise through the control of the Indo-Pacific maritime control and global supply chain.
 Conclusion: The contingency in the Taiwan Strait is closely linked to security on the Korean Peninsula due to the US’ strategic flexibility. Currently, tensions between the US and China are rising in the Indo-Pacific region as the US military support for Taiwan's self-defense. The ROK should be wary of being involved in the unintended Taiwan crisis. To build a free and prosperous Indo-Pacific, strategic communication between the US and China should be strengthened while respecting the “one China” principle.

공공디자인 연구를 위한 혼합연구방법론 탐색

This research reviewed discussions in the field of social sciences related to mixed research methods and explored the application of mixed research methods for public design research based on those discussions. Specifically, the researchers adopted a critical realist perspective within the context of mixed research methods. They examined the principles and application procedures of abductive and retroductive inference, as well as investigated the research process and design strategies. As a result, they proposed a mixed research method design model for public design research.

Emergence, Continuity, and Scientific Realism

Scientific realism postulates that science aims for truth in both the domains of the observable and the unobservable, and is capable of achieving this aim, at least approximately. From the realist perspective our current scientific theories are on the right path to their aim, encapsulating a significant degree of theoretical truth. A key argument supporting this viewpoint is the continuity observed between successive scientific theories, interpreted as the preservation of truth. However, we contend that this continuity argument is problematic in significant cases. Features of older theoretical schemes frequently do not persist in subsequent theories but emerge as limiting cases with restricted applicability domains and fine-grained structures that differ from what the older theories deemed possible. The alterations accompanying theory replacement are often more drastic than what is assumed by realist intuition, justifying skepticism about continuity serving as an indicator of theoretical truth preservation. We propose an argument wherein continuity is instead viewed as a consequence of empirical success preservation.

"We're tolerant and they're prejudiced": Same-sex marriage supporters' and opponents' perceptions of supportive and oppositional claims.

The current research examined the proposition that debates over same-sex marriage are characterized, at least in part, by conflicting understandings about what is and is not prejudiced, normative and true. Toward this end, Australians' (N = 415) prejudice judgements of supportive and oppositional statements toward same-sex marriage were measured and analysed with analyses of variance. Unsurprisingly, same-sex marriage supporters perceived a supportive statement as unprejudiced, tolerant, truthful, in pursuit of individual liberty, and normative; oppositional statements were seen in precisely the opposite manner. Same-sex marriage opponents, however, disagreed, instead judging an oppositional statement as unprejudiced, tolerant, truthful, in pursuit of individual liberty, and normative; it was a supportive statement that was seen as relatively prejudiced. These effects remained even after controlling for independent expressions of in-group favouritism. The current data align with a collective naïve realism perspective, in which group members see their own views as veridical and those of disagreeing others as biased. We argue that prejudice-reduction efforts must be instantiated to facilitate a common in-group identity between supporters and opponents to enable consensus over facts and, ultimately, what is and is not prejudice. Without this consensus, each side of the political debate may simply hurl the pejorative label of "prejudice" against the other, with likely little opportunity for social influence and social change.

Realism, Mechanism, Effect, and Comparative Contentious Politics

Charles Tilly was instrumental in launching the comparative study of contentious politics through key contributions delineating and defining the subject matter. But his input is epistemological as well as theoretical and substantive. What characterizes his epistemology is a realist mechanistic explanation rendering mechanisms tools of both explanation and comparison. Employing the realist perspective, this article examines Tilly’s focus on mechanisms and some of the ensuing challenges for comparative contentious politics. It argues that mechanisms can explain confidently the emergence of contention in given episodes and can enable the comparison of emergence across episodes but cannot generalize easily about them. This tension between the particular and the general characterizes also the task of conceptualization because the key concepts in this field of study refer to processes. What ameliorates this tension is to conceptually decouple the effect produced in mechanism operation from the modality of such operation and to assign epistemological weight to the effect. This move is discussed with reference to distinctions among mechanisms, to distinctions among concatenations of mechanisms, and to potentiality.

Do Statist Ideology and State-Sponsored Nationalism Intervene in Pakistan’s China Policy? A Neoclassical Realist Perspective

In its relations with China from 1972 to 2018, Pakistan has endeavored to extract and mobilize its domestic resources while conducting a foreign policy of balancing under systemic pressures and power disparities. Statist ideology and state-sponsored nationalism have been both useful and influential in this process. While there is abundant literature on ideology, nationalism, and Pakistan’s foreign policy using theoretical foundations, a neoclassical realist approach has yet to be made. This paper seeks guidance from neoclassical realist theory as explored in the works of Taliaferro (2006) and Schweller (2004). We argue that Pakistan’s ties with China have been facilitated domestically by an Islamic statist ideology and anti-Indian state-sponsored nationalism. These both have facilitated internal balancing through the extraction and mobilization of natural resources and emulation while externally they justified Pakistan’s balancing efforts aimed at countering a perceived Indian threat. The nation’s military and civil elites therefore agree on the necessity of closer ties with China.

Elite Consensus and Balancing: A Neoclassical Realist Perspective on Pakistan–China Ties

Classical realism believes in the primacy of systemic pressures as independent variable and suggests states to choose appropriate balancing policies as dependent variable. However, this complex causal chain requires the role of intervening variables, which the neoclassical realist theory offers. This article employs the neoclassical realist perspective to the unexplored case of Pakistan–China ties from 1972 to 2018 presenting a causal chain that explains elite consensus as the intervening variable between the perceived Indian threat and the preference of Pakistani decision-makers for strong Pakistan–China bond. This article presents the theoretical perspective, perceived Indian threat, the balancing options available to Pakistan and elite typology. We conclude by presenting the contribution of elite consensus in Pakistan’s choice for forging closer ties with China as an appropriate balancing strategy against the perceived Indian threat specifically and external threats in general.

Zhuangzi’s Copernican Revolution from the Perspective of Structural Realism

This article discusses Zhuangzi’s metaphysical theory from the standpoint of a form of structural ontology that was developed by neurophilosopher Northoff and which differs from typical studies of Zhuangzi’s metaphysics. According to Nossoff’s world–brain relationship, a structural positivism based on relationships, the body is nested in the world and the brain is nested in the body. Northoff contends that elements of Eastern philosophy support this viewpoint. I have examined three aspects of Zhuangzi’s philosophy by interpreting his texts: the existence of a world independent from the subject and mind, the subject and mind dependent on the world, and the coexistence of differentiation and inclusiveness between the world and the subject. The problem this article attempts to address is how Zhuangzi achieved a Copernican revolution within the framework of non-reductive neurophilosophy, bringing about a shift away from non-anthropocentrism.

Social inequality in navigating the healthcare maze: Care trajectories from hospital to home via intermediate care for older people in Norway

Although health inequality is a growing concern, striking differences in health and life expectancy still exist across and within OECD countries. In Oslo, the largest city in Norway, life expectancy differs by up to 7 years between districts. Equal access to healthcare can help reduce social differences in health. However, research indicates that older people at the lower level of the social gradient have more difficulty accessing health services. Older people experience early hospital discharge and several transitions between and across care levels. In this study, using Bourdieu's theory of practice as a theoretical lens, we explore social inequality in access to universal healthcare within care trajectories for older people in Oslo. Through observation of family meetings in intermediate care (N = 14) and semi-structured interviews with older patients (N = 15), informal caregivers (N = 12) and healthcare professionals (N = 18), the study identifies 15 unique care trajectories from hospital to home via intermediate care. Informed by a critical realist perspective and moving from west to east via the urban areas, there is a prominent finding of climbing down the social gradient and, subsequently, reduced access to healthcare. An overarching theme, ‘Navigating the healthcare maze’, was identified along with two subthemes: ‘Individuality meets system’ and ‘Having a feel for the game’. Navigating the healthcare maze depends on where you live, your level of education and health literacy and the ability to mobilize social networks. Furthermore, it is an advantage to fit into the professional habitus of the ‘active patient’ discourse. The findings will be relevant for politicians, managers, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders working in the field and in the development of services adapted to the needs of various socioeconomic groups.

Hydro-Hegemony, Counter-Hegemony and Neoclassical Realism on the Nile Basin: An Analysis of Egypt’s Response to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD)

The Framework of Hydro-Hegemony (FHH) has been applied several times to transboundary water disputes. Since it defines Egypt as a hegemon and Ethiopia as a counter-hegemon, many studies have focused on the hegemonic and counter-hegemonic activities in the Nile Basin. However, this article argues that Egypt has also deployed counter-hegemonic tactics to deal with the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) from Neoclassical Realist perspective. In this context, it questions why and how Egypt has deployed hegemonic and counter-hegemonic tactics to respond to the GERD through process-tracing and utilising primary and secondary sources such as official statements, books, articles and journals.

Why Asia Will Be Unstable But Not at War: Toward a Democratic Realist Perspective

This article advances the argument that (Indo-Pacific) Asia as a broad region is likely to experience growing instability because of the ongoing nuclear threat posed by North Korea, territorial disputes among maritime powers, and the rapid rise of China. But the region will not be at war mainly because of the preponderance of collective democratic power.

To boldly go where no one has gone before: a critical realist approach to space accounting

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how critical realism can be mobilised as a meta-theory, or philosophical under-labourer, for research on space accounting and how this may further inquiries into the known as well as the unknown implications of space exploration and commercialisation.Design/methodology/approachThis is a conceptual paper that applies critical realism to the field of space accounting using cost management in space contracts as an illustrative example.FindingsAdopting a naturalised version of critical realism that recognises the complex interplay between natural and social realities, the author nuances the distinction between intransitive and transitive objects of knowledge and advances a framework that may be used as a starting point for a transfactual mode of reasoning. The author then applies this mode of reasoning to the topic of cost management in the space sector and illustrates how it may enhance our insights into what causes cost overruns in space contracts.Research limitations/implicationsBy adopting a naturalised version of critical realism, the author establishes a philosophical framework that can support the broadly based, inter-disciplinary research agenda that has been envisaged for research on space accounting and possibly inform policy development.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to apply a critical realist perspective to space accounting and lays a philosophical foundation for future research on the topic.

Kehadiran Kerjasama Keamanan Trilateral AUKUS bagi Asia Tenggara: Memaknai Perbedaan Sikap Negara Anggota dan Relevansi ASEAN

The phenomenon of the AUKUS (Australia-United Kingdom-United States Partnership) trilateral security pact has caused a polemic within ASEAN. Australia's involvement in AUKUS gives Australia the right to have eight nuclear-powered submarines, reaping the pros and cons of ASEAN countries. Vietnam and the Philippines tend to support, while Indonesia-Malaysia oppose Australia's decision. Ideally, ASEAN, which has declared itself a nuclear-free zone in the SEANWFZ (Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone), does not support Australia's decision. This paper aims to analyze the effect of different responses from ASEAN countries to ASEAN centrality as regionalism in Southeast Asia. Based on the analysis conducted with the realism perspective, it was found that the differences in the responses of ASEAN countries did not affect the centrality of ASEAN. This is based on two things, firstly the response of countries that support Australia's policy is a spontaneous response to the security situation of countries involved in the South Tiongkok Sea conflict, the two ASEANs are still relevant as a foothold for the foreign policy of ASEAN member countries, especially on the policy of the Nuclear Free Zone. For this reason, ASEAN is still relevant in the security constellation in the region.

Intrinsic drivers of the reputation for CSR: a cognitive analysis of consumer expectations

PurposeThe appraisal of corporate reputation based on third-party corporate social responsibility (CSR) indices appears to have been institutionalized. The endorsement of such an approach by sustainability custodians and influencers undermines the uptake of the morality and legitimacy of CSR. This study takes a social realist perspective, which suggests that social phenomena such as CSR and corporate reputation are shaped by social structures and power relations. This study aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between CSR and corporate reputation and understand ways in which the constructs are influenced by cognitive factors.Design/methodology/approachThis study surveyed 411 respondents across five shopping malls and analyzed the data using path analysis of the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. The mall-intercept survey sought to critically assess expectations of CSR vis-à-vis evaluation of corporate reputation. Based on a case study of three Johannesburg Stock Exchange listed companies, CSR expectations were measured along the philanthropic, economic, ethical and legal dimensions, while evaluation of corporate reputation was based on product quality, financial performance and social responsibility. SEM path analysis was used to extrapolate the predictive outcomes of CSR on corporate reputation.FindingsReputation for product quality and social responsibility is underpinned by the fulfillment of ethical CSR expectations, while philanthropic gestures enhance the evaluation of financial performance. Legal CSR significantly influences the reputation for social responsibility and product quality. Fulfillment of economic CSR expectations influences the reputation for product quality. However, no relationship was established between economic performance and social responsibility. Involvement in economic, philanthropic and particularly, legal CSR, are not indicative of the reputation for financial performance. Conversely, companies’ involvement in economic CSR does not suggest a higher propensity for social responsibility.Research limitations/implicationsThe predictive outcomes of CSR expectations on corporate reputation can reveal situated understanding of actual perceptions of corporate behavior.Practical implicationsEthical business conduct is synonymously associated with social responsibility while espoused corporate philanthropy signals strong financial performance. The awareness of consumers’ cognitive evaluation of corporate reputation can offer a pathway to corporate communication professionals, policy makers and agencies to rethink and reposition CSR efforts.Social implicationsInsensitivity to taken-for-granted cultural prescriptions and reliance on market-based reputational rankings undermine mutually beneficial stakeholder relationships and the social license to operate.Originality/valueThis study brings to the fore, cognitively dominated indicators of consumers’ perceptions of the reputation for CSR, to foster nuanced and halo-removed approaches to social responsibility. The authors show for the first time how companies’ skewed focus on corporate philanthropic giving paradoxically signals a capitalistic notion of social responsibility and unethical business conduct. This study offers a halo-removed orientation to the appraisal of CSR and corporate reputation.

FROM ROVER TO NOWHERE: A CASE STUDY OF A MANAGEMENT FAD

On the ground of the Rover case, the authors were observed criticism of learning organization from the perspective of postmodernism and from the perspective of critical realism, excluding the perspective of positivism as disadvantageous. Postmodernists perspective is twofold, either an ideal that is close to a dream or a nightmare for its members. Learning organization is a postmodern approach to work that requires a paradigm change in the organization, but all postmodernist theses based on the paradigm change are problematic. From the perspective of critical realism, learning organization has failed to meet three objectives which are essential for any well-founded theory: a clear definition, practical operational advice for managers, and tools and instruments for measuring. The concept of learning organization ignores the fact that management rewards those who contribute to the success and punishes those who make the damage, the terms measurable purely in a financial form. The political question in business organizations is related to the fundamental question: for whose interest does the business organization exist, whether the interest of workers or the interest of capital? The legitimacy of managerial authority is a function of maximizing efficiency and effectiveness in the interests of capital. In a contemporary social context where capital dominates, the concept of a learning organization is naively apolitical. Therefore, the authors concluded that simplified recipes, as learning organization, are simply not relevant for modern organizations and they warn about useless journals that continue to promote the learning organization model.

Comparative Analysis of Taliban Regimes to Assess the Global Challenges in Afghanistan: A Realist Perspective

This paper delves into the challenges faced by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, impacting their legitimacy and stability. These challenges encompass economic, humanitarian, and security issues similar to the previous Taliban regime from 1996 to 2001, along with new challenges arising from shifts in global security and politics. With a focus on international relations theory, specifically realism, the paper analyzes neighboring countries' responses to Taliban rule and their implications for regional security. Additionally, it examines potential spillover effects, such as increased terrorism and refugee flows. The paper advocates for a coordinated and multifaceted approach, considering the intricate political, social, and economic factors at play in Afghanistan. Emphasizing Pakistan's role due to its socio-cultural ties with Afghanistan, the paper encourages policymakers to involve governments, corporations, organizations, and international groups. Further research is necessary to develop effective strategies in addressing these challenges and promoting regional security and stability.

The Role of Proletarian Poetry in Peasant Movement of Pakhtunkhwa: A Critical Study of the Selected Poetry of Sayyid-Ul-Abrar Ghar

Sayyid-ul-Abrar (1948-79) alias, Ghar was one of the prominent proletarian poets of the former NWFP (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Pakistan, who’s poetry played a significant role in the evolution and growth of socialist realism in Pashtu literature. The historic Peasant Movement of 1970s especially the Hashtnagar Peasant’s uprising and agrarian struggle elsewhere in other parts of the province, were directly influenced through the proletarian poetry produced by Ghar and his contemporary Master Sultan Khalakyar. This study attempt to engage the selected poetry from Ghar’s two books; Sparghai [ Embers] and ‘Da Khwarikah Cheagha’ [ The cry of working class]as a case study to understand the links between poetry, art, and politics in a broader perspective of socialist realism. The important themes of these selected poetry, analysis of its contents with English translation, are also reproduced throughout this paper as evidence for better understanding of the subject interconnection of proletarian poetry with peasant’s struggle.