International Relations in South Africa: A Case of ‘Add Africa and Stir’?

Abstract

This article presents a reflection on the state of the discipline of International Relations (IR) in South Africa, focusing specifically on questions about its theoretical content and ‘Africanness’. The country's unique history continues to have a significant impact on the development of the discipline and the type of research conducted, with security and foreign policy remaining the core of the field. It is contended that, despite significant advancements over the past decade, the discipline remains theoretically underdeveloped. The demand of policy relevance that continues to constrain scholars is viewed as one of the main contributing factors to this state of affairs, and is discussed in some detail. While the subject matter of IR in South Africa—both in terms of research and teaching—is predominantly African, the approach—both theoretically and methodologically, remains largely western-centric. South African scholars are challenged to problematise existing understandings of IR and to interrogate the applicability of western-centric concepts and theories to Africa.

Notes

1 See Taylor (1990), Vale (1990 and 2004), Du Pisani et al. (1991), Dunn (1995), Booysen and van Niekerk (1998), Taylor (2000), Van der Westhuizen (2005), Schoeman (2009). For a comprehensive recent overview, see Schoeman (2009).

2 While I have not conducted a survey, I do draw on the results of the 2012 ‘TRIP Around the World: Teaching, Research and Policy Views of International Relations Faculty in 20 Countries’ study. The response rate for South Africa was 28/40, or 70% (Maliniak, Peterson, and Tierney 2012, 6).

3 Please note that this is an estimate, as it is not always clear from the tables of contents which are articles and which book reviews.

4 94% of respondents believe there should be a larger number of links between the academic and policy communities (Maliniak, Peterson, and Tierney 2012, 67).

5 The notion that an IR education in countries of the South like China, Brazil, or India may be of a very high quality—and possibly of greater relevance to South African students—is simply not considered.

6 For more on this, see Smith (2009).