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Politikon
South African Journal of Political Studies
Volume 27, 2000 - Issue 2
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Original Articles

Rethinking the study of International Relations in South Africa

Pages 207-220 | Published online: 18 Aug 2010

  • Cox , Robert . 1992 . “ Towards a Post-Hegemonic Conceptualization of World Order: Reflections on the Relevancy of Ibn Khaldun' ” . In Governance Without Government: Order and Change in World Politics , Edited by: Rosenau , James and Czempiel , Ernst-Otto . Cambridge : Cambridge University Press .
  • NeI , Philip . 1993 . 'Political Relations and the Analogy of Language' . Theoria , 81/82 October : 56
  • Halliday , Fred . 1991 . 'International Relations: Is There a New Agenda?' . Millennium: Journal of International Studies , 20 (1) : 66
  • Vale , Peter . 1989 . “ 'Whose World is it Anyway? International Relations in South Africa' ” . In The Study of International Relations: The State of the Art , Edited by: Dyer , Hugh and Mangasarian , Leon . 207 Basingstoke : Macmillan . At the time of writing, Vale mentioned the work of Mervyn Frost as being the sole exception to the paucity in IR theoretical thinking in South Africa. Frost has subsequently left South Africa. Realism and objectivist epistemology remains dominant within the academy, despite the best efforts of a nascent group of South African IR scholars. One example suffices: the first ever 'Critical IR Theory' panel at a South African Political Studies Association meeting was only held in 1999. Such panels have been long established at similar conferences abroad. Depressingly, the panel itself was organised by a non-South African and two of the three panellists were foreigners!
  • Carlsnaes , Walter and Muller , Marie , eds. 1997 . “ 'Introduction' ” . In Change and South African External Relations , Halfway House : International Thompson Publishing .
  • Linklater , Andrew . 1992 . "The Question of the Next Stage in International Relations Theory: A Critical-Theoretical Perspective' . Millennium: Journal of International Studies , 21 In doing so, it consciously follows Andrew Linklater's call for an immediate centring on the issues of community in international affairs and the essence, progress and potential for transformation of standards of moral exclusivity and inclusivity in the service of an emancipatory and critically informed research programme. See, for example
  • Ashley , Richard . 1981 . 'Political Realism and Human Interests' . International Studies Quarterly , 25 I use die term 'neo-realism' to distinguish the approach between 'technical realism' á Ia Kenneth Waltz and 'practical realism' á Ia Hans Morgenthau, as Ashley outlines;
  • Carr , E. H. 1981 . The Twenty Years Crisis 1919-1939: An Introduction to the Study of International Relations , 7 London : Macmillan . Practical realism does largely remain anchored to the interest of control, despite its tentative post-positivist agenda, but at least is sensitive to the sterility of thought engendered by inflexible realism. Furthermore, great 'realist' scholars such as E. H Carr (despite the spurious attempts by neo-realists to claim to be his successors) of course queried how states alone can contribute to social justice, and rejected the idea that IR could be scientifically studied. As Carr wrote on economics, 'the facts about capitalism are not, like the facts about cancer, independent of the attitude of people towards if;
  • Jones , Charles . 1998 . E. H. Carr and International Relations: A Duty to Lie , Cambridge : Cambridge University Press . Carr's realism was that of a 'Utopian realist', something qualitatively different from the realism expounded by Waltz et al. For an excellent--and sympathetic--treatment of Carr, see
  • Frost , Mervyn . 1986 . Towards a Normative Theory of International Relations , 10 Cambridge : Cambridge University Press .
  • Horkheimer , Max . 1972 . Critical Theory: Selected Essays , New York : Free Press .
  • Plessis , Anton du . 1998 . “ 'From Marginalised to Dominant Discourse: Reflections on the Evolution of New Security Thinking--A Response' ” . In 'Caring' Security in Africa: Theoretical and Practical Considerations in New Security Thinking , Monograph No. 20 Edited by: Solomon , Hussein and van Aardt , Maxi . Pretoria : Institute for Security Studies . emphasis added
  • Waltz , Kenneth . 1979 . Theory of International Politics , Reading, MA : Addison-Wesley . I refer of course to the scientific claims made by
  • Solomon , Hussein . 1996 . 'In Defence of Realism: Confessions of a Fallen Idealist' . African Security Review , 5 (2)
  • Ibid.
  • Halliday , Fred . 1996 . “ 'The Future of International Relations: Fears and Hopes' ” . In International Theory: Positivism and Beyond , Edited by: Smith , Steve , Booth , Ken and Zalewski , Marysia . 319 Cambridge : Cambridge University Press .
  • Olivier , Gerrit and Geldenhuys , Deon . 1997 . 'South Africa's Foreign Policy: from idealism to pragmatism' . Business and the Contemporary World , IX (2)
  • Ibid., p. 368.
  • Spence , Jack . 1996 . "The Debate over South Africa's Foreign Polic' . South African Journal of International Affairs , 4 (1) Although this will be dealt with in detail below, Spence was perhaps the first to start dividing commentators on South African foreign policy into 'radicals' and 'pragmatists'. The radicals were pictured as being unrealistic and naïve; see
  • Mills , Greg . 1997 . 'Pretoria Discovers that with Greater Diplomatic Authority Comes the Duty of Engaging the Continent's Problems' . Sunday Independent , 11 May
  • Geldenhuys , Deon . 1991 . Towards a New South Africa: The Foreign Policy Dimension' . International Affairs Bulletin , 15 (3) : 19
  • Mills , Greg . 1997 . “ 'Leaning All Over the Place? The Not-So-New South Africa's Foreign Policy' ” . In Fairy Godmother, Hegemon or Partner? In Search of a South African Foreign Policy , Monograph Series Na 3 Edited by: Solomon , Hussein . 32 Pretoria : Institute of Security Studies .
  • Vale , Peter . 1994 . 'Continuity Rather Than Change: South Africa's "New" Foreign Policy' . Indicator SA , 12 (3) : 82
  • Mills , Greg . 1999 . 'Growth and Stability Top Foreign Agenda' . Sunday Independent , 27 June
  • Guelke , Adrian . 1999 . South Africa in Transition: The Misunderstood Miracle , 154 London : I. B. Tauris .
  • Mills , Greg . 1996 . 'South Africa's Foreign Policy Priorities: A 1996 Update' . CSIS Africa Notes , 180 January : 5
  • van Aardt , Maxi and Schoeman . 1995 . 'Back to the Future? Women and Security in Post-Apartheid Southern Africa' . Strategic Review for Southern Africa , XVII (2) : 17
  • 1994 . Mail & Guardian , 16 September
  • Hill , Christopher and Beshoff , Pamela , eds. 1994 . Two Worlds of International Relations: Academics, Practitioners and the Trade in Ideas , London : Routledge .
  • Booth , Ken . 1997 . 'Discussion: A Reply to Wallace' . Review of International Studies , 23 (1) : 373
  • Baylis , John and Rengger , N. J. 1992 . “ 'Introduction: Theories, Methods, and Dilemmas in World Polities' ” . In Dilemmas of World Politics: International Issues in a Changing World , Edited by: Baylis , John and Rengger , N. J. 18 Oxford : Clarendon Press .
  • Hollis , Martin and Smith , Steve . 1990 . Explaining and Understanding International Relations , Oxford : Clarendon Press .
  • du Plessis , Anton . 1997 . 'Revisiting South Africa's National Interest in an Era of Change and Transition: Theoretical Considerations and Practical Manifestations' . Strategic Review for Southern Africa , XIX (2)
  • Vale , Peter . 'Random Speaking Notes on South Africa's Foreign Policy' . paper prepared for submission to ANC Study-Group on Foreign Policy . March 14 , Cape Town.
  • 1998 . Mail & Guardian , 13 November
  • 1999 . Sunday Times , 7 November
  • Linklater , Andrew . 1998 . The Transformation of Political Community , 21 Cambridge : Polity Press .
  • Gramsci , Antonio . 1971 . Selections From the Prison Notebooks , 60 London : Lawrence and Wishart .
  • Geldenhuys , Deon . 1998 . Foreign Political Engagement: Remaking States in the Post-Cold War World , Basingstoke : Macmillan .
  • Mills , Greg . 1995 . 'Waiting for the Fig Leaf to Drop' in Greg Mills, Alan Beggs and Anthoni van Nieuwkerk, South Africa in the Global Economy , 2 365 Johannesburg : South African Institute of International Affairs . Geldenhuys and Olivier (1997), op. cit.
  • Davies , Loan . 1976 . “ Time, Aesthetics, and Critical Theory' ” . In On Critical Theory , Edited by: O'Neill , John . 59 New York : Seabury Press .
  • Nzimande , Blade . 1999 . 'Challenging the New Imperialists' . Sunday Independent , 11 July
  • Spence , Jack . 1995 . 'Realists Wrestle with Radicals' . Mail & Guardian , 25 August
  • Mills , Greg . 1997 . 'SA's Foreign Policy Imperatives' . Business Day , 22 October criticism of South Africa's relations with Libya, phrased as not being in line with
  • Shaw , Timothy . 1994 . "The South in the "New World (Dis)Order": Towards a Political Economy of Third World Foreign Policy in the 1990s' . Third World Quarterly , 15 (1) : 18 – 19 .
  • Southall , Roger . 1994 . 'The New South Africa in the New World Order: Beyond The Double Whammy' . Third World Quarterly , 15 (1)
  • Gill , Stephen . 1990 . “ 'The Emerging Hegemony of Transnational Capital: Trilateralism and Global Order' ” . In World Leadership and Hegemony , Edited by: Rapkin , David . 120 – 1 . Boulder, CO : Westview Press .
  • Vale , Peter . 1997 . “ 'South Africa's Prospects from a Global Perspective-A View from the South' ” . In A Future South Africa: Prospects for 1999 and Beyond , Edited by: Kotzé , Hennie . 22 Stellenbosch : Centre for International and Comparative Politics .
  • Ibid., p. 23.
  • Holiday , Anthony . 1998 . 'Foreign Policy? What Foreign Policy?' . Mail & Guardian , 4-10 September
  • van Nieuwkerk , Anthoni . 'Foreign Policy for the New Millennium: Nice Vehicle-But Who's the Driver?' . paper presented at Idasa/FGD Foreign Affairs Forum . March 25 , Cape Town. pp. 4
  • Biersteker , Thomas . 1989 . 'Critical Reflections on Post-Positivism in International Relations' . International Studies Quarterly , 33 (3) : 265
  • Tooze , Roger . 1997 . “ 'Constructive Criticism: Threats, Imperatives and Opportunities of a Constitutive IPE' ” . In Constituting International Political Economy , Edited by: Burch , Kurt and Denemark , Robert . 209 Boulder, CO : Lynne Rienner .
  • Cox , Robert . 1986 . “ 'Social Forces, States, and World Orders: Beyond International Relations Theory' ” . In Neo-Realism and its Critics , Edited by: Keohane , Robert . 208 New York : Columbia University Press .
  • NeI , Philip . 1998 . 'Idealism Resurgent (and What Realists Should Do About It): Ideas and Foreign Aid' . South African Journal of International Affairs , 5 (2) Philip Nel's work on the role of ideas regarding foreign aid is an exception to this paucity within South African IR; see
  • Marx , Karl . 1935 . “ 'The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte' ” . In [1852] in A Handbook of Marxism , 116 London : Victor Gdlancz .
  • van Nieuwkerk , Anthoni . 1997 . 'The Unbearable Lightness of Globalisation' . Global Dialogue , 2 (2) : 2
  • Ibid
  • Vale , Peter . 1998 . 'Explaining South Africa's Foreign Policy: Some Early Thoughts on the Mandela Years' . Southern African Political and Economic Monthly , 11 (13) : 11
  • Leysens , Anthony . 1998 . Southern Africa: The Case for a Coxian Approach , Southern African Perspectives, No. 74 14 CSAS, University of the Western Cape .
  • Schoeman , Maxi . 1998 . 'Celebrating Westphalia's 350th Birthday: Reflections on the State of the State in Southern Africa' . South African Journal of International Affairs , 5 (2) : 15
  • Mvambi , Mondli . 2000 . 'Human Security: The Condition for the Success of the African Renaissance' .
  • Notshulwana , Mxolisi . 'GEAR and Southern Africa: The Implications of Macroeconomic Policy on Regionalism' . presented at the African Association of Political Science, South Africa Colloquium . 25-6 May , Alice : University of Fort Hare . 2000
  • Vale , Peter and Taylor , Ian . 'South Africa's Foreign Policy Five Years On--From Pariah State to "Just Another Country" ' . Round Table: Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs , 352 October For a criticism of this position, see

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