Article
The Changing Faces? of Power in International Relations 1979-2019
Journal of Political Power
(2021)
Abstract
This article traces how the major paradigms in international relations have viewed power over the past 40 years. It argues that theorizing in the 1970s began a bifurcation that served to split the vison of power between two extremes: a hard-power pole on one side (Realism) and a soft-power pole on the other (Neoliberalism and Constructivism). It further argues that scholars who have studied international power have merely been engaged in hovering around the mean, and have always embraced the belief that power was not a binary concept. In fact, a close reading of the inspirational texts for both extremes suggests as much. The Realists have been much softer than is portrayed in theory, and similarly the alternatives to Realism have actually been harder than is portrayed. Rather than looking to the theoretical poles for the true face of international power, scholars are best off embracing a smarter middle or Cosmopolitan view of power.
Keywords
- Realism,
- Neoliberalism,
- Cosmopolitan Power,
- Smart Power,
- Soft Power
Disciplines
Publication Date
Winter 2021
Citation Information
Giulio M Gallarotti. "The Changing Faces? of Power in International Relations 1979-2019" Journal of Political Power Vol. 14 Iss. 1 (2021) ISSN: 2158-379X Available at: http://works.bepress.com/giulio_gallarotti/59/