From International to World Society?
From International to World Society?
In this 2004 book, Barry Buzan offers an extensive critique and reappraisal of the English school approach to International Relations. Starting on the neglected concept of world society and bringing together the international society tradition and the Wendtian mode of constructivism, Buzan offers a new theoretical framework that can be used to address globalisation as a complex political interplay among state and non-state actors. This approach forces English school theory to confront neglected questions about both its basic concepts and assumptions, and about the constitution of society in terms of what values are shared, how and why they are shared, and by whom. Buzan highlights the idea of primary institutions as the central contribution of English school theory and shows how this both differentiates English school theory from realism and neoliberal institutionalism, and how it can be used to generate distinctive comparative and historical accounts of international society.
- A major and long overdue critique and reappraisal of English school theory
- Highlights the idea of primary institutions as the central contribution of English school theory
- There is growing interest in the English school as one of the main approaches to the study of IR
Reviews & endorsements
"From International to World Society is the most important contribution to the English School's grand theory for a decade.... there is no doubt that the volume makes an important and ground-breaking contribution to both English School theory and International Relations theory more broadly." Alex J. Bellamy, International Affairs
"This book represents an attempt to rethink and redevelop the English School project as a coherent research program. Although it builds on the basic assumptions and premises that underlie the English School framework, it greatly expands the scope of the project and rethinks many of the fundamental issues and tensions. It actively engages with much of American social science and sociological literatures, makes some very nice links to American constructivist scholarship, and offers some excellent ways to improve the Wendtian approach.... the most important English School work in a generation." Bruce Cronin, City College of New York
Product details
May 2006Adobe eBook Reader
9780511189586
0 pages
0kg
4 tables
This ISBN is for an eBook version which is distributed on our behalf by a third party.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- 1. English school theory and its problems: an overview
- 2. World society in English school theory
- 3. Concepts of world society outside the English school
- 4. Reimagining the English school's triad
- 5. Reconstructing the pluralist-solidarist debate
- 6. The primary institutions of international society
- 7. Bringing geography back in
- 8. Conclusions: a portrait of contemporary interstate society.
