Henry DiGennaro - Post 1

 Race and International Politics

The opening of the article defines race as a driving factor in International-Relations, but to me it seems as if it is correlation, not causation. The article talks about the driving areas of study revolving around Europe and the white man. For much of history Europe has been the center of the world and has been the catalyst for world events, and the leader in technology and innovation. It is important to note that the world can still racist and Eurocentric, but as we talked about in class in regards to the history of international relations, these ideas came to be in Europe. The history of IR is based on World War One and two, and aims to prevent another catastrophic event on a global scale.  World War Two was predominantly fought in Europe and would destroy much of the global powers in terms of both land and resources. The global scale that encompasses International-Relations is often dictated by the winners of the conflict and those that hold the power. 

In connection to the world we live in today the authors suggest that “One concrete step would be for ISA and other IR hubs to organize sections on race.” In order for the study of international relations to truly prosper it makes sense to expand to a more Asian study of modern relations. China, and the four tiger economies of Asia are quickly challenging the world economic order with their purchasing power and growing populations. US and China relations will be the underlying topic of almost all forign conflicts and affairs for the upcoming decades. The events in the South China sea are an example for international relations being tested and the repercussions of years of flawed forign policy. It is important that all areas of the world are covered in the study of IR because the 21st century is the age of interconnectedness and codependency.


Comments

  1. pols170 claire doyle blogSeptember 7, 2021 at 3:08 PM

    This is an interesting point I didn't really consider when reading the article! Your points on how Europe has always been and still is the center of innovation and technological advancements. I also like how you tied this subject into the world we live in today.

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  2. Keri GilliganSeptember 7, 2021 at 5:22 PM

    I am taking East Asian Politics this semester, so your last paragraph connects really well to topics we are covering. I too see great importance and benefits from studying countries like China to see why China has seen such rapid growth in the recent decades. Additionally, the issues around the South East Asian Sea are unfolding right now so it will be interesting to see how this changes the dynamic of the US-China relations in the foreseeable future.

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  3. AnonymousSeptember 10, 2021 at 11:47 AM

    Henry,

    I wouldn't mind seeing if I can push you some on your correlation, not causation claim. Correlation often means that there is little to no connection. Is that what you are claiming? Or are you claiming that causation is backward. That in an anarchic system, some sides win and some sides lose and what we see if the implications of that. It is not driven by race (though with nation-state that is always likely) but instead by the system itself.

    Wonder which you think it is?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Henry DiGennaroSeptember 11, 2021 at 7:13 AM

      I was trying to imply that throughout history there are the winners and losers, and the winners often dictate how the world progresses and what is important. I meant to stress that it is really the system that lead us to where we are today.

      Delete

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