Introduction to IR

Lecture 7b: The international and other spatially defined domains

This week we are looking at the way international relations has been divided into realms, or domains, of action.

Monday:

• the realms of state, economy and civil society

Today:

• the geographical, or spatial, realms of domestic, international, transnational, regional, and global

The separation of international relations into realms (or domains) allows us to refine our concepts. However these domains are, in reality interpenetrated – or interconnected.

The traditional core of international relations scholarship is a division of politics into domestic and international.

The levels of analysis model reflects this division of domestic and international and has had considerable influence on international relations scholars.

The levels of analysis model divides international relations into three layers or realms: local (or domestic) state, and global (or international). These layers relate to the geographical location of particular types of politics.

• local level = domestic politics

• state = behaviour and business of nation-states

• global = a realm that potentially extends across the entire world

Problems with the levels of analysis model

• The environment
• Economic consumption

These phenomena show that the local, state and global are interpenetrated/interconnected.

This should lead us to ask three questions:

1. Why might this levels of analysis model have come about in the first place?
2. Are there other spatial concepts - other realms - that might more accurately grasp where phenomena such as those that I have just discussed take place?
3. Are there other models that might explain the patterns that exist in international relations?

The levels of analysis model is a strict interpretation of the phrase ‘inter-national relations’ = relations between national states such as war.

The billiard ball analogy:

• global level = empty table
• state level = individual billiard balls

Transnational = goods, people, ideas, money and so on crossing borders

Region (e.g., European Union)

1. A distinct concentration of patterns of interaction. Thus there is a markedly higher rate of interaction between European Union countries than between Those countries and non-European countries.
2. Common institutions: such as the Council of Europe, The European Parliament and so on.
3. A common culture – be that social or political. We talk of a European or an Islamic culture creating commonalities between certain countries.

Regions are difficult to define – is Pakistan, for example part of the Islamic world, or part of South Asia, or Part of Central Asia?

Global domain = 3 ways we could understand this concept:

1. Things that affect the world as a physical environment.
2. As the realm of world-wide interconnections.
3. As a global consciousness

Is the cobweb model a better picture of the relation of the spatial domains of international relations?