Main Theoretical Studies in International Studies

In throughout the time International system just kept going hard and more complex to study.
So as mentioned earlier academics found different ways and different theories to understand
these complex situations in the scenario. It’s important to understand these theories so it will
be helpful to look at different situations with different views and understand them perfectly.
Theories in international studies can mainly divided in to two parts as Classical theories and
Conventional theories. Classical theories are mainly Liberalism and Realism. These two
theories are the leading theories of International studies. In the post second world war scenario
more theories added to the international system and they are known as conventional theories.
They are like a different aspects of those main theories. Marxism, Constructivism, Feminism
are examples for conventional theories.

• Realism :-

Realism is an approach to international studies that explains and interprets world politics in
term of power. Realism has been the most dominant school of thought since the time of post
second world war time. Realists primarily emphasize on National interest, Power politics,
Security and the centrality of national state.

• Liberalism :-

Liberalism is a very much important theoretical perspective on world system. This school of
thought emphasizes international institutions, international trade and spread of democracy.
Liberalist theory origin in late 17th century and this was purified with the thoughts and views
of Voltaire, Locke, Smith and Immanuel Kant. In the post Second World War time new
generation of scholars were formed for resolve global problems and they were known as Neo
Liberalist and Pluralists.

• Marxism :-

Marxism is a school of thought has provided insightful analysis of international relations by
linking it with the analysis of capitalism. Marxism are paradigms which reject the realist and
liberal view of state conflict or cooperation, instead focusing on the economic and material
aspects. Marxists are assert that the international political system integrated in to the global
capitalism. According to the Marxism bourgeoisie states exploit proletariat states and
controlled the wealth and economy of those countries. Marxists mainly questioned about
Liberalism and Realism in their studies.

• Constructivism :-

Constructivism in the international studies is the claim that significant aspects of international
relations are historically and socially constructed, rather than inevitable consequences of
human nature or other essential characteristics of world politics. Alexander Wendt is the person
who applies insights of Social constructivism in to international Relations.

Since 1990 Constructivism has emerged as one of the prominent theories in the field of
international relations. One specific assumption of constructivism considers international
politics as a real of interaction influenced by the identities and practices of actors and directed
further by the incessantly changing norms.

• Feminism :-

International Relations was a field that male dominated for a significant of time. And there
were inequality and exploitation for women in international relation field. Feminism in
international relations theories is a board term referring concepts and models pattered altered
a particular theory in feminism to analyse the international system and corresponding
relationship. Feminist IR has not only concerned itself with the traditional focus of IR on states,
wars, diplomacy and security, but feminist IR scholars have also emphasized the importance
of looking at how gender shapes the current global political economy. Cynthia Enloe was a
leading feminist activist in international relation side and with her leading feminist able to
remove the discrimination on the field for some level.

• Postmodernism :-

Postmodern International relations is various strand of thinking, a key element to postmodernist
theories is a distrust of any account of human life which claims to have direct access to the
"truth". Post-modern international relations theory critiques theories like Marxism that provide
an overarching metanarrative to history. This has been part of international relations since 1980
and Lyotard, Foucault were the main postmodernists of the study.

• Green theory :-

Green theory on international studies mainly focus on international environmental cooperation.
This was consider as a radical theory because mainly it’s about the international system outside
the purview of major theories by focusing specifically on cross boundary or interstate problems
concerning the ecology and environment.