Kieran Mckinstry | University of Edinburgh (original) (raw)

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It is the position of this paper that ISIS does not represent a unique case. Rather, it is but on... more It is the position of this paper that ISIS does not represent a unique case. Rather, it is but one example, albeit an unusually prominent and highly developed one, of violent non-state rule – a phenomenon that is not uncommon in international relations …. It has emerged from - and is sustained by - similar conditions to previous examples of violent non-state rule. In order to make our case we will construct a general framework against which to evaluate ISIS. We will do this by consulting the wide range of literature surrounding VNSRs, using Jeffrey Ian Ross’ ten structural causes of oppositional political terrorism as a basis…we ought to be left with a general list of conditions that allow or facilitate the emergence and survival of VNSRs. With this list of conditions we can use academic literature, primary sources and news sources to evaluate to what extent they apply to the case of ISIS. A low correlation would suggest that in ISIS, we are truly dealing with a novel phenomenon. A high level of correlation between our general list of conditions and those conditions which allowed the emergence and survival of ISIS would suggest that ISIS is not a unique case.

What is the role of identity, culture, and discourse in foreign policy and foreign policy process... more What is the role of identity, culture, and discourse in foreign policy and foreign policy processes? What are some of the challenges involved in research that focuses on identity, culture, and discourse and how (if at all) have foreign policy analysts addressed these challenges? Foreign Policy Analysis, as a field, can be seen as an advocate for agency in the realm of international politics. Realism, for a great period the singular approach to understanding international relations, either denies or ignores this agency. Faced with the same constraints and opportunities and occupying an identical position in the international system, Saudi Arabia, Imperial China and Communist Poland would all behave in the same rational and predictable way. This piece will review literature that challenges this claim by investigating the role of identity, culture and discourse on foreign policy. Put simply, these constructivist approaches seek to explain phenomena in international politics that neorealism cannot. First, we will investigate work on the role of identity in foreign policy and scrutinise its findings. We can engage the doubts cast on its importance within foreign policy processes, as well as the challenges posed to its study. We will then repeat this process for culture, and once more for discourse. Having done all of this, a clear picture of the importance of identity, culture and discourse in foreign policy decision making should emerge.

It is the position of this paper that ISIS does not represent a unique case. Rather, it is but on... more It is the position of this paper that ISIS does not represent a unique case. Rather, it is but one example, albeit an unusually prominent and highly developed one, of violent non-state rule – a phenomenon that is not uncommon in international relations …. It has emerged from - and is sustained by - similar conditions to previous examples of violent non-state rule. In order to make our case we will construct a general framework against which to evaluate ISIS. We will do this by consulting the wide range of literature surrounding VNSRs, using Jeffrey Ian Ross’ ten structural causes of oppositional political terrorism as a basis…we ought to be left with a general list of conditions that allow or facilitate the emergence and survival of VNSRs. With this list of conditions we can use academic literature, primary sources and news sources to evaluate to what extent they apply to the case of ISIS. A low correlation would suggest that in ISIS, we are truly dealing with a novel phenomenon. A high level of correlation between our general list of conditions and those conditions which allowed the emergence and survival of ISIS would suggest that ISIS is not a unique case.

What is the role of identity, culture, and discourse in foreign policy and foreign policy process... more What is the role of identity, culture, and discourse in foreign policy and foreign policy processes? What are some of the challenges involved in research that focuses on identity, culture, and discourse and how (if at all) have foreign policy analysts addressed these challenges? Foreign Policy Analysis, as a field, can be seen as an advocate for agency in the realm of international politics. Realism, for a great period the singular approach to understanding international relations, either denies or ignores this agency. Faced with the same constraints and opportunities and occupying an identical position in the international system, Saudi Arabia, Imperial China and Communist Poland would all behave in the same rational and predictable way. This piece will review literature that challenges this claim by investigating the role of identity, culture and discourse on foreign policy. Put simply, these constructivist approaches seek to explain phenomena in international politics that neorealism cannot. First, we will investigate work on the role of identity in foreign policy and scrutinise its findings. We can engage the doubts cast on its importance within foreign policy processes, as well as the challenges posed to its study. We will then repeat this process for culture, and once more for discourse. Having done all of this, a clear picture of the importance of identity, culture and discourse in foreign policy decision making should emerge.