Studying small states: A review (original) (raw)
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Small States in World Politics: State of the Art
Small States in World Politics: State of the Art, 2018
In the literature review to follow I will first provide an overview of the major efforts in small states studies, concerning most importantly the definition of 'smallness' as the area in which an agreement is yet to be reached. This will be followed by an overview of the scholarly discussions on smallness and power and strategies that small states employ to mitigate their material limitations, which have led scholars to question the concept of power. This raised the following question: are small states permanently locked into a power hierarchy which they cannot escape, or do they have a possibility to overcome their material limitations by shaping and reshaping relations in which they are found? Constructivists moved the debate away from structural variables and limitations that these states are faced with, and brought into the picture the small states' possibilities and different roles they might employ, thus bypassing the limitations emerging from the 'small vs. big powers' dichotomy. Theories of alliances, however, continue to picture the choices that are presented to small states as only two: to seek protection of bigger states or risk standing alone. Least work has been done on where and how smallness matters and where opportunities for small states lie. Future work should reflect if, when, and how 'smallness' is a factor in these states' foreign policies and their alignment politics.
DEFINING SMALL STATES: THE PERPETUAL INQUEST by THARĀ GABRIEL
The extant affair of defining small states is first established in a deeper and more intricate ontological quandary regarding what a state actually is. In international relations definitions are always a challenge where theorists and analysts are either engaged in continuous debate about what should constitute the description of the subject in question or, they eschew the task altogether. The question of ‘the state’ and by extension ‘the small state’ is not peculiar to this practice. This reading proffers that the difficulties encountered in defining small states is primarily a consequence of adherence to an archaic concept, and ergo, subscription to a notion limited by the plethora of variables and heterogeneity of what is regarded as a ‘state’. It furthers that a distinct conceptualization of ‘smallness’ remains illusory due to the fact that the quantitative and qualitative approaches employed in this field are in essence, both restrictive and paradoxical. Finally, it maintains that the inquest for a single holistic definition is a futile endeavour as interpretation will always be clouded and shadowed by individual vantage points.
Being a Small State: Discussion on the Role of Size
2019
This paper discusses theoretical debates regarding small states and their foreign policy and also argues that research should include more analysis of small states' identities and the dominant meanings related to being a small state. Using poststructuralistic theoretical perspective and discourse analysis, two empirical cases-Lithuania and New Zealand-are analysed with attention paid to the meanings of smallness and the ways these meanings are constructed. Empirical analysis follows with suggestions for how future research of small states could be improved.
Small State Foreign Policy (published in the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics)
Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics, 2017
Size matters in international relations. Owing to their unique vulnerabilities, small states have different needs, adopt different foreign policies, and have a harder time achieving favourable foreign policy outcomes than large states. Small states show a preference for multilateral organizations, because they reduce the power asymmetry between states, decrease the transaction costs of diplomacy, and impose constraints on large states. Small state security policies vary widely depending on domestic and international conditions. Despite the inherent disadvantages to being small, small states can compensate for the limitations of their size and exert influence on world politics, provided that they use the appropriate strategies.
Small state discourses in the international political economy
Third World Quarterly, 2010
This article supports growing calls to 'take small states seriously' in the international political economy but questions prevailing interpretations that 'smallness' entails inherent qualities that create unique constraints on, and opportunities for, small states.
A Small State's Guide to Influence in World Politics
Oxford University Press, 2022
Small states are crucial actors in world politics. Yet, they have been relegated to a second tier of International Relations scholarship. In A Small State's Guide to Influence in World Politics, Tom Long shows how small states can identify opportunities and shape effective strategies to achieve their foreign policy goals. To do so, Long puts small states' relationships at the center of his approach. Although small states are defined by their position as materially weaker actors vis-a-vis large states, Long argues that this condition does not condemn them to impotence or irrelevance. Drawing on typological theory, Long builds an explanation of when and how small states might achieve their goals. The book assesses a global range of cases-both successes and failures-and offers a set of tools for scholars and policymakers to understand how varying international conditions shape small states' opportunities for influence.
THE DIPLOMACY OF SMALL STATES IN THE INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL SYSTEM.
Journal for Studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, 2017
This article interrogates the undercurrents of small states foreign policy and the determinants of foreign policy making in small states. It question small states are positioned in the web of international relations with other player, such as large states. The research is guided by the assumption that small states are somewhat limited by domestic and external factor, which are the driving catalysts of international relations agendas. The analysis aims to determine how the smallness of a state can be a challenge, and how small states can survive the limitations of their smallness. The article makes use of Liberalism/Neo-Liberalism theories of International Relations (IR) Studies.