European security into the twenty-first century: beyond traditional theories of international relations

Book abstract:

This book examines theories of International Relations. The author, Adam Bronstone, asserts that the discipline has been dominated by traditionalism and an absence of alternative responses. He believes that there is a need to stimulate discussion in an area of research “devoid of substantive 'between family' rather than 'within family' debate”.

The book is broken down into four sections. The first section includes an introduction as well as a map that leads through the state of the discipline to current debates since the post-World War Two period. Authors who have been or who are still part of the current debates with respect to the theoretical future of the study of International Relations are explored; Waltz, Buzan, Morgenthau, George, Campbell, Walker and Cox. The second section examines issues relating to contemporary European security from a Gramscian viewpoint. In particular, looking at NATO enlargement according to a reading of Gramscian Marxism. The third section evaluates the ability of a reformed version of Robert Putnam's two-level paradigm to explain and understand developments pertaining to the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union. The fourth and concluding section is the concluding chapter.

This work sets out to challenge the current state of International Relations, broadly defined, on its own ground in the hopes of presenting and developing something newer and exciting for tomorrow. It will be of great interest to academics and students in the field of International Relations.

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