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Theory Section Rationale

 

Proposal for establishing a Theory Section (TS)  of the International Studies Association (ISA)



Accepted by the ISA Governing Council Meeting on March 15, 2011

Rationale
The main reason for establishing a section dedicated to theory is to fill a gap created by the absence of such a section within ISA. This absence is quite remarkable, as theory is the basis on which arguments about world politics are built. It permeates academic research, plays an important role in teaching and informs the decisions of policymakers. The emergence of new journals dedicated to theory, strong representation of theorists among editors in established journals and the emergence of ‘International Political Theory’ in Europe as a distinct field indicate the popularity and importance of theory in the IR discipline.

One might argue that precisely because everybody ‘does’ theory, it is an integral part of work in all existing ISA sections and makes a new section dedicated to theory redundant. Yet the latter does not follow from the former. Each section may have a particular understanding of theory formed in support of a particular topical agenda without paying greater attention to fundamental questions about the nature of theory and theorizing itself.

There is no consensus among IR scholars what qualifies as a (good) theory, what distinguishes it from a ‘framework’ or a ‘perspective’, and, related, what theorizing entails. At one end of the spectrum, the influence of logical positivism and the virtue of parsimony reduced theory to a hypothesis, a causal statement of the sort ‘If A then B’. At the other end, scholars inspired by the postmodern Zeitgeist question theory as an explanatory device altogether and consider theorizing a political act. In between one finds a range of views on the purpose of theory (heuristic, explanatory, critical, normative) and its relationship to empirical reality, including whether theory is aimed at the past (making sense of history), the present (supporting or questioning existing conditions), or the future (generating predictions). Furthermore, dominant theoretical approaches to international politics generated within the American academy are being joined and at times challenged by perspectives from other parts of the world.

One might expect this pluralism to be expressed in lively debates among IR scholars surrounding the nature and practice of theorizing, yet exceptions aside this is not the case. Indeed, if anything the study of international politics is characterised by the absence of such debates on a wider scale. The various ‘turns’ (linguistic, sociological, psychological, historical, etc) and topical specialisations have lead to a compartmentalisation of the discipline; a discipline which due to its emphasis on the application of theories leaves little space for the creative development of theories themselves, and where meta-theoretical questions tend to be reduced to the question whether IR can be a ‘science’. Yet we need more discussion on what it takes to theorize the world of politics, how we deploy our core concepts and for what purpose. We need a section dedicated to giving IR scholars the opportunity to develop and debate theory itself.

Against this backdrop, the main aims of the Theory section are three:

First, the section will promote the importance of theory in IR scholarship and encourage scholars to focus on questions surrounding it. It will provide an intellectual home at ISA for scholars wishing to interrogate the meaning and purpose of theory, how theories emerge, how they relate to history and their impact on policymaking.

Second, it will allow the creation of new research networks and opportunities for collaboration and exchange. Because questions concerning theory are relevant to scholars regardless of regional/topical expertise or location on the theoretical spectrum, the section will have an integrative, or ‘bridging’, function for the IR community.

Third, the section aims to enhance the dialogue between IR and Political Theory and to challenge the prevailing view that substantial theory is limited to the latter. In other words, the hope is that, over the long term, the section will play a part in furthering the status of IR scholars as political theorists.

We believe a Theory section has significant potential. By its very nature, and as indicated by the signatures below collected within a short span of time, such a section will enjoy (already enjoys) wide support among IR scholars. Indeed, when mentioning the idea of a Theory section to colleagues at conferences and other occasions we often encountered surprise that it does not already exist. While a Theory Section will inevitably overlap with other ISA sections, its agenda is sufficiently distinct and has received support from a number of section chairs.

The simple title ‘Theory’ is chosen over the established labels ‘International Relations Theory’ (IR Theory) and ‘International Political Theory’ (IPT) because they stand for a distinct ‘American’ and ‘British’ approach to theorising, respectively. Specifically, the IR Theory label does not signal a fresh point of departure but risks being understood as dealing primarily with the conventional paradigms of realism, neoliberal institutionalism and social constructivism. It also (misleadingly) suggests a focus on nations while at the same time neglecting politics. The younger IPT label does open new terrain and puts politics in the foreground, yet it also has taken on a distinct meaning among British scholars, where the label came to life and is primarily associated with questions of ethics and a context-rich study of the history of ideas. The proposed section intends to be a platform for both traditions, but also for those theoretically-minded scholars who seek conversations beyond them.

Proposed Activities

  • Workshops and discussion groups around themes such as the meaning and purpose of theorizing in IR; the process of theory building; the relationship between theory and methodology / history / core concepts; the question of theoretical progress; the legacy of the ‘Third Debate’ (did it ever take place?); and the impact of theory on policymaking. A first step will be to organise a workshop and a number of high-quality panels for the 2012 ISA meeting.
  • Mailing list for members to share announcements, calls for papers, teaching and literature queries/tips, etc, possibly in overlap with a website.
  • Bi-annual electronic newsletter (in April and in November) providing overview of activities of section and its members
  • Contact and collaboration with similar groups (e.g., the ECPR standing group on International Political Theory) and ISA sections with shared aims.
  • Establishing an award for best book or article published in the field of theory by an ISA member