International Quarterly of Foreign Relations

International Quarterly of Foreign Relations

Embedded Polarity: Explanation of Polarity Ratio and Field Order

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Hadi Soleimanpour 1
Mojtaba Hosseinifahraji 2
Ali Salehian 3
Mostafa Najafi 4
Sajad Soleimanpour 5
1 Faculty of International Relations and Head of the Foreign Policy and International Relations Committee of the Secretariat of the Expediency Discernment Council, Tehran, Iran
2 PhD Student, Tarbiat Modares University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
3 PhD Student, Tarbiat Modares University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
4 PhD Student of International Relations, university of tarbiat modares, Tehran, Iran
5 MA in International Relations, School of International Relations, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/fr.2024.460673.1541
Abstract
Global order has an immediate effect on international relations(IR). The upcoming world order is one of the main concerns of scholars and practitioners of this discipline. It seems the post-World War liberal order evolving into an unsettled order. One of the most important foundations of any order is to explore the features of polarity,which somehow represents the distribution of power. The main question is “How could distribution of power at a global level and the form of polarity in the upcoming world order”. This article is a theoretical examination to address the relationship between Order and Polarity.The results indicate that the upcoming order will be the thematic order in which the relative advantages (material and cognitive capabilities) of great powers, in each theme have been materialized. In that kind of order, polarization will form within each theme to distribute power and regulate interactions between powers in the same theme. This kind of polarity named as “Embedded polarity” depicts the relations of great powers in every field. Embeddedness means that cooperation like competition has been inherited from each theme. Therefore, the interaction of powers depends on the on-ground situation in each field. This new emerging concept of polarity will shape the upcoming world order.
Keywords
The upcoming world order"
power"
polarity"
institutional arrangements"
Thematic order"
"
embedded polarity"

Subjects

  • Acharya, A. (2018), Constructing Global Order: Agency and Change in World Politics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Alison, G. (2017), Destined for War: Can America and China Scape Thucydides’s Trap?, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
  • Aron, R. (1962). Paix et Guerre entre les Nations (3ieme ed.). Paris: Calmann-Levy.
  • Beckley, M. (2018), The Power of Nations: Measuring what matters, International Security, 43(2), pp 7-44.
  • Betts, R. K. (2022). The Grandiosity of grand strategy. The Washington Quarterly, 42(4) pp 7-22.
  • Bremmer, Ian. (2023). The Next Global Superpower Isn’t Who You Think, TED, at: https://go.ted.com/ianbremmer23
  • Buzan, Barry. (2004). The United States and the Great Powers: World Politics in Twenty First Century. Policy Press.
  • Buzan, Barry and Waever, Ole. (2003). Regions and Power. Cambridge University Press.
  • Buzan, Barry, Acharya, Avita (2019), The Making of Global International Relations, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Caverley, J. D. and Dombrowski, P. (2019). Crusing for a bruising: When does naval arms racing become dangerous? (Unpublished manuscript, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and U. S. Naval War College).
  • Checkel, Jeffrey. (2013), “Theoretical Pluralism in IR: Possibilities and Limits.”, In Handbook of International Relations, 2nd ed., edited by Walter Carlsnaes, Thomas Risse, and Beth Simmons, 220–243, London: Sage.
  • Della Porta, Donatella and Keating, Michael. (2008), Approaches and Methodologies in the Social Sciences: A Pluralist Perspective, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • De Keersmaeker, G. (2017), Polarity, Balance of Power and International Relations Theory: Post Cold War and the 19th Century Compered, Springer.
  • De Wijk, Rob. (2020), Power Politics in The Changing Global Order: Challenges and Prospects, J. Springer.
  • Drezner, D. W., Krebs, R. R. and Schweller, R. (2020) The end of grand strategy, Foreign Affairs, 99(3). Pp 107-117.
  • Evans, Peter. (1985). Embedded Autonomy: States and Industrial Transformation, Princeton University Press.
  • Evans, Peter. (2023). From Embedded Autonomy to Counter _Hegemonic Globalization: A 60 _Year Adventure in Exploring Comparative Political Economy, Annual Reviews of Sociology, 2023. 49:1-18, available at: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc00310121-104426.
  • Flackhart, T. (2016). The coming Multi-Order World, Contemporary Security Policy, 37(1), pp 3-30.
  • Fearon, J. D. (2010), Comments on R. Harrison Wagner’s war and the state: The Theory of International Politics. International Theory, 2(2), pp 333-342.
  • Formici, Giulia (2019), The role of the BRICS group in the international arena: a legal network under construction, Third World Thematic, Vol. 4, No. 6, Doi: The role of the BRICS group in the international arena: a legal network under construction: Third World Thematic: A TWQ Journal: Vol 4, No 6 (tandfonline.com).
  • Gaddis, J. L. (1989), The Long Peace: Inquiries into the History of the Cold War, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
  • Gavin F. J. and Steinberg, J. B. (2020). The vision thing: Is grand strategy dead? Foreign Affairs, 99(4), pp 187-191.
  • Gilpin, Robert. )1988(. War and Change in World Politics, Cambridge University Press.
  • Griffiths, M. (2013), Encyclopedia of International Relations and Global Politics, United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.
  • Haass, R. N. (2008, May-June), The Age of Non-polarity: What will follow US dominance, Foreign Affairs. pp 44-56.
  • Hansen, B. (2011), Unipolarity and World Politics: A Theory and its Implications, London: Routledge.
  • Hearn, Jonathan (2014), On the social evolution of power to/over, Journal of Political Power, DOI: Citation Manager | Taylor & Francis Online (tandfonline.com).
  • Ikenberry, John. (2018). The End of Liberal International Order? International Affairs, 94(1), pp 7-23.
  • Kakonen, Jyrki (2019), Global change: BRICS and the pluralist world order, Third World Thematic, Vol. 4, No. 6, Doi: Global change: BRICS and the pluralist world order: Third World Thematic: A TWQ Journal: Vol 4, No 6 (tandfonline.com).
  • Kaplan, M. A. (1957) 2005. System and Process in International Politics. Wiley.
  • Kissinger, H. (2015). World Order (Reprint ed.). Penguin Books.
  • Lasswell, H. D. (1945). The interrelations of world organizations and society, The Yale Law Journal, 55(5), pp 889-909.
  • Lagutina, Maria (2019), BRICS in a world of regions, Third World Thematic, Vol. 4, No. 6. Doi: BRICS in a world of regions: Third World Thematic: A TWQ Journal: Vol 4, No 6 (tandfonline.com).
  • Layne, Christopher (2018), The US-Chinese Power Shift and the End of Pax Americana, International Affairs, Vol. 92, No. 1: 89-111, Doi: US–Chinese power shift and the end of the Pax Americana | International Affairs | Oxford Academic (oup.com).
  • Levy, J. S. (1985).The Polarity of the System and International Stability: An Empirical Analysis. In A. N. Sabrosky (ed.), The Changing Structure of International Conflict (pp. 41-66). Boulder, CO: Westview.
  • Levy, J. S. & Thompson, W. R. )2010). Balancing on land and at sea: Do states ally against the leading global power? International Security, 35(1) Summer 7-43.
  • Lieber, Robert. J. (2022). Polarity, Non-polarity, and the risk of A-Polarity. in Polarity in International Relations: Past, Present, Future (ed. Graeger, N. and Waever, O. et al.), Palgrave MacMillan.
  • McLean, Kate, Pasupathi, Monisha, Syed, Moin (2023), Cognitive scripts and narrative identity are shaped by structures of power, Trends in Cognitive Sciences, Vol. 27, Issue. 9: 805-813, Doi: Cognitive scripts and narrative identity are shaped by structures of power: Trends in Cognitive Sciences (cell.com).
  • Mearsheimer, John. (2019). The great delusion: Liberal dream and international realities. Yale University Press.
  • Monteiro, N. P. (2011). Unrest assured: Why Unipolar is not Peaceful, International Security, 36(6).
  • Morgenthau, H. J. (1960). Politics among Nations: The struggle for power and peace. Alfred A. Knopf.
  • Mueller, J. (1989). Retreat from Doomsday: The Obsolescence of Major War. New York: Basic Books
  • Nye, J. S. (2017), The Kindelberger Trap, Available at: https://www.belfercenter.org/publication/kindelberger-trap
  • Owens, Baylis, J. and Smith, S. (2014), The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations, United Kingdom: OUP Oxford.
  • Pandit, P (2019), Delivering public goods and the changing financial architecture: can BRICS meet expectations, Third World Thematic, Vol. 4, No. 6. Doi: Delivering ‘public goods’ and the changing financial architecture: can BRICS meet expectations?: Third World Thematic: A TWQ Journal: Vol 4, No 6 (tandfonline.com).
  • Prather, R.W. et al. (2022), What Can Cognitive Science Do for People, Cognitive Science, 46, Doi: What Can Cognitive Science Do for People? - Prather - 2022 - Cognitive Science - Wiley Online Library.
  • Pouliot, V. (2016), International peaking order: the politics and practice of multilateral diplomacy, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Ray, J. L. and Russett, B. (1996), The future as arbiter of theoretical controversies: predictions, explanations and the end of the Cold War, British Journal of Political Science, 26(4), pp 441-470.
  • Rosecrance, R. N. (1966). Bipolarity, Multipolarity and the Future, Journal of Conflict Resolution, 10(3), pp 314-327.
  • Ruggie John Gerald, (1982). International Regimes, Transactions, and Change: Embedded Liberalism in the Postwar Economic Order, International Organization, Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 379- 415, Published by MIT, Available on: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2706527 or: https://ias.wustl.edu/files/ias/imce/ruggieinternationalregimes.compressed.pdf
  • Sarkees, Meredith Reid, Wayman, Frank. H. and Singer, J. David. (2003), Inter-State, Intra-State, and Extra-State Wars: A Comprehensive Look at Their Distribution over Time, 1816-1997, International Studies Quarterly (2003), 47,49-70.
  • Schweller, Randall. (2022), An Emerging World that Defies Historical Analogy. in Polarity in International Relations: Past, Present, Future (ed. Graeger, N. and Waever, O. et al.), Palgrave MacMillan.
  • Singer, D. J, (1987). Reconstructing the correlates of war dataset on material capabilities of states, 1816-1985. International Interactions, 14, 115-132.
  • Stuenkel, Oliver (2017), Post-Western World; How Emerging Powers Are Remaking Global Order, Cambridge: Polity Press.
  • Syed, M., and McLean, K. C. (2021), Master narrative methodology: A primer for conducting structural-psychological research, Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, Doi: Master narrative methodology: A primer for conducting structural-psychological research. (apa.org).
  • Tomja, Alida. (2014). Polarity and International System Consequences, Interdisciplinary Journal if Research and Development, Vol(I), No.1,2014. Tunsjo, O. (2018), The return of bipolarity in world politics: China, the United States, and geostructural realism, Columbia University press.
  • Waever, O. (2017). International Leadership after the demise of the last super power: System structure and stewardship. Chinese Political Science Review, 2, pp 452-476.
  • Waever, Ole. Graeger, Nina. Heurlin, Bertel. Wivel, Anders. (2022). Introduction: Understanding Polarity in Theory and History, in Polarity in International Relations: Past, Present, Future (ed. Graeger, N. and Waever, O. et al.), Palgrave MacMillan.
  • Wagner, R. H. (1993), What Was Bipolarity. International Organization, 47(1), pp 77-106.
  • Waltz, K. N. (1979), Theory of International Politics (1st), McGraw Hill.
  • Wayman, F. W. (1984). Bipolarity and War: The Role of Capability concentration and alliance patterns among major power, 1816-1965. Journal of Peace Research, 21(1), 61-78.
  • Went, A. (1999), Social Theory of International Politics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  • Wohlforth, William. C. (2022). Polarity and International order: Past and Future, in Polarity in International Relations: Past, Present, Future (ed. Graeger, N. and Waever, O. et al.), Palgrave MacMillan. Wohlforth, W.C. (1994). Realism and the end of Cold War, International security, 19(3), pp 91-129.
  • Wohlforth, William. C. (1999). The Stability of Unipolar World. International Security, 24(2), pp. 7-8.