Fellowships: Institute of International Studies, UC Berkeley
Debra L. McCarthy, Political Science: Socialization as a Force of Moderation in International Relations. The great diversity in state governmental forms and national characters is not matched by international state behavior, which exhibits repetitive patterns ranging within constraints. To explain similarity of state behavior and particularly the often moderate character of interstate behavior, theories of international relations implicitly or explicitly use the concept of socialization. This research will adapt the concept of socialization, used primarily in psychology and sociology, to evaluate its relevance for explaining international politics. First, does socialization occur, as posited by neo-realism and implied by constructivist theories? If so, are the processes by which states become socialized mechanical processes driven by interstate competition, or is socialization dependent upon or accelerated by preexisting international institutions or international norms? An issue area case study and a country case study will be used to examine the empirical evidence for socialization, to establish a better theoretical foundation integrating socialization processes into existing theories, if appropriate, and to determine whether three existing theories of international relations provide alternative or complementary explanations for the moderation of state behavior in international politics.
Jack J. Porter, Political Science. This research explores the future of NATO by analyzing the role of
multilateral institutions in the construction of a common security
identity. Ultimately, the analysis will also shed some light on the
possible successes or failures of NATO in guaranteeing European
security. The primary focuses of the research program are the
post-Cold War future of NATO and the continued effectiveness of
multilateral approaches to guaranteeing security and stability.
Without a clear threat to balance against (i.e., the Soviet Union),
NATO appears to be taking the form of a security regime. Neorealist
international relations theorists point out that security regimes
face a number of difficulties, including the competitive nature of
security, the unforgiving nature of the arena, and the uncertainty of
how much security the state needs.According to the constructivist
school in international relations theory, however, we might expect to
see a convergence of security interests among the allies with the
emergence of a common security identity.
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Lise M. Svenson, Political Science: Organizational
Learning and Civil War Termination. Since the end of the Cold War, there has been a significant
increase in intra-state conflicts, as well as in multilateral
responses to such conflicts. International organizations such as the
United Nations, the European Union, the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, and the Organization of African Unity have
become increasingly engaged in mediating and/or ending civil
disputes, despite the fact that most do not have the mandate for
intra-state involvement. Why? To what extent has the past experience
of multilateral efforts at civil war termination had any bearing on
the way in which international groups go about resolving such wars
now? In other words, has there been some kind of "organizational
learning" regarding multilateral intervention in civil wars over the
last thirty years which might aid in understanding contemporary
multilateral intervention? How might one study this, to find out what
was learned? To answer these questions, Ms. Svenson will draw upon
four basic bodies of theoretical literature: 1) how ethnic and civil
wars begin, 2) war termination, 3) multilateralism, and 4)
organizational learning. Her case studies include the UN and regional
organizations' efforts at war termination in the Congo, Lebanon,
Yugoslavia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
See more information on Lise Svenson
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