An 8 min read
Scholarly aspirations in international relations have widely sought to uncover a broad, overarching, and highly applicable set of “rules” that can be deployed in assessing and forecasting the actions of states on the global stage. Such theories often hinge on conceptions of enduring dynamics such as polarity, deterrence theory, and even human nature. But these approaches to international relations studies are distinctly lacking in humanist considerations, and thus seek (comparatively) simple and easily generalizable answers to deeply complex problems. A shift toward strategic culture thinking — even at the introductory levels of political education and thought — is becoming increasingly necessary for the development of comprehensive and valuable theoretical frameworks to be effectively employed toward the goals of international relations scholarship moving forward...