EVALUATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM IN RUSSIAN OFFICIAL DISCOURSE AND ACADEMIC ANALYSIS
The article draws a comparison between Russian official and expert foreign policy discourses, focusing on representations of the power balance and relations between major states as the defining features of international system. The author attempts to identify actual and potential contribution of aca...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MGIMO University Press
2016-10-01
|
| Series: | Vestnik MGIMO-Universiteta |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.vestnik.mgimo.ru/jour/article/view/618 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832579398543343616 |
|---|---|
| author | I. A. Istomin |
| author_facet | I. A. Istomin |
| author_sort | I. A. Istomin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The article draws a comparison between Russian official and expert foreign policy discourses, focusing on representations of the power balance and relations between major states as the defining features of international system. The author attempts to identify actual and potential contribution of academics in the Russian foreign policy thinking. Conceptual documents and programme statements of national leadership elevate the notion of 'polycentric world' as a value in itself, which guides national actions on international arena. Although, until the late 2000s its rise was perceived as a welcome, but remote prospect, since the U.S. failures in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as global financial crisis expectations regarding it construction increased. They are accompanied, however, by a more critical appraisal of the concept. The mainstream Russian expert community shares normative appreciation of the polycentric global system as an intrinsic good. It also nourishes expectations of its emergence with almost inevitable certainty. Most of the time, it does not take into account concerns incorporated in the Western IR theories, regarding destabilizing effect of competition between multiple centers of power. The article demonstrates that both Russian political leadership and expert community perceive polycentric system as an international 'great power concert', which is just one and relatively rare form of it. It requires not only virtual parity in capabilities of several players, but also the lack of serious disputes among them. Meanwhile, in the Russia academic community there is a place for a critical tradition, which associates current decentralization of the international system with its chaotization and weakening governance. In recent years this approach gains additional prominence. However, the Russian debates on global order lacks more elaborated discussion regarding sources of power in international system as well as explanation of the binding ties, which would facilitate creation of concert rather than competition among emerging powers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-38dc6078da7f4e24886bc4b413864e56 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2071-8160 2541-9099 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2016-10-01 |
| publisher | MGIMO University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vestnik MGIMO-Universiteta |
| spelling | doaj-art-38dc6078da7f4e24886bc4b413864e562025-01-30T12:16:15ZengMGIMO University PressVestnik MGIMO-Universiteta2071-81602541-90992016-10-0105(50)203310.24833/2071-8160-2016-5-50-20-33618EVALUATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM IN RUSSIAN OFFICIAL DISCOURSE AND ACADEMIC ANALYSISI. A. Istomin0Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University)The article draws a comparison between Russian official and expert foreign policy discourses, focusing on representations of the power balance and relations between major states as the defining features of international system. The author attempts to identify actual and potential contribution of academics in the Russian foreign policy thinking. Conceptual documents and programme statements of national leadership elevate the notion of 'polycentric world' as a value in itself, which guides national actions on international arena. Although, until the late 2000s its rise was perceived as a welcome, but remote prospect, since the U.S. failures in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as global financial crisis expectations regarding it construction increased. They are accompanied, however, by a more critical appraisal of the concept. The mainstream Russian expert community shares normative appreciation of the polycentric global system as an intrinsic good. It also nourishes expectations of its emergence with almost inevitable certainty. Most of the time, it does not take into account concerns incorporated in the Western IR theories, regarding destabilizing effect of competition between multiple centers of power. The article demonstrates that both Russian political leadership and expert community perceive polycentric system as an international 'great power concert', which is just one and relatively rare form of it. It requires not only virtual parity in capabilities of several players, but also the lack of serious disputes among them. Meanwhile, in the Russia academic community there is a place for a critical tradition, which associates current decentralization of the international system with its chaotization and weakening governance. In recent years this approach gains additional prominence. However, the Russian debates on global order lacks more elaborated discussion regarding sources of power in international system as well as explanation of the binding ties, which would facilitate creation of concert rather than competition among emerging powers.https://www.vestnik.mgimo.ru/jour/article/view/618international systemforeign policy discourseepistemic communitiespolycentric worldunipolarityacademic communitypolitical discourseforeign policyrussiausacenters of powergreat powersbalance of power |
| spellingShingle | I. A. Istomin EVALUATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM IN RUSSIAN OFFICIAL DISCOURSE AND ACADEMIC ANALYSIS Vestnik MGIMO-Universiteta international system foreign policy discourse epistemic communities polycentric world unipolarity academic community political discourse foreign policy russia usa centers of power great powers balance of power |
| title | EVALUATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM IN RUSSIAN OFFICIAL DISCOURSE AND ACADEMIC ANALYSIS |
| title_full | EVALUATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM IN RUSSIAN OFFICIAL DISCOURSE AND ACADEMIC ANALYSIS |
| title_fullStr | EVALUATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM IN RUSSIAN OFFICIAL DISCOURSE AND ACADEMIC ANALYSIS |
| title_full_unstemmed | EVALUATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM IN RUSSIAN OFFICIAL DISCOURSE AND ACADEMIC ANALYSIS |
| title_short | EVALUATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM IN RUSSIAN OFFICIAL DISCOURSE AND ACADEMIC ANALYSIS |
| title_sort | evaluation of the international system in russian official discourse and academic analysis |
| topic | international system foreign policy discourse epistemic communities polycentric world unipolarity academic community political discourse foreign policy russia usa centers of power great powers balance of power |
| url | https://www.vestnik.mgimo.ru/jour/article/view/618 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT iaistomin evaluationoftheinternationalsysteminrussianofficialdiscourseandacademicanalysis |