From International to World Society? English School Theory and the Social Structure of Globalization
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Book Review From International to World Society? English School Theory and the Social Structure of Globalization Barry Buzan Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2004, ISBN: 0521 833485 (Hardback, price £45); 0521 541212 (Paperback, price £17.99). Acta Politica (2005) 40, 486–488. doi:10.1057/palgrave.ap.5500131
As the title suggests, the central objective of this book is to refine and explore the relationship between international society and world society, and to provide the conceptual and theoretical categories that can link the societal aspects of the relations among states with the complex changes that are often categorized under the heading of globalization. Buzan sets out to offer a structural interpretation of English School ideas and to provide a far more rigorous taxonomy of that structural interpretation. As in his other work, Buzan’s great intellectual strength lies precisely in the construction of sophisticated taxonomical schemes. He is extremely good at pinning down conceptual fuzziness and at coming up with illuminating categories and with ways of rethinking relationships — especially between solidarist understandings of international society and developments within world society. He is successful in the goal stated in the Introduction: ‘I plan to survey the basic ideas and approaches to world society, and to attempt a coherent theoretical construction of the concept’ (p. 2). He is also successful at drawing out some of the links between this interpretation and some versions of the constructivist theory. The book is essential reading both for those specifically interested in international society and for all those working more generally on international relations theory. Buzan makes many specific arguments that deserve to be stressed, applauded, and taken further. An incomplete list would include: (1) The degree to which a more sophisticated international society ‘lens’ can provide real analytical purchase on the study of globalization. (2) The powerful and persuasive argument that international society should be studied not only at the global level but also in the context of regionalism (although there is perhaps a tendency to see the European Union (EU) in terms of its solidarist potential and to downplay both the pluralist elements of the EU and, still more, the limits of solidarist achievements in all other regionalist arrangements). (3) His insistence that the debate on solidarism has been hindered by ‘the somewhat relentless focus on human rights’ (p. 46); that solidarism should not be understood solely in terms of an emphasis on human rights but rather in terms
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of ‘the extent and degree of institutionalization of shared interests and values in systems of agreed rules of conduct’ (p. 61); and that there can be forms of solidarism that are not necessarily liberal. (4) The importance of seeing colonialism and imperialism as central institutions of international society, both in the past and in the present. And, last but certainly not least, the utility of breaking up world s
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