Sociological Liberalism §

• Is a strand of Neo-Liberalism
• Sociological Liberalism: transnational relations: between people, groups, and organizations between nations. [^1]
  • Peaceful nature is driven by mutual interest
  • Rejects realist’s view that International Relations is only between states. [^2]
  • Support the concept of Transnationalism
• Transnationalism: International Relations conducted by states are influenced by relations among private individuals, groups, and societies.
  • Provide Peace, Stability…
  • Similar to Pluralism: actors apart from states also influence international relations

Scholarly Perspectives on Sociological Liberalism [^2] §

James Rosenau §

says International Relations conducted by states are influenced by relations among private individuals, groups, and societies.

Transnationalism produce effects on global affairs:

• Better education, accessibility to tech, communication, travel allow more extended activities
• The complex world makes state’s control over their citizens lessen, citizen’s ties to their state is weak (multi centric > state centric)

Richard Cobden §

International Peace and stability is better maintained by private individuals of each states rather than the state people.

Karl Deutsch §

High Mutual interests/transnational ties can lead to “security communities” pursuing the same interests by cooperating as one. (NATO…)

Condition for emergence of security communities are

1. Increasing social communication
2. Greater Mobility of persons
3. Stronger economic ties
4. Wide range of mutual human transactions

John Burton §

Realism’s Billiard balls less likely to collide but will produce big impact if collided.

The Cobweb Model: many different groups of individuals have overlapping ties to each other ⇒ lessening and minimizing the impacts of conflicts

References §

1. Chapter 2 Theories of IR
2. Jackson(2013)IntroductionInternationalRelationsa Chapter 4 Liberalism