Basic Assumptions of Marxist International Relations Theory
- Totality: Politics, society, economics, history, culture are interrelated
And cannot be studied in abstraction
- Materialism: Material conditions drive major changes, events, and outcomes in human
History. Relations of material production are the base of history upon which the
Superstructure rests
- Class conflict: A capitalist economy, relations of production and inequality create
Conflict between different socio-economic classes
Implications of the Marxist Worldview
- Material conditions drive outcomes at the international level
- Like a domestic economy, global politics has classes and relations of inequality which lock
States into systems of structural conflict
- In these relations, poorer states/regions are at a systematic disadvantage. They will be
Systematically exploited by wealthy state with more resources
- Generally, these theorists view this system as unjust and suggest a variety of means by
Which it could be altered
What is Dependency Theory
- Emerged in the developing world in 1960s and 1970s
- Colonialism over but patterns of economic domination remain unchanged
- Economic periphery which provides the world with raw materials and a core
Which produced its advanced goods
- Periphery is totally dependent upon the core for its economic development, Which gives core great power
- Periphery must break these patterns – investing in domestic economies to grow capacities to
Produce advanced goods
Marxist International Relations & Dependency Theory