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