The importances of culture for international security (PDF)

Scientific Essay from the year 2011 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: Peace and Conflict Studies, Security, grade: 8.6, Sarajevo School of Science and Technology, course: International Security, language: English, abstract: Over the past few decades, political scientists have extensively pondered on the various theories that describe, suggest or reflect the nature of international security. Some are encouraging and ambitious, others firmly pessimistic, and with a few exceptions, all are often too abstract from contemporary and relevant practices and viewpoints. Such theories have too often steered away from the relevant factors needed for the establishment of international peace and security. The rise of certain doctrines, most often in the form of nationalist ideologies, have been met with the suppression of highly important elements that are used to define social groups, culture being one of them.

Even though the term 'culture' can be broadly defined, in this context it is a reference to the unavoidable social diversity among the world population in terms of social norms, practices, traditions, ideologies etc. Social theorists such as constructivists would argue that the human factor is very often disregarded when creating and implementing decisions that concern multiple social groups. The issue of uncertainty is an example of the problems posed by the clash of different cultures as well as the limited research and education (social-wise) that plagues such conflicts.