INTR 301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Centrism

• School: University of Calgary
• Department: International Relations
• Course: INTR 301
• Professor: Mark Baron

Document Summary

The fact that the international system is anarchical, it sets it apart from other systems at lower levels that have a supra-governmental force to lead, direct and make binding decisions for the community as a whole. We can"t study the international system in the same way that we study the systems within states. When we speak about an international actor, we"re talking about an objective social entity (means that entity has tangible form or substance, and are therefor observable in academia) They are made up of people (which gives the entities their observable form) So, when we talk about international actors, we mean something tangible. An international actor (essentially contested) is an international actor if: Play a discernible role/ function/ purpose within the international domain. A lot of these actors will also play a determinant role. Not only are they the catalyst for something in the international system, but they define how that event takes place in the international system.