Still getting the blog up, but here’s the post:

I think my initial perception of IR proper (as a field, not just an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree) was that it told a few select narratives that focused on… well, states, and by extension “politics” in the narrowest sense of the word. I imagined these theories to the ones that had initially allowed things like colonialism to happen and so fails to be accountable for the present mess it has made. I had kind of written off traditional IR or poli sci because I’m much more interested in how groups of people relate to each other, how power functions in these spaces, mapping the damage that has been done, and participating in the process of moving forward. Personally, I’ve found that aspects of more critical theory are much more helpful in dissecting interpersonal relationships and current events. Initially, I was drawn to 367 because I wanted to understand influential ideas in the broader political field. I figured I’d take this class in the Fall semester, and Critical Theory in the Winter semester. Between these two, I hope to get a solid understanding of some of the major thinkers and events that shape current debates/ discussions.

I’ve always been fascinated with why people perceive the world the way they do. I think of theory as being closely related to worldview – a set of presuppositions about the world that shapes interpretations of what is and what ought to be. Political theory seems to try to explain particular areas of the world, but is still shaped hugely by what information people receive and are able/willing to receive in their personal lives. As such, I was delighted to find myself resonating hugely with the authors of the book in the introduction who noted that, “All theories are located in space, time culture, and history” (p 9), so “[t]he choice, then, is one of whether are aware of the assumptions you are bringing to your study of the world or not” (p. 8).

My question at present is how to maximize the information I and the people around me can honestly perceive. I think it means recognizing our blinders or lenses and where they come from. In order to better engage with my varying communities, I want to understand and name the frameworks at play in conversation, and tie them back to the individual experiences. This seems especially important in what feels like an increasingly polarized political atmosphere (in North America, at least — I haven’t lived very long or anywhere else, so I feel like I can’t rightly say much). I think that real understanding of another individual means understanding the experiences and worldviews that shape certain groups of people. At some level, people stake a claim in a theory or a worldview because it matches what they see in the world, and different ideas have consequences for their interpretation of the world and their personal narrative. (Or because they live with massive cognitive dissonance, which is also possible, but a different subject.) My hope is that if people can identify their own emotions and validate their own experiences individually, they might not project it as the universal truth. It seems to tie into what the authors state about recognizing positionality in approaching an idea, but not justifying an entire framework on the basis of that single experience:

“But in putting forward this view of theory we need to be clear that we are not saying each theory is equally good at explaining everything. It is not a case of ‘anything goes.’ Thus, while we do not think theory choice is simply a matter of whatever appeals to a reader on a given day, we do think that the grounds cannot be those of one dominant view of epistemology and methodology.  (p 11)”

I really appreciated how the authors pushed readers to approach issues with nuance, to unpack their own stories, and then to appreciate what different skill sets different theories bring. At the end of the day, even if other people don’t care to interrogate what frameworks they have unconsciously adopted (and why), it is still helpful for me when navigating the social landscape around me. I’m excited for the class!