TOWARDS A CLASS ANALYSIS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM
In: Acta politica: AP ; international journal of political science ; official journal of the Dutch Political Science Association (Nederlandse Kring voor Wetenschap der Politiek), Band 10, Heft 1, S. 3-13
ISSN: 0001-6810
THE CONCEPT OF CLASS IS CENTRAL TO THE UNDERSTANDING OF MODERN SOCIETY, THE OUTGROWTH OF THE CAPITALIST-INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION; IT FALLS UPON SOCIAL SCIENTISTS TO RESTORE THE CONCEPT OF 'CLASS STRUGGLE' TO ITS HISTORICAL DIGNITY. IN PARTICULAR, INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY--THE OBJECT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS DISCIPLINE--CAN & MUST BE UNDERSTOOD AS A CLASS SOCIETY IN CONTENT & AS A SOCIETY COMPOSED OF SOVEREIGN STATES ONLY IN FORM. CORPORATE MANAGERS, DIPLOMATS, THE MILITARY, & CERTAIN SEGMENTS OF THE LF ARE IDENTIFIED AS SOME OF THE AGENTS OF INTERNATIONAL CLASS FORMATION. ETHNIC CONFLICTS SHOULD BE VIEWED AS PECULIAR FORMS OF CLASS CONFLICTS AS WELL. IN DE VISIE VAN KRIPPENDORFF OP HET INTERNATIONALE SYSTEEM EN DE WERELDPOLITIEK L. W. VAN DER MEY (RIJKS U, LEIDEN THE NETHERLANDS) EXAMINES KRIPPENDORFF'S OPINION ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM & THE EXPLANATORY POWER OF THE CLASS CONCEPT. KRIPPENDORFF'S APPROACH OF CLASS AS THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM IS CHARACTERIZED AS INADEQUATE. HA.