Skip to content

Ask an Academic

  • Home
  • Ask a Question
  • Contact Us
Empty room for politicians

The Clash of Civilisations

September 20, 2019 by AskanAcademic.com

A short answer question detailing the importance of 'The Clash of Civilisations' in International Relations Theory.

Question

What is the significance of Huntingdon’s text ‘The Clash of Civilisations and the remaking of world order’ for our understanding of international relations Post Cold War?

Answer

Samuel Huntingdon’s 1996 book ‘The Clash of Civilisations and the remaking of world order’ provides an analysis of global conflict in asserting that since the end of the Cold war, global politics have been ‘reconfigured along cultural lines’ (Huntingdon, 1996:19). He suggests that due to the end of the Cold War and the forces of globalisation, new patterns of conflict and cooperation will emerge based on similarities and differences between cultures and ultimately, civilisation. Huntingdon suggests that this therefore constitutes a new international order in which, ‘non-Westerners are no longer hapless recipients of Western power but now counted among the movers of history’ (Murden, 2008:425).

For Huntingdon, this will result in the emergence of 7 or 8 new civilisations named as ‘Western, Confucian, Japanese, Islamic, Hindu, Slavic-Orthodox, Latin American and possibly African’ (Huntingdon, 1996:25). It must be noted however, that Huntingdon notes that the state will remain the key actors but that civilisation politics would result in states and peoples ultimately identifying with one core state.

The significance of this text is widely debated. The focus on culture is commendable as this issue and the broader notion of identity politics plays an important role of understanding the modern international environment. However, Huntingdon has been criticised for underestimating the importance of the relationship between global economics and culture, for simplifying the idea of civilisation to a non-coherent unit and for asserting such a pessimistic view the future of international politics (Murden, 2008).

References

Huntingdon, S. (1996) The Clash of Civilisations and the Remaking of World Order, New York: Simon and Schuster

Murden, S. (2005) ‘Culture in World Affairs’ In J. Baylis, S. Smith and P. Owens (ed) The Globalization of World Politics: An introduction to international relations, 4th edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press pp.420-431

Post navigation

Previous Post:

How nurses support the emotional impact of reconstructive surgery

Next Post:

The Failure of the Ronan Point Tower Block

Search Q&As

Categories

  • Art Media and Literature (74)
  • Business and Management (256)
  • Computing and ICT (14)
  • Construction and Engineering (35)
  • Education (90)
  • Environmental Sciences (2)
  • Finance and Economics (91)
  • Health (64)
  • Languages (12)
  • Law (88)
  • Mathematics and Statistics (2)
  • Medical Sciences (19)
  • Politics and International Relations (83)
  • Research Methodology (1)
  • Science (49)
  • Social Sciences (101)

Archives

Who We Are

Askanacademic.com is owned and operated by All Answers Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales. Company Registration No: 4964706. VAT Registration No: 842417633. Data Controller No: Z1821391.

Registered office:
Venture House
Cross Street
Arnold
Nottingham
NG5 7PJ

Main Navigation

  • Home
  • Ask a Question
  • Contact Us

Legals

  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy

Popular Categories

  • Business and Management
  • Law
  • Finance and Economics
  • Health
An an Academic Logo
© 2023 Ask an Academic | WordPress Theme by Superb Themes
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Reject
Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT