TN any area of scholarly inquiry, there are always several ways in 1 which the phenomena under study may be sorted and arranged: Foreign Policy Analysis Assignment, AeU, Malaysia
University | Asia e University (AeU) |
Subject | Foreign Policy Analysis |
TN any area of scholarly inquiry, there are always several ways in 1 which the phenomena under study may be sorted and arranged for purposes of systemic analysis. Whether in the physical or social sciences, the observer may choose to focus on the parts or upon the whole, upon the components, or upon the system. He may, for example, choose between the flowers or the garden, the rocks or the quarry, the trees or the forest, the houses or the neighborhood, the cars or the traffic jam, the delinquents or the gang, the legislators or the legislative, and so on.
Whether he selects the micro- or macro-level of analysis is ostensibly a mere matter of methodological or conceptual convenience. Yet the choice often turns out to be quite difficult, and may well become a central issue within the discipline concerned. The complexity and significance of these level-of-analysis decisions are readily suggested by the long-standing controversies between social psychology and sociology, personality-oriented and culture-oriented anthropology, and micro- and macro-economics, to mention but a few.
In the vernacular of general systems theory, the observer is always confronted with a system, its sub-systems, and their respective environments, and while he may choose as his system any cluster of phenomena from the most minute organism to the universe itself, the such choice cannot be merely a function of whim or caprice, habit or familiarity.
The responsible scholar must be prepared to evaluate the relative utility-conceptual and methodological-of the various alternatives open to him and to appraise the manifold implications of the level of analysis finally selected. So it is with international relations.
But whereas the pros and cons of the various possible levels of analysis have been debated exhaustively in many of the social sciences, the issue has scarcely been raised among students of our emerging discipline. Such tranquillity may be seen by some as a reassuring indication that the issue is not germane to our field, and by others as evidence that it has already been resolved, but this writer perceives the quietude with a measure of concern. He is quite persuaded of its relevance and certain that it has yet to be resolved. Rather, it is contended that the issue has been ignored by scholars still steeped in the intuitive and artistic tradition of the humanities or enmeshed in the web of “practical” policy.
We have, in our texts and elsewhere, roamed up and down the ladder of organizational complexity with remarkable abandon, focusing on the total system, international organizations, regions, coalitions, extra-national associations, nations, domestic pressure groups, social classes, elites, and individuals as the needs of the moment required. And though most of us have tended to settle upon the nation as our most comfortable resting place, we have retained our propensity for vertical drift, failing to appreciate the value of a stable point of focus.
Whether this lack of concern is a function of the relative infancy of the discipline or the nature of the intellectual traditions from whence it springs, it nevertheless remains a significant variable in the general sluggishness which characterizes the development of theory in the study of relations among nations. It is the purpose of this paper to raise the issue, articulate the alternatives, and examine the theoretical implications and consequences of two of the more widely employed levels of analysis: the international system and the national sub-systems.
Are You Searching Answer of this Question? Request Malaysian Writers to Write a plagiarism Free Copy for You.
Get Help By Expert
For students looking for essay writing help, Malaysia Assignment Help is the perfect resource. Our team of experienced essay writers can handle any essay, from those in high school to college-level courses. Each essay is tailored to the specific assignment requirements and provides an engaging response that guarantees top grades.

Recent Solved Questions
- Identifying the significant clinical information and specific management of children with acute glomerulonephritis: Advanced Diploma in Paediatric Nursing Assignment, MU, Malaysia
- MGT3073: In these days of near-instant unicorns and listings that net a fortune for founders, selling an innovative small business: Leadership Case Study, SU, Malaysia
- ELC501: Malaysian car buyers have come a long way in the past ten years or so. From only caring about looks, performance: English for Critical Academic Reading Assignment, UiTM, Malaysia
- MGF5020: Explanation of4 elements of CSR dimensions with supporting evidence from the annual report: Business ethics in a global environment Report, MUM, Malaysia
- Elyna Deschamps has just left herjob as a website designer for a large systems design company and is about to start up her own website design: PROJECT MANAGEMENT Essay, KUL, Malaysia
- Kim Woo – Choong, Chairman of Daewoo, Korea’s fourth-largest business group, is going against the flow: Organizational Behaviour Assignment, USM, Malaysia
- Anwar owns 500 shares of frozen food Awesome Food Berhad which he purchased during the recession in January: Fundamentals Of Finance II Assignment, MUM, Malaysia
- Mei saw an advertisement by Amazing Tours in the newspaper: ‘Fabulous deal: Bali from RM 999 for 2: Business law Essay, MUM, Malaysia
- B7LW100: Discuss the exceptions in the communication of acceptance and This discussion should be supported: Business & Company Law Assignment, DBS, Malaysia
- Relationships Between Supervision and Teachers’ Performance and Attitude in Secondary Schools in Malaysia: Educational Leadership and Management Assignment, UON, Malaysia