Historical Sociology, International Relations Theory and the Imperial Condition

Abstract

A historical-sociological approach to international relations highlights, in particular, the fundamental importance of the structures and practices of imperial and postcolonial field dynamics in the way international politics works, both historically and today. In short: colonialism and imperialism are not simply one of the many dimensions of international politics, but its structural core. And a historical-sociological approach is capable of conceiving these dynamics in theoretical terms that overcome the deficiencies of the traditional theories of the discipline in this regard.