AREA STUDIES, RATIONAL CHOICE CULTURE AND THE THIRD WORLD Is It Possible to Explain Without Understand? By Nuno Magalhães SOGANG UNIVERSITY – THEORIES OF AREA STUDIES

2 Contents 1- Introduction 2- Area Studies 3- Methodologies 4- Political Science and its Approaches 5- Research Examples 6- Third World 7- Case Study 8- Conclusion

3 1- Introduction This presentation does not intend to revive the philosophy of science debate (Popper, Kuhn, Lakatos…) about the nature of scientific knowledge. This presentation will assume that knowledge in Social Science refers to the one that can be falsifiable.

4 1- Introduction (Cont.) This presentation has picked up the a) debate on area studies, b) the article of Lustick on culture of rational choice c) and the article of Randall on Third World to tackle a broader answer: Is it possible to explain (rationalists claim) without understanding (area students claim)?

5 2- Methodologies Basically one can have two approaches in Social Science: a)Idiographic – knowledge of the specific cases is acquired through general theories (logical inference or empirically) b)Nomothetic – each case is unique and knowledge can be achieved only through direct immersion into that subject.

6 3- Area Studies Advantage – provides immersion into the subject and deep particular knowledge: essential to understand. Disadvantage – (historically) has tend to subjectivism, and have failed to extract explanatory general theories by itself: essential to explain.

7 4- Political Science and its Approaches Lustick proposes to analyse the culture of rational choice from those approaches. The 4 approaches: -Rational Choice and Game theoretical formal modeling. -Eclectic mid-range neo-Weberian theorizing -Thick interpretivist -Post-modern

8 4- Political Science and its Approaches (cont.) He demonstrates that each looks at it very differently. He also demonstrates that each approach has its own “negative heuristics”. To overcome that research problem he suggests the complementarity of these approaches, since its overlapping can help to provide new insights.

9 4- Political Science and its Approaches (cont.) He argues that an adequate institutional framework can help bringing academics from different approaches to work on the same project (CRN – Collaborative research networks - created by the social Science Research Council in collaboration with the American Council of Learned Societies).

10 5- Research Examples My own examples: -Portugal and East Asia, : Offensive Realism and the Unequal Treaties Order (MA) - Neorealism -“North Korea, Anarchy and Nuclear Power” (Journal) - Game theory and Nash Equilibrium -Turkey’s Value to Europe (MFA) – political intuition

11 5- Research Examples (cont.) In each of these examples, area insights were fundamental to explain, even if in the research they came to confirm the theoretical assumptions. Complementarity was vital.

12 5- Research Examples (cont.) Rational choice theory provides a useful analytical framework. However, without the rich insights provided by interpretation and understanding, rational choice theory is empty. Area studies are useful in providing such understanding.

13 6- Third World Randall proposes the analysis of the use of the concept of Third World. Is it useful or correct? The author argues that the concept is still useful in a geopolitical context, since it can help to illustrate the economic and political imbalances (although North – South can also be useful) – but its boundaries must be flexible.

14 6- Third World (cont.) But the author notes that Third Word is a concept which cannot suffer from abuses. In comparative politics it is no longer a useful or correct term, since its an intellectual product of “First World” and the work of area students have led to conclusions that Third World is too complex to be unified.

15 7- Case Study Third World (Sauvy 1952) is not a rigorous concept and it has been proved that there exist differences among countries and regions. However, it is still widely used by researchers, although under euphemisms such as “developing world”. When it is conceptualized merely as a concept of contrast, rigorously delineated in socio- economic terms, it can be accepted.

16 7- Case Study (cont.) However, when you want to extract general scientific knowledge from those concepts, it gets complicated to really explain, because you don’t fully understand.

17 7- Case Study (cont.) Is the definition of “developing countries” correct? It is just a conceptual definition with its value defined through measurement. No harm done if one recognizes its limits. The problem is when you want to apply general conclusions from or to such a concept. In this IR example (IPE), such an attempt is made, to draw general conclusions about the “developing world”.

18 7- Case Study (cont.) Look at Eric Wibbels’ “Dependency Revisited: International Markets, Business Cycles, and Social Spending in the Developing World” (International Organization 60:2, 2006). Using a rationalist approach based upon quantitative methodology and formal modeling (math), he defends that “developing world” is worst affected than OECD countries (>welfare state) when it comes to consumption levels under times of shock.

19 7- Case Study (cont.) He basically argues that “developing countries” react in the same way to the same stimulus. Can we argue that without deep area analysis and consideration for cultural differences?

20 8- Conclusion Lustick shows the benefits of complementary projects that involve different approaches from Political Sciences, and reveals the existing culture of rational choice theory. Randall demonstrates that sometimes generalizations can be useful, but cannot be abused. We need to understand to fully explain without “anecdotes” and logical derivations from theories, without empirical value. Rational choice is a simplification aimed at explanation, but without content it’s empty and unable to understand. Area studies are essential to understand (but needs objectivity to be able to claim explanation) Therefore I think it is not possible to explain without understand; and understanding without explaining is always limited..

21 8- Conclusion (cont.) How would you study the different levels of “development” between countries: from an interpretivist approach or rational choice theory? Can you give examples of your past (or future) research approach? How do you think area studies will ever be able to “explain”?

22 End