http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/realism Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Mon, 27 Apr 2026 03:56:09 -0400 Mon, 27 Apr 2026 03:56:09 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1870/liberal-and-realist-explanations-of-merkels-open-door-policy-during-the-2015-refugee-crisis By Niklas Ernst - During the 2015 refugee crisis Chancellor Angela Merkel allowed refugees to enter Germany in unprecedented numbers. Her historic decision to adapt the so-called “open-door policy” continues to shape contemporary German politics. More precisely, it will likely define Merkel’s legacy and political future. This article analyzes her decision through two major IR theories: liberalism and realism. It aims to contribute to the discipline’s understanding of the “open-door policy” by assessing what each theory can explain well and less well. While the article analyzes... Mon, 01 Feb 2021 02:03 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1870/liberal-and-realist-explanations-of-merkels-open-door-policy-during-the-2015-refugee-crisis http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1857/hans-bellmers-dolls-and-the-subversion-of-the-female-gaze By Hannah J. Wetzel - Hans Bellmer’s Die Puppe (The Doll) photographic series is perhaps one of the most bizarre works to come out of the surrealist group in the early-to-mid twentieth century. Of every peculiar aspect of the photographs, perhaps the most striking is his treatment of vision. Bellmer always poses his dolls, which he disassembles and reassembles into various unnatural shape, so they face away from his camera. Sometimes, he removes their eyes altogether. Bellmer himself wrote extensively about his doll, which was also featured in the surrealist magazine Minotaure. Many of the themes his doll project... Tue, 05 Jan 2021 03:35 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1857/hans-bellmers-dolls-and-the-subversion-of-the-female-gaze http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1715/realism-and-arab-nationalism-an-uneasy-partnership By Marina M. Elgawly - The relationship between realism and nationalism is not clearly articulated in international relations literature. On one hand, realism and nationalism are viewed as contradictory forces, standing against one another as reason to emotion, reality to identity. On the other, nationalism and power politics are inherently intertwined; nationalism often significantly promotes the escalation of war, thus affecting the balance of power. In the context of the modern Middle East, the relationship between realism and nationalism is obfuscated even further as Arab nationalism, a neither particularistic nor... Mon, 18 Dec 2017 10:09 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1715/realism-and-arab-nationalism-an-uneasy-partnership http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1460/theories-of-nationalism-a-brief-comparison-of-realist-and-constructivist-ideas-of-the-nation By Matt Finkel - In the immense field of scholarly work regarding defining nationhood, a raging debate exists between the conservative view of the nation and the constructivist view. A clear and definitive change in the conception of the ‘realness’ of the nation can be seen throughout the historiographical study of nationalism. The conception of the nation has shifted dramatically, from the proto-jingoist conservatism of the ‘primordial nation’ of Johann Gottlieb Fichte and Johann Gottfried Herder and the German nationalist school of thought they represent to the constructivist ‘imagined... Sun, 16 Oct 2016 08:57 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1460/theories-of-nationalism-a-brief-comparison-of-realist-and-constructivist-ideas-of-the-nation http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1434/theories-of-nuclear-proliferation-why-do-states-seek-nuclear-weapons By David A. Smith - Nuclear proliferation refers to the spread of nuclear weapons and the technology used to produce such weapons, and to the process by which a state develops and/or comes into possession of nuclear weapons (US Department of Defence 2005). The first nuclear fight for survival ended in 1945 when the United States (US) used two nuclear bombs against Japan to bomb the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Carroll 2007). However, after WW2 the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) accelerated its nuclear development program, due to fears that the US and their Allies would attack them (Holloway 1995,... Tue, 30 Aug 2016 02:35 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1434/theories-of-nuclear-proliferation-why-do-states-seek-nuclear-weapons http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1367/problematising-the-critical-realist-positional-approach-to-intersectionality By Ioana Cerasella Chis - Intersectionality is a much contested term which has been considered ‘a theory, a paradigm, a framework, a method, a perspective, or a lens’ (449; see Carbin and Edenheim 2013; Davis 2008). Academically, it offers a bridge for both generalist and specialist theorists to discuss the inter-relatedness of oppressive structures, identities, and experiences (Davis 2008:74-76). Hancock wonders whether intersectionality ‘can be the intellectual property of a single demographic group or whether it is in fact a meme’ (2015:624), while Carbin and Edenheim assert that intersectionality... Sun, 21 Feb 2016 02:29 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1367/problematising-the-critical-realist-positional-approach-to-intersectionality http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/930/the-power-of-the-happy-family-in-tolstoys-anna-karenina By Jessica N. Laird - Although the novel is mainly about unhappy families, Tolstoy makes the story of the one happy family, Ekaterina Scherbatsky (Kitty) and Konstantin Levin (Kostya), just as interesting as the others. Although every other relationship seems to tear apart its members, Kitty and Kostya stand out because their love makes them stronger. Nikolai Levin, Kostya’s brother, has the primary importance of illustrating how their relationship allows them to cope with issues that they cannot deal with on their own. We see the very qualities that make them unable to handle his illness by themselves turned... Mon, 27 Oct 2014 08:44 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/930/the-power-of-the-happy-family-in-tolstoys-anna-karenina http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/923/the-drama-and-romance-of-suicide-in-mrs-dalloway-and-madame-bovary By Jessica N. Laird - Is it noble to take your own life? Across the ages there have been many different interpretations of the morality of suicide, leading many novels to portray and examine the act. In Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, a traumatized veteran Septimus takes his life rather than letting the doctors take him into a mental institution; his suicide is later remembered by the eponymous character as a beautiful way to die. In Madame Bovary by Gustav Flaubert, the titular character Emma Bovary poisons herself with arsenic in an attempt to end her life as a heroine in a novel would, leading to her departure... Sun, 12 Oct 2014 09:30 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/923/the-drama-and-romance-of-suicide-in-mrs-dalloway-and-madame-bovary http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1187/realism-versus-idealism-at-nuremburg-the-creation-of-the-court By Emma Campbell-Mohn - The creation of the Nuremberg Court following World War II exemplified international cooperation, particularly between the Great Powers: the United States, France, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain. Expounding the benefits of justice and the rule of law, the Nuremberg Trials are often viewed as the pinnacle of Wilsonian idealism. However, further examination reveals the actions of the Roosevelt administration were not derived from a united Cabinet seeking to realize broad principles of humanitarian justice and equality. Instead of being a unified decision based on these values, the reasoning... Tue, 15 Apr 2014 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1187/realism-versus-idealism-at-nuremburg-the-creation-of-the-court http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/711/habermass-linguistic-theory-applied-to-david-mamets-films-communicative-action-in-action By Jenna N. Neumann - Jürgen Habermas - a prominent German philosopher and critical social theorist - offers a theory of language use that identifies and analyzes the rationality potential of communicative understanding between two parties. Habermas champions this theory of language use as a means to repair the breakdown of the surrounding lifeworld. This breakdown results from the use of strategic action, harboring deceptive perlocutionary aims. With strategic action, trust in communication breaks down and leads to disorder and disarray in their shared lifeworld. Habermas advocates communicative action as the... Wed, 31 Oct 2012 10:30 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/711/habermass-linguistic-theory-applied-to-david-mamets-films-communicative-action-in-action http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/677/globalizations-peace-the-impact-of-economic-connections-on-state-aggression-and-systemic-conflict By Brian D. Blankenship - The question of whether economic relations have an impact on interstate military conflict has divided scholars and political thinkers since the Enlightenment. Kant claimed that economic interconnectedness among states would contribute to long-term peace in international politics, but since that time consensus has proved illusory, and scholars have taken a diverse array of positions in the debate. Some have claimed that economic connections foster good will and political integration, and that states will be reluctant to risk the benefits of trade through the initiation of conflict; others have... Tue, 14 Aug 2012 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/677/globalizations-peace-the-impact-of-economic-connections-on-state-aggression-and-systemic-conflict http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/630/comparing-upton-sinclairs-the-jungle-and-kate-chopins-the-awakening By Amanda R. Woodruff - This autonomy is a direct result of her social standing. The belief that she can be her own person, regardless of the rest of the world is one that a person of lower social standing cannot maintain without serious consequences. At this period in time, life is very hard for those in the lower classes, and flouting society makes life even more difficult. Jurgis has first-hand knowledge of this in The Jungle, when he attempts to defend his wife, Ona, from her foreman. Not only is he imprisoned for attacking the man who took sexual advantage of his wife, he is also blacklisted in the stockyards. Jurgis... Sat, 07 Apr 2012 10:22 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/630/comparing-upton-sinclairs-the-jungle-and-kate-chopins-the-awakening http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/627/cyber-terrorism-and-ir-theory-realism-liberalism-and-constructivism-in-the-new-security-threat By Constantine J. Petallides - This level of exposure and uncertainty creates a new security dilemma faced by all states. In his article “Virtual Defense,” James Adams adopts a strict neorealist approach to dealing with issues of cyber terrorism and security, and while he does lessen the security dilemma, he creates a tense, distrustful, and ultimately unsustainable international system. I argue along with Johan Eriksson and Giampiero Giocomello that to deal with these security threats, the Internet must be viewed as having its own customs and states must come together to promote its continued development and ensure... Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/627/cyber-terrorism-and-ir-theory-realism-liberalism-and-constructivism-in-the-new-security-threat http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1228/the-key-drivers-of-human-security-discourse-and-the-challenge-to-realism By Stephen James - We've also seen the changing nature of threats, from territory and sovereignty to terrorism, transnational criminals, [and] cyber-warfare. We've still yet to figure it out, but food, water and energy shortages, climate change, pandemics, mass migration, how do we live and deal with that sort of stuff? We also have to deal with failed and failing states. We've intervened in a number of states in our region and there's an expectation that we should … We need to have a very close look at the most effective tools to use in this new security environment, and my view would be that one of those... Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1228/the-key-drivers-of-human-security-discourse-and-the-challenge-to-realism http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/263/the-taiwan-strait-from-civil-war-to-status-quo By Dustin R. Turin - In 2005, during a period of heightened tensions between China and Taiwan and with the United States deeply embroiled in two major wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the leading authority on East Asian security within the National Security Council nevertheless made the point that “one of the greatest dangers to international security” was the “possibility of a military confrontation between China and Taiwan that leads to a war between China and the United States” (Lieberthal, 2005). Analysts and media pundits have often alluded to this doomsday scenario in which Taiwan becomes... Mon, 28 Jun 2010 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/263/the-taiwan-strait-from-civil-war-to-status-quo http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/260/political-ideals-versus-political-realities-a-dilemma-of-theory By Daniel S. Guenther - In a continuum with idealism and realism at opposite ends, their positions would be as follows: Plato the most idealist, Aristotle the most moderate and Cicero the most realist. While Cicero best exemplifies the realist position, a full understanding of his take on the subject includes understanding that he 1) favored practicality and feasibility, 2) espoused the benefits of real life experience in the political world and, 3) saw ultimate virtue as spending time on things useful to the state. Cicero was generally right to say that that which is both practical and practicable makes for good institutional... Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/260/political-ideals-versus-political-realities-a-dilemma-of-theory http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/86/an-analysis-of-film-critic-andre-bazins-views-on-expressionism-and-realism-in-film By Katherine Blakeney - In fact to Bazin, reality and everything that can support it such as sound, deep focus, and invisible editing, define what film should be. Although he admits that “it was montage that gave birth to film as an art”[2], he is apprehensive of anything that supports “the creation of a sense or meaning not proper to the images themselves but derived entirely from their juxtaposition”.[3] He feels that any manipulation of the image such as the suggestive editing developed by Eisenstein or the dramatic sets and lighting of German Expressionism stands in the way of releasing film... Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:23 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/86/an-analysis-of-film-critic-andre-bazins-views-on-expressionism-and-realism-in-film http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1279/indo-pakistani-enmity-and-the-reorganization-of-asia-strategic-opportunities-for-china-and-india By Soleine Leprince Ringuet - The Indo-Pakistani tensions represent an opportunity for China to increase its leverage on the region, because both Pakistan and India are very sensitive to the positioning of foreign powers. But new events- the end of the Cold war, the nuclear tests and the beginning of the war on terror - forced China to reassess both its strategic interests and its position on the India-Pakistan conflict. Several contemporary developments may lead China to adopt a stance more favorable to India. India itself is now “a swing state” that can choose among several options how to diminish the importance... Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1279/indo-pakistani-enmity-and-the-reorganization-of-asia-strategic-opportunities-for-china-and-india