Defending race as a driving force in international politics.

The historical exclusion that ethnic peoples have suffered has resulted in their current exclusion from the global political and academic arena, causing a lack of appreciation of the role of race in the world order. Stay to learn more about their importance!

One of the most powerful social and civil movements in the history of the last centuries has been the racial cause, mainly led by the civil rights movement in the United States of America. However, we can still hear sounds of protest over this nowadays, people still “have a dream”. In fact, race is a crucial element when shaping global politics and International Relations even though is marginalized in the academic and political sphere (Zvobgo & Loken, 2020). During this blog post, we will be raising our voices for this cause because this exclusion is a complete mistake.

First things first, it is worth mentioning that “Big Three IR paradigms: realism, liberalism and constructivism (...) are built on raced and racist intellectual foundations” (Zvobgo & Loken, 2020). But to combat this problem we must understand where we come from. The Peace of Westphalia in 1648 gave rise to the state system that international relations aims to explain. However, non-European nations did not choose to embrace modern and “civilized” states; instead, they were conquered and imposed with social and political structures, as they weren´t part of the International System (Zvobgo & Loken, 2020).

This form of “apartheid” continues to be perpetuated: “Since much paradigmatic work is dominated by white men and is guided by Eurocentrism, women, non white people, and issues of race and racism are displaced in course syllabi” (Zvobgo & Loken, 2020).

However, we know that race is a driving force that makes society and international politics advance and change, and here there are a few examples: “new racism” and the BLM movement. 

In the last decade, a crucial element in this issue has been the so-called "new racism". This can be summed up in a single sentence: “Traditional cultures are at fundamental odds with modern society, and that the former can not reform without the guidance - or dominion -  of the latter” (Shilliam, 2019). This phenomenon has influenced two differentiated factors in international politics.

On the one hand, cultural calculus continues to be an influential element in global politics as it provides the crucial concepts of the new racism. In this decade, they are these cultural facts, rather than biological ones as in the past, that are the driving force behind racialization practices (Shilliam, 2019). Moreover, as Shilliam (2019) stated: “In the post-cold war era cultural differences or economic interests would become the root cause of global conflict”. 

On the other hand, for Western countries, the new racism has been decisive for the elaboration of their foreign policies in two ways. At the beginning of the 21st century in relation to the war on terror and in the last decade in relation to immigration and multiculturalism (Shilliam, 2019). Shilliam (2019) mentions in his studies two crucial facts to understand it: “The premises of new racism have (...) influenced development projects that, in the era of the GWOT, have become increasingly tied to the security objectives of powerful states” and that “in Europe, where the perception is now commonplace that ethnic minorities pose an existential threat to the European way of life. The desirability of multicultural policies (...) have now been challenged by a number of European politicians”. 

On another note, the ongoing discussion around the brutality employed by the police in the US has been seriously transformed due to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement, although the effects had been more notorious after George Floyd´s death back in May 2020. The BLM Movement is supported worldwide due to the existence of racism and discrimination practically in every nation. Historically, ethnic minorities have been deprived of an egalitarian access to opportunities, services and, most importantly, human rights (Odir, 2022). 

Even though historical processes underscoring the current existence of inequality are different in each nation, it is true that there are some common factors that explain it. For instance, in the US the debate is regarding slavery and genocide of indigenous communities, while in Europe the discussion revolves around the domination and brutal oppression of their former colonies. A critical analysis of past events is required to understand the rise of protests advocating for “restorative justice” taking place in some European nations. Xenophobia and racism are deeply rooted in ‘progressive’ European states history, with a complex interconnection of their past and present (Odir, 2022).

Cultural violence is present in society, normalizing racial stereotypes leading to the dehumanization of a concrete community. This type of violence strengthens marginalization through law ratification or cultural mandates that allow the continuation of those acts. In addition, the “Right to Equality”, a democratic principle under which several nations operate, is applied selectively. Those who suffer discrimination usually have to deal with the denial of fair treatment as well as justice. Lastly, the great significance of the BLM Movement demonstrates that a transformation is needed to tackle systemic inequality, which includes honesty when addressing historical legacies (Odir, 2022). 

Bibliography

Odir, D. (2022).  The Global Impact of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement. The Geopolitics. 

Shilliam, R. (2019). Race in wold politics. In The Globalization of World Politics: An Introduction to International Relations.

Zvobgo, K., & Loken, M. (2020). Why Race Matters in International Relations.