Knowledge

Setting the Parameters: A Strange World System

Story, Jonathan. In Strange Power: Shaping the Parameters of International Relations and International Political Economy, edited by Thomas Lawton, James Rosenau, Amy C. Verdun, 41-60. London: Routledge, 2000.

Keywords: Knowledge; Political Economy; Structural Power, Power; International Relations; General Framework

Contributor(s): Jonathan Story, Editor: Thomas Lawton, Editor: James Rosenau and Editor: Amy C. Verdun
Keywords: Knowledge, Political Economy, Structural Power, Power, Strange-Influenced Works, 2000's
Source and Medium: Book Chapter

Year of Publication: 2000

Strange Power: Shaping the Parameters of International Relations and International Political Economy

Lawton, Thomas, James Rosenau, Amy C. Verdun, editors. London: Routledge, 2000.

Focusing on the contribution of Susan Strange to the study of international political economy, this collection forms a unique perspective on the global economy whilst providing tools for the reader to better understand that economic system. The book examines Susan Strange's structural power theories, whilst adding the perspective of the contributor. The combination of approaches and experience provides a multifaceted analysis of international relations and international political economy.

Keywords: Structural Power, Power; Money and Finance; Production; Knowledge; Authority; Markets; Political Economy

Contributor(s): Editor: Thomas Lawton, Editor: James Rosenau and Editor: Amy C. Verdun
Keywords: Structural Power, Power, Money and Finance, Production, Knowledge, Authority, Strange-Influenced Works, 2000's
Source and Medium: Edited Volume

Year of Publication: 2000

Theorizing the 'No-Man's Land' Between Politics and Economics

Cutler, A. Claire. In Strange Power: Shaping the Parameters of International Relations and International Political Economy, edited by Thomas Lawton, James Rosenau, Amy C. Verdun, 181-196. London: Routledge, 2000.

Keywords: Theory; Production; Structural Power, Power; Knowledge

Contributor(s): A. Claire Cutler, Editor: Thomas Lawton, Editor: James Rosenau and Editor: Amy C. Verdun
Keywords: Theory, Production, Structural Power, Power, Knowledge, Strange-Influenced Works, 2000's
Source and Medium: Book Chapter

Year of Publication: 2000

World Order, Non-State Actors, and the Global Casino: The Retreat of the State?

Strange, Susan. In Political Economy and the Changing Global Order, edited by Richard Stubbs, Geoffrey R.D. Underhill, 82-90. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000.

This is the an edited version of the text published as What Theory? The Theory in Mad Money (1998) with the addition of a new introduction which briefly lays out many of the arguments which Strange made her own over her long and distinguished career.

Keywords: Corporations; Knowledge; States; Theory; Authority vs Markets; Technology

Contributor(s): Susan Strange, Editor: Richard Stubbs and Editor: Geoffrey R.D. Underhill
Keywords: Corporations, Knowledge, States, Theory, 2000's
Source and Medium: Book Chapter

Year of Publication: 2000

Territory, State, Authority and Economy: A New Realist Ontology of Global Political Economy

Strange, Susan. In The New Realism: Perspectives on Multilateralism and World Order, edited by Robert W. Cox, 3-19. Basingstoke: Macmillan Press/United Nations University Press, 1997.

Strange argues that the global economy is in the midst of a transition; the close incidence of political authority, economic activity and geographical territory no longer holds. This has been caused by two main groups of factors: firstly changes derived from science and technology; and secondly structural changes within the global finance structure. Authority has shifted, or is shifting, from states to other actors in the international political economy. She disputes Rosenau's hypothesis of the emergence of a second world of turbulent complexity, disturbing the old world of international relations, instead arguing that it is all the same world, just more complex! Reprinted in: Authority and Markets: Susan Strange’s Writings on International Political Economy. Roger Tooze and Christopher May, editors. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002.

Keywords: Authority; Knowledge; Markets; Money and Finance; States; Authority vs Markets; Technology

Contributor(s): Susan Strange and Editor: Robert W. Cox
Keywords: Authority, Knowledge, Markets, Money and Finance, States, 1990's
Source and Medium: Book Chapter

Year of Publication: 1997

The Future of Global Capitalism: or Will Divergence Persist Forever

Strange, Susan. In The Political Economy of Modern Capitalism: Mapping Convergence and Diversity, edited by Colin Crouch, Wolfgang Streeck, 182-191. London: Sage, 1997.

In this response to the contents of the volume in which it appears, Strange distances herself from comparative political economists studying different forms of national capitalism, and argues for a global perception of a more systemic view of capitalism. She notes that technological change and the mobility of capital and knowledge have produced a number of overlapping diversities in different sectors rather than a single state based set of diversities. The new institutional approach misses not only these changes but also the decline of governments ability to influence economic organisation, the growing disparity between the power of states and of multinationals, and the increase in bond financing (as a substitute for taxation) which is problematic for investment. Overall Strange is dismissive of a focus on diversity suggesting the more important problems will be the result of the increasing convergence of capitalism.

Keywords: Global Governance; Knowledge; Theory; Global System; Technology

Contributor(s): Susan Strange, Editor: Colin Crouch and Editor: Wolfgang Streeck
Keywords: Global Governance, Knowledge, Theory, 1990's
Source and Medium: Book Chapter

Year of Publication: 1997

A Reply to Chris May

Strange, Susan. Global Society 10, no. 3 (1996): 303-305.

In Strange's reply to May's article (Strange Fruit: Susan Strange's theory of Structural-Power in the International Political Economy Global Society 10, 2 (May 1996): 167 -189), she engages with two criticisms made of her theory of structural power. Firstly she suggests that the knowledge structure itself is not necessarily prior as is suggested it might be considered to be if her process of agenda setting power is regarded as central. Furthermore my reworking of the knowledge structure while suggestive was overly dependent on a de-contextualised reading of Schumacher, whom she knew personally and whose views are misrepresented. Secondly, while agreeing with the criticism that she lacks a general theory of change she asserts that such a general theory is not possible, noting that she is however sensitive to particular forms of change. Finally, she concludes by agreeing that Paul Feyerabend's 'methodological anarchism' is helpful in giving epistemological grounds for her eclectic approach.

Keywords: Knowledge; Structural Power, Power; Theory

Contributor(s): Susan Strange
Keywords: Knowledge, Structural Power, Power, Theory, 1990's
Source and Medium: Journal Article

Year of Publication: 1996

Rethinking Structural Change in the International Political Economy: States, Firms and Diplomacy

Strange, Susan. In Political Economy and the Changing Global Order, edited by Richard Stubbs, Geoffrey R.D. Underhill, 103-115. Basingstoke: Macmillan Press, 1994.

This is an abridged version and slightly revised version of 'States, Firms and Diplomacy' (1992).

Keywords: Knowledge; Markets; States; Structural Power, Power; Theory; Technology

Contributor(s): Susan Strange, Editor: Richard Stubbs and Editor: Geoffrey R.D. Underhill
Keywords: Knowledge, Markets, States, Structural Power, Power, Theory, 1990's
Source and Medium: Book Chapter

Year of Publication: 1994

Big Business and the State

Strange, Susan. Millennium: Journal of International Studies 20, no. 2 (1991): 245-250.

Strange argues in this short piece that TNCs should be placed at the centre of IPE analysis along with the state and should not be left on the periphery. She also argues for an outside-in understanding of TNCs, putting them into the context in which they operate to understand them. This context is being transformed by changes in the production and financial structures, while she implicitly also argues for the centrality of changes in the 'knowledge' structure.

Keywords: Corporations; Knowledge; Structural Power, Power; Theory

Contributor(s): Susan Strange
Keywords: Corporations, Knowledge, Structural Power, Power, Theory, 1990's, Susan Strange
Source and Medium: Journal Article

Year of Publication: 1991

Finance, Information and Power

Strange, Susan. Review of International Studies 16, no. 3 (1990): 259-274.

Strange discusses the difference between American structural power and Japanese relational power in the financial structure. In addition she discusses the impact of communications technology changes on the operation of international financial markets, which represents an illuminating case study of how two structures interact with each other to bring about changes in the international political economy, in this case the financial and knowledge structures. In addition Strange notes that at least part of American structural power is derived from the privileged position of the 'American-English' language in the knowledge structure. Reprinted in: Authority and Markets: Susan Strange’s Writings on International Political Economy, edited by Roger Tooze and Christopher May. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2002.

Keywords: Knowledge; Money and Finance; Structural Power, Power; Theory; Knowledge Production

Contributor(s): Susan Strange
Keywords: Knowledge, Money and Finance, Structural Power, Power, Theory, 1990's
Source and Medium: Journal Article

Year of Publication: 1990

The Future of the American Empire

Strange, Susan. Journal of International Affairs 42, no. 1 (1988): 1-17.

Strange argues that increasingly power in the international political economy is not territorially defined, and what has emerged is an empire that is not territorially based, and secondly is controlled by information-rich US corporations. However while she call this the 'American Empire' her argument is (self-avowedly) close to an international Gramscian 'historical bloc' analysis. Thus the controlling bureaucracy of this empire while based on American values and culture is not necessarily staffed by Americans. This argument is carried further in 'Towards a Theory of Transnational Empire' (1989).

Keywords: Hegemony; Knowledge; Structural Power, Power; Knowledge Production; Transnational Corporations

Contributor(s): Susan Strange
Keywords: Hegemony, Knowledge, Structural Power, Power, 1980's
Source and Medium: Journal Article

Year of Publication: 1988

Supranationals and the State

Strange, Susan. In States in History, edited by John A. Hall, 289-305. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1986.

To some extent a precursor to Rival States, Rival Firms: Competition for world market shares (with John Stopford, 1991) which concludes that there is a functional convergence between states and TNCs. The central argument is that transnationals - TNCs and international organisations - both support and undermine states at the same time. There is a paradoxical symbiosis, that is under-examined due to most writers discussing either support roles or undermining roles. In addition there has been a shift in the basis of economic power, from land and power to capital and knowledge. Clearly this part of Strange's larger argument about the transnational power of capital and American TNCs, and represents the beginning of a shift away from the position suggesting a final authority of states over transnationals in Paths to International Political Economy (1984).

Keywords: Corporations; Knowledge; Theory; Corporations; Knowledge Production

Contributor(s): Susan Strange and Editor: John A. Hall
Keywords: Corporations, Knowledge, Theory, 1980's
Source and Medium: Book Chapter

Year of Publication: 1986

Research on International Organisation

Strange, Susan, Geoffrey Goodwin. Research on International Organisation (Social Science Research Council Review of Current Research: 2). London: Heinemann Educational, for the Social Sciences Research Council, 1968.

Acting as a rapporteur for the SSRC Advisory Group on International Organisation (chaired by Goodwin), Strange maps out current and future research as well as examining its organisation and administration. Though published two year prior to Strange’s first call for the establishment of International Political Economy, in 'International economics and international relations: a case of mutual neglect' (1970), this report on the discussion of research into international organisation and international relations reveals many themes (from the impact of structure and technology to the importance of international economics) she would develop in her own work.

Keywords: Knowledge; Political Economy; Theory; International Economics

Contributor(s): Susan Strange and Geoffry Goodwin
Keywords: Knowledge, Political Economy, Theory, 1960's
Source and Medium: Report

Year of Publication: 1968

The Strategic Trade Embargoes: Sense or Nonsense

Strange, Susan. In Year Book of World Affairs 1958, edited by George W. Keeton, Georg Schwarzenberger, 55-73. London: Stevens, 1958.

Strange argues that the policy of strategic trade embargoes, a central plank of American cold war policy, should be reassessed in light of the launch of Sputnik and Britain's decision to part from the US on an embargo on trade with China. If as she suggests that post-Suez resentment towards America prompted the British relaxation of the embargo on China than surely this policy really played no real strategic role. Neither did it restrict Russian technological advance (as had been hoped), as Sputnik had shown. This leads to Strange to review the policy, as set out in the Battle Act as well as the political psychology underlying it, before arguing that it should be dispensed with, at has proved neither particularly useful not effective.

Keywords: Knowledge; Trade; Technology; Knowledge Production

Contributor(s): Susan Strange, Editor: George W. Keeton and Editor: Georg Schwarzenberger
Keywords: Knowledge, Trade, 1950's and earlier
Source and Medium: Book Chapter

Year of Publication: 1958

International Trade

Strange, Susan. In Money and Trade (A Background Special), edited by Wilfrid Eady, Bertrand Jouvenel, Susan Strange, 53-77. London: Batchworth Press, 1955.

Foregrounding the role of technology in the development of international trade, Strange discusses the difference between the theory of free trade and the actual patterns (and barriers) to international trade in the 1950s. This leads her to emphasise balance of payments problems linked to international monetary flows and political barriers to freer trade. Firmly arguing that expanding international trade will aid the poorest, Strange stresses the need for the rich countries to exploit their knowledge resources and allow manufacturing to progressively move to the under-developed areas of the international system.

Keywords: Knowledge; Money and Finance; Trade; Knowledge Production; Technology

Contributor(s): Susan Strange, , Editor: Bertrand Jouvenel and Editor: Susan Strange
Keywords: Knowledge, Money and Finance, Trade, 1950's and earlier
Source and Medium: Book Chapter

Year of Publication: 1955

The Atlantic Idea

Strange, Susan. In Year Book of World Affairs 1953, edited by George W. Keeton, Georg Schwarzenberger, 1-19. London: Stevens, 1953.

Strange discusses the fears of the British and French that the ideals of NATO would break down and be replaced by the domination of US arms and money. Strange suggests that in a bi-polar world, the US must be conciliatory to her allies because it is neither possible, nor does the US wish, to further its ends by force. Strange recognises the force of 'the Atlantic idea' as part of this project, and notes its defining role for these debates.

Keywords: Hegemony; Knowledge; Security; United States; International Relations; Knowledge Production

Contributor(s): Susan Strange, Editor: George W. Keeton and Editor: Georg Schwarzenberger
Keywords: Hegemony, Knowledge, Security, United States, 1950's and earlier
Source and Medium: Book Chapter

Year of Publication: 1953