Gramsci and international relations: a general perspective with examples from recent US policy toward the Third World

Abstract

Gramsci's concepts allow scholars to transcend some of the current debates dividing the field of international relations (IR) while preserving the insights of the major traditions, whether 'realist' or 'idealist', 'structural', or 'historical', at the same time that they help us break the habit of reifying the nation-state by turning our attention toward the deeper sources of social continuity and change. This paper discusses these benefits of employing Gramsci's insights and illustrates them with conclusions from a study of American foreign policy toward the Third World in the Reagan and Bush era.