Post-structuralist approaches to International Political Economy
Panel Chairs:
Joscha Wullweber, University of Hamburg, joscha.wullweber@wiso.uni-hamburg.de
Antonia Graf, M.A, Institute of Political Science, Münster, antoniag@uni-muenster.de.de
Abstract:
Basic paradigms of knowledge production are challenged especially in times of crises. Breaks in usual value structures and norm-linked principles are applicative for questioning theories of legitimacy, power and forms of governance. Although Political Economy is directly linked with the reception of economic crises, the realm of International Political Economy (IPE) has been particularly resistant to post-structuralist approaches. Post-structuralist approaches enunciate a fundamental and comprehensive critique with respect to mainstream approaches to IPE, by challenging basic theoretical, methodological and epistemological assumptions as well as explicit and implicit essentialisms (like empiricism, economism, voluntarism, methodological nationalism or individualism). They also present and develop critical, inspiring and sometimes surprising access to and explanations of different empirical issues. Therewith post-structuralist approaches provide a set of analytical tools for questioning on the one hand established orthodoxies of the intermediation of policy structures and on the other hand on the production of knowledge.
The panel aims to map the field of post-structuralist IPE and therefore invites different approaches. They may address:
- methodological challenges for working on empirical issues within post-structuralist IPE approaches
- enrichment of established approaches within IPE with post-structuralist perspectives
- further development of questions related to epistemological and ontological queries for bridging methods contributions of other 'post-disciplines' with given IPE relevance (post-colonial-studies, governmentality studies, post-feminism within gender studies) for broadening IPE post-structuralist perspective
