Social Sciences Theories and Their Implication in the World Today

Social Sciences Theories and Their Implication in the World Today
Realism Theory in World Affairs
Realism theory establishes grounds behind international undertakings and assists in understanding the cause of action when dealing with conflict in world affairs. In analyzing contemporary events in world affairs, realism concepts such as the balance of power, security, the drive for power, state primacy, and self-interest should be considered. According to realism theory, a sovereign state's national power and capabilities determine its relations with other countries. Therefore, realism theory can be described in world affairs as the power and ability of the state and national interest to seek security, order, and survival in international politics (Charrette & Sterling-Folker, 2013).
The Major Features of Realism Theory
The core elements of realism include statism, survival, self-help, and zero-sum. The state is a platform for domestic structures that perpetuate and generate order and security. Therefore, the state has sovereign authority in world affairs, given the condition of anarchy. The self-help element is the principle of action, which explains that a state can only rely on itself to guarantee survival. The ultimate goal is to acquire a superior position in the international system to secure its survival. This is done by increasing a state's power and assuring security to achieve the objective.
Example of Realism Theory in the Contemporary World
An example of realism theory is the Syrian Civil War. The concept of statism explains that the state has the highest authority in its internal affairs and all other actors in world politics are of no significance. The Syrian War was fought between the Syrian government, rebel groups, and religious groups. The integration of multiple international actors further fueled the conflict by providing weapons, finances, and men to president Bashar's regime (Panayiotides, 2020). The scramble and drive to attain power over the Islamic state by Russia and Iran made them supporters of the Syrian War against the U.S. coalition. Throughout the Syrian War, the Iran-Bashar alliance was fueled by Iran's hunger for more power, authority, and control over the Gulf but not by their mutual religious and ethnic interests. This proves that states run after their self-interest and move up in the hierarchy by gaining power.
Question Two: Karl Marx's Theory
Communism Theory
Karl Marx's communism theory states that the struggle between different social classes defines the economic relation between capitalist and laborer actors, eventually leading to revolutionary communism. Communism advocates for a classless system characterized by communal ownership of property and wealth. Examples are in China, the Soviet Union, and Cuba. Marx predicted that capitalism would be replaced first by socialism and then by communism. He contributed to the political economy by establishing a framework for analyzing political and social changes.
Stages of Economic Development According to Marx
Marx categorized economic development into five stages, comprising slavery, feudalism, capitalism, socialism, and communism. In slavery, human labor is an essential resource of income earned through hunting, prep...