TENSIONS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS: CONCEPTUAL BASIS FOR COMPARATIVE RESEARCH

• Main Authors: S. K. Pestsov, A. B. Volynchuk
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Jurist, Publishing Group 2020-05-01
• Series: Sravnitelʹnaâ Politika
• Subjects: tension; world politics; international competition; international cooperation; war; confl ict; peace; partnership; comparative analysis
• Online Access: https://www.comparativepolitics.org/jour/article/view/1154

The article is devoted to the theoretical interpretation of the concept of “tension” as a necessary prerequisite for its operationalization and transformation into a tool for applied comparative analysis. The increase of tensions in different regions and types of government, within and between countries is a refl ection of the profound changes that the modern world is undergoing. At the same time, the number of attempts at serious scientifi c understanding and conceptualization, as well as operationalization and measurement, remains extremely limited. The fi rst part of the article presents a brief review of previous studies on the phenomenon of “tension” in the context of world politics and international relations. The second part is devoted to a conceptual analysis of the phenomenon of “tension” as a special dynamic state that is present not only in competition (war) relations, but also in cooperation (peace) relations, and which, therefore, is a more common type of interstate interactions.