International Ideologies: Five Paradigms (Martill 2017)

Benjamin Martill maps five ways scholars analyze ideology in international relations. Here is a plain-language summary so anyone can follow.

Analytical

Tests causal effects using surveys, case comparisons, and stats. Strength: measurement; Limit: nuance.

Historical

Uses archives to trace how ideas mattered in specific times. Strength: context; Limit: generalization.

Philosophical

Connects IR to traditions (Hobbes, Kant). Strength: clarity; Limit: distance from data.

Critical

Asks whose interests ideas serve. Strength: power awareness; Limit: can underplay agency.

Reflexive

Shows how theories shape the world they describe. Strength: self-awareness; Limit: fewer predictions.

What scholars debate

What to call it (ideology, belief system, theory, tradition) — labels imply different scopes.
How to study it (single cases, comparisons, history, statistics) — methods trade off depth vs. breadth.
Which ideologies matter (realism–liberalism, cosmopolitan–communitarian, left–right, etc.).
Who holds ideologies (elites, publics, parties, states, IOs) — and at what level they operate.

Citation

Martill, B. (2017). International ideologies: paradigms of ideological analysis and world politics. Journal of Political Ideologies, 22(3), 236–255. DOI: 10.1080/13569317.2017.1345139