Springer Networking the International System: Global Histories of International Organizations (Transcultural Research – Heidelberg Studies on Asia and Europe in a Global Context)

Product Description Using the 1930s as a reference, this book questions the role of international organizations in conflict, war and crisis, with insight into their function as peacekeeping forces in this century. Examines the challenges of building a non-Western approach. From the Back Cover The book critically investigates the local impact of international organizations beyond a Western rationale and aims to overcome Eurocentric patterns of analysis. Considering Asian and Western examples, the contributions originate from different disciplines and study areas  and discuss a global approach, which has been a blind spot in scholarly research on international organizations until now.  Using the 1930s as a historical reference, the contributions question role of international organizations during conflicts, war, and crises, gaining insights into their function as peacekeeping forces in the 21st century. While chapter one discusses the historicity of international organizations and the availability of sources, the second chapter deliberates on Eurocentrism and science policy, considering the converging of newly created epistemic communities and old diplomatic elites.  Chapter 3 sheds light on international organizations as platforms, expanding the field of research from the diversity of organizations to the patterns of global governance. The final chapter turns to the question of how international organizations invented and introduced new fields of action, pointing to the antithetic role of standardization, the preservation of cultural heritage and the difficulties in reaching a non-Western approach.