Rethinking the study of international relations in South Africa

The field of International Relations in South Africa is largely underdeveloped at a theoretical level and a large proportion of analysts within the academy remain wedded to neo-realism. This article advances a movement beyond the theoretical predicament that the academy has reached by critically examining the work of those whose approach has been dominant. It explores the ramifications that neo-realism and its associated objectivist epistemology has regarding ongoing power relations and alternative discourses. An argument for a more reflectivist theoretical position is suggested as a way forward for South African International Relations.