Non-state corporate entities and the decline of traditional nation states

¶ … international relations theory due to their background in agriculture related research and study, including a BSc. degree in agriculture, a master's degree was in agricultural development and a master's degree in sustainable development in agriculture. With regard to sustainable development this applicant was struck by the number of issues that were purely related to an understanding of the nation state and the crisis that it now faces in the era of neoliberal globalization due to the growth in power and influence of non-state corporate entities that have become more powerful than traditional nation states.

What is happening to date in globalization challenges all of the areas of international relations theory, whether using the approaches of realism, constructivism, or Marxism and critical theory, feminism, foundationalism, the "English school," functionalism, post-structuralism or post-colonialism. The overall topic of this author's research is ambitious. It will be to fuse the elements of all of the above approaches in order to analyze the rise of non-state, corporate entities to compete with nation states. This will be done in order to evaluate the findings by research institutions in remodeling the conduits of disseminating and highlighting the nature of international governance, management principles and development policies in light of the rising non-state corporate entity.

Problem Statement

The present problem is that traditional approaches to IR theory are inadequate in explaining the present three way struggle between corporate entities, nation states, and pan-state peasant organizations. This present problem must be framed correctly as a jumping off point for research.

Justification

The fall of the Berlin Wall did not just indicate the limitations of traditional IR theory (especially narrowly-focused Marxist theory) in explaining the fall of the Eastern Bloc. Certainly, it is clear from reading Lenin that he does not grasp the dichotomy between the corporation and the imperialist. He sees them as one and the same (Lenin, V.I., 1999, p. 82).This author believes it indicates a much broader crisis in the fall of the nation state itself and its inability to represent its citizens in response to the challenges of the new corporate power.

Research Objectives

This author's research objectives will be first of all to analyze the decline of the nation state's power with regard to the rise of corporate power. Secondly, the author will analyze the rise of what the author will call "peasant corporatism" in response to this.

Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework of IR theory is all wrong. It has been focused until now as "East-West" or "North-South." In the age of the internet and alternative media, the conceptual framework needs to jump into the virtual realm and analyze theory and information on a cyber and international level in order to understand the speed and direction of present developments. Just as the invention of the printing press affected the dissemination and contributed to the rise of the order that came out of it, it is the opinion of this author that technology is now impacting the development of IR.

Methodology

The methodological thrust will be to push the envelope in the application of "green" and alternative approaches. This will involve analyzing emerging movements (such as the Zapatistas), their restructuring of traditional Marxist and critical theory and their incorporation of "green" and alternative approaches in strategy. Out of the above will come the author's new and unique approach will fuse new sociological approaches such as those of Jose Johnston and Gordon Laxer into the field of IR theory.