Conceptualizing Resistance in Theories of International Relations

Can we conceptualize resistance in theories of International Relations? Are there theories which directly or indirectly refer to resistance against the dominant international system and guide the oppressed how to resist and revolt against the oppressors? Regarding this question, it seems that there are some reflectivist theories that have the capacity to conceptualize resistance implicitly or explicitly, namely Gramscianism, Poststructuralism and Postcolonialism. Gramscianism teaches us that the only way to challenge the hegemonic position of the ruling class is a counter-hegemonic struggle in civil society. Poststructuralism emphasizes using ‘genealogy’ and ‘deconstruction’ methods to discredit such dichotomies as the developed and the underdeveloped, the modern and the pre-modern, the civilized and the barbaric, which the dominant discourse makes us take as given and natural; and Postcolonialism utilizes ‘hybridity’ as a sign of the agency of the colonized and their ability to resist domination. This article aims to investigate how these theoretical approaches help us defy the domination and subordination hierarchy in global system and open up alternative ways to understand world politics.