BANGLADESH INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES

DO THE WEAK AND COLLAPSED STATES POSE A CHALLENGES TO THE REALIST WORLDVIEW?

Author: Mohammad Zahidul Islam Khan

DOI Link: https://www.doi.org/10.56888/BIISSj2014v35n2a4

ABSTRACT

Weak and collapsed states are portrayed as the primary global threat to security so frequently by the politicians, journalists and policy makers that it has almost become a reality. Yet, this seemingly universalised and under theorised concept bears a different meaning to each actors and demands critical examination. From an international relations perspective, this paper examines the extent to which the weak and collapsed states challenge the realist account of maintaining world order. Conceptualising state weakness, this paper outlines the key realist assumptions to contrast those in weak states’ context. Highlighting the realists underpinning that the structure of international system is resilient, the paper concludes that the concept of weak and collapsed states is a political construction and such states do not constitute a critical mass challenging the essential continuity of international order. International system is still dominated by powerful states and the opportunity for weak states to graduate upward under a resilient international system tends to outweigh the forces of weak and collapsed states, keeping the realist account of world order undaunted.