Fairy Tales, Textbooks and Social Science: a Folklorist Reading of International Relations Introductory Textbooks
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Fairy Tales, Textbooks and Social Science: A folklorist reading of international relations introductory textbooks A thesis submitted to the University of Manchester for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the Faculty of Humanities 2015 Kathryn Elizabeth Starnes School of Social Sciences/Politics 2 Contents Abstract 5 Declaration and Copyright Statement 6 Acknowledgements 7 0. INTRODUCTION 9 0.1 Introduction and Motivation 9 0.2 Research Question 10 0.3 Provocation: Hoffmann’s historical view of the ‘intellectual predisposition’ and 11 how this historically affected the discipline 0.3.1 Is IR a Social Science? 12 0.3.2 Questions Inspired by Hoffmann 21 0.4 Textbook Selection 22 0.5 Chapter Breakdown 24 1. CANON AS A LINK BETWEEN FAIRY TALES AND TEXTBOOKS 27 1.1 Introduction 27 1.2 The Contemporary Canon in IR: Conversations about ‘social science’ 28 1.3 A Folklorist View: The canon as a site of negotiation 46 1.3.1 Traditional Conceptions of the Canon in Folklore 46 1.3.2 Challenges to Traditional Conceptions of the Canon in Folklore 48 1.3.3 The Canon as Negotiation: Why a folklorist view of the canon is relevant to IR 53 1.4 Review of Existing Studies of IR Undergraduate Textbooks 55 1.4.1 Introducing the Studies 56 1.4.2 Existing Studies’ Approaches 58 1.4.3 What is Missing from Existing Studies? 68 1.5 Conclusion 69 2. A FOLKLORIST APPROACH 72 2.1 Introduction 72 2.2 Grouping Reiterated Stories via Family Resemblances to Read Canonical 73 Negotiations 2.2.1 Defining Family Resemblance and its Relevance to the Research Question 75 2.2.2 Pin-Fat’s Use of Family Resemblance to Group Texts 77 2.2.3 Grouping Texts via Family Resemblances in this Project 84 3 2.3 Connecting Textbooks and Fairy Tales: the structure of a story 86 2.3.1 How to Identify Resemblances between the Structures of Stories 87 2.3.2 How Story Structures Work in Textbooks 88 2.4 Framing: Negotiating the construction of the discipline via the canon in 92 textbooks 2.4.1 What is Framing? 93 2.4.2 Framing and the Construction of the Discipline as a ‘Social Science’ in the Canon 100 2.5 Conclusion 101 3. DONKEYSKIN STORIES: THE PERMISSIBLE 104 3.1 Introduction 104 3.2 Donkeyskin Stories 105 3.2.1 Donkeyskin’s Problem and Choice 106 3.2.2 Symbolism: How Choices Reinforce Invisible Rules 108 3.3 Problems and Choices in IR Textbooks 113 3.3.1 Problems and Choices in IR Textbooks: Scene-setting 115 3.3.2 Problems and Choices in IR Textbooks: The problem 125 3.3.3 Problems and Choices in IR Textbooks: The choice 132 3.4 Conclusion 170 4. BLUEBEARD STORIES: THE FORBIDDEN 174 4.1 Introduction 174 4.2 Bluebeard Stories 176 4.2.1 The Test, the Door and the Forbidden 176 4.2.2 Symbolism: How Opening the Door Engages the Forbidden 179 4.3 Tests, Doors and Forbidden Rooms in IR Textbooks 185 4.3.1 Making Strange in IR Textbooks 186 4.3.2 Opening ‘The Door’ and Exploring the Mess in IR Textbooks 199 4.4 Conclusion 234 5. AUTHOR FRAMING AND CANON NEGOTIATIONS 236 5.1 Introduction 236 5.2 Framing Gestures in Textbooks 238 5.2.1 Curation Framing: Merely representing IR 241 4 5.2.2 Curation Framing: A single story 224 5.2.3 Curation Framing: The author as expert 249 5.2.4 Creation Framing: Multiple stories 255 5.2.5 Creation Framing: Reflecting on the process of writing 261 5.2.6 Creation Framing: Inviting use and abuse 266 5.2.7 Creation Framing: Revision and (re)writing as what it means to do IR 270 5.3 Conclusion 272 6. CONCLUSION 276 6.1 Introduction 276 6.2 The Main Argument and Findings 276 6.3 Other Questions Addressed by the Thesis 279 6.4 The Contribution of the Thesis 280 6.5 Further Research 282 BIBLIOGRAPHY 285 APPENDIX A: Textbooks’ tables of contents 290 Word Count: 99,449 5 Abstract The University of Manchester Kathryn Elizabeth Starnes Doctor of Social Sciences (DSocSc) Fairy Tales, Textbooks and Social Science: A folklorist reading of international relations introductory textbooks 20 March 2015 This thesis explores the research question: to what extent does the idea of ‘social science’ persist in constructing IR textbooks in our contemporary context? In light of the considerable changes in the discipline’s canon catalysed by the Third Debate, it is surprising that there has been no sustained engagement with a large body of textbooks in over a decade. The thesis uses a folklorist approach to review contemporary undergraduate IR textbooks by exploring their family resemblances to Donkeyskin and Bluebeard stories. The thesis finds that many contemporary textbooks resemble Donkeyskin stories, both because they employ a problem/choice structure that works to curtail how IR is defined and because they rely on a number of assumptions about what it means to write a textbook and study IR. However, the thesis also finds that there is a limited but notable body of textbooks that resembles Bluebeard stories in terms of how ‘forbidden’ assumptions about how IR is defined and what it means to write a textbook are confronted. These two readings of textbooks are complemented by a third aspect of the folklorist approach, a reading of framing gestures. While many textbook authors employ framing gestures that cast authors as curators of the field of IR, reinforcing strict boundaries for participation in the negotiation of the IR canon, there are notable exceptions that cast textbook authors as creators. The effect is to demonstrate and open up for participation the process of negotiating the boundaries of what gets to ‘count’ as IR. 6 Declaration I declare that no portion of the work referred to in the thesis has been submitted in support of an application for another degree or qualification of this or any other university or other institute of learning. Copyright Statement i. The author of this thesis (including any appendices and/or schedules to this thesis) owns certain copyright or related rights in it (the “Copyright”) and s/he has given The University of Manchester certain rights to use such Copyright, including for administrative purposes. ii. Copies of this thesis, either in full or in extracts and whether in hard or electronic copy, may be made only in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (as amended) and regulations issued under it or, where appropriate, in accordance with licensing agreements which the University has from time to time. This page must form part of any such copies made. iii. The ownership of certain Copyright, patents, designs, trade marks and other intellectual property (the “Intellectual Property”) and any reproductions of copyright works in the thesis, for example graphs and tables (“Reproductions”), which may be described in this thesis, may not be owned by the author and may be owned by third parties. Such Intellectual Property and Reproductions cannot and must not be made available for use without the prior written permission of the owner(s) of the relevant Intellectual Property and/or Reproductions. iv. Further information on the conditions under which disclosure, publication and commercialisation of this thesis, the Copyright and any Intellectual Property and/or Reproductions described in it may take place is available in the University IP Policy (see http://documents.manchester.ac.uk/DocuInfo.aspx?DocID=487), in any relevant Thesis restriction declarations deposited in the University Library, The University Library’s regulations (see http://www.manchester.ac.uk/library/aboutus/regulations) and in The University’s policy on Presentation of Theses 7 Acknowledgements I want to thank Véronique Pin-Fat and Cristina Masters for their dedicated supervision, support and generosity. Véro’s unwavering enthusiasm and Cristina’s very early and apt counsel to not doubt myself too much are only a token of the support they offered beyond the heroic re-reading of drafts. They both understood that this project was about love for me. I would also like to thank Bryan Fox who helped me to learn to trust myself. I have been remiss in expressing my gratitude, but as Sylvia Plath noted, “The worst enemy of creativity is self-doubt.” Thank you for helping me to find grace, my creativity and my voice. Many friends have helped me along this unusually long journey. I was often surprised by how many stood by me. I want to thank Julia Welland, who has been a patient and wise listener, and Roisin Read, to whom I owe a lemonade and a coherent conversation. Tom Houseman once had a pivotal coffee with me, I’m not sure he realizes how important that conversation was. Oliver Turner has provided measured counsel and Jamie Johnson can always be counted on for a quiet chat about life and the riches it offers outside of research. Steve Hood has shared great advice and insight, while David Tobin has given me the great honour of asking when he would read my work and understanding when I said I didn’t know. Gareth Price- Thomas can always be counted on for a laugh or a quiet cuppa. I must thank Jonathan Hussain for introducing me to fairy tales as a grown up. James Alexander, fellow scotch sipper, is always up for sitting in the corner and commenting, but has also offered unwavering friendship. Ian Bruff has been the most generous reader I can imagine, and is always willing to chat about ideas. I cannot thank him enough, but I have to let him know that Laura Chambers is almost certainly smarter than he is.