School of Social and Political Sciences - Theses
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ItemThe influence of dominant cultural values on India’s foreign policy( 2013)This thesis seeks to answer the question “what is the influence of dominant cultural values on India’s foreign policy?” In so doing, it highlights the explanatory power of culture, something which has been elided in much of the International Relations discipline. I first explore the literature on cultural values and identify a definition which allows them to be examined as a variable influencing foreign policy. I then assess International Relations approaches for their understanding of culture in world politics. Values are then identified that can be accurately labelled ‘India’s dominant cultural values’. To qualify, the values must: (a) have played a dominant role in Indian culture throughout history, and (b) be dominant within present-day India. Non-violence, hierarchy, pluralism and tolerance were identified as such values. I examine the extent and nature of the influence of each of these values on India’s foreign policy. This is largely through focusing on leaders’ preferences and perceptions. Evidence is drawn from discourse and state behaviour. Qualitative and quantitative analysis are used in a complementary fashion. Alternate explanations, such as those based in realism, are tested alongside cultural values. A case study approach is taken. Each cultural value is assessed in three case studies on India’s nuclear posture. Nuclear weapons are highly symbolic and therefore an excellent theatre in which to examine the role of cultural values. Each case study covers a period within the last 25 years. The nuclear case studies are compared with each other. The values are then assessed in a control case study on India’s approach to humanitarian intervention from 1987-2012. This tests to ensure that cultural values’ influence is not restricted to nuclear posture. My analysis reveals that dominant cultural values have great explanatory power across both case study areas. This suggests that values have a significant influence on India’s foreign policy overall. Major decisions like nuclear testing cannot be accounted for by existing explanations solely and the role of cultural values must be understood. In addition to assessing the level of cultural values’ impact, the thesis also exposes the nature of their influence. The most powerful value is non-violence. Several non-violence driven preferences are identified: global peace; caution in the use of force; and the preference for maintaining a non-violent image. Hierarchy is found to be more influential in India’s nuclear posture than in its approach to humanitarian intervention. This value drives a preference for India rising up the global hierarchy of states. Pluralism and tolerance strongly impact India’s approach to humanitarian intervention. These values support a pluralistic and tolerant worldview, the preference for sovereignty, and the preference for caution in condemning the internal actions of other states.
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ItemOverseeing and overlooking: Australian engagement with the Pacific islands 1988-2007( 2012)This thesis aims to explain the discrepancy between Australia’s stable interests and objectives in the Pacific islands and the volatility of its approach to achieving those objectives. The thesis proposes a cyclic model of Australian engagement that it illustrates using a historical narrative of Australia’s relationship with the Pacific islands. The key finding is that weak institutionalisation renders Australian engagement dependent on the foreign minister and susceptible to influence by advocates who capture the minister’s attention.