CfP: Panel on Foreign Policy Analysis, BISA Annual Conference‏

Call for PapersBISA Annual Conference, University of Leicester14-16 December 2009 Panel on Foreign Policy Analysis For this year’s BISA Annual Conference in Leicester, we are planning tosubmit a panel on ‘Foreign Policy Analysis: The Promise and Pitfalls ofTheoretical Integration’ (for a synopsis, see below). On the occasion ofthis panel, we would like to invite paper proposals. Abstracts shouldcontain a maximum of 200 words and should be sent to us by 27 April 2009 atthe latest. Please submit your proposals to: Kai.Oppermann@uni-koeln.de andKlaus.Brummer@polwiss.phil.uni-erlangen.de. We are looking forward to your proposals, and we hope that we can puttogether an interesting panel for the conference. ----------------------Foreign Policy Analysis: The Promise and Pitfalls of Theoretical Integration The field of Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA) is multifaceted. Its approachescan be differentiated along several dimensions, such as levels of analysis(e.g. individual decision-makers, decision-making in groups, bureaucracy),whether they are structural or agent-orientated, or whether they areconstructivist, rationalist or cognitive/psychological. Against thisbackground, Carlsnaes (2002) referred to the ‘eclecticism’ of FPA, andrightly so. At the same time, the diversity of approaches could be one ofFPA’s major strengths, particularly if one manages to integrate insightsfrom several approaches into one model. In this sense, Hudson (2007) arguesthat theoretical integration is FPA’s ‘true promise’. Indeed, most of therecent theoretical innovation in FPA has emerged from efforts that took upthe challenge of integrating insights from different approaches. One exampleis Poliheuristic Theory (e.g. Mintz 2003), whose two-stage model ofdecision-making comprises a cognitive and a rational dimension. Overall, thepromise of theoretical integration is to receive a more nuanced and accuratepicture of foreign policy decision-making. On the other hand, the mostserious pitfall seems to be that integrated approaches turn into grab bagswhich include everything but explain nothing. This aim of this panel is to examine the promise and pitfalls of theoreticalintegration in Foreign Policy Analysis. We invite papers that (a) addressthe possibility (and desirability) of generating integrated approaches inFPA in general, (b) discuss existing integrated approaches, or (c) proposenew integrated approaches. Best regards,Klaus Brummer, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, GermanyKai Oppermann, University of Cologne, Germany Dr. Kai Oppermann- Assistant Professor -Chair for International Politics and Foreign PolicyUniversity of CologneTel.: 0221-470-2854; Fax: 0221-470-6732http://www.jaeger.uni-koeln.de/oppermann.html