Research On Susan Strange's Thought Of Structural Power

Susan Strange and her thoughts played an unique and extraordinary role in the International Relations and International Political Economy. Susan Strange was the most influential figure in British international studies. She was Montague Burton Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). She was an instrumental founding member and first Treasurer of the British International Studies Association (BISA) and the first British female President of the International Studies Association (ISA) in 1995. Her thoughts, her published work, her teaching, her professional activities, all came together to make a real difference to the way that we now think and write about the international and global political economy. We regard Strange's development of structural power as her most significant contribution towards IPE. That is a new form of analysis for us to study international issues.This paper seeks to explore Susan Strange's thought of structural power, illustrating its features. The paper researches from four aspects by the way of hermeneutics analysis method., illustrating the formation of four phases of structural power, core parts of structural power, the comparison between structure power and mainstream theory so as to power and structure and so forth. Moreover, this paper attempts to outline the structural power of academic contribution.Foremost, section one provides a brief overview of the four stages of development of structural power which means including the stage of raising questions, the stage of analyzing problems, the stage of improvement, the stage of the formation and perfection of structural power, and describes the ideas of Susan Strange's writings so as to grasp that how to form the thought of structural power. Meanwhile, section two explores the core idea of structural power., including the basic values of security, wealth, freedom, and justice, structural and relational power, structures of power and secondary power structures. This simple framework challenges to the study of international relations, giving us an entirely new understanding of power and providing the basic analysis framework of international issues. In addition, the third section outlines the understanding of different points of view of the relevant international relations theory on power and structure, and the understanding of Susan Strange on power and structure. Compared with other international relations theory, the thought of structural power is a actor-neutral thought, which has characteristic of dynamic. Strange proposed a more comprehensive outline of the structural power of international issues if we combined macro level with micro level. As a result, section four elaborates the structural power of academic contributions, and discusses that how Susan Strange to understand the combination of political science and economics. Compared with the mainstream international relations theory, structural power is of more realistic sense. The thought of structural power is simplicity and clarity, and the structural power analysis to facilitate politics and economics integration, creating a new thought and research ideas. Our acceptance of the fundamental necessity to link politics and economics in order to understand either and both partly stems from Susan Strange's early and continued insistence on this link. Her thoughts preliminarily determine the power structure and market, and demonstrates the reality of international relations scholar should care reality and have critical thinking. The thought of structural power is much more realistic and comprehensive than the mainstream of international relations theory, reflecting the path of new ideas and perspectives of international relations theory and reference value. We could create new ideas and theories from the reference of value thought.