Browsing by Author "Ngwana, Cebo"

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    Comparative theoretical analyses of the underlying causes of post-Cold War conflict in Africa : a case study of Lybia
    (University of Fort Hare, 2015) Ngwana, Cebo
    In order for society to progress intellectually, there should be a constant knowledge production fostered by rigorous research that is conducted with the aim of contributing to understanding and developing explanations, or even assisting in the prediction of possible future outcomes. A comparative theoretical analysis is employed in the study to gain insights into the treatment by mainstream International Relations (IR) theories about the underlying causes of post-cold war conflict in Africa, through an examination of the postcolonial State of Libya. Realism, liberalism, hegemonic stability theory, critical theory, constructivism and post-structuralism are IR theories which are used in analysing the trajectory of the post-colonial African State, the underlying causes of the North Atlantic Treaty military (NATO) invasion of Libya in 2011, and its consequences in terms of its political impact on Libya. IR theories, as unique conceptual models which provide ideas about what constitutes social reality, propose a systematic way of understanding the complexity of the Libyan situation. The assumptions of the historically oppositional ideologies of liberalism and realism, together with its sub-theory of hegemonic stability theory, are tested in the Libyan context, followed by the contestation offered by critical theory. Finally, the relatively new theories of constructivism and post-structuralism are also utilised in attempting to establish whether they offer a satisfactory alternative that can accommodate the uniqueness of a non-Western frame of reference.