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Critical Theory, Robert Cox and Southern Africa

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Theory, Change and Southern Africa’s Future

Part of the book series: International Political Economy Series ((IPES))

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Abstract

The first phase of the ‘return to the fold’ of South Africa, one could argue, was formally set in motion in 1990 with the release of Nelson Mandela and ended in 1994 after his inauguration as the country’s first democratically elected president. In the same year South Africa became a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). During this time Southern Africa has, deservedly, received a substantial amount of attention, most of it focusing on regional security issues2 and the dynamics of regional integration/cooperation.3 The scholarly output has come mainly from within the fields of international political economy and economics, and can be divided into orthodox/traditional and critical approaches.4

The success or failure of the critical theory of international relations will be determined by the amount of light cast on present possibilities and not just by its performance in the spheres of philosophy and historical sociology alone.

— Linklater (1990: p. 172)

A revised version of this chapter appears as ‘Critical Theory and the Southern African Region: A Framework for Discovery’, in Journal of Contemporary African Studies.

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Authors
  1. Anthony Leysens
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Stellenbosch University, South Africa

    Peter Vale (Visiting Professor of International Relations) (Visiting Professor of International Relations)

  2. Department of Political and Administrative Studies, University of Botswana, Botswana

    Larry A. Swatuk (Lecturer) (Lecturer)

  3. Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Sweden

    Bertil Oden (Head of Secretariat of the Expert Group on Development Issues) (Head of Secretariat of the Expert Group on Development Issues)

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© 2001 Palgrave Publishers Ltd

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Leysens, A. (2001). Critical Theory, Robert Cox and Southern Africa. In: Vale, P., Swatuk, L.A., Oden, B. (eds) Theory, Change and Southern Africa’s Future. International Political Economy Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781403901019_10

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