The aim of this Bachelor thesis is to provide a theoretical explanation of the recent world order with the English School theory, to present an ignored problem of rising numbers in arms trade deals and to present new ways of cooperation for states to solve the gun trade problem.
The arms trade treaty of 2013 has been a first attempt towards a harder control on small arms trade, however today it can be stated that the attempt failed and it hasn’t achieve any real effects on the volume of sales in both legal and illicit conventional weapons, military defense systems and their parts, accessories or ammunition. The five hypothesis the author make about the system of arbitrary trade prior to the analysis are the following:
Firstly, Guns are being produced and traded not solely for purposes of the defense industry in a political sense of security dilemma, but also for purposes of war making. Conflicts and wars profit certain groups in the international world order. Secondly, global gun trade is regulated not solely by the states foreign policy, but also by gun manufacturing corporations that try to influence the emergence of new conflicts in destabilized parts of the world. Business actors are mainly interested to increase their profits. Thirdly, dominant states abuse arms trade over third world states as a tool of foreign policy, in order to have influence in domestic matters. New opportunities with digital technologies are not applied in the international society, due to the international society structure of sovereign states. This structure makes state cooperation in international order based on self binding norms with little or no consequences for the rule breaking country. Lastly, the restrictions in arms trade volumes or restrictions for states to acquire armaments would lead to less new conflicts in the long term.
The challenge of this thesis is to combine three areas, that don’t seem to match to each other, namely international relations, gun trade and new digital technologies to give a practical solution to one particular policy problem - unrestricted international gun trade. This paper will challenge orthodox ways of problem - solving approaches in international relations by focusing mostly on empirical evidence, rather than theory. It will combine international relations with the power of new digital technologies, including blockchain technology, to deal with international political and economic problems.
Table of Contents
Introduction to the Bachelor Thesis
Introduction to the English School theory: “The anarchical society of order in World Politics”
Theory Part 1: The Nature of Order in World Politics
Theory Part 2: Does Order Exist in World Politics?
Conclusion
“A master institution of world society? Digital communication networks and the changing dynamic of transnational contention”
Introduction to the article
Conclusion
The role of communication in the evolvement of second-order societies.
Conclusion
How to apply this change of concept of the world society?
Analysis: The international conventional legal and illicit arms trade system and the problem with unrestricted gun trade
The global gun trade system from the industrial revolution to the modern arms trade.
Why is unrestricted gun trade a problem to world order?
Conclusions: Why is unrestricted gun trade a problem to world order?
Evaluation to the problem of non transparent conventional arms trade and possible solutions for a new era in world order
Evaluation of the arms trade system in world order
A new way of cooperation for states?
A new way of cooperation for states with blockchain solution to gun control
Conclusion
Closing remarks
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This thesis examines the challenges of regulating the global conventional arms trade within the current world order. It investigates why traditional state-centric mechanisms, such as the 2013 Arms Trade Treaty, have largely failed to curb illicit and non-transparent arms flows, and explores whether emerging digital technologies like blockchain could provide innovative solutions for enhancing transparency and international cooperation.
- Application of English School theory to analyze global world order dynamics.
- Evaluation of the history and current state of the global conventional arms trade.
- The impact of digital communication on non-state actor participation in politics.
- The potential for blockchain and smart contracts to improve transparency in military trade.
- Challenges of state sovereignty versus the need for new international governance structures.
Excerpt from the Book
The global gun trade system from the industrial revolution to the modern arms trade.
Historically, till the beginning of the industrial revolution, gun trade was a matter of solely the state, but with innovations in metallurgical skills as well as innovations in steam power, the industrial revolution build up the capitalist economic system, which made the way for private actors to enter the defence industry (Stohl / Grillot 2009: 14). During this time, the privately run new gun manufacturers, that arose with their new technological innovations, saw an opportunity in the capitalist economic system to profit from entering this newly established market (Stohl / Grillot 2009: 14).
The breakthrough in the gun trade came in 1854, when the British state started the purchasing of machinery from the private firm “William Armstrong” (Stohl / Grillot 2009: 14) and so in the consequence, other companies from the British state demanded for the competition to become open for the whole of the market players (Stohl / Grillot 2009: 14). This action by the British state resulted in a critical situation, as other competitors demanded to enter the market, which in the end made the British state decide to get back using their state arsenal and not buy any further equipment from private actors (Stohl / Grillot 2009: 14).
Summary of Chapters
Introduction to the Bachelor Thesis: Outlines the failure of current arms control measures and establishes the core hypotheses regarding the influence of private actors and digital technologies on the arms trade.
Introduction to the English School theory: “The anarchical society of order in World Politics”: Summarizes the theoretical framework of Hedley Bull, focusing on the state-centric nature of international society and its evolution.
“A master institution of world society? Digital communication networks and the changing dynamic of transnational contention”: Analyzes how new communication technologies empower non-state actors and alter the landscape of international political contention.
Analysis: The international conventional legal and illicit arms trade system and the problem with unrestricted gun trade: Provides a historical overview of the arms trade from the industrial revolution to the present, highlighting the lack of transparency.
Evaluation to the problem of non transparent conventional arms trade and possible solutions for a new era in world order: Critically evaluates existing control attempts like the Arms Trade Treaty and proposes blockchain as a potential solution for transparency.
Closing remarks: Synthesizes the findings, acknowledging that while technological solutions are theoretically promising, they face significant implementation challenges within the current Westphalian state system.
Keywords
International Relations, English School Theory, Arms Trade, Gun Control, Blockchain, Smart Contracts, Global World Order, Transparency, State Sovereignty, Non-state Actors, Digital Technologies, Conventional Weapons, International Policy, Conflict Resolution, Arms Trade Treaty
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this bachelor thesis?
The thesis focuses on explaining the dynamics of the global conventional arms trade using English School theory and investigating how digital technologies, specifically blockchain, could help regulate and increase transparency in these trade flows.
What are the primary themes explored in this work?
Key themes include the evolution of the global arms industry, the role of private vs. state actors, the impact of the digital age on political contention, and the efficacy of international agreements like the Arms Trade Treaty.
What is the main research question of the study?
The study asks: "How could the legal and illicit international arms trade be restrained in the world order with new digital technologies?"
Which scientific methodology is applied here?
The research uses a theoretical framework based on the English School of international relations, combined with historical pattern analysis and empirical evaluation of blockchain technology applications.
What is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section details the history of the global gun trade from the industrial revolution, analyzes the failures of current international arms control treaties, and explores the feasibility of decentralized database systems for tracking military equipment.
Which keywords best describe this research?
The work is characterized by terms such as International Relations, Arms Trade, Blockchain, Transparency, Global World Order, and English School Theory.
How does the author view the role of the state versus non-state actors?
The author argues that while states remain central, the rise of digital technologies and social media has qualitatively shifted power to non-state actors, making the traditional "black box" of state secrecy increasingly difficult to maintain.
Why does the author propose blockchain as a solution?
Blockchain is proposed because its decentralized and immutable nature provides a way to verify and track transactions transparently, which could counteract the current tendency of states to hide or misreport military trade activities.
- Quote paper
- Vaidotas Norkus (Author), 2018, A New Era of Cooperation for the International Society? The Restriction of Illicit International Arms Trade via Digital Technologies, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/539177
