Beyond the state-centric lens of the fragile state discourse: the case for hybrid political orders in Somaliland
Loading...
Date
2021-11
Authors
Schoeman, Albert
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
Since the collapse of communism in the late 1980s, a "third wave of democratisation" has swept across the globe, encouraging many developing countries (particularly in Africa) to embrace liberal democratic, free market principles. However, several states appeared unable to sustain democratic governments and economic growth during the 1990s. This resulted in the rise and prominence of the fragile state discourse, which characterised these states as soft, weak, failed, or collapsing in accordance with the degree to which they failed to meet the Weberian criteria for statehood. This Western, state-centric approach has further been reflected in the efforts of governments, non-governmental organisations, and donor agencies to promote peace and state-building as a remedy to state failure. The study argues that the state-centric approach exemplified by Weber's definition of the state and embraced by fragile state discourse and Western state-building efforts has failed to provide an objective, counter-hegemonic, and emancipatory perspective on states labelled as weak, failed, or collapsed. Rather than that, the study focusses on Hybrid Political Orders as a complementary perspective that takes a post-Western approach more suited to comprehending the realities of fragile states while also acknowledging the role of traditional authorities in the hybrid state-building process. Current international relations theory, with a particular emphasis on statehood, the fragile state perspective, and state-building, is accused of being exclusive and catering to a small minority at the expense of most of the world's population. Rather than exaggerating the politics of public bodies, political science and international relations theory should place a greater emphasis on people or politics at the grassroots level. The study attempted to provide a post-Western revisionist and alternative perspective on current state-building practises by emphasising the role of Hybrid Political orders in Somaliland.
Description
Keywords
Thesis (Ph.D. (Governance and Political Transformation))--University of the Free State, 2021, State-centric lens, Democracy - Somaliland, Democratic governments and economic growth, Hybrid political orders, Governments organisations, Non-governmental organisations, Political science and international relations