The Place of Culture in International Relations Theories

At the beginning of the third century, culture has emerged as a central topic across humanities disciplines, including sociology, anthropology, economics, political science, and international relations. Globalization has intensified political, economic, social, and cultural relations worldwide, bringing distant societies closer. Culture is thus the most direct, obvious, and tangible element in daily life. This importance has made the relationship between culture and domains such as economic and political power evident at the international level, drawing attention from researchers in international politics and international relations. However, most sources in international relations, influenced by realism, idealism, neorealism, and neoliberalism, have studied international developments primarily from security, political, and economic perspectives, often neglecting cultural aspects. The present study aims to evaluate the main theories of international relations from a cultural perspective, arguing that attention to cultural aspects facilitates understanding of world affairs.

The study employs a theoretical and analytical approach, reviewing and evaluating the main theories of international relations—realism, idealism, neorealism, and neoliberalism—through a cultural lens. It synthesizes existing literature to highlight the omission of cultural factors in these paradigms and to demonstrate how a cultural perspective can enrich the analysis of international issues. The methodology is qualitative, based on a critical examination of the core assumptions of each theory regarding culture and its role in shaping state behavior and international outcomes.