Rest in Peace (R.I.P.)
Chapter 3: IR in Close Up
3.4 British International Studies Association (BISA)
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only 35% of U.S respondents, said their research, could be categorized as such. The conventional wisdom, suggested by the TRIP researchers, is that evidence of a substantial epistemological divide, exists among IR scholars; with the deepest cleft being between the American academy and IR scholars, in the United Kingdom, Australia and South Afrika (Maliniak et al (2007:17).
So what may be the reasons, which may support such a rise of positivist thought? A response to this question is partly explained by mention of “a decline in atheoretic articles, that appear frequently in the 1980’s” (Maliniak et al, 2007:17). So in the affirmation that the “TRIP faculty survey provides strong evidence that IR, in the United States is overwhelmingly positivist (and the demographic data, suggests that it will become even more positivist as older scholars retire), but the survey data, actually understates the extent, to which the positivist epistemology, dominates journal publications” (authors emphasis) (Maliniak et al, 2007:16). With specific percentages at 58% in 1980 to 90% in 2006.
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The above founding team, proposed that BISA, should strive, to be relevant, by serving the needs and reflecting interests, of those pursuing research and teaching of IR, particularly at the postgraduate level. The cornerstone of achieving such goals, was believed to have relied upon the emphasis, which should be placed, on the facilitation of contact, between scholars. From the abovementioned quote, an immediate notice, of the same characteristics, as was observed in the ISA executive, should be noted. Given that Susan Strange, appears to be the solitary Female, an overwhelming group, of elite, white male hegemony, is thus once again, registered here.
Just for the record, the abovementioned Strange is the same Susan Strange, who was at Warwick University, when she would later become, the president of ISA, during the 1995-1996 tenure. So after her passing, in October 1998, the Susan Strange Book Prize may justifiably appear, to the many affiliates of BISA, as a fitting tributary accolade, in her honour.
Another founding committee member, who was also bestowed, a similar honour, was Michael Nicholson, of which the prize named in his honour, has been specifically referred to, as the Michael Nicholson Doctoral Thesis Prize. For the record, this is the same Michael Nicholson, whose definition of IR, was quoted in the beginning of the second chapter, of this study as noted from his book titled Formal theories in international relations. Nicholson unlike Strange, was part of those founding members, that were co-opted, at the first Executive meeting, on the 23rd of January 1974. The other members included I MacGibbon, Colin Cherry, Dilks and P Oppenheimer.The boys choir syndrome, a justifiable concern raised by the Feminist IR theorists (eg. J.A Tickner and hooks et al, as earlier captured in this study), disappointingly continued to haunt BISA, as it grew.
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One of the other important resolutions, taken from the meeting above, was the date and theme, of the first annual general meeting of BISA. Under the theme New Dimensions of Foreign Policy, hosted at Lincoln College, Oxford, on the second of January 1975, the official formation of BISA was thus realized. It was from this, opening conference wherein, the British Journal of International Studies was estabilished, with J.E Spence, as its first editor. Furthermore BISA’s Interim Constitution, was amended and adopted. To cap it all off, the same leadership committee, was thus elected, to serve, until the forthcoming conference.
With the second AGM, hosted at Birmingham University on the 17th of December 1975, it was reported that BISA, had acquiredcharitable status. This milestone was also followed, by the publication, of the first volume, of the BISA journal. Notably by that second meeting, membership had increased, from eighty members in the last AGM to one-hundred and seventy members.To date BISA is believed, to have an international membership, stretching across forty countries.In addition to the journal, a newsletter was proposed, to run for a year on trial purposes, under Trevor Taylor, as its editor.To date BISA publications include, the Review of International Studies, International Studies Today which is a biannual bulletin and there is also, collaboration with Cambridge University Press, on the Book Series referred to as Cambridge Studies in International Relations.
From the current tenure (2011-2012), the president of BISA is Stuart Croft, author of International Relations and Afrika (1996). BISA’s national office is currently based, at the Aberystwyth University, which is hosted by the Department of International Politics. The author of this study, recalls that Scott Burchill (1996:4) and William Wallace (1996:80), whom were quoted in the second chapter of this study, informed fellow IR scholars, from their respective texts, that it was at Aberystwyth University, where IR as an academic discipline in 1919, was formally initiated.
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So from the above background, BISA (being based in the UK) and ISA (being based in America), may be read, as two separate organisations, related to IR however they both share the same goals, with regards to IR. According to the author of this study, critics may correctly raise the Anglo- American flag, being renewed in contemporary fashion, in the form of such scholarly organisations.
For the author of this study, the abovementioned criticism may, given its own meritous argument, be read as a mirror of contemporary IR. From their respective list of members and modus operandi, for the author of this study, both these organisations should be read, as being nothing else, but two sides of the same coin.
3.4.2 A glimpse of the BISA Afrika Working Group
According to its home page, on its website, BISA Afrika and International Studies Working Group stipulates that
The Afrika and International Studies Working Group was formally established, in the summer of 2007. The Group aims to provide a forum, in which to bring together, a diverse range of scholars, to discuss and debate: substantive issues arising from a study of Afrika and 'the international';
theoretical and conceptual debates, about the relationship between generalities of the discipline, of International Studies and Afrikan historically-based specificities; and ideas about the relationship of issues and theory, in the pedagogy of International Studies in and of Afrika.
Since inception, membership of this group has been steadily growing, with an estimated figure of just over one hundred and forty members, from around the world. Members of this group have, to date, been very active participants, at the respective annual BISA and ISA colloquia. The closest one to the author of this study, having been at Stellenbosch University (Western Cape, South Afrika 198).The detour to Lumumba confronting the ghost of King Leopold II199, below however may be more appropriate, in as far as the goals of this study are concerned.This group