Book Review: Fred Chernoff, Explanation and Progress in Security Studies: Bridging Theoretical Divides in International Relations
| Author | Andriy Tyushka |
| DOI | 10.1177/1478929916676955 |
| Published date | 01 February 2017 |
| Date | 01 February 2017 |
| Subject Matter | Book ReviewsInternational Relations |
Political Studies Review 15 (1)
Explanation and Progress in Security
rity studies: nuclear proliferation, balance of
Studies: Bridging Theoretical Divides in
power and alliance formation, and democratic
International Relations by Fred Chernoff.
peace. The sample of 10–12 signature works
Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2014.
for each area helps to build a solid research
311pp., £17.99 (p/b), ISBN 9780804792264
basis for establishing what is field-internally
understood as ‘evidence’ and how to build
It took a decade for the original calls to provide
explanation strategies. As the book’s findings
a progress check in social scientific enterprise
show, a shared set of criteria has already facili-
within the domain of International Relations
tated greater progress in democratic peace
(IR) to be reborn in a smaller and more inte-
studies, unlike in the other two areas. This
grated Security Studies scholarship. Two
seems to duly confirm the book’s hypothesis.
nearly simultaneously published works by
In the age of ‘big data’, Chernoff’s reasoned
Patrick James (2002) and Colin and Miriam
appeal for consensus and progress has a good
Elman (2003) brought the philosophy-of-sci-
chance to materialise and level up the evidence
ence debate and the quest for scientific pro-
and explanation in Security Studies, just as it
gress to the field of IR studies. Fred Chernoff’s
will bridge the theoretical divides in IR.
book, Explanation and Progress in Security
Studies, although not referring explicitly to
Andriy Tyushka
these two earlier endeavours, continues the
(Baltic Defence College)6
domain’s effort to develop a metric for theory
© The Author(s) 2016
appraisal and to answer the fundamental ques-
Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav
DOI: 10.1177/1478929916676955
tion: ‘Does the study of international relations
journals.sagepub.com/home/psrev
and security lead to knowledge?’ (p. vii).
Concerned...
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