Clash of Civilizations Myt eller verklighet?
Clash of CivilizationsSamuel HuntingtonThe WestIslamCultureSocial sciencesSamhällsvetenskaperSocial Sciences
In 1989 the Cold War ended and in 1991 the Soviet Union ceased to exist, over night the ruling paradigm of International Relations was obsolete. What would happen now? Samuel Huntingtons answer was that in the future, cultural identity would be the most important factor behind international conflict. And that the threat of world war would come from clashes between civilizations instead of clashes between ideologies like during the cold war. Was he correct? This thesis is an attempt to find out if Huntingtons theory was right in its predictions of the world to come. My conclusion is that Huntington was wrong. After the Cold war there was a decrease in international conflict both religious and non-religious. But Huntington was not completely wrong after all. He proved the importance of culture in international relations. It is not as Huntington suggests the most important factor. But it is a factor to be reckoned with.