Understanding Global Relations from the Perspective of Pragmatism

Among the various theories that are used to understand the new conditions in the world of politics and economics, the theory of practice theory, has received less attention. Mainstream theories usually try to use the same classical frameworks which they invented to understand international relations to global relations and emerging phenomena in the space of global relations. But Practice theory has completely different bases for understanding these new conditions. In this article, after examining the fundamental concepts of functionalism theory, an attempt has been made to understand international relations based on the concepts derived from this theory. Practice is both an action and a thought, the thought that is formed during the action and the actions that rely on it after the formation of the thought. If the concept of practice can be a basis for understanding international relations, new important questions like this case will be raised in the field of international studies: Has a new field of social relations been formed in the 21st century? Has it created new capitals? Are we witnessing the emergence of a new space of social relations? Are global relations as same as the new atmosphere of social relations that will lead to different habitus and actions? These are the questions that we will try to answer in this article. Our primary answer in this article is that from the perspective of practice theory, fields, habitus, network of action, new capitals have emerged in the global arena, which have changed the basis of international relations. After examining the fundamental concepts of practice theory, it has been endeavored to understand international relations based on the concepts derived from this theory. In this article, it has been shown that the basis of understanding international relations from this point of view is completely different, and the investigated topics and the focal points of the world are different from what is expressed in the mainstream theories of international relations. In this theory, there are concepts such as habitus, capital in a different sense, field and symbolic forms, from which international relations can be understood. In addition, the concept of practice, which is a different understanding of action at the international level, is proposed based on these new meanings. Based upon this, it has been explained in this article that the evolution of international relations towards global relations can be well understood from the point of view of practice theory. Relying on the current information and facts in the world, it has been stated how new habitus, capital, and symbolic forms have emerged in the global arena, which creates another type of action and, in a better word, practice in the environment of global relations. The new habitus that have formed in the space of social networks as well as new interconnected economic and political networks in the global area, indicate the emergence of a different environment that has changed the basis of human social life. These habitus have grown in new fields. These new fields are not only in the field of politics. Rather, new fields for global action have emerged in the cultural, scientific, and economic fields, which have brought new awareness and new actions. Examining these new fields shows that if we look at the world politics and economics from the perspective of practice theory, we will find that the new field that is in our view is not only an international but a global. In general, it can be said that from the point of view of practice theory in the international relations of the world, the arena of rational action (in the sense of individual calculation of benefits and losses) and profit-seeking of states and their competition for military and economic power is no longer considered. The world is a network of different fields in which different habitus and capitals flow. Various and complex beliefs have been formed that emerge and flow during life and action. The global communication and economic and political networks have created new fields beyond the national borders in which new habitus and new capitals are formed. New habitus are formed during the actions of all kinds of actors in the global field and they follow different knowledge and behavior. Capital is no longer considered economic capital in the Marxist sense, but capital has entered the public space in various cultural, economic and political forms. The action of international actors is realized in the new fields which have emerged in the world arena and creates both a different mentality and objectivity. In addition, it rejects the duality between structure and agent because actions are both the manifestation of habits and structures in different fields and influence their construction.
In the new world, new habitus and new actors have been formed, and the fields of action have become so diverse and different that they have drawn a different scene for international relations. A scene where any actor, if he does not know the rules and doxas during the action, will practically go into isolation and will lose the possibility of effective action. According to all the pillars of understanding international relations will be transformed with this theory. The actors are no longer just governments, the concept of governance is changing, the international system no longer means the distribution of power between sovereign states, power and capital have completely different meanings, and Space and action rules will have a different meaning. In other words, practice theory has fundamentally changed the basis of understanding international relations.