Answer to Question 1
Realism is a paradigm based on the premise that world politics is essentially and
unchangeably a struggle among self-interested states for power and position under
anarchy, with each competing state pursuing its own national interests. Liberalism is
a paradigm predicated on the hope that the application of reason and universal ethics to
international relations can lead to a more orderly, just, and cooperative world; liberalism
assumes that anarchy and war can be policed by institutional reforms that empower
international organization and law.
Answer to Question 2
Feminist theory is a body of scholarship that emphasizes gender in the study of world
politics. Liberal feminism is a category of feminist theory that sees men and women as
equal in skills and capabilities, and promotes the equal participation of women under
existing political, legal and social institutions and practices. Standpoint feminism is
a category of feminism that sees women as experiencing a very different reality from
that of men, and consequently holding a different perspective on international affairs.
Post-structural feminism is a category of feminist theory that focuses on the
implications of gendered language for world politics. Postcolonial feminism is
a category of feminist theory that looks at differences in the experiences of women,
and argues there is no universal feminine perspective or approach.