Research On International Conflict From The Perspective Of Marginalized Identity

In the post Cold War era, especially after the “9·11” event, the United States andthe West encounters great challenges by the rise of emerging powers group in the globalpolitical economy, they cannot easily cope with the shock of marginalized states. Thewestern world is struggling to cope with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Ukrainecrisis and the war occurred in the other marginalized states, many voices about theUnited States and western weakness emerge. International conflict caused by themarginalized states has risen to the main forms of conflict in the traditional areas ofmilitary and politics. Because of the demands of marginalized countries lack ofattention and concern for long time, and self-esteem suffered setbacks, so thesecountries generates conflict, hostility and anger on the system. To get attention andrespect from the system, most of these countries release energy to the internationalcommunity through the way of the anti-system movement. At the same time, to preventand punish acts of their marginalization, maintaining the existing international order andthe authority of the international system, the leading countries unite to contain andisolate them, making the interaction among the two sides into a tense confrontation.Marginalized countries are constructed on the marginalization of psychologicalself-identity in the process of interaction with the anti-system movement and thecontainment of the powers, and in turn this identity inspires their anti-system behavior.As marginalized countries, in the long process of interaction with the system,North Korea, Iran and other countries formed the marginalized identities, because of itsself-esteem suffered humiliation, and the security of cultural tradition and politicalideology is in danger, this identity has led to North Korea, Iran and other countriessustained national anti-system movement by developing nuclear power, to respond toNorth Korea’s marginalized behavior, and the impact on the rules of the internationalsystem, the powers use the measure of threat of war or deter, security dilemma isgenerated based on the logic of this interaction. Because of the conflict is caused by hostile structure based on Hobbes culture, and culture is a self-fulfilling prophecy, is toresist change, which means that the conflict based on the cultural is structural, and alongwith the increasing of the types of international conflict and again, it will cause a hugeimpact on the existing international system. This paper from the marginalized identityperspective to understand the international conflict, then the connotation of“marginalized identity” contains which elements? What are the factors causing themarginalization of identity, which is the path of construction? Marginalized identity towhich internal logic and external path of international conflict? We will analysisAccording to North Korea and Iran as the main case.The first chapter, through the discussion of the core concepts of the thesis, toconfirm the scope of the research perspective and research object etc. As marginalizedidentity research perspective, it is the core concept of the whole thesis. Attributingmarginalized identity to culture or concept, but not to the power property, that is to saythe marginalized identity is a concept based on the understanding of culture, whichdetermines the basic interests of the marginalized actors: Security (based on selfunderstanding and self-esteem). Marginalized identity only emerges in the interactiveprocess between the actors and system, can only exist in the relations with others, ratherthan based on the inherent attribute, therefore marginalized identity is a kind of roleidentity. Finally, as the research object, through the simple division of state types, thepaper selected second types of countries (see Table1-1) as the main research objects.The second chapter is focus on the interaction factors of marginalized identityconstruction process. Discuss on the factors, such as behavior civilization, ethnic andpsychological. These countries have the experience of marginalization in the fields ofhistory and reality, behavior and psychological, especially in the background of thetransformation of the system after the cold war. The experience in the clash ofcivilizations, the feelings of nationalism and political ideology in the lost and helpless,and the imbalance of Psychology by the impact in the process of globalization andlocalization which stimulate loneliness, failure, anxiety and etc, they stimulate theirunderstanding of marginalized identity.The third chapter attempts to discuss the construction path of marginalized identityof the actors. In the long-term interaction with the Western dominated system, throughthe following ways, these countries have constructed the marginalized identities ofthemselves. First, it is formed by “self realization” in the interaction practice, long-term with western history and beliefs (beliefs perceived this group is often referred to as the“collective memory”, is the construction of group identity and the relationship withother groups, the myth of narrative, or traditional). Second, the lack of information andcommunication with each other caused distrust and insecurity between the two sides,the wrong cognition has constructed marginalized identity of actors. Third, theinteractive mode of between marginalized states and the system shaped the marginalizedidentities of actors.The fourth chapter and the fifth chapter discuss the relationship between marginalidentity and international conflict, to analysis the mechanism from the perspective ofmarginalized identity, this is also one of the core parts of the thesis. The formationmechanism of the international conflict includes internal psychological logic ofmarginalized conflict, and conflict caused by external behavior path dependence. On theone hand, the psychological and cognitive emotion caused by the actors, which has thedecisive significance of provoking conflict, it is the inner psychological logic ofinternational conflicts caused by marginalized identity. On the other hand, containmentand breakthrough of sustained, deterrence and counter deterrence between the two sidescaused security dilemma, resulting in conflict, which is the external path of conflictcaused by marginalized identity of actors.The sixth chapter has discussed the typical countries of marginalized identity, thesecases include North Korea and Iran, they have represented the dominant power on theinternational system or the impact and influence of the most marginalized countries sofar. In the process of the long-term interaction with the system, the marginalized identityof North Korea is constructed, and this identity has led to North Korea sustainednational anti-system movement. Marginalized identity of Iran mainly comes from thecognition of weak of geopolitical power, encounter national honors and dignitydiscrimination which leads to frustration and humiliation on civilization. Fundamentallyspeaking, the conflict between Iran and the western is the difference between the maininternational system with Iran and other Islamic countries, and cause the marginalizedin the modern international system in the world. Because “they challenge the secularnature of the Westphalia system since the formation of the international system”.