International organization in the contemporary era: Reevaluating the relevancy of a functionalist approach

This thesis reevaluates the relevancy of a functional approach to international organization in the contemporary era. It begins by reviewing theoretical concepts and historical experiences pertinent to an examination of the functional approach. These include the question of sovereignty; particular aspects of the United Nations experience; the functional approach, itself; the founding of the European Community; and functionalism's theoretical offshoot, neofunctionalism. Functionalism is then practically applied in an effort to gauge its interpretive validity. Finally, functionalist principles are incorporated into a contemporized functional approach that provides a tentative interpretive framework for contemporary international organizations. The primary finding of this investigation is that functionalism has failed to achieve its objectives on a global scale. However, its basic principles retain their allure and are applicable on a more limited scale.