In Need of an Update: How to Study Foreign Policy in the Context of Globalisation

The formation of German policy towards emerging powers was a reaction to changes taking place in the international environment and their consequences for the global order. For this reason, it is necessary to combine two perspectives: (1) the perspective of the actor and (2) the systemic perspective. This chapter deals with theoretical issues and provides an essential foundation and set of tools for conducting and understanding the reasoning in the following parts of the book. By addressing the question of the influence of globalisation and the growing significance of emerging powers in foreign policy research, attention is drawn to the interconnections between globalisation theory (GT) and foreign policy analysis (FPA). The main challenges posed to FPA by globalisation will be defined (for example, de-territorialisation and de-nationalisation of foreign policy, proliferation and diversification of international actors, new understandings of state power), considering the mutual isolation of both disciplines and the possibility of their integration to adapt foreign policy research to new conditions.