Beyond Paradigms

This is the future of political science. Sil and Katzenstein convincingly demonstrate that drawing on an eclectic mix of causal mechanisms provides stronger explanations, more policy-relevant scholarship, and closer connections to other disciplines.' - Andrew Bennett , Georgetown University. 'For international relations scholars, methodologists, and social scientists more broadly, this is a treasure trove of bold and lucid arguments. The question: How to overcome compartmentalization in international relations scholarship? The strategy: incorporate ideas and analytic tools from seemingly incommensurable research traditions. The reward: a richer interpretive and explanatory understanding of today's world.' - David Collier and Ron E. Hassner , University of California, Berkeley 'An exceptional book that should be read by every serious student of world politics. For researchers already combining elements from different approaches with neither roadmap nor rationale, it fills a long-standing lacuna. Even those who disagree with such a research strategy will benefit greatly from engaging with its thoughtful arguments and impressive range of examples.' - Colin Elman , Maxwell School of Syracuse University 'For two decades, the field of international relations has been a prisoner of the misconceived notion that good scholarship falls neatly into incompatible paradigms. Sil and Katzenstein cogently document the value of eclectic work that borrows from more than one paradigm but remains analytically rigorous. Our conceptual jail has no locks, and if we refuse to exit, we have only ourselves to blame.' - Robert O. Keohane , Princeton University. 'A giant step forward for those of us who span the boundaries between theory and practice. The singular contribution of this important volume is to show how 'analytical eclecticism,' as Sil and Katzenstein call it, can be systematized and does not need to rely upon individual intuition or shared folk tales. It will deservedly have an enormous impact on the study of world politics.' - John Gerard Ruggie , Harvard University and United Nations 'A useful book for researchers at an early stage of their career as well as students of political at both graduate and undergraduate levels who are interested in learning from established academics how to 'mix and match' theoretical approaches to the study of world politics in a scholarly rigorous and intellectually fruitful manner.' - David Falkiner, Political Studies

While paradigm-bound research has generated powerful insights in international relations, it has fostered a tunnel vision that hinders progress and widens the chasm between theory and policy. In this important new book, Sil and Katzenstein draw upon recent scholarship to illustrate the benefits of a more pragmatic and eclectic style of research.While paradigm-bound research has generated powerful insights in international relations, it has fostered a tunnel vision that hinders progress and widens the chasm between theory and policy. In this important new book, Sil and Katzenstein draw upon recent scholarship to illustrate the benefits of a more pragmatic and eclectic style of research.