MultiHub Forum

I'm a university student majoring in international relations, and I'm trying to make sense of the current multipolar dynamics in world politics for my thesis. The traditional frameworks I've studied seem inadequate to explain the shifting alliances and economic decoupling we're seeing between major powers. I'm particularly interested in how middle powers are navigating this new landscape, balancing economic dependencies with strategic autonomy. For academics or analysts, what are the most insightful contemporary theories or regional case studies I should be examining to understand this non-aligned maneuvering? I'm looking for resources that go beyond the mainstream media narrative of a simple new Cold War.

Nice topic. A productive way to frame this is to treat multipolarity as the coexistence of several influential centers with shifting rules and norms, where middle powers push for autonomy while juggling great-power pressures. Start with Amitav Acharya’s critique of Western-dominated order (The End of American World Order, 2014) and G. John Ikenberry’s arguments about the resilience and evolution of the liberal order (Liberal Leviathan and related pieces). Add Henry Kissinger’s World Order for a historical/statecraft lens, and then bring in Barry Buzan and Ole Waever’s regional security complex theory to map how regions develop their own orders beyond a simple US-versus-China frame.