فصلنامه مطالعات راهبردی
سال یازدهم شماره 2 (پیاپی 40، تابستان 1387)

Analysis of foreign policy in the international arena is a principal issue for Political Science as well as International Relations and so far many views and analyses have been provided in this area. While, during the early phases, Realism was the dominant approach in analysis of foreign policy, in the aftermath of the revolution in behavioral sciences, three new views, including, decision making process, comparative foreign policy and psychological environment were created. However, with the development of Post-Positivism in the field of Social Science three other new approaches are produced which are: Institutional Approach, Sociological Approach, and Culture and Identity Approach. Therefore, while considering these approaches, in order to provide a new analysis on International Relations, the author of this paper attempts to build a link between these new approaches.

Academic books and resources as one of the main references in studying the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran are focused and considered in this paper. Therefore, the paper attempts to find out what principles and foundations are introduced in those texts? Based on this paper's hypothesis, the main concern of these texts has been the conflict of Idealism versus Realism which is illustrated in three sections: historical aspect, Idealism versus Realism in the context of the Revolutionary, Islamic and Nationalistic approaches and finally some suggestions to coupe with paradoxical issues in this regard.

The Micro Approach at studying International Relations normally focuses on structure and behavior of the actors of international system; decision making process in the field of foreign policy is a part of this structure. Considering the published works with respect to the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, this paper discusses the structure as well as process of decision making in the country. Therefore, due to three relevant variables, including, stakeholders (agents), organization and process, the survey is conducted with in the framework of legal-organizational (official) and political-sociological (unofficial) approaches. Finally, the paper concludes with highlighting deficiency of the relevant texts and a few suggestions are raised to remove them.

Any thinker's approach toward the issue of structure – agent and their interaction is one of the key elements in leading his/her perception and analysis about the social environment. It is the case especially in International Relations and Foreign Policy. Generally three approaches namely, Structure, Agent, Foundation can be identified in IR. With respect to the Islamic Republic of Iran also two different approaches focus on either Agent and its main role in leading to shape the international system or Structure and necessity of compatibility with the international system. The paper argues that while in the beginning the dominant approach in foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran was dominated by Agent approach, it was replaced by Structure approach in the later phases.

Security studies inIrando not have a long history. However, studying security developments, as a small part of that bigger area is even newer. In fact, there exist many views and analyses on the very society and national security ofIranwhich have been raised by thinkers and researchers of security studies. These achievements can be categorized in four explanatory models which are as follows: discourse on securing, expansion and growth, discourse on tradition and modernity, discourse on delimitation, consolidation and pluralism, and also views on class and structure. These models can help us in understanding security developments ofIran.