Limitations Of Non-Western Theories Of IR

Although non-Western perspectives provide a significant contribution to IR, they are not without limitations. The risk of essentialism prevails, where diverse experiences and cultures are put together into a single category of "Global South" or "Non-Western," which may create complex issues in future. This generalization can lead to oversimplification or obscuration of the distinct internal diversity and complexity of these regions and issues related to them (Duzgun, 2022).

Furthermore, according to Dutta (2020), the implementation of non-Western perspectives with Western approaches can lead to a dependence on pre-existing structures, further weakening the potential for better and more creative approaches. Non-Western theories may exhibit this in situations where they attempt to gain recognition in mainstream academic discourse by adhering to Western standards rather than directly challenging them.

In addition, several non-Western nations' academic infrastructures face significant difficulties, such as little to no funding, lack of access to global networks, and institutional biases that prefer Western scholarship. These obstacles can hinder the development and dissemination of non-Western theories, limiting their impact on IR as a whole.