ABSTRACT
Although structuralism has waned in popularity in recent years, it has been important in the history of International Relations theory, and continues to have relevance today for a number of reasons. First, structuralist calls for justice continue to strike a chord with many people, particularly in the developing world. Structuralism can be seen as a perspective on the world which prioritises the plight of the poor, the marginalised and the oppressed. Structuralists argue that global economic relations are structured so as to benefit certain social classes, and that the resulting ‘world-system’ is fundamentally unjust.
