CASPIAN STUDIES
July 2006
The Limits of Culture: Islam and Foreign Policy
By Brenda Shaffer, Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 1999-2000; Former Research Director, Caspian Studies Project, 2004-2007
The contributors to The Limits of Culture find that, contrary to the currently popular view, culture is rarely more important than other factors in shaping the foreign policies of countries in the Caspian region.
Read the Foreign Affairs review.
July 2002
Borders and Brethren: Iran and the Challenge of Azerbaijani Identity
By Brenda Shaffer, Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 1999-2000; Former Research Director, Caspian Studies Project, 2004-2007
The Azerbaijani people have been divided between Iran and the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan for more than 150 years, yet they have retained their ethnic identity. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the emergence of an independent Azerbaijan have only served to reinforce their collective identity.
May, 2001
Partners in Need: The Strategic Relationship of Russia and Iran
By Brenda Shaffer, Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 1999-2000; Former Research Director, Caspian Studies Project, 2004-2007
In this incisive Policy Paper, Caspian Basin specialist Brenda Shaffer presents a comprehensive overview of how Russia and Iran view each other, providing a detailed explanation of why Russia does not share all U.S. concerns about Iranian actions. Using her rich command of the Russian literature on Iran, the author argues that because Russia views its relations and cooperation with Iran as vital to national security, it will not jeopardize those relations for the sake of short-term material incentives or out of fear of U.S. condemnation.
July 2006
"Introduction: The Limits of Culture"
By Brenda Shaffer, Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 1999-2000; Former Research Director, Caspian Studies Project, 2004-2007
"In recent decades, area studies and international relations specialists have conducted and published research with little dialogue between their respective fields, especially concerning the impact of culture on states...."
July 2006
"The Islamic Republic of Iran: Is It Really?"
By Brenda Shaffer, Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 1999-2000; Former Research Director, Caspian Studies Project, 2004-2007
"The Islamic Republic of Iran could conceivably be the poster child for the proponents of cultural explanations of foreign policy and of those who claim that Islam is the guiding force of foreign policy formation for Muslim-populated states...."
July 2006
"Conclusion"
By Brenda Shaffer, Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 1999-2000; Former Research Director, Caspian Studies Project, 2004-2007
"This study examined the foreign policies of the states of the greater Caspian region throughout the first decade after the Soviet Union's demise and attempted to identify the role of culture in the foreign policy decisions of these states...."
July 2003
"Iran's Role in the South Caucasus and Caspian Region: Diverging Views of the U.S. and Europe"
By Brenda Shaffer, Former Research Fellow, International Security Program, 1999-2000; Former Research Director, Caspian Studies Project, 2004-2007
This paper is part of a larger project that examined how different stances on regional issues can impact bilateral U.S.-European relations.
Since the Soviet breakup and the subsequent independence of the states of the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia), Europe and the United States have conducted very different policies toward the new states in the greater Caspian region. Moreover, Europe and the United States view Iran's policies and the desired role that Tehran should play in the region in diverging ways.
