Three islands of knowledge about negotiation in international organizations

Abstract

Today we have three bodies of literature relevant for understanding negotiations in international organizations, and they seem like islands in the sea, largely independent from one another. Each island has established significant relevant knowledge, while not taking the others' ideas into account very much. The three are negotiation analysis, political economy and constructivist contributions. Each has potential value for scholars of the European Union (EU). This divided field, after accomplishing much, offers many interesting opportunities for fresh research. It faces the prominent challenges of addressing fundamental conceptual problems and integrating the separate literatures.