An Analysis of the Notion of a “Failed State”

Abstract

In the post-Cold War era, it has become increasingly evident that one of the most important challenges for the world community is that posed by so-called failed states. Many serious problems that contemporary societies face with highly significant international connections are described on the basis of this phenomenon within multiple academic disciplines. On the other hand, there are theoretically developed different definitions on this concept which are usually extremely brief and in some cases even very ideological. This paper, introducing theoretical concepts behind its differing definitions, is trying to analyze the notion of failed states, while also searching for possible sociological standpoints.