The Perceptual Base of Nonalignment

Abstract

Almost two-thirds of the nations in the world have chosen not to join either of the two dominant alliance systems- the Communist or the Western. Most of these states, generally known as the "third world," are Afro-Asian and their nonalignment signifies freedom from constraints imposed by alli- ances with major powers (Rossi, 1963). While it is misleading to consider the non-aligned states as a group homogeneous in attitude and behavior, the degree of varia- tion among them is largely an empirical question. This study examines the attitudinal orientation of three Afro-Asian nations - India, Egypt, and Indonesia-during the latter 1950s and early 1960s, an important period in the development of nonalignment.

Our primary objective is to identify the more general perceptions at the base of this policy. The model of the international system implicit in our analysis is admittedly oversimplified, for the world is more com- plex than simply major powers and non- aligned states. However, for the purpose of systematic analysis, a parsimonous model is more useful than an intricate, though undoubtedly more realistic, portrayal of the international system.