GLOBAL DEPENDENCY NETWORKS AND THE FATE OF LITHUANIA: A RELATIONAL APPROACH

theoretical ideas are often believed to be detached from the ways in which 'ordi nary' people observe how the empirical world operates. Maintaining a balance between theory and empirical data is, therefore, critical in appealing to audiences both in and outside of academia. This is why studies using multiple methods and multi-level ana lyses are considered valuable and challenging. In his new book, The New Cold War in the Post-Socialist Era-Domination through Multi Dependency in Lithuania!, Vincentas Giedrai tis (2007) attempts precisely to achieve this balance by applying seemingly inaccessible sociological theoretical perspectives to his analysis of the small Baltic country of Lithu ania. In doing so, Giedraitis combines micro level perspectives with macro analysis and draws from both qualitative and quantitative data. The study illustrates the conditions of through dency this relatively less known country in a multi dimensional manner. Giedraitis' basic argument is fairly simple yet convincing. Once the largest state in Eu rope and the first Soviet republic to declare independence from the Soviet Union, Lithu ania, according to Giedraitis, is now situated within the "new battleground" of other powerful states and political alliances, such as the European Union, Russia, the United States, which are seeking a new form of do minant relations with less powerful states. In this of creating a new international order, Lithuania, Giedraitis argues, is now embedded in structurally interlocking net works that the condition of multiple dependencies. Going beyond the economic dependency (e.g., Borocz the of dual dependen

It is a continuous challenge for social scientists to link their academically driven theoretical perspectives and 'real world' analyses based on empirical observations. Abstract theoretical ideas are often believed to be detached from the ways in which 'ordinary' people observe how the empirical world operates. Maintaining a balance between theory and empirical data is, therefore, critical in appealing to audiences both in and outside of academia. This is why studies using multiple methods and multi-level analyses are considered valuable and challenging.
In his new book, The New Cold War in the Post-Socialist Era-Domination through Multi-Dependency in Lithuania!, Vincentas Giedraitis (2007) attempts precisely to achieve this balance by applying seemingly inaccessible sociological theoretical perspectives to his analysis of the small Baltic country of Lithuania. In doing so, Giedraitis combines microlevel perspectives with macro analysis and draws from both qualitative and quantitative data. The study illustrates the conditions of 134 this relatively less known country in a multidimensional manner.
Giedraitis' basic argument is fairly simple yet convincing. Once the largest state in Europe and the first Soviet republic to declare independence from the Soviet Union, Lithuania, according to Giedraitis, is now situated within the "new battleground" of other powerful states and political alliances, such as the European Union, Russia, the United States, which are seeking a new form of dominant relations with less powerful states. In this process of creating a new international order, Lithuania, Giedraitis argues, is now embedded in structurally interlocking networks that create the condition of multiple dependencies. Going beyond the economic dependency approach (e.g., Borocz 1992) which relies on the notion of dual dependency, Giedraitis examines the trajectory that Lithuania has followed after the disintegration of the Soviet Union by falling into the condition of a multi-dependency that maintains a geopolitical, economic, and energy dependency.
It is perhaps easy to overlook the importance of the contribution that this type of study makes since its empirical focus might not be appealing to those unfamiliar with the particular locale. Likewise, if one sees Giedrai-tis' study as a mere descriptive survey of an exotic country with a population of only a little over three million, then they would be clearly missing the importance of this study. To be sure, his empirical description is illuminating and informative, partially due to his accessibility to the data and cultural familiarity with Lithuania. Theoretically, however, the points he suggests have larger implications.
Infonned by the power-dependence approach by Emerson (1962) and other similar perspectives, the fundamental epistemology in Giedraitis' study is very much consistent with the new contemporary trend of anti-essential epistemology. The utility of the a relational approach in social science in general and sociology in particular has been increasingly recognized (e.g., Emirbayer 1997;Fuchs 2001). For instance, the promise that dependency theories and world-systems perspectives show in recent globalization and international literature include a focus on the relationships, rather than essential attributes, of the analysed entity. Because such a 'network' approach focuses on the 'relationships' among elements, it is inherently structural. Furthermore, it is readily applicable anywhere, anytime, regardless of essential qualities such as time, size, or location, leaving the possibility for further generalization. Giedraitis shows that the relationships between political entities, or networks between states, inevitably involve a multiplicity of criteria on which the relationships are constructed. It is incomplete only to discuss a network of domination and dependency. Networks are always multiple and heterogeneous in the empirical world just as domination as a relationship consists of more than simple, rigid, one-way coercion; it is a mutually influencing relationship based on various factors. The condition of multi-dependency that Lithuania is currently facing, as Giedraitis argues, at least involves three geopolitical, economic, and energy network nodes: the V.S, the E.V., and Russia. However, the relationships are by no means stable. The perceived stability and trajectory may be described historically since in networks past relations and reputation do matter. Networks have particular histories that influence the current formation of new network ties.
Overall, this study provides a fresh and useful insight into understudied areas with strong theoretical implications for future research. In fact, Giedraitis' study could be the first study of the kind to look at Lithuania's condition involving multiple dependencies in a heterogeneous manner. This particular approach should be useful in examining other states and political formations experiencing similar dependency conditions. With multi-method and multiple level analyses, this book puts a recognizable 'face' on some of the abstract concepts that dependency and globalization theories offer.

Assistant Professor Dr. Akihiko Hirose
University of Colorado, Denver