"Middle East." . . . . "In recent years, analysts of world affairs have suggested that cultural interests -- ethnicity, religion, and ideology -- play a primary role in patterns of conflict and alliances, and that in the future the \"clash of civilizations\" will dominate international relations. The Limits of Culture explores the effect of culture on foreign policy, focusing on countries in the geopolitically important Caspian region and paying particular attention to those states that have identified themselves as Islamic republics -- Iran, Taliban Afghanistan, and Pakistan. 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. They find that ruling regimes do not necessarily act according to their own rhetoric. Iran, for example, can conduct policies that contradict the official state ideology without suffering domestic retribution. Also, countries frequently align with one another when they do not share religious beliefs or cultural heritage. For example, Christian Armenia cooperates on trade and security with non-Christian Iran. Cultural identities, the contributors find, are flexible enough to enable states to pursue a wide range of policies that are consistent with their material interests. As the essays in The Limits of Culture make clear, the emerging foreign policies of the Caspian states present a significant challenge to the culturalist argument." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Experts analyze the effect of cultural interests on the foreign policy of states in the Caspian region, including Iran, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "The limits of culture : Islam and foreign policy" . . . . . . . . . . "Electronic books"@en . "Electronic books" . . . "Electronic resource" . . . . . "Aufsatzsammlung" . . . "Livres électroniques" . "The limits of culture Islam and foreign policy"@en . "The limits of culture Islam and foreign policy" . . . . . . . . "Limits of Culture Islam and Foreign Policy" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Mednarodni odnosi." . . "Islamske dežele." . . "world politics." . . "Kultur." . . "Países islámicos Relaciones exteriores S.XX." . . "Central Asia." . . "International relations and culture Social aspects 19th century Databases Islamic countries." . . "Relations internationales et culture." . . "Relations internationales Aspect religieux Islam." . . "Cultural diversity." . . "Kulturne razlike." . . "Pays islamiques" . . "Kazakhstan." . . "POLITICAL SCIENCE Government International." . . "Aussenpolitik." . . "Außenpolitik." . "Pays musulmans." . . "Pays musulmans" . "Iran." . . "South Asia." . . "POLITICAL SCIENCE International Relations General." . . "Mednarodna varnost." . . "international relations." . . "Islamic countries" . . "civilization." . . "Paesi islamici" . . . . "Islamic countries." . . "Relazioni internazionali Aspetti culturali Paesi islamici." . . "Naher Osten." . . "Internationale Politik." . . "International relations and culture." . . "International relations and culture" . "Relaciones internacionales." . . "Kaspisches Meer" . . "Culture et relations internationales." . . "Pakistan." . . "Diplomatic relations" . . "culture." . . "Kulturelle Identität." . . "Afghanistan." . . "Shaffer, Brenda" . . "Mittelasien." . . "International security." . . "international security." . "Electronic books." . . "Islamische Staaten." . . "Islam et culture." . . "Islam." . . "geopolitics." . .