ABSTRACT
Contrary to the traditional realist theory of international relations, which defines global status and influence strictly in terms of hard attributes such as military force and economic power, other models of international relations theory tend to take a broader perspective. While not entirely discounting the role of force and wealth, these other models also consider the importance of soft attributes in determining a state’s international ranking and status.1 It is through the conscious cultivating of concepts like ‘human security’, ‘middle-powermanship’, ‘complex interdependence’ and ‘multilateralism’ that Canada has, since the end of the Second World War, been able to maintain its influence in specific sectors of global affairs despite limited military force and economic power.2
