The contemporary concept of the nation state arose following the Treaty of Westphalia1, and its rise to become the dominant form of social organization can undoubtedly be explained as a consequence direct decolonization.2 The social sciences' focus on the nation-state as the primary unit or level of analysis can be seen to arise from the sociological perspective of positivism, which sought to base the social sciences on the quantifiable methodologies of the natural sciences3, and in subsequent developments macrosociological.4 However, while it provides a useful unit of categorization and compartmentalization, in the modern era the focus on the nation-state “…has proven burdensome for the social sciences in general and for social theory in particular.” 5 As the processes of globalization have taken hold, it has appeared increasingly likely that “…the nation-state is eroding as the fundamental unit of world politics”,6 and numerous theorists have proposed alternative formulations, such as the “society of risk” by Ulrich Beck, the “network society” by Manuel Castells or the “clash of civilisations” by Samuel P. Huntington. The positivist school of thought can be traced back to the philosophical work of Auguste Compte, who theorized the movement as a scientific and empirical “…theory of knowledge…a historical scheme and program of social reform.”7 The methodologies of positivism were later employed by Emile Durkheim, who used them when studying suicidal tendencies to argue the existence of "social facts", which constitute the reality of a society, "...exist independently of each individual, and exert what he calls a “coercive power” over us.”8 This type of methodology that takes a broad view of the social… middle of the document… first instance. However, while it is clear that the effects of globalization have produced a world with myriad global flows and interconnections, the argument that the nation-state is redundant as a unit of analysis can be considered fallacious. As Keith Suter observes, “[i]t is not possible to suddenly declare that the Westphalian system is over and that a new global system has taken its place.”38 Nation-states still play a relevant role globally, even if in many cases in a somewhat reduced capacity. As such, they are arguably still important in terms of social theory, although, as suggested by many theorists, it may be prudent to shift the focus of inquiry to a global perspective. Despite these considerations, it is nevertheless evident, as Weiss argues, that "[t]he states are, and will likely remain for the foreseeable future, the primary actors in world affairs”.”.39