social constructivism. introduction social constructivist – last of the four major theories in ir...
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Introduction • Social Constructivist– Last of the four major theories in IR• Born when the Cold War died• Gaining momentum and popularity
– Defined • Studies how ideas and social movements impact and
change international relations• Studies International Structure
– Structure is some thing that exist independently of an actor (ie. Class structure), but is an important determinant in the actions of the actor (ie. Class Revolution)» Shapes identities, interest, and foreign/domestic polices
of states » How states and non-states shape and reshape world
What is a Social Theory?• Social Constructivism – Substantive Theory• Offers specific claims and hypotheses about patterns in
world politics– Realism, Liberalism, Marxism, etc…
» Offers absolute/precise analysis and evaluations – Not Constructivism
– Social Theory• Broadly concerned with how to conceptualize the
relationship between agents and structures– Constructivism
» Offers overall interpretations of existing system– Not Realism, Liberalism, Marxism, etc…
Core Elements • Idealism– Holds that ideas have important causal effect on
events in international politics, and that ideas can change • Social consciousness = fundamental feature of society • People = shaped by ideas = knowledge, symbols, language
and rules. • Meaning and construction of material reality is dependent
on ideas and interpretations
• Holism – Structures cannot be broken down to the individual
units, and the interactions between the individual parts, because structures are more than the sum of their parts and, as a result, cannot be reduced
Main Constructivist Tenets • Social Construction of Reality – Actors are produced and created by their cultural
environment – Indicates how knowledge, symbols, rules, concepts,
etc… shapes how individuals construct and interpret their world
• Social Facts– Things whose existence is dependent on human
agreement• Existence defines shapes how we categorize the world and
what we do– Money, treaties, human rights, laws, etc…
– Opposite Brute Facts = exist independent of human agreement and will continue to exist even if humans disappear or deny their existence • Oceans, gravity, the sun, a rock, etc…
Continue • Logic of Consequences– Attributes action to the anticipated costs and
benefits, mindful that other actors are doing just the same• Realism, Marxism, Liberalism, etc…
• Logic of Appropriateness– Highlights how actors are rule-following, worrying
about whether their actions are legitimate• Constructivism
• Meaning– Value actors place on their action and the objects
they construct
Continue • Culture– Provides the meaning that people give their action • Society (international and domestic) is diverse, then
there are multiple meanings that can be interpreted by an action– Politics Today = liberals vs. conservatives or state and non-
state actors
• Power – Adds to traditional definition of power• Forces of power go beyond material (economic or
military), can be ideational (forming/entertaining Ideas)– Legitimacy = sought by states = more legitimate an action the
more international approval received » States alter action to receive legitimacy
Continue– Knowledge is Power• How knowledge, the fixing of meanings, and the
construction of identities allocate different rewards and capacities
• Reject Unity of Science Thesis– Methods of studying the natural world are not
appropriate for understanding the social world• Humans reflect on their experience and use these
experiences to change their behavior, the natural world does not
Continue• Causality and Explanation– Insist that structures can have a causal impact
because they make possible (or limit) certain kinds of behavior and thus generate certain tendencies in the international system
Rational Choice • Social Theory that offers a framework for
understanding how actors operate with fixed preferences which they attempt to maximize under a set of constraints– Conflicts with SC, Demonstrates not all social
theories are similar • Treats interest as fixed, SC treats as constructed by
environment and interactions • Favors Logic of consequences, SC favors logic of
appropriateness • SC studies normative structure and RC focuses on
strategic behavior
Global Change• Social Constructivism– Useful in explaining global change– Non-Social Theories have difficult time explaining
change because of their fixed absolute interpretations of world affairs
• Homogenization of World Politics – Is there a World Order?• Diffusion
– How particular models, practices, norms, strategies, or beliefs spread within a population (domestic or international)
Continue• Diffusion and Norms– Diffusion leads to international recognized norms
= Internationalization of norms • Provide world with established standards of behavior
– States follow norms because of sense of community or fear of retribution
– Life Cycle of Norms • Norm emergence
– Norm promoted by group or issues and adopted by state
• Norm Cascade– Norm crusaders socialize to other states through coercions or
competition
• Norm Internationalization– accepted by all an no longer debated in IS
Continue • Three consequences of Institutional
Isomorphism and Internationalization of Norms – Diversity has slowly yielded to conformity • Not al conformity is altruistic
– Deepening sense of an International Community• Globalization and advancement in technology
– Replacing Anarchy as boarders become obsolete
– Socialization • States/societies take on identities and interest of
dominate peer group– Diffusion Flow = First to Third World