Constructivism Flashcards
How does social constructivism explain the creation of the social world?
The social world is created through social interaction, forming stable structures (like states or marriage) that seem natural but are actually social constructs.
What are two key elements of the social world that are socially constructed?
(1) Basic social structures (e.g., marriage, states, universities)
(2) The meanings attached to these structures, which shape how we act towards them.
How does change occur in social constructivism?
Change happens when individuals introduce new ideas into social interactions,
altering either (1) the structures of the social world or (2) the meanings attached to these structures.
What does it mean that structures, interests, and identities are “endogenous” to interaction?
It means they are shaped and reshaped by interaction rather than being fixed or determined beforehand.
How does constructivism differ from neorealism regarding identities?
Constructivism sees identities as changeable through interaction, while neorealism sees them as fixed and determined by the structure of anarchy.
What is the main argument in Wendt’s article, “Anarchy is what states make of it”?
Wendt argues that anarchy, in itself, does not dictate state behavior; instead, it is the interactions and social constructions of states that create the specific dynamics of the (anarchic) international system.
How does Wendt criticise neorealism?
Wendt critiques neorealists like Waltz who treat self-help as an inherent property of anarchy, which overlooks the role of social interaction and the construction of identities and interests.
What does Wendt say about the social construction of anarchy?
Wendt proposes a constructivist approach, asserting that anarchy is not a fixed condition but is socially constructed through the interactions and practices of states.
He says that “self-help and power politics are institutions, not essential features of anarchy”.
According to Wendt, how might states define their interests?
He argues that states define their interests based on their identities and how they perceive other states. He suggests that these identities are “mutually constitutive” with collective cognitions.
Wendt identifies three types of security systems: competitive, individualistic, and cooperative. Explain each.
- Competitive Security System: States see each other’s security as a threat, where one state’s gain is seen as another state’s loss, like a zero-sum game. This is typical of “realist” politics.
- Individualistic Security System: States don’t care about each other’s security and focus on their own gains, rather than comparing themselves to others. This is a feature of “neoliberal” systems.
- Cooperative Security System: States see each other’s security as interconnected, meaning that if one state is secure, all states are responsible for it. In this system, “national interests are international interests.”
How does Wendt reject the neorealist idea that in a ‘state of nature’ states would automatically pursue selfish interests?
According to Wendt, before interaction with others, states would have no basis for such definitions of self and other and instead a desire to preserve its material substrate and survive.
Wendt states that structure has no power, without process. What does this mean?
Wendt states that structure has no power without process, meaning that the way states interact with each other (the process) is what creates and shapes the structure of the international system.
Self-help, for example, is not an automatic result of anarchy but emerges from these interactions.
What is the ‘Looking-Glass Self” according to Wendt?
Wendt uses the “Looking-Glass Self” to explain how states develop their identities.
States learn about their identity and interests through their interactions with other states. If a state acts threateningly, other states will start to see it as a threat too, and they may respond similarly. The way states act toward each other shapes how they see each other.
How might predation cause self help behaviour, according to Wendt?
In the face of a predator, states may beleive its every man for its own. However more mature states with collective identities are less prone to this.
According to Wendt, how did states transform from Hobbesian to Lockean?
States transformed from a Hobbesian world (where they were constantly in conflict) to a Lockean world (where they recognize each other’s sovereignty and rights) through mutual recognition.
This recognition helps establish security and territorial rights, changing how states view power and security.
