constructivism

Question 1

name 3 key scholars on constructivism and their years

Answer 1

wendt 1999, onuf 1989, kratochwil 1989

Question 2

what were wendt’s key contributions

Answer 2

• anarchy is what a state makes of it
• three cultures of anarchy based on how states perceive each other
• an anarchy of friends differs from one of enemies

Question 3

what were onuf’s main contributions

Answer 3

• coined the term constructivism
• speech act theory - how language and rules construct reality

Question 4

what did kratochwil contribute to constructivism

Answer 4

-International law and norms guide behavior not because of strict enforcement, but because actors perceive them as legitimate or appropriate.
- practical reasoning: what is appropriate or fair, not just about what maximizes utility.

Question 5

what is the importance of context in constructivism

Answer 5

• impossible to describe the nature of actors without context
• ideas and meanings shape actors over time

Question 6

what is constructivism/ what is it used for

Answer 6

• a critical theory that criticises materialism in realist and liberal theories
• looks at social context of actions not just actions independently

Question 7

what is the constructivist approach to anarchy

Answer 7

• wendts spectrum of anarchy from enemies to friends (social relationships matter, anarchy does not dictate behaviour)
• behaviours stem from the assumption that states see each other as rivals not from anarchy
• difference in cultural content leads to difference in state behaviour (anarchy problematique)

Question 8

what is the anarchy problematique

Answer 8

how the absence of a global authority shapes international relations, and whether it inevitably leads to conflict or can be managed through cooperation, norms, and institutions.

Question 9

constructivist view on international authority

Answer 9

• international institutions exist, challenging anarchy
• where states recognize authoritative rules, authority prevails

Question 10

what are the two constructivist camps and what do they propose

Answer 10

conventional - share the anarchy problematique, take anarchy as a base
post anarchy - reject anarchic view, there is authority, emphasize international society

Question 11

what are the strategic behaviours and norms

Answer 11

• states pursue their socially constructed interests
• norms and strategic behaviour are not mutually exclusive

Question 12

what is constructivism’s criticism of realism

Answer 12

• against fixed interests (states and people dont all strive for power and glory)
• against anarchy as the base for IR
• overemphasis on conflict and underemphasis on cooperation

Question 13

what is constructivism’s criticism of liberalism

Answer 13

• against universality of norms
• ignores state identity and historical narrative
• national interests are not materialist

Question 14

what is constructivism’s criticism of marxism

Answer 14

• the overemphasis of economics
• very reductionist, it is all dependent on the time period and situation