Constructivism

Question 1

Who did Constructivism criticise and what for?

Answer 1

Constructivism scolded neorealism and neoliberalism for their failure to explain contemporary global transformations.
Constructivism came about from the neo-neo debate.

Question 2

What was the neo-neo debate?

Answer 2

Neorealists; believed the anarchic structure put constraints on states to adopt a self help system to survive.
neoliberal; believe no institutions lead to conflict, we can think of institutional structure where states have mutual interest.

Question 3

Define individualism? (the neo neo commitment to it)

Answer 3

actors as fixed units with fixed interests.

Question 4

Define materialism

Answer 4

structure that constrains behaviour is material forces.

Question 5

What is there no emphasis on by the Neo’s ?

Answer 5

no emphasis on the role if ideas or how norms shape states interests as they believe interests are fixed.

Question 6

This constructivist theory understands change…

Answer 6

and how ideas bring about change .

Question 7

What do ideas shape?

Answer 7

how we construct / interpret the world and how we see ourselves.

Question 8

how important are material forces?

Answer 8

Only as important as we give them meaning.

Question 9

What are brute facts?

Answer 9

Brute facts; material substances that exist in nature; if human’s did not exist, they would still be there (e.g. oceans, forests, woods.)

Question 10

What are social facts?

Answer 10

social facts; socially constructed (e.g. money, traffic lights, refugees, sovereignty) we give these ‘facts’ meaning through categorisation, shared norms and practices.
e.g. traffic lights, they are just colours but we give them meaning. red; stop, green; go.

Question 11

What are ideational structures?

Answer 11

collectively held ideas (e.g knowledge, language, rules)
They do not only constrain actors but constitute their identities and interests and establish standards of appropriate behaviour for actors within a given identity..

Question 12

What is the opposite of logic of appropriateness

Answer 12

logic of consequence

Question 13

Define logic of consequence;

Answer 13

is a rational act/ cost and benefits analysis that produces an outcome that maximises interest of the state.
interest driven/ selfish.

Question 14

Define logic of appropriateness?

Answer 14

how actors are rule following, concerned about legitimacy of actions, do things because “right thing to do.”

Question 15

What do constructivists approaches help theorists to understand?

Answer 15

to understand changes in international politics which other IR theories can’t explain so well.

Question 16

Give an example of how international orders are made/ remade through action (give the world orders example)

Answer 16

World orders created/ sustained by great power preferences but also by changing understandings of what constitutes a legitimate word order. up until the second world war, idea of world organised around empire was legitimate, now its not.

Question 17

What does diffusion concern?

Answer 17

It concerns how particular models, practices, norms, strategies spread.

Question 18

What is institutional isomorphism ?

Answer 18

those organisations that share same environment will over time resemble each other. diversity of models within a population, overtime conformity around one model.

Question 19

What has happened to state structures, economies ect. in the world?
(norm diffusion)

Answer 19

Used to be various ways to organise state structures ect. but now world organised around nation state, favour democratic form of governance, international organisations are now all multi lateral.

Question 20

Another example of norm diffusion?

Answer 20

Audie Klotz; struggle against apartheid emerging norm of racial equality that helped bring about change, show why states put sanctions on South America (although against their interests)

Question 21

Who wrote the article on Socialisation ?

and what was the title of the article?

Answer 21

Jeffrey Checkel, 2005,

“process of inducting actors into the norms and rules of a given community.

Question 22

What is socialisation about.

How regional/ international organisations…

Answer 22

like the EU, induct new members into their organisation and how members are socialised into new norms/understandings of that society.

Question 23

Does it happen from logic of consequence/logic of appropriateness?

Answer 23

Both, happens from rationalist understanding, logic of consequence (in your interests) and do this because part of your identity.

Question 24

List the three things that socialisation can be produced by?

Answer 24

Mimicking;
Social influence
persuasion

Question 25

define mimicking

Answer 25

when state officials face tremendous uncertainty and decide that the best way to proceed is to adopt the practices that have served others well.

Question 26

define social influence

Answer 26

state officials aspire to status within existing group and are sensitive to the signs of approval and disapproval.

Question 27

define persuasion

Answer 27

state officials are convinced of the superiority of the new ways of thinking about the world.