IR 002: Lecture 11 Flashcards
What is constructivism?
-The theory that argues that ideas and beliefs matter in how actors define and pursue their interests
-To understand the world we need to look at various ideational factors (ex. identities, norms, symbols, beliefs, rhetoric, history, etc.)
What perspectives does constructivism study?
-State elites and non-state elites
-Global society
-What facilitates elite learning and socialization providing the communication networks through which elites develop ideas and identities that shape state policy, and gives shapes to the character of anarchy”
-The masses
What does the theory of constructivism mean by international security is a “social construct”?
-The meaning of security is socially constructed (in our minds, as we interact with each other)
-The threats we identify are socially constructed (ex. international anarchy)
-There is nothing inevitable about anarchy (Anarchy is what states make of it =The way you see anarchy depends on you beliefs)
How would a constructivist evaluate whether North Korea of Britain is a bigger threat to the US given that North Korea has 30 nuclear weapons and Britain has 220 nuclear weapons?
-Although Britain has more nuclear weapons it is less threatening than North Korea because perceptions are more important than material power
What is an identity?
How a particular group conceives of itself, the boundaries of that group, and its values”
How is the US identity multifaceted?
-Promised land
-Leader of the Free World
-Vibrant modern society
-Technological leader
-Leader of the West
-Greatest military power in history
-Empire
How would a constructivist evaluate the impact of national identity with regard to Germany and Japan’s military policy in 2024? How is this different form a realist point of view?
-WWII defeat of Germany and Japan led to the emergence of a pacifist national identity in both countries, which explains why there is no rearmament in Germany and Japan in 2024
- A realist would expect a massive rearmament to balance against Russia and China
What is the example of the impact of a regional identity?
The European construction made the idea of war against other European leaders unthinkable
How is India’s identity tied to its development of nuclear weapons?
-India’s nuclear program = a modernization scheme for an independent self-sufficient postcolonial nation”
-India developed nukes to erase the trauma of British imperialism
What is an international norm?
A shared expectation of appropriate behavior held by a community of actors. (Norms are updated through practice/reflections/debates/etc.)
What are examples of international norms today?
-Constraints on the conduct of warfare
-Immorality of colonization
-Non-use of nukes
Why do actors adopt norms?
-Interest
-Fear of punishment
-Internalization of what is appropriate
How do norms spread?
1) Emergence
2) Cascade (spread)
3) Internalization
4) Norm Regression (obsolescence, modification, or replacement)
What is the definition of a strategic culture?
Assumptions about the nature of global systems and strategies of action that are shared by government elites
What factors shape a state’s strategic culture?
-Geography
-History
-Political Model
-Technological developments
-Etc.
