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.
What is Britain’s strategic culture?
-Monarchy
-Open economy
-Glorious imperial past (leader of the world)
-Still a leading democracy
-Sea power
-Island (separation/ difference)
What influenced Britain’s decision to leave the European Union?
Britain’s strategic culture
What is the strategic culture of the US?
-Belief that Americans only wage war for “good” causes
-“Good” causes tend to triumph
-Sense of omnipotence (due to many successes)
-Sense of unlimited economic resources
-Trust technological superiority
-Exacerbated nationalism
-Moral Crusade (urge to remake the world in the American image”
-Reject foreign dissent (refuse suggestions that their attempts to spread the gospel might be imperialistic or self serving)
What is critical theory?
-A theory designed to reveal the power politics behind scholarly concepts and policy agendas
-There is no objective reality
-Dominant representations/discourses derive from power (Power = partly power to shape the minds/thoughts of people)
What is the goal of critical theory?
Question everything to ensure that the powerful do not hide the truth
What is the opinion of critical theory on rhetoric used by world leaders?
-Designed to manipulate us
-Illusion of rationality/control/effectiveness
-Illusion of benevolence
