Social Constructivism

Question 0

What are constructivists concerned with

Answer 0

Human consciousness and knowledge
Treat ideas as structural factors that influence how actors interpret the world
Consider dynamic relationship between ideas and material forces as a consequence of how actors interpret their material reality

Question 1

What did the end of the Cold War allow for

Answer 1

Intellectual space for scholars to challenge existing theories of international politics
(1980s dominated by neoRealism and neoLiberal institutionalise

Question 2

What does social construction do

Answer 2

It denaturalises what is taken for granted
Asks questions about the origins of what is now accepted as a fact of life
Considers alternatives

Question 3

What is their view on power

Answer 3

Not only the ability of 1 actor to get another to do what they wouldn’t otherwise, but also production of identities, interests and meanings that limit the ability of actors to control their fate