Lesson 2.1 constructivism
- 1. Constructivism T H E P O W E R O F S O C I A L S T R U C T U R E
- 2. “Neorealists think that the world is made only of a distribution of material capabilities, whereas constructivists think it is also made of social relationships”- Alexander Wendt
- 3. The Power of Social Structure Social Structure verses Material Structure Social Structure shapes human behavior in this classroom and on the international stage
- 4. View of Anarchy “Anarchy is what states make of it”-Wendt “Anarchy among friends is different than anarchy among enemies” The key questions for constructivists is: Why does a security dilemma occur among some states and a security community occur among others.
- 5. Norms-shared expectations about what constitutes appropriate behavior
- 6. A different kind of logic For constructivists states and actors behave based on a “logic of appropriateness” as compared to “a logic of consequences”
- 7. The Power of Norms Constructivists assert that norms affect state behavior in important ways We need to understand how norms are created and how they change over time. Example: International Campaign to End Apartheid in South Africa International human rights groups (norm entrepreneurs) forced U.S. to sanction South Africa and ultimately got South Africa to change its policy.
- 8. Role of Norm Entrepreneurs Norm entrepreneurs seek to advance a „narrative‟ and strengthen their favored norms TANs- Transnational Advocacy Networks A type of Norm Entrepreneur Mixes of individuals and organizations with transnational representation who interact, exchange information, and share and promote common values Battle for “hearts and minds”
- 9. Key Contributions of Constructivism Constructivists examine how state behavior is shaped by social norms, identities, and narratives Constructivists examine how norms emerge and compete with other norms Watch Ted Talk by Najid Mawaz
Editor's Notes
- #5: Why don’t we have a SD with the Canada? Constructivists argue has to do with seeing ourselves sharing a common identity and having built a set of social expectations about how we are going to relate to each other. Certain norms and understandings about friendship and identity govern our relationship with Canada and those norms and expectations are different with Iran. Why are 500 British missiles far less threatening than 5 North Korean missiles?Not just objective amount of military power—but subjective understanding and perceptions of threat—social constructions about who is an enemy and who is a friend.Conflict and cooperation are both possible, we need to understand how intersubjective understandings, norms, identities, and narrative emerge to perpetuate conflict or lead to peace and cooperation. Not really optimistic or pessimistic in terms of a view of human nature or state of nature, like Liberalism and Realism. Instead, the argument is that we need to direct our attention to understanding how meaning in created in human interactions.
- #6: .
- #7: Norms influence our behavior through a logic of appropriateness. The argument is that human behavior cannot always, or even most often, be explained in terms of rational actors weighing costs and benefits of options and maximizing benefits to themselves.A lot of time our behavior is motivated by a logic of appropriateness. We are not thinking ‘how can I maximize the benefits to myself in this situation’, but ‘how are others expecting me to act’---or based on my role or my identity in this situation, what do I expect of myself—what seems consistent with what others expect of me and with how I understand my role and identify in this situation. What is the appropriate way for a democracy to act? Our identity as a democracy affects how we act in the international system, argue constructivists.