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Constructivism (Core Assumptions (Social construction of reality (Socially…
Constructivism
Core Assumptions
Assumes that significant aspects of IR are historically & socially constructed, rather than inevitable consequences of human nature or the essential characteristics of world politics
argues that social forces such as ideas, knowledge, norms & rules influence states' identities & interests and the organisation of world politics
A social, not a substantive, theory of IR --> concerned with how to conceptualise the relationship between agents and powers
Idealism: most fundamental feature of society is social consciousness as the meaning and construction of material reality is dependent on ideas & interpretation
Holism: structures are more than the sum of their parts & are irreducibly social; structures go beyond merely constraining the actors but also constructing them
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Norms & Rules
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even in a world of no overarching authority, there are norms that regulate behaviour
Regulative norms: regulate already existing activities & behaviour, e.g. the WTO's rules regulate trade
Constitutive Rules: create the very possibility of these activities & constitute identity, e.g. the rules of sovereignty not only regulate state behaviour but also make possible the very idea of a sovereign state
Norms vary in terms of their institutionalisation, i.e. how much they are taken for granted
Alexander Wendt (1992): 'Anarchy is what states make of it' calls attention to how different beliefs and practices will generate divergent patterns and organisation of world politics
Security Community
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Shared identities, values & meanings, reciprocal long-term interests
you can achieve this through transnational cooperation, institutions, etc.
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