Constructivism
Constructivism sees the world, and what we can know about the world
Arrived at the end of te cold war
Was created because the liberalism and
realism failed
The social world is of our making, when other systems fail we have to rise and innovate
This view refers as the vision that we have of reality
and the nature of obtainable knowledge
Alexander Went shows an example where 500 British nuclear weapons are less treating than 5 North Korean weapons because the relationships they have
Agency and structure are
mutually constituted
Agency can be understood as the ability of someone to act, whereas structure refers to the international system that consists of material and ideational elements.
This change or reinforcement ultimately depends on the beliefs and ideas held by both states.
Identities and interests
States can have multiple identities that are socially constructed through interaction with other actors.
An example for this is: when a small state has a set of interests because they are small, and a large state has another set of interests because they don´t have the size issue
Social Norms are important
for constructivism
These are defined as a standard of appropriate behaviour
To better understand norms, we can identify three types: regulative norms, constitutive norms and prescriptive norms.
Regulative Norms: order and constrain
Constitutive Norms: Create new actors interests and categories
Prescriptive Norms: there are no bad norms from the perspective of those who promote them
Constructivism and Bhutan’s
national interests
Bhutan is a Buddhist kingdom located in the Himalayas. The material structural conditions are reflected in its population of approximately 745,000, a territory that amounts to 38,394 square kilometres, a weak economy and a very small military. On top of this, Bhutan shares a national border with the two major powers in Asia
variety within constructivism
Conventional constructivists:
believe that it is possible to explain the world in causal terms and are interested in discovering the relationships between actors
Critical constructivists:
want to reconstruct an identity – that is, find out what are its component parts – which they believe are created through written or spoken communication among and between peoples.
Most constructivists, however, position themselves between these two more extreme ends of the spectrum.
China in the north and India in the south. Bhutan’s location is geographically sensitive as the country serves as a buffer state between these major powers
The realist perspective
Bhutan is in an unfavourable position as it is hindered by its geographical location and cannot compete for power with its neighbours.
national sovereignty would likely depend on the outcome of the greater competition between the two powers
A constructivist view
structural conditions do not necessarily constrain Bhutan’s ability to pursue its national interests since they are not the only conditions that influence state behaviour
Our thoughts and actions
Construct international relations. Yet, this seemingly simple idea, when applied theoretically, has significant implications for how we can understand the world.
The discipline of International Relations benefits from constructivism as it addresses issues and concepts that are neglected by mainstream theories – especially realism