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introduction
the focus of social constructivism is on human awareness
or consciousness and its place in world affairs. much IR-theory,
and especially neorealism is materialist; it focuses on how the
distribution of material power defines balances of power
between states and explains the behaviour of states.
constructivists reject such a one-sided material focus..
They argue that the most important aspect of international
relations is social, not material.
does this make any sense? before we discuss
this, lets consider what else the author tells us
2
introduction
The international system is not something out there like the
solar system. It does not exist on its own. It exists only as an
intersubjective awareness among people; in that sense the
system is constituted by ideas, not by material forces.
It [the international system] is a human invention or creation not of
a physical or material kind but of a purely intellectual and ideational
kind. It is a set of ideas, a body of thought, a system of norms,
which has been arranged by certain people at a particular time
and place.
does the author make more or less sense now?
3
introduction
key point. constructivists are not arguing that reality is an illusion;
rather, they are arguing that the reality that surrounds us is not merely
a product of purely objective (or material) forces, but is essentially a
product of our shared perceptions, values, ideas, and understanding
moreover, constructivists argue that there is a
mutually constitutive or interactive relationship
between structures and actors (and with the
reality this interaction creates): this is referred
to as structuration (a concept coined by
anthony giddens)
4
introduction
14
era of
imperialism
european
union
post-1945
interstate
system (among
lib. democracies)
pre-1945
interstate
system
state of nature
anarchy of
enemies;
self-help
social contract
idealism
anarchy of
friends; lots
of help from
friends