The Constructivist Core: "Social Reality" poli240 midterm

The Main Logic 1

Anarchy is what states make of it: (Alexander Wendt). Anarchy doesn't force states to be aggressive. If states identify as "friends," anarchy is peaceful. If they identify as "enemies," it's a conflict.

The Main Logic 2

• Identities → InterestsA state's interests are not fixed. They come from its identity (who it thinks it is).

  • Example: A "Neutral" Switzerland has different interests than a "Revolutionary" Iran, even if they had the same amount of power.

The Main Logic 3

• Shared Meanings (Intersubjectivity): Things like "threats" only exist because we agree they do.

  • Syllabus Example: 500 British nukes aren't scary to the US, but 5 North Korean ones are. The difference is the social relationship, not the material bombs.

 Hegemony

Hegemony is a social role. It’s not just having the most guns; it’s having other states accept your leadership as legitimate.

: Imperialism

19th-century imperialism was driven by a "Civilizing Mission" identity; it was about the "Self" (Europe) vs. the "Other" (the colonized).

Banning Weapons

Focus on Norm Emergence. Activists changed the meaning of these weapons from "useful" to "immoral."

Role of IOs

IOs are "Teachers of Norms." They don't just help states; they tell states how to be "modern" and "civilized.

: End of History

The Cold War ended because the shared identity changed. Gorbachev and Reagan stopped seeing each other as enemies.

Securitization:

A "speech act." By labeling an issue (migration, climate, viruses) as a "threat," a leader is trying to change its identity to justify emergency powers.

Productive Power:

• The power to define categories.

  • Example: When the UNHCR defines who is a "Refugee," they are exercising power by deciding who gets protection and who is "just a migrant."

Historical Evolution: From Empires to Nations

• The Syllabus Link: Your notes mention the shift from Lords/Monarchs to Nation-States.

• The Constructivist Note: This wasn't just a change in borders; it was a change in Identity.

• Application: Nationalism (e.g., La Liberté guidant le peuple) is a "shared idea." The state shifted from being the property of a King to being the "Imagined Community" (Benedict Anderson) of a Nation.

• Exam Point: Use this for Question 3 (Imperialism vs. Modern Empires). Modern empires were driven by an identity of "civilizing missions," whereas pre-modern ones were just about tribute.

Sovereignty as "Organized Hypocrisy"

• The Syllabus Link: Peace of Westphalia (1648) and the definition of a state (Max Weber).

• The Constructivist Note: Sovereignty is a Social Norm, not a physical law.

• Application: Your notes mention Krasner. He argues sovereignty is "organized hypocrisy" because states say they are equal and sovereign (The Norm), but they constantly interfere in each other's business (The Reality).

Exam Point: Use this for Question 1 to explain why the "legal equality" of states is a

 International Organizations (IOs) as "Norm Teachers"

• The Syllabus Link: The UN system, ECOSOC, and UNHCR.

• The Constructivist Note: IOs use Institutional and Productive Power.

• Application: Your notes highlight that the UNHCR decides who is a "Refugee" vs. a "Migrant." By creating these categories, the IO shapes the identity of the person and determines their rights.

• Exam Point: Use this for Question 11. The UN isn't just a "forum" for states to talk; it is an Actor that defines "normal" behavior for the world.

Security and the "Nuclear Taboo"

• The Syllabus Link: Nuclear weapons, deterrence, and the "Stability-Instability Paradox."

• The Constructivist Note: Deterrence isn't just math; it’s about Shared Meaning.

• Application: Nina Tannenwald argues that we don't use nukes because of a social "Taboo." Even if a state could win a war with a nuke, it won't because it would lose its "civilized" identity in the eyes of the international community.

• Exam Point: Use this for Question 5 (Banning landmines and nukes). The "Humanitarian Turn" (Rebecca Gibbons) is about changing the Norm of what weapons are "appropriate" to use.

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