Constructivism in International Relations

Practice flashcards covering the emergence, core concepts (the three I's), key theorists, and various models of Constructivism in International Relations based on the lecture transcript.

Nicholas Ofman

The individual who coined the term constructivism, with the theory's breakthrough usually associated with the end of the Cold War.

Reflectivism

A type of theory that moves away from positivist, scientific, and objective approaches to International Relations, focusing instead on how ideas and identities shape politics.

Ontology

The study of the nature of reality, used by constructivists to analyze social practices.

Epistemology

The study of the nature of knowledge.

Interests (Constructivist Perspective)

Variables that are fluid, context-dependent, and socially constructed rather than fixed by power or security concerns.

Identities

Role-specific understandings and expectations about the self, formed through social interaction and collective meanings.

Institutions (Wendt's Definition)

Beyond formal organizations, these are a relatively stable set of identities and interests encompassing shared principles and norms governing state behavior.

Thick Constructivism

Also known as critical constructivism, it argues national interests are historically contingent and influenced by internal state dynamics and elite interpretations.

Thin Constructivism

Also known as classical constructivism, it maintains certain ideations about state-centrism while critiquing the neorealist conceptualization of anarchy.

Strategic Culture

The beliefs, experiences, assumptions, and behaviors that shape how a state thinks about its interests and security objectives.

Strategic Narratives

Frameworks used by political actors to communicate identities and interests to influence policy development and state behavior.

Norms

Social, unwritten, or formal rules regarding an accepted standard of behavior, such as the non-use of nuclear weapons.

Norm Lifecycle

A model by Finnemore and Sikkink ($1999$) involving three stages: emergence, cascade, and internalisation.

Tipping Point

The critical moment between norm emergence and cascade where a norm either becomes internalized/codified or loses interest.

Norm Spiral Model

The theory by Risse and Sikkink ($1999$) suggesting that a norm starts with a small group and spirals outwards as it grows in popularity.

Boomerang Model

A model of norm politics developed by Keck and Sikkink ($1998$).

Alexander Wendt

A key theorist who argued in $1992$ that "Anarchy is what states make of it," challenging neorealist assertions that anarchy inherently leads to power politics.

Amity and Enmity

Two types of relations between states; amity refers to friendship (e.g., US and USSR during WWII) while enmity refers to hostility (e.g., the Cold War).

Conventional Constructivism

A branch that asks "What?" questions and assumes states act according to their identity, making future behavior predictable.

Critical Constructivism

A branch that asks "How?" questions, focusing on language, discourse, and how an actor's identity is created through communication.