10/17 Constructivism

theorizing states; Wendt

• states are “unobervables”

• states consists of occupants of offices

• offices socialize their occupants into the identity of the corporate actor

• “states are people too”

states are “unobervables”

• abstract concepts, not tangible objects

• exist, at least as a useful function

“states are people too”

• they have identities

• they form societies

• they generate cultures

agents/actors ←→ structures

influence each others fundamental being and nature

states ←

→ international system

international system is

anarchic

international system is society of states and socities generate cultures therefore, states ←

→ cultures of anarchy

cultures of anarchy socialize states

states are what cultures of anarchy make of them

homeostasis importance

fundamental tendency of culture

causes of homeostatis

• habituation

• persuasion

• socialization

• (but cultures can change through the same mechanisms)

homeostasis def

tendency to remain the same

persuasion

public conformity with private acceptance (can be public or private)

socialization

public conformity without private acceptance (must be public)

types of socialization

• backpatting: carrots, status

• shaming: sticks, opprobrium

habituation

regular practice becomes imbued with normative value

habituation is influenced by

bounded rationality / ex: customary international law. Behavioral regularity becomes law via opinio juris

Persuasion hypothesis

international regimes facilitate persuasion by providing…

• equal states via sovereign equality

• shared normative framework

• information creation and sharing

• dense network of informal interactions, which generate trust and empathy

• forum for epistemic communities

epistemic communities def

network of knowledge-based exports with an authoritative claim to policy-relevant knowledge in their domain of expertise

epistemic communities qualities

• shared causal beliefs and notions of validity

• shared professional values, principles, and goals

• sources of influences: technical expertise, perceived neutrality, relationship to IOs

socialization hypotheses

• IOs are forum for concentrating pressure for social conformity

• IOs with broad membership are more effective at socialization than IOs with narrow membership

• status markers are cheap to manufacture, yet they can be as effective as material incentives

criticisms of perusuasion

mechanisms can rely on the idea that great powers lack information. unlikely

criticisms of socialization

rely on the idea that diplomats/leaders’ relevant in group is their international negotiation partners, not domestic constituencies. unlikely.

criticisms of habit

easily overcome

norms

• standard or appropriate behavior for actors with a given identity

• determine the content of culture

norm shifts are to the…

ideational theories what changes in the balance of power are to the realist

norms life cycle

1. stage one: emergence

2. stage two: norm cascade

3. stage three: internalization

stage one: emergence

• actors: norm entrepreneurs with NGO platform

• motives: altruism, empathy, ideational commitment

• mechanism: persuasion

• tipping point: critical mass threshold of states adopt the new norm (about one-third)

stage two: norm cascade

• actors: states, IOs, NGO networks

• motives: legitimacy, reputations, esteem

• mechanism: socialization

• contagion: rapid spread of rhetorical acceptance of the norm to unpersuaded states

stage three: internalization

• actors: law, professions, bureaucracy

• motives: conformity

• mechanism: habituation via institutionalization

• unpersuaded states becomes persuaded, norm achieves “taken-for-granted” status

which norms become dominant?

• certain issues

• adjacency to existing norms

• “world time-context”

certain issues

• bodily integrity

• protection of innocents

• legal equality of opportunity

“world time-context”

• ideas of winning side in major wars

• trends, intellectual currents