Constructivism and World Politics

Sovereignty has shifted from an absolute authority of states to a more complex interaction of shared norms and international influences.

Intersubjective ideas are those that are shared among actors, creating common understandings and expectations.

Constructivism posits that while states may act based on national interests, these interests are shaped socially through interactions and shared identities.

<p>Institutions create the context of interactions among actors, influencing both state behavior and the established norms.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Constructivists believe in a mutual constitution where both agents and structures influence each other’s development over time.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>States adapt their behavior to the EU's rules while simultaneously working to change those rules to align more closely with their objectives.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Mercantilism posits that states should use economic policy as a tool to enhance their power and security.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It suggests that the international system's anarchic nature is shaped by the interactions and meanings that states ascribe to it.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The primary goal is the enlargement and survival of states through the accumulation of wealth and achieving a positive balance of payments.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The dominant class uses military strength to increase their consumption and production at the expense of others.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Lenin identifies imperialism and slavery as extreme consequences resulting from the capitalist system's need for raw materials and labor.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>All three schools emphasize the connection between ideas, behaviors, norms, and underlying power structures.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Contemporary approaches criticize that knowledge is inherently biased, reflecting the perspective of the analyst.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Post-structuralists believe that language constructs reality rather than merely describing it.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The power/knowledge nexus indicates that power and knowledge are intertwined, with 'truth' often shaped by those in power.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>They see the flaw as the assumption of objectivity, instead focusing on the biases inherent in knowledge production.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Deconstruction focuses on critiquing and deconstructing dominant narratives to understand who benefits from them.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Post-structuralists believe that power operates through language, constructing identities and borders that are fluid and unstable.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Post-structuralists believe in the possibility of uncovering truth through disentangling power structures, while post-modernists argue that no stable truth exists behind linguistic constructs.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Critical theory aims to expose and transform underlying social and political structures to liberate individuals from oppression.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Critical theory maintains an optimistic view about the potential for social transformation, while postmodernism is generally more cynical about stable truths and progress.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Post-colonial theorists critique international relations for being Eurocentric and dismissive of diverse cultural, political, and social traditions from the developing world.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Critical theory views language as a tool that can be employed to subvert power dynamics instead of merely replicating them.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Asymmetric warfare is critiqued for justifying harsh tactics against non-state actors, reflecting a biased understanding shaped by dominant narratives.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>IR feminists focus on the basic inequalities between men and women and their consequences for world politics.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Gender refers to socially learned behaviors and expectations that distinguish between masculinity and femininity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Gender discrimination arises when qualities associated with femininity are deemed of lower quality, leading to a hierarchy of power.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The realist value system is masculinist as it promotes subjugation of political units and mirrors the material subjugation of women.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Women and children are identified as the ones who suffer the greatest hardships during conflicts.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>International development indexes often conceal substantial employment and wage gaps, as well as segregation of women.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Neoconservatism posits that society needs to be directed towards a defined morality.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Neoconservatism holds that the values of democracy must be actively promoted around the world.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Constructivism argues that the political system is not a fixed entity but is shaped and changed by ideas, culture, and human consciousness.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Constructivists believe that states can change the international structure through their actions, unlike realism, which sees the structure as constraining actors.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The 'logic of appropriateness' suggests that states act with an understanding of shared norms and values, influencing their decisions beyond mere self-interest.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>NGOs and Green policies exemplify how social interactions create transnational agendas that can influence state behavior and identity.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Constructivism challenges materialism by emphasizing that the meanings we attach to behaviors and concepts are socially constructed, rather than solely based on observable forces.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Constructivism posits that state interests are not static; they evolve based on the needs and aspirations of various social groups, cultures, or classes.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Examples include differing perceptions of states towards each other, such as those presented by Hobbes, Locke, and Kant, and the formation of international humanitarian law.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Socially mediated forces refer to the beliefs, values, and norms that influence state behavior, which are seen as essential by constructivists.</p> Signup and view all the answers