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Constructivism as Social Theory
7.01. Click here for an introduction to constructivism. Among other things, the site contains an overview of notable constructivists in international relations. The site is powered by Wikipedia.
7.02. “Anthony Giddens’ Structuration Resource Page” contains information about Giddens’ work as well as links to other resources on Giddens.
7.03. Here, you can read a short introduction to Giambattista Vico’s thoughts. The site is maintained by the Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy
7.04. Sources that contain (links to) online texts written by Immanuel Kant.
Online texts – only access to preview
Constructivist Theories of International Relations
7.05. In this paper (“Constructivist Approaches in International Relations Theory: Puzzles and Promises”), Antja Wiener tracks the development of the constructivist turn in IR theory, and asks how constructivism managed “to bring such a diverse group of scholars to one table”. Requires login. The site is maintained by Yumpu.
7.06. Click here to read a review essay written by Jeffrey T. Checkel. The essay is entitled “Social Constructivisms in Global and European Politics” and is provided by the University of Oslo.
7.07. In their paper “Dangerous Liaisons? Critical International Theory and Constructivism”, Richard Price and Christian Reus-Smit explore the relationship between critical theory and constructivism. The paper was published in European Journal of International Relations, Vol. 4, 1998. Access requires login.
7.08. In the essay “Modernity, Orientalism and the Construction of International Relations”, Priya Chacko explores how ideas have influenced the making of IR theory.
7.09. Click here to read a draft paper by Alastair Johnston, who offers a constructivist perspective on “China as a Status Quo Power”.
7.10. In this paper, titled “Taking Stock: The Constructivist Research Program in International Relations and Comparative Politics”, Martha Finnemore and Kathryn Sikkink evaluate the empirical research program of constructivism in international relations and comparative politics. The article was published in Annual Review of Political Science, Vol. 4, 2001.
7.11. In this paper, Jack Snyder discusses Wendt’s claim that “anarchy is what states make of it”. The paper is entitled “Anarchy and Culture: Insights form the Anthropology of War”.
7.12. For a constructivist view on security communities, click here to read a paper written by Edward Newman. The paper is entitled “Human Security and Constructivism” and is provided by Oxford Academic.
7.13. Another constructivist view on security can be found in Earl Conteh-Morgan’s paper “Peace-building and Human Security: A Constructivist Perspective”.
7.14. In this paper, Jeffrey T. Checkel discusses the relevance of constructivism in analyzing “International Institutions and Socialization”. The paper is provided by the University of Oslo.
7.15. Click here to read Thomas Risse-Kappen’s article “Ideas Do Not Float Freely: Transnational Coalitions, Domestic Structures, and the End of the Cold War”, published in Richard New Lebow and Thomas Risse-Kappen (eds.), International Relations Theory and the End of the Cold War.
7.16. In their paper “Constructing a Mediterranean Region: A Cultural Approach”, Emmanuel Adler and Beverly Crawford use a constructivist-inspired approach to analyse the process of “region building”.
7.17. Click here to read a paper written by Andrew Moravcsik. The paper, which was published in Journal of European Public Policy, is entitled “Is something rotten in the state of Denmark? Constructivism and European Integration”.
7.18. Here, you can read another paper on constructivism and EU. The paper is written by John O’Brennan and is entitled “Re-Conceptualising Europe: Social Constructivism and EU Enlargement”.
7.19. Yet another paper, which analyses European integration from a constructivist point of view, is written by Petr Drulák. The paper, which is provided by EUI, is entitled “Metaphors Europe Lives by: Language and Institutional Change of the European Union”.
7.20. Click here to read an informal interview with Alexander Wendt. This homepage also holds interviews with, among others, Peter Katzenstein and John Mearsheimer.
7.21. In his paper “Imagining Russia in Western International Relations Theory”, William D. Jackson compares how different IR paradigms, among them constructivism, see Russia’s behavior in international relations. The paper is provided by Miami University.
7.22. Click here for information about Nina Tannenwald as well as access to on-line versions of some of her articles.
7.23. Click here for information about Robert McNamara’s tenure as president of the World Bank. Further information is also here.
7.24. Here, Harvard University provides access to several publications written by Alastair Iain Johnston.
7.25. Click here to read the paper “Legitimation, Foreign Policy and the Sources of Realpolitik”. The paper is written by Alastair Iain Johnston and is provided by Harvard University.
Critiques of Constructivism
7.26. Click here for a discussion of “the promise of constructivism in international theory, particularly with respect to North-South relations?”. The article is provided by www.e-ir.info.
7.27. In his essay “Waltzing Alexander: Constructing the new American ideology”, Martin Shaw provides a historical-sociological critique of Alexander Wendt’s social constructivism. The essay is provided by University of Sussex.
7.28. In the paper “Social Theory as Cartesian Science: An Auto-critique from a Quantum Perspective”, Alexander Wendt answers the critics of the constructivist book Social Theory of International Politics.
7.29. In this paper, published in Review of International Studies, vol. 38, 2012, Morten Valbjørn and André Bank argue that “neither the discipline nor international relations as such seem to be as ‘culture blank’ as often claimed”.
7.30. In this paper Patrick Jackson talks about bridging the gap between constructivism and realism. This article is provided by Kittenboo.