Political Science 2231E Chapter Notes - Chapter 7: Hedley Bull, Historical Institutionalism, Anthony Giddens

• School: Western University
• Department: Political Science
• Course: Political Science 2231E
• Professor: Nigmendra Narain

Document Summary

+social constructivism: attempts to find a practical answer to the postmodern challenge to scientific knowledge in order to be able to conduct empirical research. Analyze the interplay between structure and agency in international politics. Are interested in the role of ideas, norms and institution sin foreign policy making. Argue for importance of identity and culture in international politics. Do not deny the role of interest in policy making but try to understand how these interests are constructed. Accept that social science cannot operate like the natural sciences but nonetheless insist on the possibility to theorize the empirically analyze international politics as a reality. First debate was between realism and idealism. Second debate was between behavioralists and traditionalists (behaviorists wanted to turn politics into a natural science) Fourth debate was between rationalists and reflectivists. Does not put forth a set of concrete hypotheses that would form a unified theory in the narrow sense of the term.