POLS1102 Lecture 3: POLS1102 Lecture 3
Lecture 3 - 16/03 - Constructivism + Refugee Crisis
relevant to agenda setting
Explanatory theory
is about ideas created subjectively
all facts are subjective - cannot be separated from how we see the world
we create ideas, these ideas create reality
Key Points:
subjective ideas create the social world in which we live
we interpret the world and act accordingly by subscribing to these ideas
to understand politics and policy we need to look at the ideas we share collectively
Collectively held ideas = social constructs
Social constructs are created culturally through processes of socialisation
brute facts - e.g. theres snow on Everest
subjective opinions
social facts combine brute facts with subjective opinions - tangible things given
meaning by us - create society
norms are important - standards of behaviour, appropriateness
nation state is a social construct - relevant to asylum
Social Constructs and Identity - who we are as women, men, students, etc.
attitudes towards women
Indigenous people - constantly framed by govt in certain ways
framing of groups as problems - Indigenous, LGBT, refugees
Language and Social Constructs
Threats - e.g. ISIS, refugees
Problems
Solutions
Politicians use ideas to motivate change - therefore constructing our world
IR theory - ideas as change mechanisms - popular ideas -> change
Constructivism of norms in IR
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
