INR 2001 Lecture 1: B5 Lectures

• School: University of Florida
• Department: International Relations
• Course: INR 2001
• Professor: Laura E Sjoberg

Document Summary

Situating constructivisms: social movements as the cold war waned. Us nuclear weapons freeze campaign compared to the european nuclear disarmament movement. Two points: ideas matter, metaphor for ir constructivisms. Shared values (esp. critique of ir"s static nature) To construct something is an act which brings into being a subject or object that otherwise would not exist. Once constructed, these objects have a particular meaning or use within a context. They are social constructs in so far as their shape and form is imbued with social values, norms, and assumptions rather than being a product or purely individual thought and meaning. They are, however, no less real for their social construction: fundamental principles of constructivism. People act towards objects, including other actors, on the basis of the meanings that objects have for them. Actors acquire identities by participating in such collective meanings. These identities are inherently relational, and form the basis for state interests.