IR theories: Constructivism
Three perspectives on
international politics
Constructing global affairs
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Constructivism- two parts
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Sociological Institutionalism (structure)
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Role of international norms
Norms, institutions, organizations
Norm creation and enforcement
Transnationalism (agency)
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Principled non-state actors
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
Two research agendas
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Sociological institutionalism (focus on structure)
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how does the social environment of states shape
their identities and interests?
Transnationalism (focus on agency)
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What is the role of non-state actors and
transnational relations in global affairs?
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
Contesting the Prisoners’ Dilemma:
Identity and Norms
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Neither anarchy nor interdependence…..
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Identity
Beliefs
Norms
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Strategies: socialization and persuasion
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(not the threat/use of force and economic cooperation).
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
A View of the World
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Not a theory of international relations, but a set of
assumptions about how to study it.
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Realist power politics is one possible scenario of
world politics, but not the only one. Reality is a
social, not an objective fact.

The Soviet Union disappeared, because people
stopped believing in it.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
Re-envisioning security
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Before 1989, the United States felt threatened by the
Soviet military. Today, this threat is perceived to be much
lower. Why?
 Realism: Russia is objectively weaker.
 Institutionalism: Economic ties mitigate conflict.
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Constructivism: Nuclear weapons have not
disappeared, but the threat perception (ideas) about
them.
Ideas help construct a social environment, not just
brute material forces.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
Constructed reality
Anarchy is neither destiny (realism), nor a
disincentive to cooperation (institutionalism).
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“Anarchy is what states make of it.”
Alexander Wendt
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
Doing what is “right”
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States are neither in a perpetual state of war (realism), nor
do they only cooperate for their own profit (liberalism).
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Most states follow most international rules most of the time
(Theodor Meron).
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Norms work without enforcement (realism) and sometimes
even without economic incentives and self-interest (liberal
institutionalism).
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
A constructivist perspective:
norms and identity
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Shared norms> socialization through IGOs
and NGOs > common identity > interests >
global policies (world government)
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Define norms: “collectively shared
understandings of appropriate behavior”
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
Norms, Institutions, Organizations
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Norms: Collectively shared
understandings of
appropriate behavior.
Institutions: Sets of rules
which stipulate how to
cooperate/compete.
Organizations: Institutions
endowed with autonomy and
actor qualities.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
Security strategies: the rule of norms
(not deterrence or trade)
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Universally accepted norms of human rights
should replace national interests (on security
and economic relations).
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Creation of a world government
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
The Power of Norms: Constructivism
The International System
International institutions
Norms
Global governance
From norms to
governance
Socialization
Cooperation
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
Power
Expectations
promoted by
IGOs and NGOs
What institutions do
Punish and shame
violators
Result: States are
Establish rules of
appropriate conduct
constituted by norms
and ideas
Create transparency
Legitimize
the
mobilizatio
n of NGOs
Express a global
consensus
among all states
>>> Socialization of states
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
Cultural Accounts of IR
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Claim: Ideas and Norms play an independent role in
international politics by “pulling” actors towards action.
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From Ideas to Global Organizations:
+actor qualities
Organizations
+explicit rules
Institutions
+collectively shared
Norms
Individual Beliefs
Ideas
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
How to study norms?
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How do norms emerge and evolve in
international politics?
How are norms translated into behavior?
When do norms matter?
What measures are likely to increase norm
effectiveness?
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
Emergence and Diffusion
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Norm Entrepreneurs
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Mechanism: Persuasion and Lobbying
Framing and Shaming
Example: Raphael Lemkin (genocide page)
Norm Cascade
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Mechanism: Reputation and Socialization
Desire to be accepted/part of a community
Example: Global ban on the death penalty
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
Following norms
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Occasional transgressions of a norm are not a
sign of irrelevance, as long as such behavior is
identified as a violation.
Cultural principles (human rights,
environmentalism, etc.) diffuse globally.
Studying interests only (national or economic,
misses many sources of change in global affairs.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
From norms to institutions
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States (and other entities) act not primarily in
response to material needs and interests, but to
social norms.
International institutions are neither
insignificant (neorealism), nor are they only
reflections of the cooperation among selfinterested states (liberal institutionalism).
Instead, they are fully autonomous and the
primary carriers of world cultural principles.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
Why norms matter
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Realism
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Liberal institutionalism
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Fear of penalty/coercion by someone else; passive
resistance likely (obedience)
In my best interest, compliance is a means;
(autonomous compliance)
Idealism/Constructivism
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Internalized, compliance is an end in itself; (habitdriven conformity)
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
Transnationalism: norm agency
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“Liberalism” adds to institutionalist theory
(explaining where the interests for cooperation
come from) in the same way that:
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>>> Transnationalism adds to sociological
institutionalism.
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Transnational non-state activism is a major tool
for spreading norms and ideas.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
Definition: transnationalism
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Transnational relations are “regular interactions
across national boundaries when at least one
actor is a non-state agent or does not operate
on behalf of a national government or an
intergovernmental organization.”
(Thomas Risse-Kappen, Introduction, in Bringing Transnational Relations Back
In: Non-State Actors, Domestic Structure and International Institutions,
Cambridge University Press 1995, p. 3)
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
Transnational activism
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Transnational activists are major carriers of
world cultural principles/norms (human
rights, environmental protection, etc.).
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Examples: Greenpeace, Amnesty
International, Oxfam, Jubilee 2000; etc.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
Norm entrepreneurs/carriers
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Non-state actors (even with insignificant
material resources) matter in world affairs.
State-to-state relations are increasingly
supplemented/subverted by transnational
connections.
Transnational activists are major carriers of
world cultural principles (human rights,
environmental protection, peace).
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz
Summary: Constructivism
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Constructivism maintains that international
relations are socially constructed.
Combination of sociological institutionalism
(structure) and transnationalism (agency).
Norms play a crucial role in constructing the
social environment of states.
Non-state actors have authority as carriers of
universal principles and norms.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Hans Peter Schmitz