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CHAPTER 5
CONSTRUCTIVISM
Overview
Constructivism has been much more widely adopted in International Relations than in IPE proper, but
we think that it is of deep importance to IPE. In this chapter we focus on its use by IPE scholars and its
application to issues typically studied in IPE. We place significant focus on norms. Instructors will
note that we have purposefully minimized discussion of some aspects of IR constructivist theory, and
we do not delve deeply into the literature on human rights, anarchy, war, and philosophical questions.
Thus, our approach to constructivism is rather ecumenical and includes many different ideas within it.
At the risk of oversimplifying, we have not discussed debate among constructivists, and although we
have included some criticisms of constructivism, instructors may want to provide more to their
Key Terms
•
constructivism
•
norm entrepreneurs
•
problematization
•
framing
•
discourse analysis
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•
norm antipreneurs
•
security community
•
nuclear taboo
•
securitization
•
capital mobility
•
expansionary fiscal contractions
Teaching Tips
• Ask students to come to class with ideas and examples based on the constructivist perspective.
You will get a fairly diverse set of examples. You could easily have a whole class session
driven entirely by a discussion of these ideas and examples.
• For some concrete ideas about how to introduce students to constructivism in a lecture with
examples focused on the EU, the end of apartheid, and the chemical weapons ban, see: Alice
• Ask students what issues they think should or should not be securitized. Have them explain
their reasoning. What might be better ways to frame a specific issue than securitizing it? A
• To extend the section on Michael J. Sandel’s ideas, ask students what spheres of life they
think should be shielded from markets. Should we allow private companies to run prisons and
• Ask students if they are a member of an NGO that deals with an international problem. Ask
them to describe how that group defines the origin and effects of the problem. In what ways
• To help students understand “problemitization,” ask them to identify some of the major
problems in the world. Ask them to identify why they think a “problem” became a “problem.”
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• To prime students to better understand constructivism, consider starting class by asking them
questions designed to show that their behavior is often shaped by social norms, situational
context, and their understanding of what is appropriate. Point out instances where students
behave in ways that do not maximize their immediate utility. Ask them if they freely “choose”
• A good way to engage students in constructivist analysis is to ask them why we focus on
certain issues while overlooking others. In Chapter 5 we give the example of the public’s
• Here is a writing assignment (about 2-3 pages) that helps students connect constructivism to
real-world issues: In Chapter 5 we note that scientists and other groups of experts often
“construct” issues as problems. They “frame” and “problematize” issues, explaining why
they are problems, what is causing them, what the consequences are, and what needs to be
1. Outline the main elements of constructivism and discuss how they apply to IPE. Discuss why
constructivism has become popular recently.
4. Do you agree or disagree with those who feel that constructivism should be a major approach
to IPE? Why?
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6. Why do many states abide by international norms even when they could gain significant
material benefits by violating the norms?
7. Explain how economic ideas and beliefs have shaped the policies of governments and
international organizations.
10. How do dominant identities and worldviews in the United States affect U.S. relations with
other specific countries?
11. What are some criticisms of constructivism?
Sample Multiple-Choice Questions
1) All of the following are central elements of constructivist analysis except:
a) the deconstruction of individual and state choices.
2) Questions of identity and interest formation are considered to be analytically irrelevant to
realists. Realists hold that beliefs and values do not have causal power because they will
always be overwhelmed by
a) trade.
3) In the model of Martha Finnemore and Kathryn Sikkink, what are the three stages of the
norm life cycle?
d) norm birth, norm spiral, norm reversal
4) Which of the following is the best example of the impact of a “security community”?
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a) Allies disagree with one another about their security interests and costs.
5) Which of the following international “taboos” has the weakest support among China, Russia,
the United States?
a) the use of nuclear weapons
6) Which category of “norm entrepreneurs” is most likely to consist of many scientists with
expertise in a policy-relevant domain?
7) All of the following actors are civil society groups that participate in a transnational
advocacy network except:
a) Amnesty International.
8) All of the following scholars could be considered a constructivist with the exception of
9) Which of the following is not likely to be a criticism of constructivists?
a) They focus overwhelmingly on progressive norms while understudying conservative
norms.
10) Which of the following is not a widely shared international norm?
a) state sovereignty
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11) Which statement would a constructivist probably disagree with?
a) States’ foreign policies are largely determined by their national interests and the
12) Which statement about epistemic communities is incorrect?
a) They are networks of experts with deep knowledge of a particular issue.
13) The “foreign accountability norm” holds that
a) Great Powers are accountable for the human rights violations of their allies.
14) According to constructivists, what is a reason why a proposed new norm might fail to gain
much acceptance at the global level?
a) Antipreneurs might cut the budgets of organizations likely to support the norm.
15) A policy maker who believes in the idea of “expansionary fiscal contractions” would likely
advocate for what during a recession?
a) increasing government spending to raise demand in the economy
Suggested Readings and Links
Acharya, Amitav. Constructing Global Order: Agency and Change in World Politics.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018.
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Jones, Ben. “‘A More Receptive Crowd than Before’: Explaining the World Bank’s Gender Turn
in the 2000s.” Progress in Development Studies 18:3 (2018): 172-188.
Marks, Michael P. Revisiting Metaphors in International Relations Theory. Cham, Switzerland:
Palgrave Macmillan, 2018. See especially the chapter on “Metaphors of International Political
Economy.”
Audiovisual Resources
Destination: Change Our World. David Gantz, dir. Produced by Joe Gantz for Amnesty
Disarm. Brian Liu and Mary Wareham, dirs. Next step Productions and ToolboxDC, 2005.
Examines the problem of landmines around the world. Includes interviews with prominent
anti-landmine activists.
I Know Where I’m Going. Simon Schorno, dir. MediaStorm and the International Committee of
the Red Cross, 2012. A short, moving portrait of Hussein Saleh, an ICRC staff member in
Yemen, and the humanitarian work of the ICRC. At http://intercrossblog.icrc.org/blog/i-
know-where-im-going.
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Responsibility to Protect? Produced by the Thompson Reuters Foundation, 2016. A short
documentary analyzing the concept of R2P, with interviews with Ghassan Salame, Michael
Ignatieff, and Paddy Ashdown. At https://vimeo.com/188164623.
