Tag Archive for social constructivism

Beyond Anarchy: How Wendt’s Social Constructivism and Cox’s Historical Materialism Redefine the International System and State Identities While Explaining Structural Transformation

Jeff Dwiggins – Kapok Tree Diplomacy – Feb. 2010 – All rights reserved.Jeff in Singapore

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The dominant and mainstream theories of world politics explain both changes to the international system and the unique identities, interests and actions of its actors in context to the conditions of anarchy, rationality, the system’s particular structure, and the material capabilities or preferences of its actors. While realists, neorealists, liberals and neoliberals have their differences, they all explain structural transformation and state identity without appealing to social forces or domestic politics in a significant way.

Alexander Wendt’s theory of “social constructivism” and Robert Cox’s “historical materialism” provide alternative perspectives that assign greater importance to social forces which address the fundamental structure of the international system and their potential to shape the identities, interests and actions of actors.

How do these alternative theories redefine the international system and state identities and explain structural transformation? This essay will answer that question by analyzing the views of Wendt and Cox in detail, explaining how they differ from realist, neorealist and neoliberal views, and determining whether or not they improve upon those theories.  I will begin with Wendt’s theory of social constructivism. Read more