2.4. The Postmodern and Constructivist Challenge

1. 2.4. The Postmodern and Constructivist Challenge Learning Objectives: • Understand the principles of constructivist and postmodern thought • Identify postmodern and constructivist views of global politics • Explain the relevance of postmodern and constructivist concepts Study Tip: This material is very layered, almost existential. Do not be worried if you feel you have not quite grasped it after the first exposure. We will return to it as we go through the course. For now, try to focus on the core principles and what postmodernists and constructivists are trying to say about the nature of global politics.

2. 2.4. The Postmodern and Constructivist Challenge • The Postmodern Movement • The Principles of Postmodernism • Constructivism • The Principles of Constructivism • Constructivists, Power, and Policy

3. Postmodern Thought • Intellectual Roots • Michel Foucault • Jacques Derrida • Frankfurt School (1920’s): Jürgen Habermas, Max Horkheimer, Theodor Adorno • Critics of Positivism

4. The Principles of Postmodernism • Subject matter social, not material: all action, all structure, is embedded in socially constructed belief systems • There are no “truths” • Existence of a “dominant discourse” • Deconstruction!

5. The Principles of Postmodernism • Postmodern thought and the role of “race” in the Rwandan Genocide • “Hutus” • “Tutsis”

6. Constructivism • Intellectual Roots • Alexander Wendt (1958-) • Peter Katzenstein (1945-) • Ideas, norms, and perceptions

7. The Principles of Constructivism • Global politics is driven by the identities, ideas, norms, and values of various actors • E.g., “threats” Study Tip: Think about this and work with the idea that “threats” are the product of embedded belief systems. How would postmodernists or constructivists evaluate threats like “terrorism” or “Iranian nuclear weapons”?

8. The Principles of Constructivism • Global politics is driven by the identities, ideas, norms, and values of various actors • Actors (including states) become “socialized” • E.g., “sovereignty”; “the West”

9. The Principles of Constructivism • Global politics is driven by the identities, ideas, norms, and values of various actors • Actors (including states) become “socialized” • Global politics can be changed through new ideas • E.g., “anarchy”

10. Constructivists, Power, and Policy • Status and reputation matter • Importance of norms: define how actors should act • Norm building through norm entrepreneurs, social movements, and international organizations • Can change socialization of actors through new ideas and new norms

11. Summary (“P”=postmodernism, “C”= Constructivism) • After the class on P/C, you should have a good understanding of how P/Cs describe global politics and their actions. • You should be able to identify the P/C view of power and explain how this power is relevant in global politics. • You should be able to compare and contrast P/C with Liberalism, Realism, and Marxism. • You should be able to explain the theoretical and practical agendas of both P and C frameworks, and why they argue that this agenda will have a positive impact on global politics. • Next, we will examine Feminism and how it has influenced global politics.