Constructivism’s Criticism of Traditional IRTs 1
Criticize: Traditional IRT’s pre-determined structures of Structural Realism and Neo-Liberalism (anarchy, human nature, norms are never changing…)
International relations is a social construction brought into being and changed by interactions between actors. They don’t just react to the world, they interact with it.
Criticized Traditional IRTs of generalizing over time and space too much
Try to understand change over time in the behavior of actors and character of international system
Criticized Realism of exclusive emphasis on power and material interests who unable to explain post-Cold War era
Emphasize the social dimensions of international relations such as international norms, rules, and language
💡 Ex: Gorbachev’s new thinking ending the Cold War, rise of Humanitarian norms, spread of Liberalism values and norms.