Constructivis

GFPP3114
International
Political Economy
 Theory and Questions
Unit Coverage

Constructivism – Three
questions and Policy
Implications
Strengths and
Weaknesses
 Theory and Questions

What
What is
characterizes
Constructivism?
Constructivism?
 What is the interest of state in
IPE from the perspective of
Constructivism?
Constructivism What is the interest of market in
: the THREE IPE from the perspective of
Constructivism?
Questions
What is the interest of society in
IPE from the perspective of
Constructivism?
Four basic assumptions of Constructivism applied to IPE:

Ideas, values, norms, identities of individuals, groups, states are

socially constructed.
Ideas and values are social forces that are important as military or
economic factors
Conflict and cooperation are products of values and beliefs

Some international political changes are driven by changes in the

values and beliefs of actors over time.
 How?

a) Problematization

Problems exist because we talk them into

existence

Examples:

What matter most to you?

What do you identify with and against?

 How?

(b) Framing: ability to define what the

essence of problem problem is, what is
causing it, who is involved, what are its
consequences, and therefore the approach to
mitigating or resolving.
 How?

c) Discourse Analysis: a tool for

understanding where important
concepts and terms come from and
how they shape state policies

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

 How?

d) Metaphors and categories: determining where

ideas and norms originate, how they spread, the
other ideas they come into conflict with, and how
they become ‘naturalized’ and accepted by
international system as self-evident justification
of policies.

Key point - how we categorize and we employ to

make sense have consequences.
 Human Rights in
International Political
Economy
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHHy1gDn4x8&t=21s