Social Constructivism

A broad school of thought that emphasizes the impact of ideas, identities, norms, and culture in world politics. This political approach emphasizes the social construction of knowledge and the construction of social reality. The theory opposes traditional realist perceptions of politics claiming that that the political world is neither an inevitable consequence of human nature, nor the reflection of the anarchic political system itself, rather that it can be understood from its socio-historical context. Constructivists argue that political motivations are influenced by perceptions of reality and behavioural norms. Alexander Wendt, a key theorist in this field, argues that human interaction is determined by cultural phenomena, shared ideas which shape our identity and interests.