PLT4489

Culture, norms and ideas in international politics

Chris Reus-Smit

12 points
* 2 hours per week
* First semester
* Clayton

Objectives This subject aims to introduce students to the theoretical claims made by constructivist scholars about the role of culture, norms, and ideas in international politics, and to the critiques levelled at constructivists by rationalist scholars. It is designed to enable students to make critical judgements about the relative strengths and weaknesses of these different theoretical positions, and to relate the constructivist/rationalists debate to wider arguments about the nature of international relations and the purpose of international theory.

Synopsis How do we explain the rise of the modern system of sovereign states, the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the successful international movement against Apartheid in South Africa, the provision of foreign aid to poor countries, the widespread use of Keynesian economic policies after the Second World War, and the international ban on the use of chemical weapons? In attempting to answer these questions, reflectivist scholars have emphasised the role of culture, social norms and ideas in shaping the identity, interests and behaviour of states. This use of `fuzzy variables' has been vigorously contested by neorealists and neoliberals who insist that the accumulation of power and the rational pursuit of objective national interests remain the principal determinants of international relations. This subject introduces students to this sometimes heated debate between reflectivists and rationalists about the nature of world politics and the future of international relations theory. It asks whether culture, norms and ideas really matter, and whether understanding these factors will lead to better theories about conflict and cooperation in international politics.

Assessment Essay (6000 words): 60%
* Examination (3 hours): 40%

Recommended texts

Bozeman A Politics and culture in international history 2nd edn, Transaction, 1994
Kratochwil F Rules, norms and decisions CUP, 1989
Goldstein J and Keohane R Ideas and foreign policy, beliefs, institutions and political change Cornell U P, 1993
Campbell D Writing security: United States foreign policy and the politics of identity Minnesota U P, 1992