Constructivism In International Relations

Theories of international relations have allowed people to make sense of the world around them. The study of international relations is an attempt to explain relationships between the states, which is necessary due to the increase in globalization and actors involved. A majority of IR-theory focuses on the materialist aspects of world affairs, such as military forces and economic capabilities to define the behavior of the states. The Constructivism theory however, focuses on human awareness claiming that international relations are socially constructed rather than materialistically constructed (Beinur, 2011, p. 115). The theory of Constructivism best describes international relations because it is not a physical entity or material object. To understand the interactions of the states, you must focus the shared understandings that inform the actors on the international scene.

Constructivism has only become vastly accepted in recent decades, taking an entirely different approach on international relations than prior theories such as realism, liberalism and Marxism. A main difference is how the theories view anarchy. For example, realists view anarchy as a competition for resources (Bell, 2017). Constructivists argue that with the realism viewpoint that anarchy leads to war and argue that the anarchical

Without taking other factors into account, it would seem like the realist theory would be the best way to describe international relations and even everyday life at a lower scale. Throughout recent years however, constructivism has become more widely accepted because there are other factors that effect the wants and needs of people. Norms and culture change throughout history which is the main reason constructivism has become a more accepted theory throughout international relations (Beinur, 2011, p.