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The article critiques the mainstream American invocation of constructivism as a kind of "commonsense," utilitarian approach to foreign policy analysis (FPA). Such a strategy allows social scientists to seem "modern" while remaining resolutely antipostmodernist. Revisionism is also questioned, however, for countering rather than confronting positivism & social scientism. These "counterhegmonic moderates," while rejecting positivism, remain as bound by rationalist objectivity as are conservatives. Postmodernist constructivism for FPA requires more than listening; it also entails a radical subjectivity & participation. 8 References. K. Coddon

The author of this chapter defines the tension within Oakeshott's philosophy on socio-political construction & deconstructs his conceptualization of constructivism & relativism in relationship to truth. Although Oakeshott's philosophy can relate to a strong constructivism, his anti-rationalism & conceptualization of truth preclude his acceptance of the "rational" constructivist political agenda. Various philosophers' views on truth (Hacking, McCullagh, Sellars, Goldman) are applied as problematizations of Oakeshott's worldview. Oakeshott's ambiguous relativism is recognized to have a misplaced skepticism & inconsistent relativism (Podoksik) emanating from the irreducible pluralism based on the distinct spheres of knowledge generated by separate domains of modes. The severe critiques of the sociological arenas of politics, education & science exemplify this misplacement. The irreducible plurality of his modes (science, history) require different methods of inquiry to produce knowledge, thus forbidding cross disciplinary commonalities leading to an assumption of coherentism that should direct Oakeshott to relativism. But, reciprocal relations between conceptual creativity & nature are excluded by his separation of modal knowledge. 60 References. J. Harwell

The chapter defines & distinguishes foreign policy analysis & international politics, & discusses their origins & development as subfields. Next, the impact of constructivism on the areas, while not always acknowledged as such, is examined. Constructivism contributes to theoretical dimensions of structure, agency, rationality, institutions, & identity. Tables illustrate the application of key concepts. The chapter also summarizes important literature & debates concerning constructivism & international relations. 1 Table, 3 Figures, 50 References. K. Coddon

Discusses the utility of social constructivism for the study of international institutions with an eye toward a confluence between rationalist & constructivist paradigms & problem-oriented rather than paradigm-driven research. Metatheoretical assumptions driving rationalist & constructivist institutionalisms are compared. Three logics of social action are described -- consequentialism, appropriateness, & truth seeking or arguing -- in terms of how these two paradigms weight them: rational choice emphasizes a logic of instrumental rationality & consequentialism & is self-consciously agency centered, while constructivism can be divided in more structural accounts stressing the logic of appropriateness & rule following & on more agency-centered ideas devoted to argumentative rationality & persuasion. Key terms used in the constructivist approach are defined before specifying how constructivism differs from rational choice in looking at international institutions & how the two approaches to institutionalism might meet. For the latter, three examples are presented: (1) Rationalist & sociological versions of institutionalism theorize about path-dependent processes. (2) There is a difference between the taken-for-granted nature of social norms or the enactment of cultural scripts & arguments about bounded rationality. (3) There is a controversy regarding causal vs constitutive effects of political institutions. Paradigm convergence is exposed through an analysis of the life cycle of international institutions, focusing empirical contributions to the study of the emergence & change of international norms & institutions & their impact on domestic political life in terms of rule compliance. It is concluded that combining the different logics of social action to show how they complement each other is the most promising direction for future institutionalist inquiry in international relations; implications of this for the practical knowledge of international politics are shared. J. Zendejas

The chapter discusses the implications for comparative politics of the debate over revising & reshaping social theory, focusing in particular on the contributions of constructivists. A general description of constructivism is followed by comments on alternative, competing constructivisms, then by a discussion of why constructivism is a valuable approach for comparativists. The next section examines a case study of sovereignty & the construction of political/economic boundaries in early modern Europe, an example that demonstrates the usefulness of the constructivist approach. The following section explicated the theoretical & methodological advantages of constructivism & conceptual histories. 2 Tables, 85 References. K. Coddon

The chapter discusses the soft & rule-oriented modes of constructivism as they have been brought to bear on Gorbachev-espoused Soviet "new thinking," the collapse of the USSR, & international relations in the post-Cold War era. The fall of the USSR was met by multiple & competing political narratives constructed by interested agents. The West's narrative, guided by the topoi of soft constructivism & largely anti-Marxist, has dominated the mainstream & refocused international relations analysis on neorealism, neoliberalism, & globalism. But other constructivisms, however marginalized, remain imperative for understanding Gorbachev's "new thinking" & its failure. 2 Tables, 77 References. K. Coddon

Reflecting on the debate over constructivisms, disciplinary motives, & the task of social science expressed throughout the volume, the chapter proposes that these arguments over ethics & normative standards enhance international relations scholarship. Constructivism illuminates the centrality of identity, & its basis in language, to international relations & policy interests; but to transcend metatheory constructivists must further theorize agency. 87 References. K. Coddon

The annual Conference of Parties (COP) of the Framework Convention on Climate Change takes place since the establishment of the Berlin Mandate in 1995. Since then the on-going climate change negotiations have produced little
progress in preventing the ultimate objective of the Framework Convention that is to prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.
Mainly responsible are three overarching conflicts, which have overshadowed all effort for an effective agreement so far. While the first and second conflict is within the developing and within the developed countries, the third conflict is between developing and developed countries. The latter conflict debates the question of how much and by whom emissions should be reduced in the future. The discipline of international relations provides two theoretical perspectives to predict the success of this year´s climate change negotiations. Whereas Realism perceives power to be the main reference for explaining international cooperation, constructivism puts the recognition of material as well as ideational factors in the centre of observation. If applied on the different negotiation parties, the realist perspective provides a far more pessimistic outlook for a successful agreement than constructivism.

The chapter outlines problems inhering in attempts to study People's Republic of China-Taiwan relations from conventional international relations & foreign policy analysis perspectives, & proposes that constructivism may offer modes for better theorizing & understanding the conflict, especially in terms of agency, structure, & identity. The effects of the Cold War, its conclusion, & the "one China" movement on China-Taiwan relations & their discourses are discussed, along with implications for US policymakers. K. Coddon

Identity legitimacy is regarded as a key issue to understand the current post-communist world and to substantiate the identity recognition policy, that is a legitimate (for society) way of differentiation control. There are presented two ideal models of identity production: 1) based on essentialistic imperatives, and 2) close to constructivism in its various versions, like post-classical one. There are an a lyzed significant practices and figurative representations applied to identities.

The chapter examines Spanish foreign policy under Franco from a rule-oriented constructivist perspective. It begins with a summary of historical constructivism & its implications for understanding social relations & the textuality that mediates historical knowledge. The next section examines Franco's foreign policy, the Spanish civil war, & US shifts in both policy & language. The last section considers the constructivist implications of memory for historiography & foreign policy analysis. 1 Appendix, 72 References. K. Coddon

The chapter proposes a constructivist approach to understanding not only rampant corruption in the Americas but also why Inter-American anticorruption programs have been ineffectual. The rule-oriented constructivism outlined here examines normative & behavioral aspects of corruption; it compares rule structures based on political culture scholarship; & it considers & compares corrupt actions via rational choice theory. The theoretical framework provided is comprehensive & integrative, accounting for a range of agency, structural, & material features. 4 Tables, 46 References. K. Coddon

The introductory chapter outlines the problems arising from separating international politics & foreign policy analysis as subfields of international relations, & introduces students to key terminology, concepts, frameworks, & ranges of inquiry for the constructivist approach. Theoretical assumptions about structure, rationality, & agency are elucidated, followed by examples of constructivism in practice (even when not acknowledged as such by the particular researcher). The contents of the volume include sections on concepts, applications, & theoretical implications of the project. 1 Figure, 13 References. K. Coddon

The chapter offers a model, or "primer," for a rule-oriented constructivist approach to international relations. This approach is defined specifically against the fashionable "soft constructivism" espoused by Wendt, proposing instead a more rigorous mode of examining structure, agency, & rationality. This flexible & interdisciplinary framework, illustrated by tables, entails four steps: (1) seeing in a constructivist way; (2) grasping constructivist categories of thinking; (3) adopting existing modes of scholarship to constructivist ones; & (4) cultivating constructivist modes of scholarly inquiry. 3 Tables, 2 Figures, 10 References. K. Coddon

The chapter focuses on the consequences of globalization for political comparativists & international relations analysts engaged in the processes of "mapping" & "remapping" political & social relations. The first section discusses the standard core assumptions, especially about metageography, underlying the comparative approach as it is commonly employed. The second part considers points of tension arising from the linkage of comparativism & constructivism. The third part proposes a comparativism based on processes & political relations, a model demonstrated through a consideration of 19th-century Polish national mobilization. The last section revisits the matter of globalization, & underscores the value of process analysis for the study of political change. 83 References. K. Coddon