Research in International Politics
2005 Spring Presentation Schedule:
April 29th
Ted Hopf
Title: "Bringing Society Back into Social Constructivism" (Download a Copy)
Abstract: A great deal of international politics occurs between overarching
systemic cultures and a state's choice to adhere to a particular norm.
A great deal of state identity construction occurs beyond its
interaction with other states.
This paper fashions a social cognitive structural account of identity that brings society back into social constructivism. It promises to both fill the gap between systemic and norm-centric constructivism, and foreground society's role in constructing state identity.
In doing so, an interpretivist method of discourse analysis is elaborated, designed to uncover the logic of habit that underlies the daily reproduction of the taken for granted background that constitutes most of social life.
This societal constructivist account is used to explore the single most important shift in the balance of power during the Cold War: the Sino-Soviet split.
May 18th at 3:00pm*
John Mueller
Title: "Six Rather Unusual Propositions about
Terrorism"
(Download a Copy)
*Please note the day and time change -- Wednesday at 3:00pm in place of of the usual Friday session.
