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‘Via Media’ vs. the Critical Path: Constructivism(s) and the Case of EU Identity

Year 2014, , 21 - 36, 29.08.2014
https://doi.org/10.20991/allazimuth.167325

Abstract

References

  • Ad hoc Committee for Institutional Affairs. “Report to the European Council, Brussels, 29-30 March 1985.” Accessed February 20, 2014. http://aei.pitt.edu/997/01/Dooge_final_report.pdf.
  • Adler, Emanuel and Vincent Pouliot, eds. International Practices. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
  • Adler, Emanuel. “Constructivism and International Relations.” In Handbook of International Relations, edited by Walter Carlsnaes, Thomas Risse and Beth A. Simmons, 95-118. London: SAGE, 2007.
  • Adler, Emanuel. “Seizing the Middle Ground: Constructivism in World Politics.” European Journal of International Relations 3, no.3 (1997): 319-363.
  • Bretherton, Charlotte and John Vogler, The European Union as a Global Actor. New York: Routledge, 2006.
  • Brown, Chris. “The ‘Practice Turn’, Phronesis and Classical Realism: Towards a Phronetic International Political Theory.” Millennium: Journal of International Studies 40, no.3 (2012): 439-456.
  • Buzan, Barry and Lene Hansen. The Evolution of International Security Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
  • Cederman, Lars-Erik. Nationalism and Bounded Integration: What It Would Take to Construct a European Demos. EUI Working Papers 34 (2000).
  • Checkel, Jeffrey T. “The Constructivist Turn in International Relations Theory.” World Politics 50, no.2 (1998): 324-348.
  • Checkel, Jeffrey T. and Peter J. Katzenstein, eds. European Identity. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
  • Diez, Thomas. “Constructing the Self and Changing Others: Reconsidering ‘Normative Power Europe’.” Millennium 33, no.3 (2005): 613-636.
  • Fierke, K.M. “Constructivism.” In International Relations Theories: Discipline and Diversity, edited by Tim Dunne, Milja Kurki and Steve Smith, 177-194. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.
  • Fierke, K.M. Critical Approaches to International Security. Cambridge: Polity, 2007.
  • Hansen, Lene. Security as Practice: Discourse Analysis and the Bosnian War. Abingdon: Routledge, 2006.
  • Hopf, Ted. “The Promise of Constructivism in International Relations Theory.” International Security 23, no.1 (Summer 1998): 171-200.
  • of Europe: Identity and Boundaries in Conflict, edited by Victoria A. Goddard, Josep R. Llobera and Cris Shore,
  • 298. Providence, RI: Berg, 1994.
  • Shore, Cris. “Inventing the ‘People’s Europe: Critical Approaches to European Community ‘Cultural Policy’.” Man 28, no.4 (1993): 779-800.
  • Wæver, Ole. “Identity, communities and foreign policy: Discourse analysis as foreign policy theory.” in European Integration and National Identity: The challenge of the Nordic states, edited by Lene Hansen and Ole Wæver, 20-49. London: Routledge, 2002.
  • Wæver, Ole. “The rise and fall of the inter-paradigm debate.” In International theory: positivism and beyond, edited by Steve Smith, Ken Booth and Marysia Zalewski, 149-185. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
  • Walkenhorst, Heiko. The Conceptual Spectrum of European Identity – From Missing Link to Unnecessary Evil, Limerick Papers in Politics and Public Administration 3 (2009).
  • Weber, Cynthia. International Relations Theory: A Critical Introduction. New York: Routledge, 2005.
  • Weldes, Jutta, Mark Laffey, Hugh Gusterson and Raymond Duvall. “Introduction: Constructing Insecurity.” In Cultures of Insecurity: States, Communities, and the Production of Danger, edited by Jutta Weldes, Mark Laffey, Hugh Gusterson and Raymond Duvall, 1-33. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1999.
  • Weldes, Jutta. Constructing National Interests: The United States and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1999.
  • Wendt, Alexander. “On the Via Media: a response to the critics.” Review of International Studies 26 (2000): 165-180.
  • Wendt, Alexander. Social Theory of International Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
  • Wendt, Alexander. “Constructing International Politics.” International Security 20, no.1 (Summer 1995): 71-81.
  • Wendt, Alexander. “Anarchy is what States Make of it: The Social Construction of Power Politics.” International Organization 46, no.2 (Spring 1992): 391-425.
  • Whitman, Richard G., ed. Normative Power Europe: Empirical and Theoretical Perspectives. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.
  • Zalewski, Marysia and Cynthia Enloe. “Questions about Identity in International Relations.” In International Relations Theory Today, edited by Ken Booth and Steve Smith, 279-305. Cambridge: Polity, 1995.
  • Zehfuss, Maja. Constructivism in International Relations: The Politics of Reality. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
  • Zehfuss, Maja. “Constructivism and Identity: A Dangerous Liaison.” European Journal of International Relations 7, no.3 (2001): 315-348.
  • “Dublin European Council Presidency Conclusions, 15 and 16 June 1990.” Accessed April 22, 2014. http://www. europarl.europa.eu/summits/dublin/du1_en.pdf.
  • “Report by the Foreign Ministers of the Member States on the Problems of Political Unification.” Bulletin of the European Communities No. 11 (1970).
  • “Report by the Reflection Group: A Strategy for Europe.” Accessed March 12, 2014. http://www.ena.lu/report_ reflection_group_strategy_europe_brussels_december_1995-3-19371.
  • “Solemn Declaration on European Union, Stuttgart, 19 June 1983.” Accessed February 20, 2014. http://www.ena.lu/ solemn_declaration_european_union_stuttgart_19_june_1983-2-7725.
  • “Statement Issued by the Heads of State or Government, Bonn.” Bulletin of the European Communities 7, no.8 (1961).

‘Via Media’ vs. the Critical Path: Constructivism(s) and the Case of EU Identity

Year 2014, , 21 - 36, 29.08.2014
https://doi.org/10.20991/allazimuth.167325

Abstract

The European Union’s international identity is a theme that has attracted great scholarly interest in the last two decades, parallel to the increasing role of the Union as a global actor. This period has also witnessed the rise of constructivism as an approach in International Relations with a specific focus on the social nature of and ideational factors in international affairs. Many of the works published in this time frame have approached the topic of European Union identity from a constructivist perspective that focused on the outcomes of the identity construction process within the Union, drawing parallels between the processes of identity construction and dissemination in nation states and at the European level. This study, by differentiating between the critical and conventional constructivist accounts of identity, offers a discursive analysis of the European Union’s identity that concentrates instead on the building blocks and evolution of the identity construction process within the Union. To this aim, it explores the ways in which the identity of the European Union has been represented in the foreign policy discourse originating from the Union’s various institutions and leaders, based on a particular conception of ‘Europe.’ 

References

  • Ad hoc Committee for Institutional Affairs. “Report to the European Council, Brussels, 29-30 March 1985.” Accessed February 20, 2014. http://aei.pitt.edu/997/01/Dooge_final_report.pdf.
  • Adler, Emanuel and Vincent Pouliot, eds. International Practices. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
  • Adler, Emanuel. “Constructivism and International Relations.” In Handbook of International Relations, edited by Walter Carlsnaes, Thomas Risse and Beth A. Simmons, 95-118. London: SAGE, 2007.
  • Adler, Emanuel. “Seizing the Middle Ground: Constructivism in World Politics.” European Journal of International Relations 3, no.3 (1997): 319-363.
  • Bretherton, Charlotte and John Vogler, The European Union as a Global Actor. New York: Routledge, 2006.
  • Brown, Chris. “The ‘Practice Turn’, Phronesis and Classical Realism: Towards a Phronetic International Political Theory.” Millennium: Journal of International Studies 40, no.3 (2012): 439-456.
  • Buzan, Barry and Lene Hansen. The Evolution of International Security Studies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
  • Cederman, Lars-Erik. Nationalism and Bounded Integration: What It Would Take to Construct a European Demos. EUI Working Papers 34 (2000).
  • Checkel, Jeffrey T. “The Constructivist Turn in International Relations Theory.” World Politics 50, no.2 (1998): 324-348.
  • Checkel, Jeffrey T. and Peter J. Katzenstein, eds. European Identity. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009.
  • Diez, Thomas. “Constructing the Self and Changing Others: Reconsidering ‘Normative Power Europe’.” Millennium 33, no.3 (2005): 613-636.
  • Fierke, K.M. “Constructivism.” In International Relations Theories: Discipline and Diversity, edited by Tim Dunne, Milja Kurki and Steve Smith, 177-194. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.
  • Fierke, K.M. Critical Approaches to International Security. Cambridge: Polity, 2007.
  • Hansen, Lene. Security as Practice: Discourse Analysis and the Bosnian War. Abingdon: Routledge, 2006.
  • Hopf, Ted. “The Promise of Constructivism in International Relations Theory.” International Security 23, no.1 (Summer 1998): 171-200.
  • of Europe: Identity and Boundaries in Conflict, edited by Victoria A. Goddard, Josep R. Llobera and Cris Shore,
  • 298. Providence, RI: Berg, 1994.
  • Shore, Cris. “Inventing the ‘People’s Europe: Critical Approaches to European Community ‘Cultural Policy’.” Man 28, no.4 (1993): 779-800.
  • Wæver, Ole. “Identity, communities and foreign policy: Discourse analysis as foreign policy theory.” in European Integration and National Identity: The challenge of the Nordic states, edited by Lene Hansen and Ole Wæver, 20-49. London: Routledge, 2002.
  • Wæver, Ole. “The rise and fall of the inter-paradigm debate.” In International theory: positivism and beyond, edited by Steve Smith, Ken Booth and Marysia Zalewski, 149-185. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996.
  • Walkenhorst, Heiko. The Conceptual Spectrum of European Identity – From Missing Link to Unnecessary Evil, Limerick Papers in Politics and Public Administration 3 (2009).
  • Weber, Cynthia. International Relations Theory: A Critical Introduction. New York: Routledge, 2005.
  • Weldes, Jutta, Mark Laffey, Hugh Gusterson and Raymond Duvall. “Introduction: Constructing Insecurity.” In Cultures of Insecurity: States, Communities, and the Production of Danger, edited by Jutta Weldes, Mark Laffey, Hugh Gusterson and Raymond Duvall, 1-33. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1999.
  • Weldes, Jutta. Constructing National Interests: The United States and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 1999.
  • Wendt, Alexander. “On the Via Media: a response to the critics.” Review of International Studies 26 (2000): 165-180.
  • Wendt, Alexander. Social Theory of International Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999.
  • Wendt, Alexander. “Constructing International Politics.” International Security 20, no.1 (Summer 1995): 71-81.
  • Wendt, Alexander. “Anarchy is what States Make of it: The Social Construction of Power Politics.” International Organization 46, no.2 (Spring 1992): 391-425.
  • Whitman, Richard G., ed. Normative Power Europe: Empirical and Theoretical Perspectives. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.
  • Zalewski, Marysia and Cynthia Enloe. “Questions about Identity in International Relations.” In International Relations Theory Today, edited by Ken Booth and Steve Smith, 279-305. Cambridge: Polity, 1995.
  • Zehfuss, Maja. Constructivism in International Relations: The Politics of Reality. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
  • Zehfuss, Maja. “Constructivism and Identity: A Dangerous Liaison.” European Journal of International Relations 7, no.3 (2001): 315-348.
  • “Dublin European Council Presidency Conclusions, 15 and 16 June 1990.” Accessed April 22, 2014. http://www. europarl.europa.eu/summits/dublin/du1_en.pdf.
  • “Report by the Foreign Ministers of the Member States on the Problems of Political Unification.” Bulletin of the European Communities No. 11 (1970).
  • “Report by the Reflection Group: A Strategy for Europe.” Accessed March 12, 2014. http://www.ena.lu/report_ reflection_group_strategy_europe_brussels_december_1995-3-19371.
  • “Solemn Declaration on European Union, Stuttgart, 19 June 1983.” Accessed February 20, 2014. http://www.ena.lu/ solemn_declaration_european_union_stuttgart_19_june_1983-2-7725.
  • “Statement Issued by the Heads of State or Government, Bonn.” Bulletin of the European Communities 7, no.8 (1961).
There are 37 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Zeynep Arkan This is me

Publication Date August 29, 2014
Published in Issue Year 2014

Cite

Chicago Arkan, Zeynep. “‘Via Media’ Vs. The Critical Path: Constructivism(s) and the Case of EU Identity”. All Azimuth: A Journal of Foreign Policy and Peace 3, no. 2 (August 2014): 21-36. https://doi.org/10.20991/allazimuth.167325.

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