A Constructivist Approach to the Identity and Security Relationship: “The Identity of the Security” and “The Security of the Identity”

Year 2012, Volume: 8 Issue: 16, 177 - 237, 01.06.2012

Helin Sari Ertem

Abstract

The constructivist approach, which attaches significance to “social construction” and “interaction” in international relations, claims that the meanings that are given by the traditional theories to the concepts of security and foreign policy must be reconsidered. According to the constructivists, abstract elements like culture and identity have a modifying and transformative effect on security and foreign policy analyses, which had long been ignored. Through constructivist presumptions, this article focuses on the close relationship between identity and security perception and claims that the foreign policies of the states must be analyzed in frame of the interaction between these two basic elements. Relying on the idea that the “anthropomorphization” of the state is possible, this article presents that a similar version of the interaction between an individual’s identity and security perception is being experienced between the identity and security perception of a state and aims to make a unique contribution to the IR literature by claiming that “the identity of the security” is as significant as “the security of the identity” in foreign policy analysis. 

Keywords

Constructivism, identity, security, social interaction, ontological security

Kimlik ve Güvenlik İlişkisine Konstrüktivist Bir Yaklaşım: “Kimliğin Güvenliği” ve “Güvenliğin Kimliği”

Abstract

Uluslararası ilişkilerde "sosyal inşa"nın ve "etkileşim"in önemine dikkat çeken konstrüktivist (inşacı) yaklaşım, geleneksel teorilerin güvenlik ve dışpolitika kavramlarına yüklediği anlamların yeniden gözden geçirilmesi gerektiği iddiasındadır. Konstrüktivistlere göre, kültür ve kimlik gibi soyut unsurlar, güvenlik ve dışpolitika analizleri üzerinde, uzun yıllar ihmal edilmiş olan, değiştirici ve dönüştürücü bir etkiye sahiptir. Konstrüktivist varsayımlardan yola çıkarak, kimlik ve güvenlik algısının birbiri ile olan yakın ilişkisine odaklanan bu makale, devletlerin ortaya koyduğu dışpolitikaların, bu iki temel unsur arasındaki etkileşim çerçevesinde analiz edilmesi gerektiğini öne sürmektedir. Devletin "insansılaştırılmasının" mümkün olduğu inancından hareketle, makale, bireyin kimliği ve güvenliğe dair algısı arasındaki etkileşimin bir benzerinin, devletin kimliği ve güvenliğe dair algısı arasında yaşandığını ortaya koymakta ve dışpolitika analizinde "kimliğin güvenliği" kadar, "güvenliğin kimliği"nin de önem arz ettiğini ileri sürerek, Uluslararası İlişkiler literatürüne özgün bir katkı sağlamaya çalışmaktadır.

Keywords

Konstrüktivizm, kimlik, güvenlik, sosyal etkileşim, ontolojik güvenlik.

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