Anarchy is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics

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Anarchy is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics is a seminal constructivist article in international relations arguing that state identities and interests are socially constructed rather than determined by an anarchic international system.

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Predicate Object
instanceOf journal article
scholarly article
arguesAgainst the assumption that anarchy necessarily leads to self-help
the assumption that state interests are given exogenously
author Alexander Wendt NERFINISHED
centralClaim anarchy does not have a single logic independent of state interaction
interests of states depend on their identities
self-help and power politics are institutions, not essential features of anarchy
state identities and interests are socially constructed
state identities are produced and reproduced through social interaction
structures of human association are determined primarily by shared ideas rather than material forces
citedAs foundational text of constructivist international relations
countryOfPublication United States of America
surface form: United States
criticizes neoliberal institutionalism NERFINISHED
neorealism
discipline international relations
field international relations
political science
focusesOn interaction among states
mutual constitution of agents and structures in international relations
role of shared ideas and norms in international politics
hasImpact challenged materialist and rationalist assumptions in IR theory
contributed to the constructivist turn in international relations
hasNotablePhrase anarchy is what states make of it NERFINISHED
influenced constructivist research program in international relations
identity-focused security studies
norms research in international relations
influencedBy social theory of Anthony Giddens
structuration theory
symbolic interactionism
language English
mainSubject anarchy in international politics
constructivism in international relations
international relations theory
social construction of power politics
state identities
state interests
methodologicalApproach theoretical analysis
proposes that cooperative security systems are possible under anarchy
that different cultures of anarchy can exist
publicationYear 1992
publishedIn International Organization NERFINISHED
publisher Cambridge University Press
relatedWork Social Theory of International Politics NERFINISHED
theoreticalApproach constructivism
social constructivism
timePeriodDiscussed post–Cold War international system

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Alexander Wendt notableWork Anarchy is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics