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Alternatives to RealismChapter 3.2

• PSC 124
• Spring 2007
• Northrup

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Today

• Quick review of liberal vs. difference feminist
• Note on links in PowerPoint lectures
• Constructivism
• Postmodernism
• Peace studies

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Overlapping Bell Curves
Difference feminists
Liberal feminists
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Constructivism

• Rooted in sociology, IR as social process
• States as social actors
• Actions follow international or domestic rules
• State behavior driven by rules, norms, culture,
  institutions, and identities
• Identities and interests of states not simply
  structurally determined
• Produced by interactions, institutions, norms,
  cultures
• Process, not structure, determines how states
  interact
• How different from realism?
• Social process
• Power doesnt explain many relationships
• Reputation

• See Alexander Wendt, 'Anarchy is What States Make
  of It', International Organisation, 46/2, 1992.

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Constructivism and Appropriateness

• Logic of consequences vs. logic of
  appropriateness
• Based on norms, beliefs about what is right and
  what is wrong, appropriate (cartoon of the
  Prophet)
• Evidence nations behave not to fulfill
  interests, but to be consistent with what is
• Sense of right and wrong can come from identity
  or from shifting human norms
• Examples?

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Postmodernism

• Consider texts, discourses how language
  constructs meaning
• Deconstruct in order to understand
• Re realism consider the language of realism and
  what that reveals about underlying assumptions
• Description of groups as freedom fighters or
  terrorists or rebels
• What is included and excluded from language and
  accounts of events (Example - accounts of slavery
  in US history textbooks)

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Deconstructing Realism

• Deconstruct take apart, understand how it
  works, hidden meanings, subtext
• No single objective reality since reality is
  constructed
• Ergo realism cant justify claims
• States as unitary actors
• Coherent sets of interests
• States as fictional entities
• Example of subtext of realism
• No women, or women unimportant
• No cooperation
• Claims of objectivity, of reality, are wrong

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Feminist Postmodernists

• Deconstruct with view to influence of gender
• Gender and power (e.g. Jamaica ads)
• Critical of difference feminists glorifying
  traditional femininity
• Critical of liberal feminists simple inclusion
  of women ignores power construction

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Deconstructing Images

• Come to Jamaica
• Bikini clad, young, dark-skinned women beckoning
• Native man in a uniform

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Deconstructing Travel Posters
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Deconstruct Language of Realism Carol Cohn

• Slick ems, Glickems (article online)
• Nuclear defense intellectuals
• Language
• Patting the bomb
• Fat Man and Little Boy
• Footprints
• Purpose of language
• Masculinity put in the heroism, macho, sexual
  prowess
• Domesticity take the horror out

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Peace Studies

• Challenges both realism and liberalism
• Shift away from only interstate level
• Considers broad conception of social relations at
  other levels (individual, domestic, global)
• Interdisciplinary
• Peace is related to
• Justice
• Individual responsibility
• Economic inequality
• Status women and identity groups
• Cross cultural understanding

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Peace Studies Questions

• Conflict at individual/group level
• Conflict reduction processes
• Militaristic and peaceful attitudes
• Social change and positive peace
• Social movements e.g. peace movement
• Nonviolent action

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Conflict Reduction Process

• How can the conflict reduction process be
  improved creating or focusing on mutual
  interests
• Mediation
• shuttle diplomacy Kissinger Middle East
• Camp David
• Arbitration (WIPO)
• Citizen-to-citizen diplomacy (North Korea)
• Negotiation principles (fractionation, confidence
  building)

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Militarism
Ayaan Hirsi Ali

• Where do militaristic and peaceful attitudes come
  from?
• Militarism as idea - glorification of war
• Militarism as psychology compensatory machoism
  
• Militarism as structuring of society
  military-industrial complex
• Peaceful societies

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Positive Peace

• Social change how can we construct positive,
  sustainable peace?
• Positive peace resolves underlying reasons for
  war
• Transformation of society
• Remove structural violence
• Eliminate militaristic culture
• Build structures of peace conflict resolution
• Justice

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Social Movements

• How do social movements, such as peace movements,
  contribute to change?
• Through protest awareness
• Sway public opinion
• Educate
• Target certain issues draft, consequences of
  war, nuclear test sites (Cindy Sheehan)

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Iraq War Protest 1/27/07

• March in DC sponsored by United for Peace and
  Justice
• According to AP, tens of thousands of protesters
• Anti anti protest of Iraq veterans supporting
  war hundreds
• First Lt. Watada court martial

Watada case
1/27/07 protest report ABC News
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Nonviolence

• What kinds of nonviolent actions can disempowered
  groups take to bring about change?
• Nonviolence active process
• Unwavering commitment to peaceful process
• Unwavering commitment to justice
• A tool of the powerless

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Nonviolent Movements
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Gandhi
Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo