Analysing Constructivism In International Relations Theory Politics Essay

Analysing Constructivism In International Relations Theory Politics Essay With its opposite position to mainstream International Relations (IR) theorists’, rationalist or positivist (neo-realism and neo-liberalism), explanations to international politics, constructivism could be perceived as the development of group of critical theories that contested the way in which IR should search for knowledge in 1980s, the period Yosuf Lapid (1989) describes as â€Å"the Third Debate†. Although scholars who subsume to constructivist idea acknowledged this point, they argue that constructivist ideas toward IR are not exactly the same with its predecessor. The like such as Ted Hof (1998) and Christian Reus-Smit (2001) point out that constructivism is focus on the way in decoding the international social phenomenon through empirical analysis as well as normative approach. It also emphasize on the role of identity in determining agent’s behaviour and the mutually constituted between agents and structures. These concepts are not fit in to the mindset of critical theories, which tend to employ different aspects of social exchanges as a unit of study in trying to understand the nature of international politics. Having asserted that constructivism is neither rationalism nor critical theories, this essay aims to explore the uniqueness of the particular theory and its prominence in IR in the globalization stage, where the explanatory power of, the dominant, realism seems to be less tenable. This essay is divided into three parts: firstly, exploring premised concept of constructivism; secondly, giving empirical observation regarding the North-South relations through constructivist view; lastly, wrap up the study and assess the promise of the theory as one of the key approaches in the field of IR. What is constructivism? The rise of constructivism after the end of the Cold War not only contest the limited account of rationalism, both neo-realism and neo-liberalism, in explaining the changing order in global politics but also, at the s ame time, put forward critical theories beyond its territory by subsuming to the normative and empirical analysis. Rationalists, both neo-realists and neo-liberalists, share the same premise toward the structure of IR and how states response to it. As a result of Lakotos’ theory construction model and microeconomic theory, they have a common view that states are self-interested and rational agent within the anarchic international system, states perceive IR as a venue for maximizing their interests, thus, the way states act is subject to the power they get from the distribution of material power within the system, this also lead to hierarchy in IR (Reus-Smit, 2001). On the other hand, critical theories which might not pay much attention on the structure of IR, they are more interested in meta-theoretical debate which rationalism. They oppose the epistemology and ontology that are postulated by rationalism, which lead to their rejection of using normative or universalist approa ch in studying the discipline. This part of essay is going to differentiate premise ideas of constructivism with the other two branches of thought. Ted Hof (1998) highlights that the key premised concept of constructivism is an intersubjective set of meanings, a shared meaning in a society, which can be in a form of social norms or social practices. According to Hof (ibid), intersubjective set of meanings plays a vital role in formulating, another important focus of constructivism, state’s identity. Social norms are the foundations that influence state’s behaviour and that behaviour creates interactions with others who, through the reproduction process, will recognize this behaviour as state’s identity. Whereas realism emphasizes on distribution of material capabilities in the anarchic system of IR, constructivism views that normative structures are of importance as well as material capabilities. As having asserted by Reus-Smit (2001), normative structures are t he thought to shape the social identity of political actor. The norms that determine actors’ identity can go in parallel between International practices and internal elements. Having focused on how normative structures shape actor’s identity, constructivism provides an account for the development of interests as well as actor’s perception toward others. According to Alexander Wendt, the prominent constructivist scholar, â€Å"identity is the basis of interests† (1992: quoted in Reus-Smit, ibid), constructivist scholars hold that by having examined the connection between identity and interests, it is possible to provide room for understanding why each actor sometimes views the same situation differently.

How did changes in technology affect the conduct of warfare in the Essay - 1

How did changes in technology affect the conduct of warfare in the ancient world - Essay Example Battles were primarily fought for two reasons that include defense and expansion. Egyptians had to face invasions from their neighboring dominions, while for Greeks; Persian Empire was their major threat. Raising armies and developing state of the art weaponry was essential for the survival of both the empires. The changes in the technology paved the way to glory for both the empires in their respected periods of history. The main emphasis of this discussion will be on the technological analysis of the empires from the ancient world. The New Kingdom of Egypt and the Classical Ages of Greek Empire will be discussed here in detail. It was the Seventeenth Dynasty that brought an end to the rule of Hyksos, and paved the way for the Egyptians to take charge of the land. Once the center was under the control of the Egyptians, the era of the New Kingdom commenced. Three dynasties ruled Egypt during this phase of the Ancient Egypt; they include the Eighteenth Dynasty, the Nineteenth Dynasty and the Twentieth Dynasty (McDermott, 2004). Until the Second Intermediate Period, there was no organized army of the Egyptians. During the times of war, the governors of the states were ordered by the kings to arrange men for the battle. The New Kingdom of Egypt was the era of reconstruction, innovation and expansion. During this period the Egyptian Kingdom attained its maximum size (Shaw, 1991). It was economically more stable considering the commerce and trade that brought in gold and ivory in return of the agricultural produce. Unlike, the Middle Kingdom, the New Kingdom did not focused on the common man, however, during this period the social order was kept intact. Pharaohs were once again the center of all attention, and a major chunk of man power was assigned to build new pyramids, and burial places for the kings (Healy, 1992). The reign of Hyksos over the deltas of Nile taught Egyptians a number of things. Their rule in the region inspired the future

U.S. and Texas Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

U.S. and Texas Government - Essay Example It was thought that by having electors with a better political understanding, the choice of the president would be one to unite all Americans. Presently, for a US presidential candidate to be declared officially as the president, a 270 majority from the electorate college is mandatory. In the past, the Electoral College has denied some candidates the presidency. During the 1824 elections, Andrew Jackson failed on the president bid because, despite winning the popular vote, he only managed less than 50% of the electoral votes. Similarly, Samuel Tilden, during the 1876 elections failed to become president because he did not meet the threshold. Others who faced a similar ordeal were Grover Cleveland and the recent one Al Gore. Currently, the state of Texas has 38 electors while Wyoming has 3. However, seemingly, unfair, this system is fair given the populations of respective states. However, the smaller states are likely to perceive it otherwise. Besides Nebraska and Maine, all the other states use the ‘winner-takes-it-all rule. This rule influences the presidency in the sense that a state can be biased. ‘Swing states’ refer to a state that two main political parties share voters almost equally. Presidential elections ought to be reformed in a way that the general electorate’s wish is directly implemented. College educated voters are quite knowledgeable on electoral matters. Conversely, nonvoters tend to know mainly about the candidates, not issues discussed.

Three Information Technology Systems Assignment

Three Information Technology Systems - Assignment Example Being able to correlate information across multiple platforms creates a successful environment for combatting crime. Introduction In today’s age of information technology and in the various designs of database creations, members of law enforcement find that knowing how to utilize any number of research techniques will greatly assist in finding information on criminals being sought for various crimes. Criminal databases are also a valuable tool in determining what areas of a city, state or in the nation, require a more robust police presence in order to keep criminal activity down to a manageable level (Hunter & Barker 2011). As part of training for any police officer and for detectives conducting any type of criminal research activities, understanding how each database works and the search criteria required for each, is essential for success in finding and identifying specific people who may be involved in criminal behavior. Three database systems are discussed in this paper: the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), the National Crime Victimization Survey database (NCVS), and the Crime Mapping system (Cordner & Scarborough 2010). 1. There are a number of ways that these database systems are used by law enforcement agencies within a community policing program to help with keeping down criminal activity. It is important for every community to have some type of mapping system which can show what criminal activity has been taking place over various time periods. In many instances, the police department for any given city will most likely access state information in order to drill down to a city’s information criteria and subsequently, to fine-tune that information to a neighborhood or community (Mazerolle, Bellucci & Gajewski 2005). The state is the main point of access for any type of information concerning census data, land use data, Department of Motor Vehicles data, and any other data that would commonly be required by a state to maintain in some database. From the statewide access point, the city police department may choose to have a professional database designer come in to create a system that can access the state information and combine it with city information in order to be able to create specific pictures or maps of where crime has been more active, such as in number of robberies over a specified time period. This type of mapping is also useful in determining traffic problems that might occur in various spots in the community because of criteria concerning time of day and even the day of the week (Mazerolle, Bellucci & Gajewski 2005). In the case of the IAFIS system which plugs into a national database, the use of the system helps to identify criminals who may be traveling over different cities and even into different states while committing crimes along the way (FBI 20130. If a criminal has been picked up once along the way and been fingerprinted before being put in jail, when he gets out and commits more crimes, he is easily identified, apprehended and put back in jail. While some criminals have not been caught yet, their fingerprints at crime scenes will be retained and attached to the crime so that if ever apprehended, the crime will come up in the database and the criminal finally

Industry overview of Yahoo company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Industry overview of Yahoo company - Essay Example By means of contrast and comparison, the main competition for Yahoo, Google, Microsoft, and Apple fall into two distinct groups with regards to their own value proposition. As can be expected, Google mirrors Yahoo with regards to the way in which it offers services in an attempt to garner a further level of customers. As such, Google has the value proposition of having Gmail, YouTube, Picasa, Google News and a litany of other associated services. However, both Microsoft and Apple approach the market from a somewhat different standpoint (Reingold, 2013). For example, for Microsoft and Apple, the services that are related are more oftentimes related to actual hardware that works seamlessly with the online services that they already offer; i.e. iTunes or the ability to sync hardware with that information that is being viewed online . This somewhat differentiated focus allows Yahoo to have a distinct advantage with regards to the fact that it is ultimately most closely competing with Goo gle in terms of the market that has already been defined. From an analysis and review of Porter’s five forces, with respect to Yahoo Inc., it can be determined that the threat of new entrants is not something that Yahoo should be particularly concerned with. Due to the fact that the market is already heavily stratified, the danger of new entrants is something that Yahoo need not be overly concerned by. Similarly, the threat of substitutes products is something that Yahoo must perennially be on guard against. Due to the fact that the Yahoo business model has been largely successful, although arguably not nearly as successful as Google, the threat of substitutes products that could take away their stake in the market is something that Yahoo is faced with on a daily basis. Likewise, the bargaining power of the consumer is naturally a pertinent concern due to the fact that any changes within the baseline of the

EMBA 560 Executive position week 3 journal 3 Essay

EMBA 560 Executive position week 3 journal 3 - Essay Example When my hopes have been pinned on the outcome of an event that does not turn out as I had expected, I turn to self-denial and refuse to give up my original position. I hope against hope that things will eventually turn out how I expected them to, only for those hopes to be dashed by the throw of the dice. When my expectations go unfulfilled, it takes some time – in fact, a lot of time – for me to overcome my disbelief and extreme disappointment. Sometimes I take it as a personal affront that luck did not turn may way; there are just some changes that are too difficult to accept. I also give myself a thumbs down, though to a lesser degree, to behaviours 1 (separating strategy from tactics) and 3 (feeling threatened by obstacles rather than challenged). (2) I deserve a thumbs sideways in my ability to â€Å"see patterns and make logical connections or resolve contradictions and anticipate their consequences.† There are times when these happen and I am able to respond in an appropriate and timely manner, in which case I give myself a nice on the back and say job well done. There are also times when I completely miss the boat, and depending on my personal emotional investment in the occurrence, I either: act in the manner I described in attribute (1) above in the important matters and for which I gave myself a thumbs down; or merely shrug my shoulders and say, better luck next time, if the issue was not that important. I give myself thumbs sideways to all the other behaviours not classified as thumbs-up or thumbs-down for me. (3) I can give myself a resounding thumbs-up for being able to â€Å"prioritize seemingly conflicting goals†¦to zero in on the critical few and put aside the trivial many when allocating time and resources.† I pride myself in quickly identifying what is important and devoting for the moment my full attention and abilities on the quick resolution of the most important task at hand. I figure out it is best to get those

Art and Architecture in 5th Century Athens Essay

Art and Architecture in 5th Century Athens - Essay Example Athens generated some of the most significant and lasting cultural artifacts within Western tradition at a time when it was able to subdue its enemies, and enhance its political fortunes under the guidance of statesmen and orator Pericles. Historians perceive the Athenian 5th and 6th centuries BCE to be the Golden Age of architecture and sculpture. During the period, the ornamental elements and the technique utilized did not differ significantly from the previous period (Kinzl 84). Majority of the works were religious in nature and featured temples and sanctuaries. The Parthenon represented a symbol of the Golden Mean; a time in which architecture, arts, vase painting, and sculpture thrived and every of the art forms benefited from interactions with other art forms. The patron goddess of Athens joins architecture with, and sculpture to shape a whole that mirrors the Golden Mean, the Greek pursuit of harmony, order, and balance. The entire of urban Athens features a system of huge wal ls, which guaranteed that Athens was always open to the sea, and only enemies (naval force) with superior to her unparalleled fleet could succeed in cutting the city off from vital supplies (Pedley 37). Phidias created colossal gold-plated marble statues that remain highly commemorated and admired. #2 How extensive reformation and reconstruction of the city demonstrate a return to the sanctuary and civic center designs of the 750-450 BCE? The autonomous city-state ruled by diverse aristocracy in which contacts were rich from diverse points of view social, cultural, and commercial. The restored sanctuaries feature refined sculptures, paved roads, and agora as highlighted by the temple of Poseidon and Temple of Hera. The extensive reformations and reconstruction of the city of Athens highlights a tendency to return to or a deviation from the sanctuary and civic centre designs ranging from 750-450 BCE. Examples of prominent works at this period entail reconstruction of the Temple of Pl ympian Zeus, reconstruction of the Temple of Apollo located in Delphi, and the reconstruction the Acropolis of Athens. This is most apparent at the Elymian site of Segesta, a location where the Elymians started to construct a Doric temple within the 5th century BC, whereby the reconstructions mirror the religious and civic centre designs in the period ranging 750-450 BCE in terms of (1) foot style; (2) exterior decoration; (3) underside treatment. The Corinthian foot style comprises of a flaring ring that might also be molded, whereas the Attic style comprises of a â€Å"tire-shaped† torus ring foot (Whitley 11). The decorative elements are notable owing to their conformity to the sanctuary and civic centered designs ranging from 750-450 BCE. #3 How the Athenian Acropolis and Agora reflect and Athens that considers itself part of the Greek unified world The Athenian Acropolis can be regarded as the most lavish, technically superior, and programmatically cohesive temple within Greek mainland and represents a fitting commemoration of the Athenian’s remarkable and unexpected victories during the Persian wars. Persian wars had thematic significance to the art of Classical Athens, as well as the building program on the Acropolis. The buildings and monuments also avail a broad range of testimony to the sacred character of the Late Archaic Acropolis. The Acropolis of Athens represents an ancient citadel situated on an elevated rocky outcrop within the city of Athens, and detailing the remains of a number of