Theory in Action: Constructivism

Overview

The video uses The Matrix to explain constructivism: just as Neo can change the rules of a digital world, constructivists argue that people collectively “construct” social reality. They do this by constantly interacting and reinforcing shared norms and beliefs.

Some individuals (e.g., the example of Barack Obama) can influence these “rules” more than others because they are positioned to shape what society collectively agrees on.

Key Claims and Examples

• Social institutions depend on shared ideas, not just material objects (e.g., buildings, weapons, ballots). For example, the United States exists as an institution largely because people believe it does and act accordingly.

• The same logic applies to international relations: you can’t have diplomacy or foreign policy without prior shared concepts such as:

  • states
  • legitimate governments
  • power structures

• Constructivists emphasize that the beliefs underlying statehood must be sufficiently shared for international relations to function. The video uses the example of an alien from Mars to illustrate that without understanding what “states” are, diplomacy would be impossible.

• Constructivists focus on longer historical time frames than realists or liberals.

  • Realists might ask how a state maximizes security.
  • Constructivists ask why people came to believe states exist in the first place.

• The end of the Cold War and the USSR is presented as a constructivist-style “house of cards” collapse. While economic and political factors are acknowledged, the core mechanism is that shared beliefs shifted—starting symbolically when people crossed the wall and guards/government no longer enforced it. Once enough people began thinking the USSR should no longer matter, the institution unraveled quickly.

• Many everyday meanings are conventional and arbitrary (e.g., a red light meaning “stop”). Society relies on these conventions because continually re-deriving their meaning would be mentally overwhelming.

Presenters / Contributors

• Not specified in the provided subtitles.