Theory in Action: Constructivism
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- čas přidán 9. 06. 2011
- As part of the "Theory In Action" video series, we interviewed top IR theorists and asked them to explain theory using terms we could understand. In this video, Professor Caleb Gallemore tells us about Constructivism and why it's like Neo in The Matrix.
Soomo Learning
soomolearning.com/
Shot in Columbus, OH & Chicago, IL in the spring of 2011
Directed & Edited by
Tim Alden Grant
Cinematography by
Adam Hobbs
adamhobbs.tv/
Ed David
www.kittyguerrilla.com/
Written by
Zara Elizabeth Crockett
Nina Kollars
I love the Intro and Ending
"So in the Matrix....
"....you kinda have to let your brain explode a little bit"
alriiiiight
So, I should point out that I'm not a professor, and I can't claim to be a "top IR theorist," but I hope you folks found this helpful. -- Caleb
I'm glad that I found this - I am a 2009 graduate of IR at Ohio State. I wholeheartedly subscribe to Wendt's simple explanation of IR in Constructivist. I'm currently reading Quantum Mind and Social Science - just through the 40 page primer and it's excellent. I hope others have found your video helpful!
Qty
This is very interesting.
You should do more stuff like this, bravo Caleb :)
You’re a professor now. :)
This video taught me more in 5 minutes than spending 4 hours trying to read and decipher a text on constructivism.
This is the best educational video I've ever watched. Informative, yet short and simple. With loads of examples. Thank you very much!
This seriously helped me for my Constructivism essay in college, thank you!
+Holly Kenny Exactly why I am here too, this was very well explained.
+Holly Kenny yep ill join that train...a final essay due the day of the final exam....WTF.
+Aaron Saldana Oof sounds awful, best of luck!
I didn't think anyone would respond haha thank you very much!
+HollaBollas I love these quick little videos Soomo puts out. I've used them a ton to help guide my IR essays too.
Awesome, I did not understand constructivism until I listened to your explanation. Thank you.
Constructivism is a relevant theory in international relations because the idea of how we perceive our world influences decision making of leaders of states. Other theories focus on how states can co-operate or maximise their gain, but it is never really mentioned that traditions and beliefs could be equally important in understanding why a states made a certain choice. This is just for people who are confused by how this might link into international relations.
How can social constructivism can be used to do explain rise of China
What is interesting about social constructivism in IR, or in general epistemology for that matter, is that it decides that everything is "constructed" by the interactions between humans. However, one would, to preserve the general/explanatory power of the theory, have to accept that the theory of social constructivism has itself been constructed through the interactions of humans, and that it's validity is simply subject to human agreement alone, in other words, it refutes itself.
As a future teacher I find this very insightful. Keep up the great work!
Thank you Professor Gallemore. You totally saved me from a very confused research class this entire semester. :)
This was so great. I’ve spent hours today on IR constructivist theory and nothing felt so accessible as this.
I love the way he explain the things, everything is so clear
You guys are making my international security class manageable. God bless you abundantly.
By far the most complex and difficult to understand of the main IR theories, also the one that is most quickly dismissed by many people.
Thank you for explaining this theory in such a succinct manner.
Really helpful! This cleared up a lot.
This is great! Really gave me a better understanding of the theory.
This is a great video! It really made me understand what's up with constructivism
You are a great teacher, the way you explain this theory is excellent! Great job. Thank you so much
giving a short summary presentation on constructivism for a world politics class. mighty sure the students will appreciate this! cheers.
Excelent explanation, thanks for sharing! Much clearer than my textbook and I loved the matrix analogy.
You are one of those people who make other people's lives easier.
Many many blessings to you.
This is Sam from Game of Thrones
My professor confused him with Kim Dotcom
Exactly! I'm so happy I stumbled upon constructivist theory late last night and read about it on Wikipedia earlier today. It's harmoniously in tune with where I'm at right now on the journey of personal growth or development. Contructivist philosophy to me is all about taking back control, contrary to our minds or habits of thought controlling us; which of course has apparently devastating consequences that--one need not look far.
first watched this years ago, still just as good
Very simple and beautiful explanation 👌. One of the best educational videos I have seen.
I love you! Okay, okay, I'm being a little dramatic but I appreciate this video so much. I was having a hard time trying to wrap my head around this theory and now I have a better sense of it.
This video helped me so much! Amazing explanations! Thanks xx
Such clarity of expression; thank you!
Very well explained and easy to understand. Thank you.
Thank you!! You just made studying so much easier for me!
Constructivism is not perfect, but of the main schools of IR thought, I think it comes the closest to understanding the world and international relations. When you get down to it, international relations are a fight to maintain identities in a world where everyone else is trying to do the same. Survival for the sake of survival is the philosophy of animals, not humans. Everything in human interaction is underpinned by beliefs in abstract constructs and ideologies. Politics is simply a collective term for broad discourses in which people assert their worldview, and international relations is no different. Once you look beyond the military might, you realise that states are only using that might because they care about abstract, intangible things like sovereignty and identity. Without constructivist notions of motivation, studying international relations is superficial and pointless.
+Thomas Minot I'm in your court. I, too, subscribe to constructivism over most other forms of IR. However, we are highly irrational beings when faced with only questions of survival, even a state-behavior is irrational, which is my argument against realism's "rational actor". I think realism is the most important theory a state can use when its 'face is to the fire', but that is the only time I think it should be used. I disagree with you about humans and believe we are animals in the strictest sense.
+Kurtis Edwards
Playing devil's advocate: What is to be considered rational? One must define "rationality" before dismissing it. I think the fault of many realists in the past was that they simply assumed this definition according to their own cultural biases. Many contemporary IR theorists have taken a more nuanced approach. It is not a matter of actors being _rational_ or not. Instead, the various actors may all be seemingly rational through their own respective lens, which in turn can have very different outcomes in how they behave. This is what makes many realists consider themselves constructivists and vice versa. Conversely, many IR theorists simply refrain from being put under a banner altogether. I personally don't subscribe to any particular school of thought. However, I tend to think constructivism does a better job at answering many liberal questions than liberal theorists do themselves.
I think subscribing to one IR theory with any exclusivity is somewhat stupid, we have these 3 main theories, why not apply them all to each situation (where possible at least) with as much good faith and intellectual honesty that is possible and see what garners the best practical result on a case by case basis.
That said, out of the three I do agree that Constructivism is the most broadly applicable, that is to say it arguably explains more about the international system than Liberal and Realist theories of IR put together.
In some cases the most broadly applicable isn't the best though, when a more strict and narrow ideology does a better job explaining the problem, and we're back to my first point again. In others one theory may fall apart completely still in others two theories may fundamentally contradict eachother in their analysis etc..
Morphing Reality damn, first sentence is already calling things stupid. Cause that will command respect. However, I did notspeak in absolutes back when I commented
Kurtis Edwards Even Kenneth Waltz described realism as simplistic. All these theories are designed for various contexts. They're _simplified_ approaches to a reality that is much more nuanced and complex than the human mind could hope to understand. If you're too thin skinned by someone pointing that out, ease up. I'm just trying to be honest. I mean no disrespect.
Wonderful video!!!!! Very clear and accurate information.
Great video! Very simple and to the point
Very clear explanation. Thank you...
I'm sitting here with my mouth open because the speaker just expressed some of my own thoughts and musing on the world. I didn't know there was a theory that went so well with the stuff pinging about in my skull.
the speaker spoke very vivdly and attractively, love this video and the constructivism
Where can I order an essay?
My essay lives in Miami. I wrote to him like you said, but I don't think he got the letter yet.
I relate to this very much
The best explanation online.
Makes more sense, to me, than anything I've ever heard before! :)
Thank you
This helped me a lot.
that was awesome. Thank You.
Great video
thank you so much!! This helped me alot! :)
Can u apply social constructivism to rise of China ..I need it for my exam
Windy & Carl, knew I had heard it somewhere before!
thank you so helpful!
Perfectly elaborated.
@BoredDictator
I have to agree with 86Legacy. He wasn't saying the USSR fell with the Wall but rather it started a domino effect of thought that caused the USSR to completely unravel.
I love it man!
Best explained!
My gosh, THANK YOU!!! I’ve had this explained to me so many times, but after watching this, I definitely grasp the concept of constructivism more than ever!!
if a constructivist starts out with "so in the matrix..." you know he's legit lmao
very helpful thank you so much
imagine if Michael Scott held the exact same monologue… with the exact same words. It would fit perfectly!
In sum 'You have to make your brains kind of explode' in order to be considered a 'Constructivist'. So references to 'The Matrix', the ending of USSR in 1989/1991 as articulated by Prof. Caleb Gallemore etc, are examples of how 'constructivism ' can be understood. I dare opine that this is quite an interesting way, to introduce students, to the mainstream IR theory of 'Constructivism'.
crystal clear, thx a lot!
Go Professor Gallemore!!!
pls take my IR midterm exam for me tomorrow i am begging u
Preparing 10 minutes before exam right now😅😅😅
@@avevelad8687 How did it go lol
@@GigatLP I was taking theories in IR, SO overall A) however, I had to withdraw fundamentals of IR 🤷♂️ thus this information is more useful for theories😂
this man speaks my language
hello, can someone please help to understand, why we should agree with the theory of constructivism? and what the positive influences of constructivism might be?
Constructivism in regards to statecraft is like whipped cream on a sundae. It's nice to have a population that feels a bond with their government, but it's not completely necessary. If a government can keep control, it will keep control whether the people like it or not. But it's always nice for the sake of government sovereignty to have a population see their government as legitimate.
It is a theory in IR and therefore it is applicable in many ways as many others. Or maybe my professor and all the writers I read so far are wrong and you are the only one who is right!
Thank you.
Can someone point me to a video or resource that explains the difference between constructionism and constructivism...
thank you.
brilliant....
I wish there were more of these videos on theories such as Marxism, English School and Feminism
well explained
In my opinion, Constructivism is by far the best theory to address international politics.
yeah but why did they decide that it was time to stop? The economic downfall? So the structure still influences the agent
Yeah, of course. Out actions and beliefs influence the rules we play by, but those social rules also influence our actions. That's the circular process he describes at the beginning.
I’m still confused 😭
Awesome
hey en español no esta?? no se ingles!! :(
anybody know any arguments against constructivism in international relations?
"Make your brain Explode"- Scanners reference
what I've honestly never understood about this being a theory to describe the international realm, I feel like it's because my mind is corrupted simultaneously being a philosophy student, is that this theory describes the world around us itself. It can so easily describe our reality in general, whereas realism and liberalism can't, and more specifically describe the international realm. This is what's always tripped me up about this being an international relations theory, it's too broad.
I think things aren't as random as he alludes to. For example, I think there is a good reason stop lights/signs are red as opposed to some other color despite what he said.
Well, from my basic knowledge of Psychology, it was chosen because the color red incited fear or danger on a physiological sense.
Then, it just became the "normal" color for a stoplight or stop sign.
the USSR example it is more complicated I think. Even though, the
overwhelming majority of the Soviet peoples voted for the "preservation
of the USSR" during the referendum of 1991, the anti-communist leaders
disbanded it undemocratically. Therefore, the thesis that "the USSR
dissolved just because of its' citizens' didn't believe its' existence"
is groundless. It doesn't match with the statistics.
And still majority of the people regret the dissolution of the USSR in the post-soviet countries. It is obvious in the recent polls.
So how is this different from Relativism?
What a way to finish. "You have to kind of make your brain explode a bit" lol
any thought or idea can refute itself. That's why humans never stop arguing about things. At least constructivists realize that their own believe system is nothing more than an artificial construct of a human mind.
How would a constructivist view conflicts? Are they constructed or "real"?
@nicoterradas
Of course the perception of the world depends from the perspective you look at it. It takes more than just saying YEAH RIGHT to disprove what this theory claims. You should think of it!
the funny thing is that USSR still exists inside some people's minds who have a very strong/rigid believe system
there is one reason we believe we exist...perspective is nothing other than the realization we are in fact..here and self aware...this being said my perspective is mine alone. This self awareness allows us to criticize one another and hold each other to a higher standard..and still show forgiveness and relative understanding of another's perspective.I have great hopes that humanity will figure out that perspective is relative not the theory of relativity.Social science is no science at all.Best wishes
That guy is such a Caleb
What is difference between constructivism and cultural relativism
this is the best possible reductionist explanation of social constructivism
I would say constructivism is a supplement to other theories.
When you say "I don't go out and just talk to any random person in an other state, I talk to the person in authority" that type of constructivism is more like Wendt's top down approach of the System influencing the actors.... But other constructivists would argue that the bottom up approach exists too. Actors can influence the state. By actors I mean non gov't actors. then you have the other constructivists who say both happen simultaneously... So I mean say I go to Spain blow some smoke up some Spaniard but hole and he eats my shit up like popcorn. What is to say he doesn't start re iterating what I told him to his friends and then what ever I told him spreads like wild fire... all of a sudden you see a change in the system based on what ever you felt like telling the guy. Though highly unlikely for this to happen and the circumstances and setting must be perfect... Your point of view does spread and have a rippling affect... Then of course the System and the Actors (in a modern democratic state) tend to keep themselves in check as to avoid jumping the gun on any low level politics or high level politics, but now I fear I'm going on a tangent.
REFOCUS: I believe, based on what you said after your Neo Matrix movie example, that your ideology takes a more system down approach... and this does not reflect all of constructivism, but just a part of it.
Please correct me if I'm wrong in thinking so and explain why. Much appreciated.
Nice beard dude.
>2011
man I feel kinda sad
thanks for explaining this though
It's not just a claim, it's an axiom. And of course all axioms are constructed by definition. This is why from a (radical) constructivist point of view there is no absolute truth. Keep in mind that the existence of an absolute truth can only be resolved by belief (faith). Constructivists believe (hypothesize) there is none, realists hypothesize there is one.
This theory is highly normative. Not empirical
I disagree with the constructivist's view of the USSR's dissolution because people no longer felt they believed in the triumph of communism, or because they felt no more kinship with Moscow; they believed that better economic opportunities were in the West, and they pushed against the state in order to free themselves; they didn't just stop "being" Soviets. It sure helped that Gorbachev did nothing to stop them. Had he had enough power to stop them he would've.
💘
I disagree when he said "red meaning stop to be a random choice". Psychologists have studied that human brains have evolved to perceive red as an alert color to equate with either blood, injury, concern, inflammation, etc. It's a color that catches more attention than others.
Can you prove it with scientific explanation why red as an alert colour ? Psychologist just give meaning to the red colour; which is highly normative and that’s what constructivist school of thought based on.
I need to start smoking weed because studying international relationships is like a bad marihuana trip
81 realists disliked this video
Point taken. Make my brain explode (a little bit).
Taku Gang lets goooooooo