Synopses & Reviews
Maja Zehfuss critiques constructivist theories of international relations (currently considered to be at the cutting edge of the discipline) and finds them wanting and even politically dangerous. Zehfuss uses Germany's first shift toward using its military abroad after the end of the Cold War to illustrate why constructivism does not work and how it leads to particular analytical outcomes and forecloses others. She argues that scholars are limiting their abilities to act responsibly in international relations by looking towards constructivism as the future.
Review
"...compelling...Zehfuss's book is a welcome engagement of postmodernism with constructivism in open scholarly debate." Review of Politics
Review
"[A] useful contribution.... Recommended." Choice
Synopsis
Zehfuss critiques constructivist theories of international relations, arguing that they stop us from acting responsibly.
Synopsis
'Maja Zehfuss critiques constructivist theories of international relations. She uses Germany\'s shift towards using its military abroad to illustrate why constructivism does not work and how it leads to particular analytical outcomes, while foreclosing others. Zehfuss argues that this limits our ability to act responsibly in international relations.\n
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About the Author
MAJA ZEHFUSS is Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Warwick.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; 1. Introduction; 2. Identity change? Wendt's constructivism and German military involvement abroad; 3. Intersubjectivity and the normative: Kratochwil's constructivism and German military involvement abroad; 4. Words and world: Onuf's constructivism and German military involvement abroad; 5. The politics of 'reality': Derrida's subversions, constructivism and German military involvement abroad; 6. The politics of constructivism; Bibliography; Index.