Strategies for Research in Constructivist International Relations

The constructivist insistence that both structural continuities and processes of change are based on agency, which in turn is influenced by social, spatial, and historical context--the mutual constitution of structure and agency, in other words--elicits particular research difficulties. In this work, Klotz (political science, Syracuse U.) and Lynch (political science, U. of California at Irvine) draw out lessons on constructivist research strategies from exemplary empirical research studies drawing upon sociology, jurisprudence, philosophy, linguistics, anthropology, cultural studies, and other approaches. Issues of ontology, epistemology, methodology, and validity are each addressed in turn followed by discussion of the application of macro-history, genealogy, and participant observation in studies focused on structure and narrative, framing, and ethnography in studies focused on agency. Later these tools are juxtaposed in consideration of the construction of identities. Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)