Abstract

This chapter examines the basic assumptions and foreign policy relevance of constructivism. Although constructivism is viewed by many as one of the main theories in international relations, it is still viewed with some scepticism from within the discipline and from foreign policy making circles alike, where many have questioned its utility and its ability to say anything about ‘the real world of policy’. This chapter aims to show that although some of its concepts and propositions may seem unsettling at first, constructivism is a useful tool not only for understanding foreign policy, but also as a guide for prescribing foreign policy, and that practitioners over the past quarter of a century often have made policy in accordance with the constructivist perspective.