National identity and the limits of constructivism in international relations theory
A case study of the Suez Canal
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7338198 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jean Axelrad Cahan (Department of Philosophy University of Nebraska‐Lincoln Lincoln NE USA, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2018 |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 478-498 |
| Publication date | 2018-05-10 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Nations and Nationalism (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1345-5078 • E-ISSN: 1469-8129 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/nana.12423 |
| OpenAlex | W2799294107 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 30 |
Constructivism in most of its variants emphasises the creation of circumstances and the social construction of reality. In international relations theory (IR), it also emphasises the establishment of international regimes. The Suez Canal and its governing regime, established at a high point of European nationalism and imperialism in the nineteenth century, are explored as a test case. I argue that, while the early history of the Canal is illuminated by a constructivist approach, maintenance of the regime to govern it involved military intervention and debt restructuring. Military force, balance of power considerations and economic interests all have to be invoked to explain the later history of the Canal, that is, factors usually stressed by the realist school. A combination of realist and constructivist approaches is recommended. The paper is also critical of certain constructivist concepts of national identity
Aesthetics · Constructivism (international relations · Constructivist teaching methods · Economics · Epistemology · Identity (music · International relations · International relations theory · National identity · Nationalism · Pedagogy · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Restructuring · Social constructivism · Social science · Sociology · Suez canal · International Relations and Foreign Policy · Law · Peacebuilding and International Security · Philosophy · Political Conflict and Governance
Contemporary Debates on Nationalism
Ethnonationalism
European Imperialism, 1860-1914
Constructivism in International Relations
Social Theory of International Politics
Constructing the World Polity
Realist Constructivism
Nations and Nationalism
Redefining the Egyptian Nation, 1930–1945
Nationalism Reframed
Constructive Realism
The Nation
Isms and Schisms
The False Promise of International Institutions
Revolutions, Nations, Empires
The Chatham House Version and other Middle-Eastern Studies
Channelling Mobilities
A World at Arms
Institutions, Roles, and Disorder
International Institutions
Anarchy is what states make of it
Constructivism and Identity
Seizing the Middle Ground
The Imperialism of Free Trade
East and West of Suez
Culture and Imperialism
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0.43 |
| Citation span | 2019 - 2022 (4) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 3 |