Font Size: a A A

The Institutionalization Of The Transatlantic Security Relations: From Rational Choice To Social Construction

Posted on:2011-04-28Degree:DoctorType:Dissertation
Country:ChinaCandidate:H L LiFull Text:PDF
GTID:1116360302999807Subject:International politics
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
For a long time, many scholars in the political science have realized that international institution is one of the key pillars for the international order. From reality of the international society, there are lots of interesting questions about the international institutions. Why one state prefers to choose some kind of international institution on peculiar field? Why one state could desert some of national interest even some part of sovereignties to join in some kind of institutionalization but refuse to join others to keep the freedom? Why one state would like to strengthen the super-state rights of some kinds of international institutions and weaken others? And why some international institutions could keep stable for a very long time and others are short-lived. These questions are deserved to be analyze by us. The key question among them is what are the driving forces and their change, also the influence to the national states from the institutionalization.For these two questions, there are two kinds of opposing answers. One is the theory of rational choice which absorbs the common foundation of neorealism and neoliberalism, which emphasizes logic of consequentialism and the cost-benefit calculation, which we can call rational-institutionalism. The other is the theory of social construction which absorbs the constructivism theory and other social theories such as the English School, which emphasizes the logic of appropriateness and national states abide by and learn international norms. We can call it social-institutionalism. However, from observation of the international realities, we can see that one individual theory cannot interpret the institutionalization of transatlantic security relations clearly and completely. I would like to move away from an "either/or," "gladiator" style of analysis (either rational choice or constructivism) to a "both/and" perspective, and build a bridge to connect the rationalism and constructivism. The socialization theory and reality can take the bridge role and make up the gap. There are lots of similarities between rational choice and social construction, the social interaction and socialization are one of the most characteristics. So the analysis of socialization would help us reveal the development of institutionalization. There are three key variables in the process of institutionalization:national power, national identity and the socialization level. The first on is the core of rational choice, especially the power disparities which decide the capability of pursuit of interest and the form of foreign policy. The core of social construction is the national identity means national states how know and understand itself and others, which contains many factors, for example the political system, the economical structure, ideological system, religious belief. The socialization is the stage for first two variables and the bridge for rational choice and social construction, which is also an important measurement for the level of institutionalization. On these three variables, this paper put forward three hypotheses:First, from a view of rational choice, the more extreme the power disparities, the stronger national state want to join in the process of institutionalization, the higher level for the institutionalization. Second, from a view of social construction, the more similar for the national identity is, the higher level for the institutionalization. On the basis of such two hypotheses, we can also find the other two hypotheses. One of them refers to the social interaction of states in the international institutions. The other refers to the membership and effectiveness of international institutions. Third, in the process of institutionalization, the more interaction among states is, the higher for the socialization, the more increasing return to institutions. Which could push the rational choice driving force change into social construction driving force; push the institutionalization level from low to high and bring a more stable and efficient environment and vice versa.And for the Transatlantic security relations, both rational choice or social construction itself cannot bring us a clear explanation. So this paper would like to borrow a word to put forward a comprehensive driving force:the strategic social construction driving force, which contains both rational choice and social construction forces, also the process of social interaction among states. For the strategic part, states would follow the calculation path. National power, interest and the cost are the key elements. For the social construction part, the social factors play important role, especially the national identity, such as the construction of common knowledge, the basic value, and the types of states. With the development of institutionalization, at the basis of the rational choice driving force, more and more social factors are absorbed and finally promote the coming of the strategic social construction driving force. Behind the strategic social construction driving force, the socialization and interaction are core elements, which bring the compliance of international norms and put the institutionalization to a higher level.We all know that the security is the most important field for one state, where state is reluctant to make any concession. From the history, we can always find that the alliance and betrayal are normal behaviors among states, especially on the national security field. However, if we look at the institutionalization of transatlantic security relations, we can find that their alliance is stable, durable and highly institutionalized in general. The characteristic of transatlantic security relations is formalization and multilateralism, which makes the Transatlantic Alliance become the one of the most successful ones in the world history. After the Cold War, there are lots of huge changes in the International Society. The Western leaders plan to reconstruct the transatlantic even the global security structure, whose basis would be the existing security institutions. In the new era, the Transatlantic Alliance itself should make fundamental changes, including the adjustment and enlargement, the building of new institutions and so on. The strategic change brings important influences to the transatlantic relations even the global security. So the institutionalization of Transatlantic is the representative of the whole world, from which we can learn a lot, especially on how to construct and preserve the international institutions.Behind the political reality, we can see the change of driving force for the transatlantic institutionalization. On the basis of rational choice, the transatlantic institutionalization absorbs social factors, changes into a strategic social construction dynamics. Both rational and social factors are integrated into national socialization, which pushes the instrumental institutionalization change into constructive institutionalization, and brings deep and far influence to national states, which brings deep influence for transatlantic relation even the global order. From observation of its process, we can see there are many obvious characteristics, among which is the "constitutional characteristics", which locks the usage of national power during the process of making and carrying out of foreign policy. On the aspect of identity, both sides of transatlantic region build a institutional security community on the basis of norms of freedom, democracy and law, in which Kantian culture is the chief standard. On the aspect of socialization, long history interaction produces thick increasing return to institution and brings strong driving force to keep and develop the transatlantic institutionalization. All of these characteristic are vital factor for the future development of transatlantic security relation, which would make it in a stable cooperation status.In general, this paper wants to adopt the merit of different theories, especially the usage of institutionalism, the sociology, politics, and history and so on, to explain the development of the process of institutionalization of transatlantic relations. The key question of this paper is that:what is the driving force of institutionalization for Transatlantic States? In other word, why states take part in institutions or what kinds of factors decide the level of institutionalization. Inside the core question, I would like to discuss what is the influence of the different driving force? We can see that most of institutionalization are complicated process, which contain many different factors. Either the rational choice or the social construction cannot explain it clearly and profoundly, which need us to use a comprehensive method. For the development of transatlantic institutionalization, if national states could realize both the instrumental and constructive effects of international institutions, and emphasize both the rational choice and socialization, they could reach a more stable and efficient institutional.cooperation.
Keywords/Search Tags:Transatlantic Security Relations, NATO, Rational Choice, Social Construction, the Strategic Social Construction
PDF Full Text Request
Related items