Social construction and integration

TLDR

Social construction has enriched IR and institutional theory, yet its application to integration studies remains limited because methodological individualism has dominated European institutional research, leading scholars to focus on which institutions matter rather than how they exert effects. The article argues that a sociological and social constructivist view of institutions as constitutive can broaden methodological tools for studying integration and help examine how integration shapes fundamental actor identities, not just strategy or behavior. Keywords: Constructivism, Integration, Learning, Norms, Persuasion, Social Mechanisms.

Abstract

Abstract Social construction, which has made key contributions to contemporary international relations (IR) and institutional theorizing, has yet to make significant in-roads among scholars of integration. This is unfortunate, for it has privileged methodological individualism in the study of European institutions - either in its strict (rational choice institutionalism) or more loose (historical institutionalist) versions. As a result, too much debate has focused on which institutions matter in the integration process, and not on how they have effects. This article examines the latter, arguing that a sociological and social constructivist understanding of institutions as constitutive can significantly broaden the methodological tools we bring to the study of integration; it will also help us to explore how, or, indeed, whether, integration is affecting fundamental actor identities, and not simply constraining strategy or behaviour. Keywords: ConstructivismIntegrationLearningNormsPersuasionSocial Mechanisms