| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立嘉義大學 === 國防與國家安全研究所 === 97 === Chinese Scholars’ Studies on Constructivism International Relations Theories
Kai—Ming Chang
Graduate Institute of National Defense and Security
Abstract
China’s international relations research has witnessed a rapid growth in the 1980’s. In addition to conventional policy-related and regional research, relevant theories from the west, including Realism and Neo-Liberal Institutionalism, have also been incorporated into the research agenda. Researchers are not only interested in the content and framework of these theories but also their applications in actual case studies.
Among these theories, Constructivism has attracted most attention. Incorporating elements from sociology, linguistics and different sectors of international relations theories, Constructivism provided a brand new perspective for observing international politics. Ten years after Constructivism was first introduced to the Chinese scholars in the late 1990’s, its influence can be felt in three areas. First, the number of research studies by Chinese scholars adopting the constructivist view has increased rapidly; secondly, a group of researchers, including a number of well-know scholars, for whom Constructivism is the primary research focus, has gradually taken shape; finally, a number of Chinese scholars have started to step out of the boundaries of pure theoretical inquiry and reflection to purposely apply the constructivist views in their analysis of other theories such as feminism and Marxism
Despite the vast difference between China and European counties in terms of the political economic environment and traditional customs and values, Contructivism, a theory originated in the west, was quickly accepted by the Chinese scholars, suggesting the existence of certain ideologies in the Chinese society that are in line with the constructivist views. This article attempts to identify these ideologies and explain how factors such as open-door policy, characteristics of the Chinese culture and studies of Marxism all contribute to the acceptance and fast development of Constructivism in the Chinese political research scene. In addition, problems exist in the current state of constructivist research have also been discussed to facilitate the long-term development of Constructivism in China.
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