Blog 5—

On the international playground there are certain things that you just don’t do. You don’t throw woodchips at a girl, you don’t push you’re friend off the slide, you don’t hang on the monkey bars so long that nobody else gets a turn. Constructivists are correct in their assertion that there are certain unalienable social norms, inherent to the theatre of International Relations. These norms simply are more developed than what we consider to be social norms today. Instead of covering your mouth when you cough, there is International Law. Instead of holding the door open for people, there is the idea of War Crimes. When these generally accepted rules are broken, instead of awkward laugher, there are sanctions, indictments, and sometimes wars. The idea of humanitarianism is a widely recognized ideal throughout the world; it is something that states are expected to adhere to. However, just like social norms, international norms are not followed by everyone, but there is a strong incentive for states to follow them because, lets face it, nobody wants to be the guy who sneezes in his girlfriends face.

The reality of social norms can hardly be taken in a realist perspective as an agent of self-interest or furtherance of power. By the nature of a social norm, it is something that is restrictive. Norms or rules disallow or discourage people and states to act in their natural ways. A state has an instinctive drive to both expand and protect itself, and many times these social norms prevent states from becoming aggressive and taking measures to ensure their safety. For example, England or France do not set up military bases all over the U.S. because they are our ally, and it is a indisputable norm to trust your friends. Those European countries would certainly benefit both offensively and defensively by having bases in America, but their presence is limited because distrusting an ally could be considered “bad form.” International Law is not necessarily arbitrated throughout the world in as severe of a way as a set of laws would generally be adhered to, and that is because it is based on a general acceptance of what is right and wrong throughout the international community.

These norms are a function of our human commonality and serve an important purpose in the preservation of world order. Norms are constantly subject to change depending on the circumstances and hen these norms are violated there can be consequences. When penalties are imposed they redefine the limits and boundaries of what is acceptable in IR.