Constructivism and Religons

 

Constructivism is an approach that emphasizes the recognition of relationships among subjects and between subjects and entities. More specifically, it is an approach that emphasizes norms, ideas, and identities in international relations, an approach that has been gaining ground in international political science since around the 1990s.

Realism, in particular, has not emphasized religious aspects and factors, and the realist approach seems powerless in the face of the anti-government movement sparked by the death of Mahsa Animi and the sanctions imposed by Western nations against it. During the Cold War, when the international order was built on the military power of states and ideological conflicts, a realist approach based on thetheory that states would act rationally in an anarchic world was effective. However, the development of information and communication technology and changes in the media environment encouraged the increased role of public opinion and the formation of a global civil society. This may have prompted the emergence of an anti-government movement within Iran, which was triggered by the death of Mahsa Animi. The changing media environment and the strengthening of civil society can be seen as having an impact on the world order and may increase the usefulness of a structuralist approach.

The anti-government movement triggered by the death of Mahsa Animi and the reaction of Western countries to it have also persuaded the American political scientist Samuel Huntington's "Clash of Civilizations". Samuel Huntington argues that the main axis of international politics is shifting from the conflict of military power and ideology during the Cold War to the conflict of civilizations, cultures, and religions. The events in Iran can be seen as an expression of the conflict between the West's values for human rights and Iran's values as a nation.

It is also important to adopt religion as an important factor in the study of international relations. As noted above, the strengthening of civil society, due to changes in the media environment, has increased the role of public opinion in political decision-making. Some developed countries are experiencing declining birth-rates and an aging population to varying degrees, and some countries are using immigration to finance their workforces. Japan, forexample, has a seriously aging population with a birth-rate below 800,000. In contrast, many developing countries are experiencing population growth, and in a sense, the population within the developed world is becoming even more of a minority on a global scale. Christianity is widely practiced in Europe, despite sectarian differences. However, Islam is predominant mainly in developing countries, and its population is growing, with some studies showing that the Christian and Muslim populations will be in competition around the year 2050. While the impact of religion on politics is unknown, it will be interesting to see how the changing composition of the world's religions will affect world politics. It is predicted that a Constructivist approach that
emphasizes norms and identity will become an effective approach because of these changes in the structure of society.