ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in subsequent chapters of this book. The book shows that constructivism offers an unfamiliar but systematic way of thinking about social relations in general and international relations in particular. It also shows the relevance of constructivism to the empirical investigation of important topics in contemporary international relations, such as national identity, gender in political economy, and the emerging information age. Constructivism tries to make sense of social relations in general in order to get beyond the pointless posturing that passes for debate in a discipline that cannot even defend its claim to a distinctive subject matter called "international relations". Several contributors explore the relevance of constructivism for empirical research and offer new ways of conceptualizing key issues of contemporary international politics. The book concludes by considering the implications of constructivism for teaching international relations, inasmuch as teaching is itself an act of social construction.
