Constructivism in Onuf

Nicholas Onuf's work is extremely noteworthy since he particularly tried to apply this approach with relation to International Law. He was the first academic to formally establish the term constructivism in International Relations (Zehfuss, 2004). Onuf (2013) begins by addressing the constructivist perspective's tenet that "People form society, and society makes people.

There is a constant two-way perspective in this (p.4). Additionally, he says that "Social norms" (the term "rules" includes but is not limited to "legal laws") make the process by which individuals and society form one another ongoing and reciprocal. Rules are directives that specify what should be done (2013, p.4).

In other words, these norms provide actors the ability to have agency or to act with a goal. These "actors," or "agents," operate within a predetermined set of laws and customs, or "institutions," and take advantage of the variety of options they provide. In turn, the institutions adapt to these activities. Agents and their social dynamics shape rules and are shaped by them (Onuf, 2013).

The significance of international agreements and organizations and how they shape what is regarded as the standard are clarified by Onuf's constructivism. The rules and standards that govern how agents relate to one another are established by international law. Economic and commercial agreements, which define what agents must do to 'benefit,' are obvious examples of this.

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