International Institutions and Socialization in Europe

Sincethepath-breakingworkofKarlDeutschonsecuritycommunitiesandErnstHaasonEuropeanintegration,ithasbeenclearthatinternationalinstitutionsmaycreatesensesofcommunityandbelongingbeyondthenationstate.Putdifferently,theycansocialize.Yetthemechanismsunderlyingsuchdynamicshavebeenunclear.Thisvolumeexploresthesemechanismsofinternationalcommunitybuilding,fromaresolutelyeclecticstandpoint.Rationalismisthusthesocialtheoryofchoiceforsomecontributors,whileothersaremorecomfortablewithsocialconstructivism.Thisproblem-drivenperspectiveandthetheoreticalbridgebuildingitarethecuttingedgeininternationalrelationstheory.Byprovidingmorefined-grainedargumentsonpreciselyhowinternationalinstitutionsmatter,suchanapproachshedscruciallightonthecomplexrelationshipbetweenstatesandinstitutions,betweenrationalchoiceandsocialconstructivism,and,inourcase,betweenEuropeandthenationstate.