Solidifying Constructivism: How Material and Ideational Factors Interact in European Defence

Abstract: Constructivist approaches have made a substantial contribution to our understanding of the European Union's security and defence policy, but their ability to explain and forecast change has suffered from neglecting the link between material structures and ideas. This article attempts to `solidify' constructivism by drawing on realist thought to elaborate a theoretical argument about how material and ideational factors are interrelated and offers four propositions about how changes in material conditions affect the ideational dimension of defence co-operation.