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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 8, No. 6

Publication Date: June 25, 2021

DOI:10.14738/assrj.86.10370. Sun, R. (2021). International Configuration in the Post-Covid 19 Era From Constructivism’s Perspective View. Advances in Social

Sciences Research Journal, 8(6). 194-202.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

International Configuration in the Post-Covid 19 Era From

Constructivism’s Perspective View

Rachel Sun

PH.D. Program in Business, Feng Chia University, Taiwan

ABSTRACT

The global outbreak of Covid-19 pneumonia in 2020 has instantly changed the

appearance of the world and caused a sudden change in the interaction pattern of

international actors. Actors at all levels have survived the current situation for

more than a year under the premise of being forced to change. However, actors at

all levels who are unwilling to succumb to the impact of the current epidemic are

aiming to restore their pre-epidemic lifestyles, and are drawing up plans to rebuild

the international order and respond to new challenges, including the current

vaccine policies of various countries-how to respond appropriately demands on a

global scale. Therefore, all past political and democratic issues have been

repositioned in the post-epidemic era of environmental changes to be verified

again. Most members of the international community have strengthened

multilateralism in their cooperation in the fight against the epidemic. However, the

Trump administration's “America First” and unilateralism pose the greatest

challenge to the international multi-polarization pattern and a fair and reasonable

world order. Therefore, analyzing and studying changes in the international

pattern and world order under the epidemic will help improve practice and

theoretical consciousness, and promote the construction of contemporary new

international relations and a community with a shared future for mankind. This

article attempts to analyze the international configuration in the post-Covid 19 era

from the perspective of Windt's constructivism.

Keywords: International configuration, Constructivism, Global governance, non- traditional security

INTRODUCTION

The danger of the new type of coronavirus does not lie in other highly lethal viruses, but in what

it targets. It can be said that it is not entirely the body's own defense system. The Covid-19

epidemic is essentially aimed at the entire human medical system and social governance

system, which can affect politics, the economy, and even the entire world structure.

Microscopically, the Covid-19 pneumonia attacks the human body's defense system. On the

macro level, what the Covid-19 virus challenges is actually the decisiveness of a society’s

management, the obedience and discipline of all citizens in a society, as well as the society’s

resource scheduling capabilities and the timely response capabilities of the medical and health

system.

At the beginning of the epidemic, the characteristics of the Covid-19 virus were not clear, and

the anti-epidemic measures of various countries were also significantly different, and there

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Sun, R. (2021). International Configuration in the Post-Covid 19 Era From Constructivism’s Perspective View. Advances in Social Sciences Research

Journal, 8(6). 194-202.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.86.10370

were phenomena that cannot be understood between China and foreign countries, such as the

battle for masks, and the "herd immunity". Moral criticism of policies, etc.

In the early stage of the Covid-19 epidemic, the United Kingdom, the United States, mainland

Europe, and China adopted different epidemic prevention measures. The United Kingdom and

the United States are following the "passive anti-epidemic" route. The United Kingdom uses the

theory of "herd immunity" to support the government's passive anti-epidemic strategy.

Germany and other continental European countries have followed the "balanced" route. Find a

balance between management and control and economic and social operations, China has

chosen the route of resolute prevention and control, and has paid large economic and social

costs in a short period of time in exchange for maximum security. The three different initial

anti-epidemic strategies can show the difference in the concept of national behavior

responsibility. These concepts are formed by history and are shaped by the specific

development experience and cultural traditions of the country and society. They not only have

inherent regularity, but also have historical continuity.

Against the background of anti-globalization and the rise of populism, the Covid-19 epidemic

has severely disrupted the allocation of global resources and aggravated the risk of a severe

recession in the global economy and a break in the East Asian industrial chain. In the face of the

menacing Covid-19 epidemic, the world has become a veritable "community with a shared

future." In the post-epidemic era, countries need to strengthen political mutual trust and

interaction, and reduce the interference of external factors on multilateral cooperation; based

on the endogenous needs of their respective economic and social interests, accelerate the

negotiation process of free trade areas to achieve mutual benefit and win-win; deepen

cooperation in non-traditional security fields. Improve the normalization and

institutionalization of interaction; promote cultural exchanges and cooperation, and lay a solid

public opinion foundation for expanding the breadth and depth of regional cooperation.

THEORY

Wendt's (1982) constructivism proposes that actors and structures are mutually constructed.1

Attention should be paid at world politics from a sociological perspective, emphasizing the

social norm structure existing in international relations rather than the material economic

structure, and emphasizing that concepts, norms and culture play an important role in the

formation of national behavior and interests, especially the constructive role. Similar to realism,

also emphasizes the important role of interest in national behavior decision-making, but

defines “interest” as “interests as function of ideas”. The most important structures in which

states are embedded are made of ideas, not material forces. Ideas determine the meaning and

content of power, the strategies by which states pursue their interests, and interests

themselves. Constructivists do not believe that ideas are more important than power and

interests, but only show ideas constitute power and interest.

Cultural choice is the dominant logic of identity formation, and identity is formed by imitation

and social acquisition. In the view of constructivists, the interests and identities of actors are

malleable, depending on their interests and identities depend on the context in which they find

1 Wendt, Alexander. “Anarchy is What States Make of It”, International Organization, Vol. 46, No. 2. Spring, 1992,

pp.391-425.

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 8, Issue 6, June-2021

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

themselves. In the interaction and construction, cultural acquisition and imitation occur, the

situation shapes the interests and affects the behavior, and the interests and behavior

determine the identity. From the perspective of constructivist theory, the idea and self-identity

under the influence of a specific situation, as well as the interest shaped under the relevant

cultural background, play an important role in the interaction between countries.

International configuration refers to the formation of international relations in a certain

historical development cycle, based on the national interests and the collection of national

power, and the strategic power roles and combinations such as sovereign states and national

groups are interconnected, restricted and mutually related. A structural state and situation

formed by the action. The constituent elements are described as follows: (1)Acting subject:

Countries or groups of countries that play a pivotal role in international relations, or strategic

forces, are the basic elements that constitute the international structure. (2)Mutual strategic

relationship: As a product of a certain historical period, the international structure must have

two basic conditions. One is the coexistence of many actors, and the other is that the actors

interact with each other to a considerable extent. (3)Interrelationship structure status: It

means that it is determined by the objective environment and subjective factors.

The construction of the future global governance system requires a cross-cultural perspective.

On the basis of understanding different cultural forms, we strive to realize the peaceful

coexistence and common development of different cultures and civilizations. This article

attempts to analyze the international configuration in the post-Covid 19 era from the

perspective of Windt's constructivism.

THE IMPACT OF THE POST-COVID 19 ERA

According to the forecast of the International Monetary Fund, affected by the covid-19

epidemic, the world is facing the worst global recession since the 1930s. The International

Monetary Fund predicted in June 2020 that the global economy will shrink by 4.9% in 2020,

with developed economies falling by 8.0% and emerging markets and developing economies

falling by 3%. The Global Economic Outlook released by the World Bank believes that the global

economy will shrink by 5.2%, becoming the worst recession since World War II. The Covid-19

epidemic has forced the suspension of economic activities in many major countries, and the

relevant governments are in a dilemma. The impact in other areas is described as follows.

1. Highligh the importance of non-traditional security

In the face of the global spread of Covid-19 pneumonia, high-performance weapons, including

powerful nuclear weapons, are also useless. Only masks, protective clothing, ventilators,

thermometers, alcohol and other anti-epidemic products can really fight effectively with it. This

warns mankind that non-traditional security threats, especially large-scale epidemics of

infectious diseases, will be one of the most direct and major threats facing mankind in the

future. Mankind must make advance preparations for this in spiritual and material aspects, and

should not use a large amount of manpower, material resources, and financial resources to

develop various types of weapons of mass destruction and engage in unnecessary traditional

security competition.