The Pros Of Constructivism And The Catalonians

In November of 2014 the Catalonians; an ethnic people located in the very north-eastern corner of Spain, voted for independence from Spain. The voter turnout was compared to other succession votes, such as the Scottish Independence vote in the same year. The Catalonians voted overwhelmingly to break off from Spain with 81% voting for succession. The vote was a symbolic move as it is nonbinding and holds no power of law. Sofia Perez; a political scientist at Boston University, states that this is being used more as a bargaining chip during negotiations. (NPR) These negotiations could see Catalonia maintaining more of its tax revenue for its region, rather than sending it to Madrid. (NPR) There was also a potential scare as the Spanish officials

Constructivism is the theory of international relations that states that cultural identity is the main determinant in predicting or examining how a state of nation-state will act. Cultural identity is extended through the types of norms people hold. Norms being the collective agreement among a group of people of what is socially acceptable. Constructives argue that all norms are socially constructed, making them subjective. The theory applied to the Basques and the Catalonians would be demonstrated something like this. The Basque cultural identity is reflected in their sense of self-determination and independence. It is also indicated in their use of violence to protect these ideals. The Catalonians on the other hand have a cultural identity that is strongly linked to the democratic process, therefore they would use the democratic process in the hopes of achieving reform. This makes for sound logic, but it does not mesh with one particular but important fact. The Basque people have enjoyed an extensive history of democracy. (Aguirre 492) Why would they not want to use the democratic process instead of violence if they value democracy so much? These questions do not adequately paint an answer with constructivism. I believe a liberal view of the question would more accurately assess why these ethnic groups choose either

Liberalism in international politics is the theory that suggests that domestic politics is the main factor in determining how a state or how nations act in the international system. Dawn Brancati's article, Decentralization: Fueling the Fire or Dampening the Flames of Ethnic Conflict and Secessionism, makes an inherent liberal argument on how ethnic groups react to the stimuli they face. The premise of the work suggests that while decentralization within the state government may reduce ethnic government because they governments leave more power with the ethnic groups. This is stated that the government then works together with the local ethnic group and allows for more opportunities for representation. (Brancati 651) Brancati states that if an ethnic group is allowed to vote and pass legislation protecting things that they hold close to their hearts, then there would be no reason to seek violence or seek secession. (Brancati 656) However, in the same vein Brancati states that this also has an indirect effect of allowing secessionist sentiments to foster in the local population. (Brancati 651) The logic is that if you allow more representation and political opportunities for an ethnic group, that this reinforces their ethnic identity and strengthens their resolve to secede within the state. It would also allow the ethnic group to produce