Resolving Security Dilemmas

This analysis applies constructivist arguments about culture, norms and identity to explain the superpower negotiations that produced the INF Treaty. It seeks to contribute to the constructivist research programme in two ways. Firstly, it develops a speech act model of social interaction to illustrate constructivist arguments, and secondly, it develops a constructivist theory of security dilemmas that suggests practical ways to resolve them. The conclusion of the book is that the dominant understanding of the end of the Cold War (the buildup argument) is not correct as it advocates policies that tend to perpetuate conflicts. Instead, the author argues that the "new thinking" explanation is more coherent and suggests improved practical ways to resolve other security dilemmas.