European integration in a constructivist prism: the construction of a supranational community and the transformation of (supra) national identities

Abstract

The paper uses the constructivist theory of international relations in order to explain the main aspects of the development of the European Union, i.e. the process of European integration. Also, with the help of European integration, an attempt is made to clarify the relevance and importance of using constructivism as a theoretical and conceptual framework for understanding political and political-science concepts, which is still, with a few exceptions, a rarity in Croatian political science. By using concepts and notions that emerged halfway between sociology and political science, this paper points to the importance of studying the concepts of identity, language, socialization and norms, in order to fully understand the development of a complex political system as is the European Union. At the very end, general conclusions are offered about the importance of using different schools of thought, including constructivism, if we want to fully understand the development of a political phenomenon, but it also points out certain weaknesses and criticisms, which should be taken into account when using constructivism as a prism that seeks to describe and clarify a specific political phenomenon.