The Social Construction of Europe

`The Social Construction of Europe combines several virtues that make it a most appealing volume. Overall, one has the sense that this is a real exploration of possibilities, not a mechanistic replay of foregone conclusions. The contributors push constructivist theories to see how far they can go in explaining diverse aspects of European integration. In addition, the inclusion of diverse perspectives makes, in this case, for a real conversation about the potential contributions of, as well as the challenges facing, constructivist approaches to the study of Europe. The book does not pretend to be the last word on this subject, but rather the introduction to new and worthwhile dialogues' - Wayne Sandholtz, University of California, Irvine `The constuctivist approaches to European integration set out in this volume offer a stimulating antidote to theories that emphasize states' interests. As Ernest Haas argues in his persuasive essay, there are productive affinities between constructivism and neofunctionalism in their efforts to explain the "soft rationality" of politics in the European Union' - Helen Wallace, University of Sussex `A most appealing volume introducing new and worthwhile dialogues on the contribution of, and the challenges facing, constructivist approaches to the study of Europe' - Wayne Sandholtz, University of California, Irvine