The Purpose of Intervention: Changing Beliefs about the Use of Force

by Martha Finnemore

Violence or the potential for violence is a fact of human existence. Many societies, including our own, reward martial success or skill at arms. The ways in which members of a particular society use force reveal a great deal about the nature of authority within the group and about its members' priorities. Martha Finnemore uses one type of force, military intervention, as a window onto the shifting character of international society. She examines the changes, over the past 400 years, in why countries intervene militarily as well as in the ways they have intervened. It is not the fact of intervention that has altered, she says, but rather the reasons for and meaning behind intervention―the conventional understanding of the purposes for which states can and should use force. Finnemore looks at three types of collecting debts, addressing humanitarian crises, and acting against states perceived as threats to international peace. In all three, she finds that what is now considered "obvious" was vigorously contested or even rejected by people in earlier periods for well-articulated and logical reasons. A broad historical perspective allows her to explicate long-term the steady erosion of force's normative value in international politics, the growing influence of equality norms in many aspects of global political life, and the increasing importance of law in intervention practices.

Genres: International Relations, Politics, Political Science, Nonfiction, Academic

Paperback

Published May 7, 2004

Reviews

[notabattlechick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finnemore offers an excellent introduction to constructivist approaches to IR theory by exploring three cases where the international norms and ideas about the use of force (intervention) have changed over time. The three cases - sovereign debt, humanitarian crisis, and the preservation of international order - offer three uniqe ways of looking at the problem. Unlike some political science case-based studies, Finnemore does not lock herself into a specific or single methodology. Each of the cases is grounded in historical context and IR theory. Each case offers a puzzle to be solved, and in each one Finnemore offers a plausible and interesting, if arguable, explanation. The chapter on "preserving international order" was the most interesting and the most provocative, as it takes on realist interpretations of international affiars, fairly head-on by suggesting material factors and the distribution of power are not, in fact, what drive decisions for intervention. Overall, an excellent read, appropriate for both undergraduate and graduate students. Did I mention the book has footnotes instead of the ubiquitous, but more difficult to use, endnotes. Kudos to the publisher for realizing citations are an integral part of an academic work and not relegating it to the back of the book, where the extra effort required for flipping pages and finding the right citation usually means they go unread.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really 4.5 stars, but I really enjoyed the constructivist ideas of how the ideas of intervention actions evolved. Additionally, the cascading effects of the images' 1-2 influences on the overall international system, and then the reinforcing actions of image 3 on its actions through an evolution of appropriate action.

[Annabel Hertz · Rating 5 out of 5]

(I have written a lengthy review on Amazon that can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Purpose-Interv...)

Overall, The Purpose of Intervention is a 'must read' for scholars and general audiences. It's an excellent book that challenges conventional wisdom about the rationale for the use of force and demonstrates that in addition to serving stated justifications and material objectives, intervention policies also serve social purposes. Analysts can therefore build upon Finnemore's work, and her mix of methodology, to shape inquiry into major IR issues. Her use of discourse analysis in tandem with cases that serve to identify mechanisms and processes of change provide a rich context for understanding international change, and a compelling argument for constructivism.

[Kellsie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book and it had some interesting ideas, I just don’t know that I was expecting the direction it went in