CultureAugust 30, 2026
reflectivists
ri-FLEK-tiv-ists
Definition
A group of scholars in the field of International Relations who prioritize the importance of social ideas, identities, and interpretive understandings over the focus on material forces and objective 'laws' favored by traditionalists.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'reflectere' (to bend back), the term emerged in the late 20th-century IR discourse to categorize researchers who reflect upon how social processes and human interpretation construct the political world.
In the news
The article uses the term to describe one side of a scholarly divide, contrasting those who emphasize social reflection with 'rationalists' who often rely on more conventional, positivistic social science methods.
Interview – Hidemi Suganami
Read the full article ↗E-International Relations