| dc.description.abstract | Standard analytic assumptions about states and other actors pursuing their interests tend to leave the sources of interests vague or unspecified. The contention here is that international normative context shapes the interests of international actors and does so in both systematic and systemic ways. Unlike psychological variables that operate at the individual level, norms can be systemic level variables in both origin and effects. Because they are inter subjective, rather than merely subjective, widely held norms are not idiosyncratic in their effects. Instead, they leave broad patterns of the sort that social science strives to explain. The study concludes that some the actors in the humanitarian intervention process are serving the interest of their own state actors or sub-state actors through which political gains are scored and are more likely to undermine peace efforts. | |
