Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Advanced Research in Social Sciences and Humanities
Year: 2025
DOI:
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Bridging The Gap Between Social Sciences and Defense Studies: How the Constructivist Approach Could Lead to A Better Practical Analysis of The War in Ukraine
Samuel Vinck
ABSTRACT:
This paper argues that, despite a seemingly mature and thriving interdisciplinary connection between social sciences and defenses studies, a large omission remains at its core. Namely, that the former are vastly absent from analysis of actual warfighting and concrete military operations in the context of high intensity warfare. More specifically, it argues that an overlooked aspect of military analysis is the relevance of constructed identities and perceptions of adversaries and the identity and perception one’s build of himself in relation to them in such context. By using a constructivist lens, it is argued that more accurate assessment of the belligerents’ capabilities, realities on the ground and better strategic decision-making are possible. It will explore the reasons as to why this absence might have manifested and examine how the reification of “human wave tactics” and “combined arms” might have distorted the assessment of Russia’s capabilities in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict and have a negative impact. It argues that perception issues might have stemmed from the well-known tendency to demonize adversaries while idealization of one’s capacities takes place. It also calls for a nuanced approach that takes into consideration material elements; in the context of defense studies, an ideational perspective should be used primarily to better evaluate concrete realities.
keywords: Constructivism, High-intensity war, Identity, Military Studies, Russo-Ukrainian war