A Sociological Perspective on Strategic Action in European Integration

Many have noted that European integration theory has moved beyond the theoretical divide between inter-governmentalists and neo-functionalists that marked the 1990s. While some authors simply abandoned theoretical frameworks to concentrate on empirical puzzles, others adopted positions stemming from international relations theory or comparative political science. The most important paradigmatic divide in European Union studies now seems to be between rationalists and constructivists, or rational choice institutionalists and more sociological perspectives on the study of European integration that focus on the role of ideas and representation in the evolution of institutional settings. This paper surveys recent studies that have adopted the latter perspective while at the same time concentrating on the strategic decision making of intentional actors at the center of rational choice approaches. By studying the contributions of such a middle-ground perspective to the study of Europeanization in particular, we argue against a dichotomy between rational and constructivist approaches and highlight the centrality of fluid coalition patterns and power relationships in the study of the European Union.