International Networks: Strategic Alliances vs. Collective Security Communities

What would implementing a network analytical methodology tell us about collective security in the context of NATO? In the evolving landscape of international relations, The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) remains a cornerstone of global security, yet its nature and underlying dynamics are subject to differing interpretations. Constructivist perspectives propose that NATO functions as a 'security community' sustained by shared norms and mutual trust. While constructivist scholars have discussed the role of norms in shaping international organizations, empirical studies that quantify these aspects are limited. Network analysis may be the methodological mechanism that constructivists can utilize to produce insights into understanding NATOs structure and functionality as a collective security community. The nuances of norm diffusion—the construction and spread of shared norms—are found in the complex narratives of communicative processes. Using degree centrality, a network analysis measurement tool for determining how much access an actor has to other nodes in a network, this project demonstrates how the operationalization of norms in discourse exemplify NATO as a collective security community.