War in the Modern World

WiMW BRIEFING: Nina Tannenwalds four types of ideas

Nina Tannenwald defines ideas as mental constructs held by individuals, sets of distinctive

beliefs, principles and attitudes that provide broad orientations for behaviour and policy (p19).

She goes on to outline four types of ideas:

ideologies or shared belief systems;

normative ideas;

cause-effect beliefs; and

policy prescriptions.

Nina Tannenwald, 2005, Ideas and Explanation: Advancing the Theoretical Agenda,

Journal of Cold War Studies, Vol. 7, No 2., Spring, pp. 1342