Constructivism is an International Relations theory in which actors shape the nature of international relations with their actions. In relation to this, movies often reflect international systems or events. James Cameron’s Avatar series also falls into this paradigm. This article analyzes the relation of movies to Constructivism, with a focus on how the identities of the actors are changing in line with their interactions and interests, as the concept of identity is an integral part of the constructivist approach.

A prominent example is the character arc of the protagonist, Jake Sully. His initial duty was to befriend and understand the Na’vi and bring this information into the hands of the military. His duty was portrayed as a scientific discovery, but the main aim was to instrumentally aid the military’s retrieval of ‘unobtanium,’ as it was an important resource for energy. In this context, it is a high-value material that is used for high-tech structures. However, after getting to know the Na’vi better and falling in love, Jake felt more connected to the Na’vi people and less to humans. The reason why he felt this way could be explained by several reasons. The first is that he was not perceived as an important part of the military due to being physically disabled. Secondly, he was just a replacement for his twin, who passed away. Since they had the same DNA, he was able to use the avatar’s body that was created for his twin. Due to his disability, being in an avatar’s body felt like freedom to Jake. Yet, even though Jake liked being in that world with a physically similar body to the Na’vi people, it was not enough for him to get accepted by them. Jake struggled a lot to make his way into the clan. He first strengthened his ties with Neytiri, who taught Jake essential parts of life on Pandora.

The turning point was when Jake fought with the Na’vi people against the Sky-people (the name for humans). In this case, it is possible to see that the feeling of belonging is constructed as the main pillar of his character change, thus linking it to the identity part of constructivism. Despite being a Sky-person, Jake was now accepted as part of the Na’vi people. This character change can be connected to constructivism through the notion that events or interactions may cause a change in behavior. As mentioned above, constructivism is mainly about the changing identities of actors. The main character, Jake Sully, goes through a drastic change in that matter. Firstly, his physical condition and environment take a completely different form. He now lives in a different body and on a different planet with its own societal dynamics. In line with constructivism, Jake undergoes an identity change. Due to his physically restricted life on Earth, he feels free in his new form. Furthermore, he develops a deep understanding of life in Pandora through his interactions with the Na’vi people. For example, as the feeling of belonging increases, Jake sides with the Na’vi people to protect them and the planet, not only because it is the right thing to do but also because the Na’vi people became his people and Pandora became his home.   

As the story progresses, the Earth becomes less habitable; the reason why Sky-people come to colonize Pandora. In the Sky-People’s mission to conquer Pandora, their main enemy became Jake Sully. Jake, now one of the Na’vi, not only fully integrated into the tribe but also became the symbol for their resistance. He led the Na’vi people and brought different clans to fight together against the common enemy. In the second movie, Jake and his family leave their own clan for a safer life and go to live with a different one. At first, this other clan did not want them, as Jake and his family’s presence put them at risk, which might lead the Sky-people to find them. These two clans are very different in an important aspect: the latter one has a calmer and more peaceful way of living compared to Jake’s clan. However, unlike the rest of the people of this clan, their leader trusts Jake and lets them stay there. The major reason behind his trust is that Jake had acquired the title Toruk Makto. This title holds great importance for the Na’vi people, and it refers to a person who could domesticate the mightiest avian creature of Pandora, with not many people having this title. Slowly but surely, their relations develop over time, even if they have conflicts from time to time. The second movie continues with a large-scale war between the Sky-people and the Na’vi. These circumstances push these two clans to fight together against a common enemy.       

To further elaborate, it is possible to see elements of constructivism in these events. After living with them and learning their ways, Jake did not care about his initial duty anymore as he felt more connected to the Na’vi people and his new life in Pandora. This is an indicator that his stance had changed after a series of positive social interactions, which is also a part of the constructivist approach. According to constructivism, social relations between the actors are shaped through their interactions. Following the above-mentioned interactions, he feels like he is now one of them, with his main duty being to protect the planet and the people. Another element that might be connected to constructivism is the conflict between the clans. It might also be linked to the same understanding of the approach. These clans live far away from each other and do not have much prior interaction. The lack of interaction and different understanding of life led to a socially constructed mutual distrust between them. That is the reason why the other clans’ people were hesitant to welcome Jake and his family. When the Sky-people come, they fight together to protect their planet, which is again a constructed relationship between these two clans, as they have no other choice. In other words, as advocated by constructivism, the social and security circumstances they are in help them to construct a new relationship for a common purpose of protecting their planet.  

One of the strongest depictions of constructivism is through a character called Spider. Spider is the biological son of the main villain of the series, Colonel Quaritch, who has been leading the campaign against the Na’vi people since the beginning of the first movie. In the first movie, his son, Spider, is born in Pandora. Spider stays on Pandora, and Jake, in a way, adopts him. Spider spends all of his time with Jake’s kids. Despite being a human, he fits well with the Na’vi people and the way of life in Pandora. The only thing that created a problem for him was that he was not able to breathe the fresh air of Pandora, like other humans, and had to use a mask all the time. This breathing problem reminded Jake that Spider is a human being with human traits. Jake and his partner, Neytiri, decided that he should be sent back to where he belongs, to Earth. However, Spider and the other kids reject this idea. Despite being a human biologically, he does not feel like he belongs on Earth. as he was born and spent all his life in Pandora. Later in the movie, he becomes unable to breathe due to a technical problem with his mask, one of Jake’s kids, Kiri, magically saves him. Through her special spiritual connection, she connects Spider to Pandora. After that, his biological traits adapt, and he starts to breathe normally without needing a mask. At first, everyone was happy to see his miraculous adaptation. However, the Sky-people intend to make use of this adaptation in an evil way. They catch Spider, examine his body, and try to understand his adaptation to ease their way to establish colonies. Jake dislikes this situation so much that he instinctively wants to kill Spider. He thinks that this is for the best for the Na’vi people and the planet. Nevertheless, in the end, as Jake sees Spider as his son, he cannot bring himself to kill Spider. 

To elaborate, in the story of Spider, it is possible to observe a socially constructed relationship. Spider was born in very unusual circumstances. The events of the first film left him orphaned, which led to his being adopted by Jake’s family. Jake watched him grow up and cared for him over those years; despite not having a biological relationship and Spider being human, he saw him as a son. In line with constructivism, Spider being an orphan and spending his whole life as a member of Jake’s family shapes Jake’s stance towards Spider, as the social bonds help to construct identities. Under these circumstances, even if he considered killing him for a moment for the sake of the planet and the Na’vi people, he was unable to do so, due to their relationship. In the end, he decided that they would find another way to protect both Spider and the planet. 

Throughout this article, the focus is on the events of James Cameron’s movie series Avatar with a constructivist approach. The main character, Jake Sully, is the main symbol of constructivism in this analysis. He undergoes major changes to become the leader of his clan. His story starts with him being a replacement for his twin, then takes a major turn when he gets into an avatar’s body. Getting accepted by the local Na’vi people and fighting on their side against Sky-people due to the feeling of belonging and finally being respected as the leader, are all through social interactions, which link his story to the constructivist approach, as interactions are crucial parts to construct the identities of actors. The negative or positive interactions change the actors’ stances toward each other, which can also be observed in the above-mentioned examples. The other major event of the movie series, as mentioned above, is his settling into a new life in the new clan. Despite the prior prejudices and mistrust between the two sides, fighting to protect what they have in common—their people and planet—they develop better relations over time, which are again built through social interactions. And finally, Spider’s position and his relationship with Jake also hold importance for the story. It is a reflection of a constructivist claim that relationships are socially constructed and also may outweigh the absence of biological relationships. Constructivism, as a theory, is part of the field of International Relations. Just like in the movies, in our world, the identities and interests of the actors are shaped by their positive and negative interactions. The Sky-people’s effort to establish colonies in Pandora and Jake’s family building positive relations with a new clan can be connected to numerous international events in our world, ultimately showing that movies often reflect international systems.