TY - JOUR

T1 - Stigma Management in International Relations

T2 - Transgressive Identities, Norms and Order in International Society

AU - Adler-Nissen, Rebecca

PY - 2014/1

Y1 - 2014/1

N2 - This article develops a theoretical approach to stigma in international relations and resituates conventional approaches to the study of norms and international order. Correcting the general understanding that common values and norms are the building blocks of social order, this article claims that international society is in part constructed through the stigmatization of “transgressive” and norm-violating states and their ways of coping with stigma. Drawing on Erving Goffman, this article shows that states are not passive objects of socialization, but active agents. Stigmatized states cope strategically with their stigma and may, in some cases, challenge and even transform a dominant moral discourse. A typology of stigma management strategies is presented: stigma recognition (illustrated by Germany); stigma rejection (illustrated by Austria); and finally counter-stigmatization (illustrated by Cuba). Because of the lack of agreement on what constitutes normal state behavior //Au: I made this Americanized spelling change and others throughout mostly without indicating them.//, attempts to impose stigma may even have the opposite effect—the stigmatizers become the transgressive. A focus on stigma opens up new avenues for research on norms, identities, and international order.

AB - This article develops a theoretical approach to stigma in international relations and resituates conventional approaches to the study of norms and international order. Correcting the general understanding that common values and norms are the building blocks of social order, this article claims that international society is in part constructed through the stigmatization of “transgressive” and norm-violating states and their ways of coping with stigma. Drawing on Erving Goffman, this article shows that states are not passive objects of socialization, but active agents. Stigmatized states cope strategically with their stigma and may, in some cases, challenge and even transform a dominant moral discourse. A typology of stigma management strategies is presented: stigma recognition (illustrated by Germany); stigma rejection (illustrated by Austria); and finally counter-stigmatization (illustrated by Cuba). Because of the lack of agreement on what constitutes normal state behavior //Au: I made this Americanized spelling change and others throughout mostly without indicating them.//, attempts to impose stigma may even have the opposite effect—the stigmatizers become the transgressive. A focus on stigma opens up new avenues for research on norms, identities, and international order.

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - stigma

KW - Tyskland

KW - Østrig

KW - Cuba

KW - EU

KW - International politik

KW - Goffman

KW - symbolsk interaktionisme

KW - Sanktioner

KW - international orden

KW - Diplomati

KW - Teori

U2 - 10.1017/S0020818313000337

DO - 10.1017/S0020818313000337

M3 - Journal article

VL - 68

SP - 143 -­ 176

JO - International Organization

JF - International Organization

SN - 0020-8183

IS - 1

ER -