Role theory, foreign policy, and the social construction of sovereignty : Brexit stage right
Abstract
The international roles states play in world politics are bound up with the ways in which sovereignty is constructed within the international system. While scholarship on sovereignty has recognized its social construction, and role research emphasizes social interactions as shaping roles and role behaviors, little work has explored the relationship between sovereignty and roles. Linking roles and sovereignty offers a distinct perspective on the social construction of sovereignty, providing a broad conception of socialization, emphasizing agency, and bridging domestic politics and international relations. We develop the concept of a “sovereignty–role nexus” through an examination of Brexit, revealing, through processes of role contestation and role socialization, multiple and competing constructions of the nature and value of sovereignty. While Brexit is unique, we suggest that these dynamics will affect other cases where states face role changes linked to sovereignty concerns.
Citation
Beasley , R K , Kaarbo , J & Oppermann , K 2021 , ' Role theory, foreign policy, and the social construction of sovereignty : Brexit stage right ' , Global Studies Quarterly , vol. 1 , no. 1 , ksab001 . https://doi.org/10.1093/isagsq/ksab001
Publication
Global Studies Quarterly
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
2634-3797Type
Journal article
Description
The publication of this article was funded by Chemnitz University of Technology; Kai Oppermann is this article's corresponding author.Collections
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