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The Politics of Military Force examines the dynamics of discursive change that made participation in military operations possible against the background of German antimilitarist culture. Once considered a strict taboo, so-called out-of-area operations have now become widely considered by German policymakers to be without alternative. The book argues that an understanding of how certain policies are made possible (in this case, military operations abroad and force transformation), one needs to focus on processes of discursive change that result in different policy options appearing rational, appropriate, feasible, or even self-evident. Drawing on Essex School discourse theory, the book develo...
Interrogating the language that gives meaning to IR theories and practice
Since the end of the Cold War almost all European countries have reformed their armed forces, focusing on downsizing, internationalization and professionalization. This paper examines how these changes in security sector governance have affected the normative model underlying the military’s relationship to democracy, using the image of the “democratic soldier”. Drawing on a comparative analysis of 12 post-socialist, traditional and consolidated democracies in Europe, the different dimensions of the national conception of soldiering are analysed based on the official norms that define a country’s military and the ways in which individual members of the armed forces see their role. Cas...
This volume brings together a group of distinguished scholars to engage in a dialogue on key developments in the study of security. The book provides a comprehensive overview of theoretical, empirical and methodological developments within security studies, whose political and societal importance has grown significantly in recent years. By bringing together scholars who hold differing perspectives on security, this volume provides insights into a variety of approaches and their newest developments, including ‘mainstream’ as well as heterodox perspectives on security. Thus, it aims to build bridges of communication between different ‘camps’ by initiating a dialogue on the identity and...
This book advances the theory that ‘democratic peace’ does not exclusively refer to an absence of war among democracies but should also be thought of as a particular way of ‘doing, thinking and feeling’ peace. Democratic peace is not only then a statistical finding or a rhetorical commonplace invoked to justify foreign policy decisions. Rather, the notion also refers to a historically and culturally situated practice. Taking this reconceptualization as the theoretical point of departure, the author develops a historical reconstruction of democratic peace laying bare its historical background and assessing its political significance. Tentatively situating it within the cultural history of modernity, he reconstructs how the idea of a democratic peace informed diplomatic action at the onset of the cold war and during the Arab Spring. The primary audience are researchers in international relations, specifically democratic peace theorists, peace researchers, cultural sociologists, and international practice theorists.
The essential volume for all those working on International Political Theory and related areas.
“In the face of such ‘unspeakable truths,’ wouldn’t it be better to simply, quietly bow down?” (Kora Andrieu: Sorry for the Genocide, 2009). This book takes an interdisciplinary approach to the question of colonial crimes. In order to reconcile with massive systemic injustice, not only the historical foundations and legal questions are relevant, but also political viewpoints and peace ethics. The book demonstrates that, in the face of extreme violence, even genocide, a political apology can be an effective tool for conflict transformation, even when the injustice is far in the past.
This handbook provides a comprehensive account of how international law is understood and practiced in Europe, which is defined for the purposes of the book as Council of Europe countries, in the past and in the present. It is separated into parts covering Europe's values, intellectual traditions, and institutions, as well as examinations of European countries and regions. A diverse group of leading scholars and practitioners of international law are led by three overarching focus points: the success and failures of the pacifying effect of international law, the diversity of international legal experiences and traditions within Europe, and the impact of European ideas on international law globally. By examining these areas, the book also analyses Europe's changing role in the world, and the impact of global influences on the understanding of international law in European countries. The book is a study of regionalism in international law, but also a study of the impact of a region which, at least historically, has had an overwhelming influence on the development and interpretations of international law.
This book examines key debates on religion and democratization from three main perspectives: Religious traditions have core elements which are more or less conducive to democratization and democracy; Religious traditions may be multi-vocal – but at any moment there may be dominant voices more or less receptive to and encouraging of democratization; Religious actors rarely if ever determine democratization outcomes. However, they may in various ways and with a range of outcomes be of significance for democratization. The contributions are divided into two sections: (1) Religion, democratization and democracy, and (2) Secularization, democratization and democracy. Overall, they examine the t...