Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
In international relations (IR), humiliation is currently commonplace. Denying states' status, and stigmatising their practices or even culture are common occurrences in modern diplomacy. After the well known and very selective European 'concert of powers', many kinds of club diplomacy have been, and continue to be, substituted for an attempted inclusive multilateralism. G7, G8, G20, but also P5 and many 'contact groups' are regarded as ruling institutions, which have the power to exclude and marginalise. Today, these humiliations are at the core of the system, revealing its limits, its lack of capacity and also pose a real threat to the power of the international order, which is being eroded by the use of humiliation. They have been generated and fuelled by an historical background, merging a colonial past, a failed decolonisation, a mistaken vision of globalisation and a very perilous post-bipolar reconstruction. Although this book primarily takes a social psychology approach to IR, it at the same time tries to promote another one by investigating the international system from a French sociological tradition, mainly inspired by Emile Durkheim. It is translated from Le Temps des Humili.
Synopsis
In international relations (IR), some states often deny the legal status of others, stigmatising their practices or even their culture. Such acts of deliberate humiliation at the diplomatic level are common occurrences in modern diplomacy. In the period following the breakup of the famous 'Concert of Europe', many kinds of club-based diplomacy have been tried, all falling short of anything like inclusive multilateralism. Examples of this effort include the G7, G8, G20 and even the P5. Such 'contact groups' are put forward as if they were actual ruling institutions, endowed with the power to exclude and marginalise.
Today, the effect of such acts of humiliation is to reveal the international system's limits and its lack of diplomatic effectiveness. The use of humiliation as a regular diplomatic action steadily erodes the power of the international system. These actions appear to be the result of a botched mixture of a colonial past, a failed decolonisation, a mistaken vision of globalisation and a very dangerous post-bipolar reconstruction.
Although this book primarily takes a social psychology approach to IR, it also mobilizes the resources of the French sociological tradition, mainly inspired by Emile Durkheim. It is translated from Le temps des humili s. Pathologie des relations internationales (Paris, Odile Jacob, 2014).