Christian Bueger
University of Copenhagen, Department of Political Science, Faculty Member
- Ethnomethodology, Practice theory, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Political Sociology, International Rellations Theory, International Security, and 26 moreEconomic Development, Reflective Practice, Anthropology of Science, International Organizations (International Studies), Anthropology of Knowledge, Piracy, United Nations, Security Studies, Actor Network Theory, Somali Piracy, Piracy in the Somalian Coast, Maritime Policy, Political Ethnography Project, Political Ethnography, Theories of practice, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Theodore Schatzki, Andreas Reckwitz, Pragmatic Sociology, Sociology of Knowledge, Knowledge sharing, Epistemology of the Social Sciences, Globalization, Securitization, Maritime Security, and Actor-Network-Theoryedit
- My current research is on maritime security, ocean governance and critical infrastructures, with a focus on Europe an... moreMy current research is on maritime security, ocean governance and critical infrastructures, with a focus on Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
My broader research interest is on the epistemic foundations of global order. Attempting to combine insights from international relations theory and theories of global governance with contemporary practice theory, new (french) pragmatism and science studies (noteably post-ANT) I study processes and practices of ordering the globe. My empirical interest lies in understanding how the merging fields of security, peace and development, become re-ordered by international organizations (UN, EU, AU), expert commissions and academic research (e.g. the discipline of International Relations).edit
The maritime security agenda has diversified and multiplied. Environmental concerns, such as pollution, illegal fishing and climate change adaptation were included in the debate. Most lately, cyber security concerns, and the protection of... more
The maritime security agenda has diversified and multiplied. Environmental concerns, such as pollution, illegal fishing and climate change adaptation were included in the debate. Most lately, cyber security concerns, and the protection of offshore energy and underwater data cables further enriched the agenda. Over the course of this expansion, also the spaces that concern maritime security have widened. Today security at sea needs to consider a multi-dimensional spatial domain. Maritime security concerns six spatial dimensions: surface, airspace, low orbit, subsea, seabed and cyber. In this contribution I review the six domains, then reflect on what it implies to think maritime security in 6D and why in particular the seabed requires further attention.
Research Interests:
A growing wave of studies in international relations is interested in “infrastructure.” Pipelines, ports, financial transaction arrangements, and other large technical systems increasingly occupy the minds of international theorists. This... more
A growing wave of studies in international relations is interested in “infrastructure.” Pipelines, ports, financial transaction arrangements, and other large technical systems increasingly occupy the minds of international theorists. This theory note provides direction to the debate by offering an important clarification of the concept of infrastructure and how it is theorized. Scholars have very different understandings of what infrastructures are, why they matter, and how to theorize and study them empirically. By outlining three distinct “styles of theorizing infrastructure,” we provide new directions for future research and how it can contribute to broader debates in international theory. The three styles allow to capture the disagreement over whether infrastructure is a theoretical concept at all, or if it solely refers to empirical phenomena. For some scholars, infrastructures are an object of politics, while others see them as developing political force or even agency on their own. Others see broader potential and note that “infrastructuralism” could provide a major new theoretical vocabulary. Each style provides major new avenues for international theory.
Existe una creciente ola de estudios en el campo de las relaciones internacionales que muestra interés por las «infraestructuras»: los oleoductos, los puertos, los acuerdos de transacciones financieras, así como otros grandes sistemas de carácter técnico ocupan cada vez un mayor espacio dentro de las mentes de los teóricos internacionales. Esta nota teórica proporciona a este debate una dirección que poder seguir, ya que ofrece una aclaración importante del concepto de infraestructura y de cómo se teoriza este. Los académicos tienen una comprensión muy diferente de lo que son las infraestructuras, de por qué estas resultan importantes y sobre cómo teorizarlas y estudiarlas empíricamente. Existe un desacuerdo sobre si la infraestructura es un concepto teórico o si se refiere a fenómenos empíricos. Para algunos académicos, las infraestructuras son un objeto de la política, mientras que otros las ven como el desarrollo de la fuerza política o incluso como una agencia por sí mismas. Otros, incluso, llegan a reconocer un potencial más amplio y señalan que el «infraestructuralismo» podría proporcionar una nueva e importante forma paradigmática de teorizar la política internacional. Proporcionamos, mediante el esbozo de tres estilos distintos de teorización de la infraestructura, nuevas direcciones para la investigación futura de la infraestructura y cómo puede contribuir a debates más amplios dentro de la teoría internacional.
De plus en plus d’études en relations internationales s'intéressent aux « infrastructures ». Les pipelines, ports, arrangements de transactions financières et autres grands systèmes techniques sont de plus en plus présents à l'esprit des théoriciens internationaux. Cette note théorique oriente le débat en proposant une clarification importante du concept d'infrastructure et de sa théorisation. Chaque chercheur conçoit différemment les infrastructures, leur importance, leur théorisation et leur étude empirique. Il existe même un désaccord quant à l'existence du concept théorique d'infrastructure, ou s'il s'agit plutôt d'un phénomène empirique. Pour certains chercheurs, les infrastructures sont un objet politique, alors que d'autres les conçoivent comme des forces politiques émergentes ou même, des agents à elles seules. D'autres leur reconnaissent même un potentiel plus vaste et remarquent que « l'infrastructuralisme » pourrait constituer une nouvelle forme paradigmatique majeure de théorisation en politique internationale. En présentant trois styles de théorisation distincts de l'infrastructure, nous proposons de nouvelles pistes de recherche sur l'infrastructure et comment celle-ci peut contribuer aux débats plus larges en théorie internationale.
Existe una creciente ola de estudios en el campo de las relaciones internacionales que muestra interés por las «infraestructuras»: los oleoductos, los puertos, los acuerdos de transacciones financieras, así como otros grandes sistemas de carácter técnico ocupan cada vez un mayor espacio dentro de las mentes de los teóricos internacionales. Esta nota teórica proporciona a este debate una dirección que poder seguir, ya que ofrece una aclaración importante del concepto de infraestructura y de cómo se teoriza este. Los académicos tienen una comprensión muy diferente de lo que son las infraestructuras, de por qué estas resultan importantes y sobre cómo teorizarlas y estudiarlas empíricamente. Existe un desacuerdo sobre si la infraestructura es un concepto teórico o si se refiere a fenómenos empíricos. Para algunos académicos, las infraestructuras son un objeto de la política, mientras que otros las ven como el desarrollo de la fuerza política o incluso como una agencia por sí mismas. Otros, incluso, llegan a reconocer un potencial más amplio y señalan que el «infraestructuralismo» podría proporcionar una nueva e importante forma paradigmática de teorizar la política internacional. Proporcionamos, mediante el esbozo de tres estilos distintos de teorización de la infraestructura, nuevas direcciones para la investigación futura de la infraestructura y cómo puede contribuir a debates más amplios dentro de la teoría internacional.
De plus en plus d’études en relations internationales s'intéressent aux « infrastructures ». Les pipelines, ports, arrangements de transactions financières et autres grands systèmes techniques sont de plus en plus présents à l'esprit des théoriciens internationaux. Cette note théorique oriente le débat en proposant une clarification importante du concept d'infrastructure et de sa théorisation. Chaque chercheur conçoit différemment les infrastructures, leur importance, leur théorisation et leur étude empirique. Il existe même un désaccord quant à l'existence du concept théorique d'infrastructure, ou s'il s'agit plutôt d'un phénomène empirique. Pour certains chercheurs, les infrastructures sont un objet politique, alors que d'autres les conçoivent comme des forces politiques émergentes ou même, des agents à elles seules. D'autres leur reconnaissent même un potentiel plus vaste et remarquent que « l'infrastructuralisme » pourrait constituer une nouvelle forme paradigmatique majeure de théorisation en politique internationale. En présentant trois styles de théorisation distincts de l'infrastructure, nous proposons de nouvelles pistes de recherche sur l'infrastructure et comment celle-ci peut contribuer aux débats plus larges en théorie internationale.
Research Interests: International Relations, International Relations Theory, Globalization, Constructivism, Political Anthropology, and 9 moreInfrastructure Planning, Green Infrastructure, Rail Transport and Infrastructure, Global Studies, The Global Political Economy, Infrastructure, Critical infrastructure protection, Global Politics, and Transport Infrastructure
The Mediterranean Sea is a super data highway in the global digital economy. On the region’s ocean floor thousands of kilometres of fibre optic cables connect Europe, Africa and Asia. Up to 95% of transregional communications run through... more
The Mediterranean Sea is a super data highway in the global digital economy. On the region’s ocean floor thousands of kilometres of fibre optic cables connect Europe, Africa and Asia. Up to 95% of transregional communications run through these cables. When we discuss security in the cyber domain, we most often focus on data protection, and threats from hackers and ransomware. The fact that digital communications and the Internet depend on a physical infrastructure is often forgotten. It is cables running across the ocean floor that connect islands such as Mallorca, Sicily or Malta to the Internet. It is these cables that allow for communication across regions and enable us to send an email to Asia, or access content that is stored on servers abroad. The cyber security and governance debate, however, hardly pays any attention to the resilience of these cables.
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Offshore wind energy production has seen a significant expansion in the past decade and has become one of the most important maritime activities. However, the implications of offshore wind farm expansion for maritime security have, so... more
Offshore wind energy production has seen a significant expansion in the past decade and has become one of the most important maritime activities. However, the implications of offshore wind farm expansion for maritime security have, so far, received sparse attention in the literature. In this article we conduct one of the first thorough analyses of the security of offshore wind farms and related installations, such as underwater electricity cables, energy islands, and hydrogen plants.
Research Interests: Terrorism, Cybercrimes, Renewable Energy, Wind Energy, Naval Warfare, and 11 moreBaltic Sea Region Studies, Offshore Structures, Maritime Security, Wind Power, Maritime, Cyber Security, Offshore Wind Energy, Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Blue Economy, North Sea, and Green Infrastructure & Transportation
As maritime security policy issues become increasingly complex and the body of related scholarly research grows, the academic community is emerging as an important maritime security stakeholder. Christian Bueger discusses the range of... more
As maritime security policy issues become increasingly complex and the body of related scholarly research grows, the academic community is emerging as an important maritime security stakeholder. Christian Bueger discusses the range of research activities, the motivations and interest of the researchers involved and how the academic community contributes to maritime security policy and operations at sea.
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The protection of critical maritime infrastructures has become a top political priority, since the September 2022 attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea. This contribution reveals why the protection of infrastructures at... more
The protection of critical maritime infrastructures has become a top political priority, since the September 2022 attacks on the Nord Stream pipelines in the Baltic Sea. This contribution reveals why the protection of infrastructures at sea is a difficult task. Reviewing the spectrum of maritime infrastructures (transport, energy, data, fishing, ecosystems) and the potential threats to them (accidents, terrorism, blue crime, grey zone tactics) demonstrates that designating infrastructures as critical and worthy of special protection measures is a political choice. The analysis moreover shows the need of protective instruments that are tailored to the specificities of maritime space, and the need for integrating diverse policy fields, including defense, diplomacy, marine safety, maritime security and cyber security. Cooperation with the infrastructure industry, enhanced surveillance and investments in repair capacities are also required.
Research Interests: Wind Energy, Green Infrastructure, Cyber crime, Cybersecurity, Maritime Security, and 12 moreWind Power, Infrastructure, Critical infrastructure protection, Cyber Security, Power Cables, Offshore Wind Energy, Subsea Engineering, Hydrogen Production, Ports, Maritime safety and security management, Ocean Law and Policy, and Ports & Maritime Security
The European Union (EU) seeks to become a global maritime-security actor, yet strategic challenges influence its maritime-security strategy process. Is there a distinctive and coherent EU approach to global maritime security, and how... more
The European Union (EU) seeks to become a global maritime-security actor, yet strategic challenges influence its maritime-security strategy process. Is there a distinctive and coherent EU approach to global maritime security, and how should the EU address the growing range of maritime challenges, including the intensification of militarized competition in the Indo-Pacific?
Research Interests: NATO, Somalia, European Union Politics, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Maritime Security, and 11 moreMaritime, Smuggling, Maritime Piracy, Lybia, Hybrid Threats, Strait of Hormuz, Maritime Strategy and Security, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, Gulf of Guinea, Grey Zone, and Indo-Pacific Strategic Affairs
In the capitals and think tanks around the world much debate has taken place on the importance of the Indo-Pacific as a new regional framework. Increasingly, the Indo-Pacific is treated as a fact, not as a geopolitical regional construct.... more
In the capitals and think tanks around the world much debate has taken place on the importance of the Indo-Pacific as a new regional framework. Increasingly, the Indo-Pacific is treated as a fact, not as a geopolitical regional construct. Discussions focus on how to engage with the new region and design strategies. The 2021 AUKUS agreement is a good example of the shifts in thinking that the Indo-Pacific implies. Attention is turned to mini-lateral agreements and traditional military thought. Strategies issued by the UK, France or the EU have a similar emphasis. What does Indo-Pacific thinking imply for small island states such as the Seychelles? On the surface, agreements such as AUKUS and the new regional construction of the Indo-Pacific do not matter much for small island concerns. Yet, as I show in this contribution Seychelles and other small island states in the region need to pay close attention to the developments that Indo-Pacific discourses imply and need to start strategizing how they find their voice in the debate.
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2021 is a key moment of opportunity for UK maritime security. The publication of the government’s Integrated Review in March is being followed by a systematic ‘refresh’ of the UK’s 2014 National Strategy for Maritime Security. In this... more
2021 is a key moment of opportunity for UK maritime security. The publication of the government’s Integrated Review in March is being followed by a systematic ‘refresh’ of the UK’s 2014 National Strategy for Maritime Security. In this article, Christian Bueger, Timothy Edmunds and Scott Edwards examine the role and significance of this strategy refresh, consider key priority issues for enhancing maritime security, and reflect on the challenges and opportunities that policymakers will face turning strategy into action. They conclude by arguing that getting maritime security right will be critical to delivering on the UK’s ambitions in security and foreign policy more widely.
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Ten years after the last large scale piracy attacks in the Western Indian Ocean, other maritime crimes such as illicit fishing and maritime smuggling have emerged. The spill over of conflicts in Yemen and Mozambique and maritime grey-zone... more
Ten years after the last large scale piracy attacks in the Western Indian Ocean, other maritime crimes such as illicit fishing and maritime smuggling have emerged. The spill over of conflicts in Yemen and Mozambique and maritime grey-zone activities have also become major maritime security issues. Yet, perhaps the most worrying-though largely underappreciated-trend is the surge of naval activity and strategic competition in the region. This is a major dilemma for the region: The region relies on external military actors to protect vital shipping lanes, but the presence of these actors also risks importing geopolitical tensions that could undermine regional maritime stability. How can the region address these maritime insecurities and the evolving militarization dilemma? We investigate the regional maritime security architecture to identify institutions that can help the region manage the militarisation dilemma. We argue that only the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) mechanism and the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) can help mitigate geopolitical competition in the region. Preparing these mechanisms to deal with the militarisation dilemma will be vital for the long-term prosperity of the Western India Ocean.
Research Interests: Naval Warfare, Political Violence and Terrorism, Maritime Policy, European Union, Ocean governance, and 13 moreMilitary and Politics, Militarization & Power, Regional Integration, Security Dilemma, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Maritime Security, Crime, Iranian politics and history, The Rise of China, Hybrid Threats, Freedom of Navigation, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, and Indian Ocean Region
The question of when and how international orders change remains a pertinent issue of International Relations theory. This article develops the model of pragmatic ordering to conceptualise change. The model of pragmatic ordering... more
The question of when and how international orders change remains a pertinent issue of International Relations theory. This article develops the model of pragmatic ordering to conceptualise change. The model of pragmatic ordering synthesises recent theoretical arguments for a focus on ordering advanced in-practice theory, pragmatist philosophy, and related approaches. It also integrates evidence from recent global governance research. We propose a five-stage model. According to the model, once a new problem emerges (problematisation), informality allows for experimenting with new practices and developing new knowledge (informalisation and experimentation). Once these experimental practices become codified, and survive contestation, they increasingly settle (codification) and are spread through learning and translation processes (consolidation). We draw on the rise of the maritime security agenda as a paradigmatic case and examine developments in the Western Indian Ocean region to illustrate each of these stages. The article draws attention to the substantial reorganisation of maritime space occurring over the past decade and offers an innovative approach for the study of orders and change.
Research Interests: Social Change, Pragmatism, International Relations Theory, Practice theory, Constructivism, and 12 moreGlobal Governance, Social Practice, Maritime Security, Indian Ocean, Sociology of Social Problems, Informality, Experimentation, Praxiography, Ocean affairs, International Order, Problematization, and International Practice Theory
Maritime Security is one of the preconditions for developing the blue economy. Maritime crimes, ranging from piracy, smuggling to illegal fishing, or the lack of compliance with environmental laws and regulations, undermine the efforts to... more
Maritime Security is one of the preconditions for developing the blue economy. Maritime crimes, ranging from piracy, smuggling to illegal fishing, or the lack of compliance with environmental laws and regulations, undermine the efforts to protect the environment, create employment and harvest ocean resources sustainably.
While the importance of maritime security is generally recognized, the majority of countries continue to struggle with developing the capacities required. This challenge is substantial for small island states in particular, which need to govern vast maritime spaces with very limited human and financial resources, but also in coastal countries with generally weak security institutions and government capacities.
Substantial efforts are underway to address capacity-building gaps. The investments in maritime security have significantly increased in the past decade; a wide range of international programs for capacity building have been set up. Yet, progress seems slow. How can the capacity gap be better addressed? This was the core question that the SafeSeas network was trying to answer. Setting out to capture the experience in
maritime security capacity building in the Western Indian Ocean, the goal of the project was to collect core lessons and to develop best practices. The result of the project: a best practice toolkit for capacity building (SafeSeas, 2018). In the following I provide an introduction to the rationale of the tool kit as well as an overview of its core insights.
While the importance of maritime security is generally recognized, the majority of countries continue to struggle with developing the capacities required. This challenge is substantial for small island states in particular, which need to govern vast maritime spaces with very limited human and financial resources, but also in coastal countries with generally weak security institutions and government capacities.
Substantial efforts are underway to address capacity-building gaps. The investments in maritime security have significantly increased in the past decade; a wide range of international programs for capacity building have been set up. Yet, progress seems slow. How can the capacity gap be better addressed? This was the core question that the SafeSeas network was trying to answer. Setting out to capture the experience in
maritime security capacity building in the Western Indian Ocean, the goal of the project was to collect core lessons and to develop best practices. The result of the project: a best practice toolkit for capacity building (SafeSeas, 2018). In the following I provide an introduction to the rationale of the tool kit as well as an overview of its core insights.
Research Interests: International Relations, Development Studies, Fisheries, Security Studies, Organized Crime, and 13 moreFisheries Management, Capacity Building, Environmental Security, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Small Island Developing States, Maritime Security, Transnational Crime, Intervention, Non-Traditional Security, Seychelles, Maritime Piracy, Governance and State Capacity, and Ports & Maritime Security
Transnational organised crime at sea is a growing international concern. However, and despite its importance, the concept remains uncertain and contested. This ambiguity has led to a tendency to focus on individual challenges such as... more
Transnational organised crime at sea is a growing international concern. However, and despite its importance, the concept remains uncertain and contested. This ambiguity has led to a tendency to focus on individual challenges such as piracy or illegal fishing, rather than convergencies and synergies between and across issues, and has stymied a concerted international policy response. Debate continues over the term itself, what illicit activities it incorporates and excludes, and how these can be meaningfully conceptualised in ways that both recognise the diverse nature of the concept yet also provide a basis for an integrated response to the challenges it presents. In this paper, we address this lacuna by providing a systemic conceptualisation and analysis of transnational organised crime at sea. Our goal is to provide a firm basis for future enquiries on the different types of blue crime, to trace their distinct characteristics and identify how they intersect, and to consider what kinds of synergies can be built to respond to them. In so doing, we organise the nascent academic and policy discourse on blue criminology and maritime security to provide a new framework for navigating this complex issue for practitioners and analysts alike.
Research Interests: Criminology, Maritime Law, Naval Warfare, Security Studies, United Nations, and 15 moreGreen Criminology, Critical Criminology, Organized Crime, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Maritime Security, Maritime, Somali Piracy, Piracy, Crime, Smuggling, Maritime Piracy, Ports, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, Human Trafficking and SMuggling, and Ports & Maritime Security
Maritime security capacity-building is a growing field of international activity. It is an area that requires further study, as a field in its own right, but also as an archetype to develop insights for capacity-building and security... more
Maritime security capacity-building is a growing field of international activity. It is an area that requires further study, as a field in its own right, but also as an archetype to develop insights for capacity-building and security sector reform in other arenas. This article is one of the first to analyse this field of activity. Our empirical focus is on the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region. Here, international actors have launched multiple capacity-building projects, initially in response to Somali piracy. We document the significance, extent and variety of capacity-building activities in this region and examine the ways in which capacity-building at sea has incorporated innovative characteristics that develop and expand the capacity-building agenda as traditionally understood. Our conclusion highlights the need to pay more attention to the maritime domain in international security and development studies and considers ways in which the maritime capacity-building experience may offer important lessons for other fields of international policy.
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This is a study of pirate agency. Starting from an understanding of agency as an effect of 'agencements', I offer a reconstruction of six of such formations. Relying on different experiences with Somali piracy, ranging from watching... more
This is a study of pirate agency. Starting from an understanding of agency as an effect of 'agencements', I offer a reconstruction of six of such formations. Relying on different experiences with Somali piracy, ranging from watching movies, playing computer games, participating as an observer in various meetings, taking field notes, talking to interlocutors to reading academic literature, I show how different agencements produce different forms of agency. Throughout this reconstruction, we meet different pirates, moral bandits, enemies and villains, criminals, entrepreneurs, pirates as 'symptoms' and the pirate in denial. These are forms of agency that are the effects of the relations and practices of distinct agencements. Various 'actors', 'objects' and 'practices' produce these relations: journalists, moviemaker, game developer, diplomats, military officers and international bureaucrats, as well as various scientists across the disciplinary spectrum are all in the business of producing pirate agency. They engage in a diverse set of rhetorical and material activities, such as calculating, modelling, negotiating, writing or history telling and engage with a broad host of artefacts, and inscriptions, such as movies, games, policy documents, or legal texts. The analysis presents a primer for the study of the multiplicity of agency and its production.
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This article presents an empirical study that aims to draw out core elements of an assemblage theory of global governance. Situating assemblage theory in the third, practice-oriented generation of global governance research, I argue that... more
This article presents an empirical study that aims to draw out core elements of an assemblage theory of global governance. Situating assemblage theory in the third, practice-oriented generation of global governance research, I argue that it provides us with a feature-rich toolbox sensitive to the routine matters of international cooperation, the role of artefacts, and the vitality of territories of governance. To showcase the advantages of an assemblage approach, I study a paradigmatic case: the organization of the international community's fight against piracy off the coast of Somalia. This effort has not only been very successful, with no major piracy incident reported from 2012 to 2016, but also a 'miracle' that can be explained by the close cooperation of all actors involved. I zoom in on one of the core components of this cooperation, the so-called Best Management Practices (BMP), which organize state-industry relations. I present a detailed study of the making of the BMP and the territory it established, and show how it became a core tool of governance. The case study documents the analytical power of assemblage theory for understanding global governance. Acknowledgements: Earlier versions of the article were presented at research seminars at ETH
Research Interests: International Relations, International Relations Theory, Practice theory, Global Governance, Maritime Law, and 11 moreShipping/ Transport Logistics, Shipping, Social Practice, Human-Nonhuman Assemblages, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Piracy, Special Economic Zones, State of exception, Assemblage, Assemblage Theory, and International Maritime Organization (IMO)
This article examines the rise of maritime security in concept and practice. We argue that developments in the maritime arena have flown beneath the radar of much mainstream international relations and security studies scholarship, and... more
This article examines the rise of maritime security in concept and practice. We argue that developments in the maritime arena have flown beneath the radar of much mainstream international relations and security studies scholarship, and that a new agenda for maritime security studies is required. In this article we outline the contours of such an agenda, with the intention of providing orientation and direction for future research. Our discussion is structured into three main sections, each of which outlines a core dimension of the maritime security problem space. We begin with a discussion of the issues and themes that comprise the maritime security agenda, including how it has been theorized in security studies to date. Our argument is that the marine environment needs to be understood as part of an interlinked security complex, which also incorporates strong connections between land and sea. Second, we examine the ways in which maritime security actors have responded to these challenges in practice, focusing on issues of maritime domain awareness, coordination of action, and operations in the field. Third, we turn to the mechanisms through which the new maritime security agenda is being disseminated to local actors through a process of devolved security governance. We focus particularly on efforts to distribute knowledge and skills to local actors through capacity building and security sector reform. In the conclusion, we outline the future challenges for maritime security studies that follow from these observations.
Research Interests: Oceanography, International Relations, International Relations Theory, Terrorism, International Studies, and 49 moreInternational Law, International Development, Border Studies, Maritime History, International Security, NATO, Maritime Law, War Studies, Naval Warfare, Security, Naval History, Marine Protected Areas, Security Studies, Political Violence and Terrorism, Interstate and Intrastate War, Marine Conservation, European Foreign Policy, Law of the Sea, Shipping/ Transport Logistics, Shipping, Ocean governance, Marine Science, Somalia, Indian Ocean World, Counter terrorism, Security sector Reform, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Marine and Fisheries Policy, Mauritius & the Mascarene Islands, Small Island Developing States, Maritime Security, Problem Solving, Maritime, Somali Piracy, Piracy, Seafarers, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Piracy in the Somalian Coast, Seychelles, Smuggling, Islands, Maritime Piracy, Militarized Interstate Disputes, Security Sector Reform/Security Governance, Maritime Warfare, Inernational Security, Seapower, Djibouti, and Ports & Maritime Security
A lack of capabilities is most often taken to imply a lack of influence. The foreign policy of the Seychelles provides a surprising case of successful small state diplomacy that counters this claim. With a population of less than 100,000... more
A lack of capabilities is most often taken to imply a lack of influence. The foreign policy of the Seychelles provides a surprising case of successful small state diplomacy that counters this claim. With a population of less than 100,000 and a diplomatic service of 100 staff, Seychelles is recognized as a broker in international organizations and as an agenda setter in ocean governance. This article explores this success in four steps. First, we unpack why the current diplomatic success of Seychelles is a surprise. Second, drawing on literature on small state diplomacy, we identify three sources of small state influence: capability and location, political culture and institutional design, and political strategy. Third, we analyze recent Seychellois diplomacy in light of the factors as well as the limitations of Creole small state diplomacy. We conclude by discussing what other small states may learn from the Seychelles
Research Interests: Foreign Policy Analysis, International Security, Security Studies, Indian Ocean History, Diplomacy, and 10 moreIndian Ocean World, Small States, Small Island Developing States, Maritime Security, Indian Ocean, Somali Piracy, Piracy, Blue Economy, Diplomacy and international relations, and Soft Power and Public Diplomacy
What has become known as post-factual politics poses particular challenges to the role of expertise, calling for a new type of reflexivity able to inform scholarly strategies towards policy. Taking recent literature on the ‘practice turn’... more
What has become known as post-factual politics poses particular challenges to the role of expertise, calling for a new type of reflexivity able to inform scholarly strategies towards policy. Taking recent literature on the ‘practice turn’ as our point of departure, we argue for introducing a sense of ‘practical reflexivity’ that can provide guidance for the practice of scholars. Practical reflexivity focuses on the everyday practices of scholars rather than epistemic ideals or formal methodological rules. It directs our attention to the relation between academic and other practices. At this conjunction, several practical challenges arise. We discuss three major challenges and identify them as the epistemic, the autonomy and the performativity dilemmas. To seek answers to these, we explore the repertoire provided by three reflexive strategies outlined in neo-Gramscianism, Bourdieusian praxeology and pragmatism. The outcome is a tool for rethinking the relation between everyday practices of scholars and non-scholarly practices that may be usefully adopted in the current situation
Research Interests: International Relations, Pragmatism, International Relations Theory, Expertise, Reflexivity, and 10 moreSociology of Expertise, Pierre Bourdieu, Reflexivity (Sociology), Gramsci, Sociology of Everyday Life, Social Practice, Bourdieu, American Pragmatism, Post-Truth, and International Practice Theory
The practice turn provides new avenues for core questions of international relations and European Studies. This article draws on a practice theoretical account to shed new light on the constitution of agency in global politics. An... more
The practice turn provides new avenues for core questions of international relations and European Studies. This article draws on a practice theoretical account to shed new light on the constitution of agency in global politics. An understanding of agency as achievement that requires significant practical work and the participation in international fields of practice is developed. Drawing on the case of the field of counter-piracy practice and the European Union’s (EU’s) work to counter piracy off the coast of Somalia, it is shown how the EU achieved the position as a core actor in the field. A detailed discussion of the EU’s work in interrupting and knowing piracy, in building capacity, and in governing piracy is provided.
Research Interests: European History, European Studies, International Relations, European integration, Practice theory, and 24 moreMaritime History, International Security, Maritime Law, Security, Fieldwork in Anthropology, Security Studies, European Security and Defence Policy, Agency Theory, European Foreign Policy, European Politics, European Union, European Foreign and Security Policy, Somalia, European Security Policy, Social Practice, European Union Politics, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Maritime Security, Agency, Somali Piracy, Piracy, Piracy in the Somalian Coast, International Security Studies, and European External Action Service
How are international phenomena rendered knowable? By which means and practical devices is international knowledge generated? In this article I draw on the case of contemporary maritime piracy to introduce a research framework that allows... more
How are international phenomena rendered knowable? By which means and practical devices is international knowledge generated? In this article I draw on the case of contemporary maritime piracy to introduce a research framework that allows addressing these questions. Arguing that the practices of international knowledge generation are weakly understood, I show how concepts from science and technology studies provide us with the tools to study these practices empirically. Relying on the practice theory of Karin Knorr Cetina, I introduce the concepts of epistemic infrastructures, epistemic practice, and laboratories and demonstrate how they spur interesting insights on knowledge generation. I investigate three ‘archetypes’ of epistemic practices in detail and show how these generate knowledge about piracy for the United Nations: the quantification practices of the International Maritime Organization, the interpretation work of a Monitoring Group and the net-work of a Special Adviser. The article introduces an innovative agenda for studying knowledge generation in international relations by focusing on the practical epistemic infrastructures that maintain knowledge about international phenomena.
Research Interests: International Relations, International Relations Theory, Reflective Practice, Practice theory, International Studies, and 20 moreActor Network Theory, International organizations, International Security, Evidence Based Practice, United Nations, International Organizations (International Studies), Social Epistemology, Actor-Network-Theory, Social Practice, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, International Organisations, Maritime Security, Somali Piracy, Piracy, Maritime Studies, Maritime Piracy, International Organization, Knorr-Cetina, Epistemic communities, and International Maritime Organization (IMO)
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The core claims of the practice turn in International Relations (IR) remain ambiguous. What promises does international practice theory hold for the field? How does the kind of theorizing it produces differ from existing perspectives?... more
The core claims of the practice turn in International Relations (IR) remain ambiguous. What promises does international practice theory hold for the field? How does the kind of theorizing it produces differ from existing perspectives? What kind of research agenda does it produce? This article addresses these questions. Drawing on the work of Andreas Reckwitz, we show that practice approaches entail a distinctive view on the drivers of social relations. Practice theories argue against individualistic-interest and norm-based actor models. They situate knowledge in practice rather than “mental frames” or “discourse.” Practice approaches focus on how groups perform their practical activities in world politics to renew and reproduce social order. They therefore overcome familiar dualisms—agents and structures, subjects and objects, and ideational and material—that plague IR theory. Practice theories are a heterogeneous family, but, as we argue, share a range of core commitments. Realizing the promise of the practice turn requires considering the full spectrum of its approaches. However, the field primarily draws on trajectories in international practice theory that emphasize reproduction and hierarchies. It should pay greater attention to practice approaches rooted in pragmatism and that emphasize contingency and change. We conclude with an outline of core challenges that the future agenda of international practice theory must tackle.
Research Interests: Critical Theory, Discourse Analysis, Sociology, Political Sociology, Social Change, and 32 moreSocial Theory, International Relations, Ontology, Pragmatism, International Relations Theory, Social Sciences, Political Theory, Practice theory, International Studies, Research Methodology, Ethnography, Actor Network Theory, Constructivism, Cultural Theory, Political Science, Reflexivity, Performativity, Culture, Interpretive research methodology, Ethnomethodology, Normativity, Pierre Bourdieu, Social Norms, Social Practice, Pragmatic Sociology, Community of Practice, New Materialism, Theodore Schatzki, Andreas Reckwitz, Theory of International Relations, Interpretive Political Science, and practice turn in International Relations
Maritime security is one of the latest buzzwords of international relations. Major actors have started to include maritime security in their mandate or reframed their work in such terms. Maritime security is a term that draws attention to... more
Maritime security is one of the latest buzzwords of international relations. Major actors have started to include maritime security in their mandate or reframed their work in such terms. Maritime security is a term that draws attention to new challenges and rallies support for tackling these. Yet, no international consensus over the definition of maritime security has emerged. Buzzwords allow for the international coordination of actions, in the absence of consensus. These, however, also face the constant risk that disagreements and political conflict are camouflaged. Since there are little prospects of defining maritime security once and for all, frameworks by which one can identify commonalities and disagreements are needed. This article proposes three of such frameworks. Maritime security can first be understood in a matrix of its relation to other concepts, such as marine safety, seapower, blue economy and resilience. Second, the securitization framework allows to study how maritime threats are made and which divergent political claims these entail in order to uncover political interests and divergent ideologies. Third, security practice theory enables the study of what actors actually do when they claim to enhance maritime security. Together these frameworks allow for the mapping of maritime security.
Research Interests: Oceanography, Strategy (Military Science), Maritime Law, Security, Fisheries, and 18 moreSecurity Studies, Fisheries Management, Indian Ocean World, Maritime Security, Maritime, Somali Piracy, Piracy, Seafarers, Maritime Training and Education, South China Sea, Maritime Studies, Fishery, Maritime Piracy, Ports, Territorial and Maritime Disputes, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, Seapower, and International Maritime Organization (IMO)
Is the decade of large scale piracy off the coast of Somali over? What are the lessons from Somali piracy for maritime security governance? This article revisits the triggers of piracy and argues for the need of being cautious since the... more
Is the decade of large scale piracy off the coast of Somali over? What are the lessons from Somali piracy for maritime security governance? This article revisits the triggers of piracy and argues for the need of being cautious since the current success in curbing piracy might not be sustainable. An analysis of the rise and decline of piracy provides an explanation of why the international measures show success, but document that it is questionable if these will contain piracy in the long run. Studying the decline of Somali piracy reveals the importance of learning some major lessons for re-evaluating the importance and character of maritime security. Future efforts will be necessary to increase the quality and efficiency of maritime security governance.
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Information Sharing and Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) are at the heart of the contemporary maritime security agenda. The goal of MDA is to develop shared understandings of developments and threats at sea which is one of the... more
Information Sharing and Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) are at the heart of the contemporary maritime security agenda. The goal of MDA is to develop shared understandings of developments and threats at sea which is one of the preconditions for coordination and cooperation between the diverse maritime security agencies. I argue that MDA is not only a technical challenge, but also a social, political and legal one. A study of the organization of MDA in the South East Asian region with a focus on its three major centres is presented. The political and social functions each centre performs in the governance of maritime security in the region is explored. The conclusion outlines what lessons the South East Asian system suggests for the organization of MDA in other regions with a focus on the Western Indian Ocean.
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Maritime security has been a long neglected issue on the African security agenda. Since 2005 this situation has significantly changed not the least because of the attention to the problem of piracy on the continent. The ‘piracy momentum’... more
Maritime security has been a long neglected issue on the African security agenda. Since 2005 this situation has significantly changed not the least because of the attention to the problem of piracy on the continent. The ‘piracy momentum’ has led to a significant intensification of maritime security cooperation. This article analyzes current processes and developments, including the formulation of an African Integrated Maritime strategy, and conducts an evaluation. I draw on contemporary reformulations of the ideal type of security communities and study in how far ‘communities of maritime security practice’ are being formed and actors securitize together. I demonstrate that several nascent transnational collectives are developing which can be interpreted as providing the nucleus of maritime security communities.
Research Interests: International Relations, Practice theory, International Security, Maritime Law, Africa, and 18 moreSecuritization, Maritime Policy, Aviation, Communities of practice, Ocean governance, Copenhagen School/Securitization, Counter terrorism, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Maritime Security, Somali Piracy, Piracy, The African Union Peace and Security Architecture, African Security Studies, Sadc, Maritime Piracy, Security Communities, Regional Security & Cooperation, and Indian Ocean Region
In this article I provide the first systematic investigation of the justification of Somali pirates. Drawing on a practice theoretical perspective I show how piracy is justified by a grand narrative that projects piracy as quasi-state... more
In this article I provide the first systematic investigation of the justification of Somali pirates. Drawing on a practice theoretical perspective I show how piracy is justified by a grand narrative that projects piracy as quasi-state practice of the protection of sovereignty against foreign intruders. Paying attention to narrative provides an explanation for the persistence of piracy and assists us in understanding the phenomenon. Relying on publicly available interviews with pirates, I deconstruct this grand narrative, show which elements are aligned and detail the different functions of the narrative in the light of the situation in which it is told. The article develops an alternative perspective on piracy based on the study of practice, narrative and situation which will also be useful to understand other forms of illicit or violent practices.
Research Interests: Practice theory, Narrative Theory, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Transnational Organized Crime, Somali Piracy, and 6 moreOrganised Crimes - Oil bunkering, piracy, kidnapping, Piracy, Justification, Piracy in the Somalian Coast, Maritime Piracy, and Modern Maritime Piracy: Origins, Economic Consequences and Solutions
Political scientists have started to focus on ‘practice’ as the smallest unit of analysis. Following a broader turn in the social sciences towards ‘practice’, the practice focus provides multiple advantages, including better... more
Political scientists have started to focus on ‘practice’ as the smallest unit of analysis. Following a broader turn in the social sciences towards ‘practice’, the practice focus provides multiple advantages, including better conceptualizations of short term social change, getting closer to the everyday activities of those speaking, writing and doing politics, appropriate conceptualization of agency-structure dynamics, or forms of analysis resonating with other communities than scholarly ones. This contribution asks what the methodological implications of the practice turn are. It is argued that the practice focus does not only imply a certain ‘theory’ but also a certain methodology. I advance the term praxiography to speak about the types of analysis produced by practice researchers. I discuss key guidelines of praxiographic research on two layers: firstly, general research strategies which provide empirical access points for research, secondly, guidelines for data collection in the frame of participant observation, expert interviews, and document analysis. I end in suggesting that while praxiography is context driven, and hence requires to be tailored to the research problem, it is important to reflect on the repertoire of tools available to praxiographic research.
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Contemporary global and regional security relations are no longer predominantly characterized by formal organizational structures, but increasingly made up of informal and often diffused problem centered alignments. Following the... more
Contemporary global and regional security relations are no longer predominantly characterized by formal organizational structures, but increasingly made up of informal and often diffused problem centered alignments. Following the hypothesis that new security problems produce new forms of security alignment I scrutinize in this paper how one problem, maritime piracy, is addressed by different forms of alignments. I investigate a range of new forms of security alignments which have risen to counter piracy. Investigating the United Nations contact group, the military mechanism SHADE and two regional agreements I show, firstly, that what glues these forms of security alignments together are notions (or better boundary objects) of best practices, information sharing and training. Rather than formal institutions, the alignments are predominantly organized around practical activities which revolve around projects of creating a common repertoire of knowledge, a joint epistemic infrastructure and shared practices. Secondly, I demonstrate that in the cases new (cognitive) regions have been created which can be observed by the spatial practices underlying the alignments.
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In the paper I present an investigation of what makes piracy such a complex problem. I show different sources of complexity and stress the importance of considering ontological complexity, which is on the level of paradigms and... more
In the paper I present an investigation of what makes piracy such a complex problem. I show different sources of complexity and stress the importance of considering ontological complexity, which is on the level of paradigms and problematizations. I discuss five different types of problematizing piracy: A security, legal, economic, developmental and humanitarian paradigm. These types represent radically different ways of thinking why piracy is a problem and what should be done against it. I end with a discussion of the paradoxes and tensions between the paradigms and argue that these are one of the reasons for the difficulties in adressing piracy.
Research Interests: Pragmatism, Development Studies, International Development, Global Governance, International Security, and 11 moreMaritime Law, Securitization, Failed States, Somalia, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Maritime Security, Somali Piracy, Piracy, Maritime Piracy, Security-Development Nexus, and Awareness Campaigns
The review argues that with counter-piracy on the rise, an academic field of ‘piracy studies’ has emerged which interprets the return and persistence of piracy and provides expertise for counter-piracy actors as well as a wider public.... more
The review argues that with counter-piracy on the rise, an academic field of ‘piracy studies’ has emerged which interprets the return and persistence of piracy and provides expertise for counter-piracy actors as well as a wider public. Understanding piracy studies as a "community of inquiry' in the sense outlined by John Dewey the review investigates how studies have translated the indeterminate situation of growing non-state violence at sea in quite different ways. Five recent books are discussed in the light of the overall development of piracy studies.
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Globally circulated concepts, such as the concept of failed states connect academia and global politics. Indeed, such concepts are jointly produced by academics and other actors. Little attention has been spent to study these concepts as... more
Globally circulated concepts, such as the concept of failed states connect academia and global politics. Indeed, such concepts are jointly produced by academics and other actors. Little attention has been spent to study these concepts as objects. In this article we develop a framework for studying the circulation of concepts in relying on guidelines from actor-network theory. We suggest studying concepts as effects of relations between different actors building the actor-network the concept relies on. We offer a detailed study of the concept of failed states, show how various actors have started to circulate it, how actors transform because of their participation and investigate the persistent struggles to define and homogenize the concept. Hence, this is an article about the life of the failed state, the discipline of international relations and its relations to other actors, and an introduction of the actor-network theory toolbox to the sociology of international relations
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Political scientists neither live in an ivory tower nor breathe the air of a different world. Projecting political science in such a way lifts it above the messiness of politics, and conceals the de facto everyday involvement of science... more
Political scientists neither live in an ivory tower nor breathe the air of a different world. Projecting political science in such a way lifts it above the messiness of politics, and conceals the de facto everyday involvement of science in political affairs – reaching from merely the value choices theory entails, up to more straight-forward political advocacy by academics. Yet, the relationship to political practice is intricate and full of dilemmas. While dilemmas have been identified, less attention has been spent to how we can cope with them. In this contribution we discuss coping strategies for relating political science to practice.
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That piracy needs to be addressed onshore is a widely shared assumption. While the majority of counter-piracy measures focus on the sea, a number of onshore counter-piracy initiatives have been launched. We can observe the seeds of an... more
That piracy needs to be addressed onshore is a widely shared assumption. While the majority of counter-piracy measures focus on the sea, a number of onshore counter-piracy initiatives have been launched. We can observe the seeds of an alternative land-based policy approach. One set of land-based programs aims at strengthening the legal and security state apparatus to better deter and punish pirates. The other set of programs aims at addressing local populations on the clan, sub-clan and village level. Such projects aim at increasing surveillance, sensitizing populations for the consequences of piracy and providing rehabilitation or alternative livelihood opportunities. In this article I review the latter type of projects and discuss the promises and difficulties of addressing piracy by such measures. I discuss five major problems: knowledge problems, implementation problems, counter-intuitive consequences, tensions towards other parts of counter-piracy strategy, and the securitization of aid. on to piracy.
Research Interests: Surveillance Studies, Somalia, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Somali Piracy, Piracy, and 7 morePiracy in the Somalian Coast, Security-Development, Maritime Piracy, Modern Maritime Piracy: Origins, Economic Consequences and Solutions, Alternative livelihood, Security-Development Nexus, and Awareness Campaigns
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The academic study of international organizations (IO) started out in the 1950s as a classificatory exercise of the mandates and structures of various IOs. Back then, it was dominated by international lawyers. In what entered the annals... more
The academic study of international organizations (IO) started out in the 1950s as a classificatory exercise of the mandates and structures of various IOs. Back then, it was dominated by international lawyers. In what entered the annals of international theory as “the regime debate,” emphasis shifted to the grand pictures of studying the “organization of the international.” The regime debate became a major battleground for international theory’s different paradigms (Kratochwil and Ruggie 1986; Rochester, 1986). Today the lenses of international theorists are, once again, focused on the particulars of single IOs, yet, with different aspirations. Rather than interpreting IOs as technical structures of state interactions, they are now theorized as agents and components of global structures. Interest has shifted toward the question of how IOs condition the behavior of states and other global actors. Scholars increasingly reject an understanding of IOs as an apolitical infrastructure and study them as political actors instead.
Research Interests: International Relations, Legitimacy and Authority, Organizational Theory, International Relations Theory, Reflective Practice, and 8 moreInternational Studies, International Law, Organizational Culture, International organizations, Organization Studies, Max Weber (Philosophy), Bureaucracy, and Principal Agent Theory
A nascent number of studies have re-told the early history of the discipline, providing different readings of its birth and evolution. Scholars have become concerned with how the structure, mechanisms and practices of the discipline have... more
A nascent number of studies have re-told the early history of the discipline, providing different readings of its birth and evolution. Scholars have become concerned with how the structure, mechanisms and practices of the discipline have shaped the way the international is thought. Moreover, researchers have increasingly seen the discipline not only as a cognitively isolated one, but as a project shaped by institutions and structural and environmental factors. Taken together, these studies present a new, more advanced and broader project of social reflexivity. Disciplinary sociology as a significant field of inquiry and as supplement and alternative to epistemological reflections has emerged. It would be, however, an exaggeration to claim that disciplinary sociology has reached adolescence or even the core of the discipline’s curricula.
One of the reasons is that the majority of studies fall short in demonstrating the need for and potential of sociological reflexivity. Instead, a sub-disciplinary niche has been created. To contribute to the debate of the purposes and usefulness of sociological reflexivity, I shall draw in the following on the work of contemporary social theorists, and firstly reconstruct the main objectives of a sociology of science for IR. Secondly, I shall outline some of the options for pursuing such a project in future research. I argue for the promises of a “cultural studies of science” perspective and suggest focusing on practice, organizations and concepts.
One of the reasons is that the majority of studies fall short in demonstrating the need for and potential of sociological reflexivity. Instead, a sub-disciplinary niche has been created. To contribute to the debate of the purposes and usefulness of sociological reflexivity, I shall draw in the following on the work of contemporary social theorists, and firstly reconstruct the main objectives of a sociology of science for IR. Secondly, I shall outline some of the options for pursuing such a project in future research. I argue for the promises of a “cultural studies of science” perspective and suggest focusing on practice, organizations and concepts.
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The dominant approach to counter-piracy strategy off Somalia is astonishingly narrow minded. Deterrence, surveillance and military operations do not provide a sustainable or efficient solution. Better strategic alternatives must drawing... more
The dominant approach to counter-piracy strategy off Somalia is astonishingly narrow minded. Deterrence, surveillance and military operations do not provide a sustainable or efficient solution. Better strategic alternatives must drawing on the lessons of 21st century peace operations. This perspective leads to an understanding of counter-piracy as a problem of peacebuilding. This allows restructuring and re-framing the problem to permit a much wider repertoire of policy solutions than currently conceived. This repertoire may include development and security assistance programmes as well as state-building programmes. The approach also permits integration of lessons learned in the frame of international peacebuilding operations, including avoiding technocratic solutions, focusing on power constellations, integrating local knowledge and incrementalism. If the international community takes piracy seriously and tries to respond to its complexity, it is well advised to adopt a policy in which such alternatives are considered.
Research Interests: International Relations, International Law, International Security, Naval Warfare, Security Studies, and 12 moreMaritime Policy, Peacekeeping, Somalia, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Peacebuilding, Maritime Security, Somali Piracy, Piracy, Incrementalism, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, Stabilization and Reconstruction, and Post Conflict Issues
Controversy is at the heart of politics. Theories of practice offer a productive way for understanding controversies and potentially negotiating in them. Drawing on the work of Theodore Schatzki, Michel Callon and Bruno Latour, I... more
Controversy is at the heart of politics. Theories of practice offer a productive way for understanding controversies and potentially negotiating in them. Drawing on the work of Theodore Schatzki, Michel Callon and Bruno Latour, I introduce a heuristic for understanding controversies. I argue what is often at stake in controversies are different types of practices of how a political issue should be handled. I introduce five of these types of practices. I analyze a case from global politics to demonstrate the value of such a perspective. The controversies in the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission are analyzed as clashes between different practices of handling peacebuilding.
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The article discusses recent proposals for introducing practice theory to international relations theory. It is argued that practice theories present at least four crucial challenges to IR theory. First, the repetitive character of... more
The article discusses recent proposals for introducing practice theory to international relations theory. It is argued that practice theories present at least four crucial challenges to IR theory. First, the repetitive character of practice, and the degree of stability reached in social orders, second, materiality and the quest of material agency, third, a moderate reflexive understanding of scientific practice highlighting the social consequences of scientific reasoning, and, fourth, a reconsideration of the spectrum of methods in IR. The contribution provides an analytical summary of the turn to practice in IR, and an identification of the key challenges associated with it
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International Relations (IR) has cultivated the idea of a gap between the theory and the practice/praxis of IR. This division into two different spheres of knowledge is related to the predominant objectivist conception of science in IR,... more
International Relations (IR) has cultivated the idea of a gap between the theory and the practice/praxis of IR. This division into two different spheres of knowledge is related to the predominant objectivist conception of science in IR, where the scientist is said to be observing reality from a distance without affecting it. Poststructuralists have denied that this distinction is meaningful and have even argued that it is dangerous to be oblivious to the structuring effects science may have on the social world. This article sets out to avoid further cultivation of the so-called gap between theory and practice, and instead addresses the question of how the theories of IR relate empirically to the practices of world politics. We suggest a theoretical and empirical alternative based on practice theoretical thought. We argue that researchers' theories and policymakers practice `hang together' and require analytical attention. In order to give empirical flesh to the theoretical discussions and to demonstrate the difference a practice theory approach makes, we discuss the example of the democratic peace thesis. We lay out how US peace researchers, the Clinton government and NATO participated in weaving a `web of democratic peace practice' and stabilizing the thesis as a `fact'. We argue that `ivory tower scientists', US foreign policymakers, and NATO politicians and bureaucrats hang together in this web and use each other as a resource. As a consequence, the academically certified version of the democratic peace led to a securitization of democracy. We conclude that one way to cope with the complexity of science-politics interactions is to foster reflexive empirical work on researchers' own practices.Journal of International Relations and Development (2007) 10, 417-448. doi:10.1057/palgrave.jird.1800136
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What does it take to be an international relations (IR) scholar? IR discourses have tackled this question with focus on very different problems: the role and function of IR scholars for policy; the (ir)relevance and impact of IR knowledge... more
What does it take to be an international relations (IR) scholar? IR discourses have tackled this question with focus on very different problems: the role and function of IR scholars for policy; the (ir)relevance and impact of IR knowledge and expertise in world politics; disciplinary history; or in studying IR's institutions. We argue that all these "disciplinary sociology" debates struggle with the relation between an internal scientific IR world and an external social context (policy, society). We reject this distinction and argue that science studies can help us to address these problems more adequately by treating IR as a scientific practice that is closely tied to its social environment. The article sets out to explore science studies' possible contributions. Based on science studies key assumptions, we develop a heuristic by which the relations between IR and its environment can be grasped systematically. From this perspective, IR is pivotally a culture constituted by different domains of practice. Hence, understanding IR scholars in "doing IR" requires taking into account their daily and sometimes trivial practices. For instance, writing an article in IR means much more than only thinking theoretically at a desk. We systematize the different domains of practices as the articulation of knowledge claims, mobilizing the world, autonomy seeking, alliance building, and public representation. "Being an IR scholar" and "producing IR knowledge" depends inevitably on these sets of practices and IR is intrinsically interwoven with its environment through these.
Research Interests: International Relations, International Relations Theory, Practice theory, Actor Network Theory, Computer Networks, and 9 moreReflexivity, Sociology Of Scientific Knowledge, Sociology of Science, Bruno Latour, Actor-Network-Theory, Databases, Critical International Relations Theory, Software, and Science and Technology Studies
In the last decade, critical approaches have substantially reshaped the theoretical landscape of security studies in Europe. Yet, despite an impressive body of literature, there remains fundamental disagreement as to what counts as... more
In the last decade, critical approaches have substantially reshaped the theoretical landscape of security studies in Europe. Yet, despite an impressive body of literature, there remains fundamental disagreement as to what counts as critical in this context. Scholars are still arguing in terms of ‘schools’, while there has been an increasing and sustained cross-fertilization among critical approaches. Finally, the boundaries between critical and traditional approaches to security remain blurred. The aim of this article is therefore to assess the evolution of critical views of approaches to security studies in Europe, discuss their theoretical premises, investigate their intellectual ramifications, and examine how they coalesce around different issues (such as a state of exception). The article then assesses the political implications of critical approaches. This is done mainly by analysing processes by which critical approaches to security percolate through a growing number of subjects (such as development, peace research, risk management). Finally, ethical and research implications are explored.
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Paper provides an overview over recent developments in European security studies (Securitization Theory, Field Theory, Critical Security Studies, Identity, Security Expertise) and questions the German contribution to this debate
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What does the expansion of infrastructure at sea imply for maritime security? In an age in which our dependency of maritime infrastructures - energy platforms, data cables, pipelines - is on the rise, the seas become heavily... more
What does the expansion of infrastructure at sea imply for maritime security? In an age in which our dependency of maritime infrastructures - energy platforms, data cables, pipelines - is on the rise, the seas become heavily industrialized and urbanized. This requires new maritime security thinking. This article provides a primer for rethinking maritime security as a form of critical maritime infrastructure protection.
Research Interests: International Security, Maritime Law, Infrastructure Planning, Green Infrastructure, Security, and 14 moreSecurity Studies, Energy Security, Ocean governance, Transportation Infrastructure Systems, Critical Infrastructure Systems, Maritime Security, Critical Infrastructure Security, National Security, Infrastructure, Critical infrastructure protection, Cyber Security, Maritime Strategy and Security, Green Infrastructure & Transportation, and Ports & Maritime Security
The rise of the maritime security agenda in the light of global security issues, such as piracy, extremist violence, smuggling or illegal fishing has led to profoundly new thinking about the oceans. In this chapter I ask in what ways the... more
The rise of the maritime security agenda in the light of global security issues, such as piracy, extremist violence, smuggling or illegal fishing has led to profoundly new thinking about the oceans. In this chapter I ask in what ways the new maritime security agenda is productive of ocean spaces and novel spatial thinking. Identifying a range of examples of new spaces, the chapter shows how these spatialities enable different forms of governance and international collaboration.
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Blue economy is a recent concept that stands for a major reevaluation of the potential of the oceans. The concept has made a remarkable career journey across the world. Starting its travel in the sustainable development discourse, it has... more
Blue economy is a recent concept that stands for a major reevaluation of
the potential of the oceans. The concept has made a remarkable career
journey across the world. Starting its travel in the sustainable development
discourse, it has become one of the main ways for how the oceans and seas are discussed in public policy and world political debates. This chapter analyzes the trajectory of the concept of blue economy to sketch out a practice-driven form of concept analysis.
the potential of the oceans. The concept has made a remarkable career
journey across the world. Starting its travel in the sustainable development
discourse, it has become one of the main ways for how the oceans and seas are discussed in public policy and world political debates. This chapter analyzes the trajectory of the concept of blue economy to sketch out a practice-driven form of concept analysis.
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This chapter reflects on the concept of 'theory' from a practice-theoretical perspective. What kind of practice is "theorizing'? What are the different styles through which practices are theorized? Starting out from a reflection of what... more
This chapter reflects on the concept of 'theory' from a practice-theoretical perspective. What kind of practice is "theorizing'? What are the different styles through which practices are theorized? Starting out from a reflection of what it means to think about theory as a practical activity, the chapter sets out to identify different ways of how theory is made. It provides a useful guide for those interested in handling and making theory.
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Assemblage theory provides an innovative approach to analysing governance and a unique position to understand processes and situations of polycentrism. It's strength lies in understanding constellations that involve large numbers and... more
Assemblage theory provides an innovative approach to analysing governance and a unique position to understand processes and situations of polycentrism. It's strength lies in understanding constellations that involve large numbers and multiple forms of actors and in exploring governing relations that are informal and often subject to rapid change. It is also best suited to understand situations where there is an overlap between jurisdictions and where new governance techniques, such as best practices, or public private partnerships are employed. Assemblage theorizing originates in political anthropology and geography where scholars drew on insights from social theory, relationalism and practice theory. Today, assemblage theorizing is adopted across disciplines to study governance at different scales from the city to regions and global processes. As a particularly parsimonious theory, it allows us to capture how issues and problems give rise to territories of governance at different scales and unique actor constellations become formed to address them. This chapter provides a concise overview of assemblage theory as an analytical tool for studying governance. We start by exploring the core conceptual apparatus of assemblage theory, and discuss concepts such as territorialisation and socio-material relations. Laying out the basic understandings of techniques, legitimacy and power that emerge, we turn to empirical examples to further explore these. We draw on the examples of the governance of two particular spaces, the oceans and cyberspace, in order to illustrate the analytical power of the approach. Both spaces involve complex territories and actor constellations. In the empirical discussion, we show how governing evolved using best practices and private public partnerships. Both examples show how assemblage often imply de-politicisation with power relations often becoming hidden.
Research Interests: Oceanography, Regulation And Governance, Governance, Ocean governance, Best Practices, and 15 moreCyberspace, Human-Nonhuman Assemblages, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Public Private Partnerships, Territoriality, Maritime Security, Maritime, Somali Piracy, IT Governance, Public Private Partnership, Territory, Assemblage Theory, Cyber Security, Territory and Territorialization Processes, and Polycentric Governance
Within the study of international relations, 'international practice theory' has become a well-established perspective that offers new avenues for the study of world politics. This chapter surveys the practice turn in the discipline of... more
Within the study of international relations, 'international practice theory' has become a well-established perspective that offers new avenues for the study of world politics. This chapter surveys the practice turn in the discipline of international relations (IR). We argue that IR has not only covered a quite fascinating range of issues and problems by drawing on practice theory, but has also developed its own innovative version of the practice turn: international practice theory (IPT). By taking practices as the core unit of analysis, IR scholars have demonstrated how practice theory offers a distinctive way of studying the world of global politics. With the turn to practice, they move away from prevalent theoretical foci on interest and norms, or frames and discourse. Practice scholars instead study practical activities in world politics and how they renew and reproduce social order. In particular, the everyday practices of actors such as, diplomats, terrorists, environmentalists, pirates, bureaucrats, and financial brokers have become the objects of investigation. The problems and issues, as well as the theoretical and methodo-logical versions of IPT, provide fruitful insights for the broader practice theory debate. Our survey of practice theoretical debates in IR hence seeks to foster the trans-disciplinary debate between IR and other practice-driven research in the humanities and social sciences.
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We have become used to conceptualizing the scientific study of International Relations (IR) as a discipline or as a community of scholars. Describing IR in such a way firstly clarifies that IR scholarship is done by people. IR is more... more
We have become used to conceptualizing the scientific study of International Relations (IR) as a discipline or as a community of scholars. Describing IR in such a way firstly clarifies that IR scholarship is done by people. IR is more than a set of abstract principles, theories or ideas; it includes scholars and their activities. Contrary to earlier debates, much of the contemporary discussion on the nature, structures and identity of IR relies on such an idea. Thinking of IR as a community is intuitive and has normative resonance. Who would not want to be a member of a community? What else could academia be than a community? Yet, the foundations and consequences of representing IR in these terms have hardly been discussed. This is hence the first task of the following contribution: What are the premises of representing IR in such a way? And what consequences and effects does the community concept have? The importance of asking these reflexive questions can hardly be underestimated. Concepts and self-descriptions have consequences for how we teach and practise our art, and, perhaps most importantly, how we review and evaluate the work of others. Conceptual clarification is also important for the project of the sociology of IR. It requires clear premises and conceptual foundations. Is ‘community’ the most appropriate unit of analysis for working in and studying IR?
Our discussion comes to the conclusion that there are serious politics at stake if IR is represented as a community.
Our discussion comes to the conclusion that there are serious politics at stake if IR is represented as a community.
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Most of the stuff that today’s political scientists are interested in is not bounded by a ‘field’. By abandoning the concept of field, several genuine methodological problems of interpretive political analysis come to the fore and it is... more
Most of the stuff that today’s political scientists are interested in is not bounded by a ‘field’. By abandoning the concept of field, several genuine methodological problems of interpretive political analysis come to the fore and it is these that require close consideration. I start with a discussion of what is problematic about the concept of field and the epistemic practice of field work. I argue that once we abandon the concept of field, a range of problems seem less important - such as the problem of 'access', while others come to the fore. We need to pay particular attention to the practical problems of multiplicity, temporality,
access, and proximity. My core intention is to contribute to conceptual awareness in the dialogue of anthropology and political science, and the need to focus on concrete and practical problems of research practice.
access, and proximity. My core intention is to contribute to conceptual awareness in the dialogue of anthropology and political science, and the need to focus on concrete and practical problems of research practice.
Research Interests: Anthropology, International Relations, Social Research Methods and Methodology, Research Methods and Methodology, Practice theory, and 14 moreResearch Methodology, Ethnography, Qualitative methodology, Fieldwork in Anthropology, Ethnographic Fieldwork (Anthropology), Actor Network Theory (ANT), Practice-Based Research, Ethnographic fieldwork, Fieldwork, Actor-Network Theory, Multi-Sited Ethnography, Field Study, Participant Observation, and Praxiography
In this chapter I tell the story of a collaboration between academics and an informal governance mechanism. It is a story about learning lessons with the CGPCS and about how knowledge about governance is produced in practice and how the... more
In this chapter I tell the story of a collaboration between academics and an informal governance mechanism. It is a story about learning lessons with the CGPCS and about how knowledge about governance is produced in practice and how the co-production of knowledge between scholars and policy practitioners unfolds. In telling this story my argument is firstly empirical. My claim is that if we are interested in how knowledge about governance is produced then we have to proceed empirically.Since empirical discussions require a range of sensitizing concepts, I here develop two: the concept of ‘laboratory’ and of ‘experimenting’. Both concepts do not only play a role in the way I structure and tell the narrative, but they have also been core epistemic devices in the collaboration.
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The 2012 animated comedy "The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!" tells the story of an encounter between a pirate crew and a scientist, none other than Charles Darwin. This chapter tells the story of an encounter of experts with... more
The 2012 animated comedy "The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!" tells the story of an encounter between a pirate crew and a scientist, none other than Charles Darwin. This chapter tells the story of an encounter of experts with Somali pirates set roughly at the same time when the movie hit the cinemas. I recast how different constellations of Somali piracy expertise were assembled in response to the emerging problematic situations. My story is told from the inside out. I start with a range of personal reflections on how I assumed the role of a piracy expert and use a range of personal encounters with fellow experts and with the governors of counter-piracy to develop a narrative of how Somali piracy knowledge was made. The results is a narrative of how piracy knowledge has moved as the crisis unfolded and was increasingly managed. Following this life-cycle of the piracy crisis allows us to understand how different problematic situations assemble distinct expertise and how the expertise that matters changes over time.
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This book chapter provides a succinct introduction to Actor Network Theory (ANT) and how it has been discussed in International Relations. Arguing that ANT offers "empirical theory" we review a range of classical ANT studies and discuss... more
This book chapter provides a succinct introduction to Actor Network Theory (ANT) and how it has been discussed in International Relations. Arguing that ANT offers "empirical theory" we review a range of classical ANT studies and discuss what concepts they develop. We continue in exploring what one can 'do' with ANT to study international relations and global politics.
Research Interests: International Relations, Technology, International Relations Theory, Social Networks, Practice theory, and 13 moreInternational Studies, Actor Network Theory, International Security, Security Studies, Critical Security Studies, International Political Economy, Bruno Latour, Actor Network Theory (ANT), Actor-Network-Theory, Social Practice, Actor-Network Theory, Assemblage Theory, and Science and Technology Studies
Within less than a decade piracy has been turned from a marginal economic problem into a global security problem. A surprising array of international actors addresses piracy and coordinates their activities. In this contribution we... more
Within less than a decade piracy has been turned from a marginal economic problem into a global security problem. A surprising array of international actors addresses piracy and coordinates their activities. In this contribution we interrogate this astonishing story of international cooperation. We argue that what we observe here is a global security governance arrangement under construction. We conduct a praxiographic analysis of the current counter-piracy governance arrangement. A praxiographic analysis takes as the main unit of analysis practice, that is, collective patterns of action which entail speech and doings. Based on this evidence we carry out what can be called an “informed speculation” about the future of the arrangement. Based on the notion of macro-securitization we develop three different forms of expectations (or scenarios) of what characterizes the piracy governance arrangement: 1) an interest based “alliance” or “coalition of the willing”; 2) as a forming “security community” of cosmopolitan or regional scale; or as a 3) hybrid “global security assemblage”.
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Practice theoretical perspectives have become a major perspective in security studies. This chapter surveys the practice turn in security studies by drawing on a range of exemplary studies
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The role and functions of expertise in international politics is, since decades, a core research theme in IR. This chapter outlines a history of how the relation between science and international politics has been approached in IR through... more
The role and functions of expertise in international politics is, since decades, a core research theme in IR. This chapter outlines a history of how the relation between science and international politics has been approached in IR through the lenses of expertise. My intention is to offer a heuristic device. I argue that the debate can be structure in three generations. A first generation is interested in experts as actors that have a causal influence on international politics. The second generation scrutinizes discourses of expertise and their constitutional role in making the international. And the third generation concentrates on practices of expertise and the way these perform the epistemic arrangements of the international. To think about the study of expertise in the frame of three generations each offering different insights and carrying advantages and problems provides not only a practical tool for sorting ideas, but clarifies what one ‘buys in’ by following a specific generation.
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Contact groups reflect a search of the international community for organizational innovation. This contribution discusses the Contact Group off the coast of Somalia (CGPCS) which was an attempt to develop innovative global governance... more
Contact groups reflect a search of the international community for organizational innovation. This contribution discusses the Contact Group off the coast of Somalia (CGPCS) which was an attempt to develop innovative global governance solutions to a problematic situation, that is, the escalation of Somali piracy starting in 2009. What can we learn from this Group? Can the CGPCS and its working practice become a role model for how responses to other global problems are organized and for how future contact groups are designed?
To address these questions, offer a brief reflection on how we can learn from governance experiments. This leads to the argument that the core approach of the CGPCS can be described as ‘experimental governance’. The CGPCS can be seen as a ‘laboratory’ in which several innovative governance ideas have become tried and tested. I discuss a range of these experiments. Since an experiment is always tied to the conditions under which it has been conducted, the context in which the CGPCS operates requires to be taken into account. As many participants have argued the conditions under which the CGPCS operates are relatively unique. Yet, not all of these are necessary conditions. Nor, should we assume that similar constellations will ever exist in the near future. Hence, there is great promise that the experiments of the CGPCS provide major insights for other problematic situations and fields of global governance. I conclude with a reflection of the areas in which a replication of CGPCS experiments will be particularly promising.
To address these questions, offer a brief reflection on how we can learn from governance experiments. This leads to the argument that the core approach of the CGPCS can be described as ‘experimental governance’. The CGPCS can be seen as a ‘laboratory’ in which several innovative governance ideas have become tried and tested. I discuss a range of these experiments. Since an experiment is always tied to the conditions under which it has been conducted, the context in which the CGPCS operates requires to be taken into account. As many participants have argued the conditions under which the CGPCS operates are relatively unique. Yet, not all of these are necessary conditions. Nor, should we assume that similar constellations will ever exist in the near future. Hence, there is great promise that the experiments of the CGPCS provide major insights for other problematic situations and fields of global governance. I conclude with a reflection of the areas in which a replication of CGPCS experiments will be particularly promising.
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Durch die Erfindung eines formalen Kerns des Regierens ist die politische Welt in ihrer Gesamtheit unverständlich geworden. Zu Recht werden Regierungspraktiker nicht müde darauf hinzuweisen, dass Politikwissenschaft, wenn sie sich nur für... more
Durch die Erfindung eines formalen Kerns des Regierens ist die politische Welt in ihrer Gesamtheit unverständlich geworden. Zu Recht werden Regierungspraktiker nicht müde darauf hinzuweisen, dass Politikwissenschaft, wenn sie sich nur für die formalen Entscheidungsverfahren interessieren, wenig zum Verständnis des politischen Geschehens beizutragen hat. Was der reduzierte Institutionenbegriff den Politikwissenschaften (und der Politik) gestohlen hat – die zahlreichen Orte, an denen Politik stattfindet, die nicht-öffentlichen Verfahren, die Beteiligung anderer Akteure als dem des professionellen Politikers, die politischen Institutionen, die nur wenig verregelt sind, oder das politische Handeln, das weder rational noch regelgeleitet erscheint, die Vielfalt des politischen Handelns
– bringt die Informalitätsforschung wieder zurück. Regierungsforschung rückt näher an den politischen Alltag, interessiert sich für die Feinheiten, die Mikrophysik politischen Entscheidens und studiert die Diversität des politi-schen Biotops. Mag diese Entwicklung zwar nicht den Beifall der Sparsamkeitstheoretiker finden, so muss sich die Informalitätsforschung dennoch der Kritik stellen, ob sie sich auf angemessener theoretischer Grundlage be-wegt. Hier zeigt sich, wie wir in diesem Beitrag deutlich machen, die Schwäche des derzeitigen Programms. Formelles Handeln und informelles, die formale Institution und die Informelle, lassen sich nicht gerecht-fertigt voneinander abspalten.
– bringt die Informalitätsforschung wieder zurück. Regierungsforschung rückt näher an den politischen Alltag, interessiert sich für die Feinheiten, die Mikrophysik politischen Entscheidens und studiert die Diversität des politi-schen Biotops. Mag diese Entwicklung zwar nicht den Beifall der Sparsamkeitstheoretiker finden, so muss sich die Informalitätsforschung dennoch der Kritik stellen, ob sie sich auf angemessener theoretischer Grundlage be-wegt. Hier zeigt sich, wie wir in diesem Beitrag deutlich machen, die Schwäche des derzeitigen Programms. Formelles Handeln und informelles, die formale Institution und die Informelle, lassen sich nicht gerecht-fertigt voneinander abspalten.
Research Interests:
This paper investigates the contribution that securitization and praxiography can make to the study of maritime security. It investigates the concept of maritime security, its history and reference objects and provides a discussion of... more
This paper investigates the contribution that securitization and praxiography can make to the study of maritime security. It investigates the concept of maritime security, its history and reference objects and provides a discussion of counter-piracy practices. While not offering detailed empirical results, the chapter outlines a research agenda on maritime security.
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The problem of contemporary piracy has led to the rise of a complex organizational field. A myriad of organizations have become active in counter-piracy. This chapter sets out to disentangle the field of counter-piracy. A systematic... more
The problem of contemporary piracy has led to the rise of a complex organizational field. A myriad of organizations have become active in counter-piracy. This chapter sets out to disentangle the field of counter-piracy. A systematic mapping of the different practices and actors engaged in counter piracy is presented. Counter-piracy activities are captured as organized in different functional streams or categories of practice, including governance, epistemic, military, law enforcement, development stream, and humanitarian streams. The intention behind this mapping is that in the meantime it has become very difficult to navigate through the complex organizational jungle of counter-piracy. Coordinating the diverse counter-piracy actors is an ongoing challenge not the least to avoid contradictory projects, and duplication. It is also important to guarantee a better management of knowledge about piracy and counter-piracy and to ensure that lessons learned by one agency are recognized and considered by another. The chapter reviews over fifty organizations and their contribution to the counter-piracy field.
Research Interests: Business Ethics, Corporate Social Responsibility, International Law, Human Rights, International organizations, and 21 moreVirtue Ethics, International Security, Corporate Governance, Natural Law, Philosophy Of Law, Ocean governance, Environmental Sustainability, Regional Integration, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Regional Ocean Governance, Ethics and economics, Somali Piracy, Piracy, International Strategy, Maritme Piracy, Maritime Piracy, Soft Law, Organizational Fields, Security Governance, Ocean Governance and Development, and Global Economic Governance
Die Praxiographie, das empirische Studium von Praktiken, steht vor einem grundsätzlichem methodologischen Problem: Wie lassen sich Praktiken studieren, wenn der Zugang zur unmittelbaren Beobachtung der Tätigkeiten, die Praktiken... more
Die Praxiographie, das empirische Studium von Praktiken, steht vor einem grundsätzlichem methodologischen Problem: Wie lassen sich Praktiken studieren, wenn der Zugang zur unmittelbaren Beobachtung der Tätigkeiten, die Praktiken konstituieren, verschlossen ist? Der Beitrag geht dieser Frage am Beispiel der Praktik der somalischen Piraterie nach und entwirft eine Antwort, die sich auf das Studium von Narrativen konzentriert. Eine Praktik, wie die der Piraterie, lässt sich nicht ohne weiteres durch ein klassisches ethnographisches Methodenspektrum wie der teilnehmenden Beobachtung erschließen. Jedoch lässt sich über öffentliche Aussagen von somalischen Piraten ein Narrativ rekonstruieren, das der Praktik zu Grunde liegt. Dieses Narrativ ist als konstitutiver Teil der Praktik zu verstehen. Das Narrativ ist sowohl von instrumentellem Nutzen zur Durchführung der Praktik, als auch ein identitätsstiftendes Konstrukt. Grundlage eines solchen Verständnisses von Narrativen ist die Abkehr von einem repräsentativen Textverständnis hin zu einem pragmatischen und performativen Verständnis. Der Beitrag ist in drei Teile strukturiert. Der erste Teil untersucht in konzeptioneller Hinsicht den Zusammenhang von Narrativen und Praktiken. Der zweite Teil rekonstruiert das Grand Narrativ der somalischen Piraterie anhand von Passagen aus Interviews und Presseerklärungen von Piraten und „folgt“ dann dem Narrativ in denjenigen Situationen, in denen es genutzt wird. In einem dritten Teil wird der Frage nachgegangen, inwiefern die skizzierte Untersuchungsperspektive der narrativen Praxeologie auch Anwendung in anderen Feldern finden kann, in denen teilnehmende Beobachtung nur schwerlich möglich ist.
Research Interests:
Our main claim is that, rather than distance, what should define security scholarship is a well-negotiated proximity to practice. A return to practice stresses the need for seeking proximity to the world of practitioners and their... more
Our main claim is that, rather than distance, what should define security scholarship is a well-negotiated proximity to practice. A return to practice stresses the need for seeking proximity to the world of practitioners and their activities, and more carefully listening and talking to those whose lives are at stake. Security from such a perspective is best understood by a focus on the practices constituting security, and the variety of diff used and mundane actions and objects – some of them of a profoundly oppressive character – by which security practice is performed. Security studies then are a project of proximity and close engagement with the flow and the infrastructures of the everyday and the mundane, and those discriminated by security practices.
We draw on contemporary practice theorists and pragmatist thinkers to investigate in more detail the move towards a critical security methodology driven by proximity. We discuss the importance of recognizing and strengthening the multifaceted networks in which research is embedded, the practical value of academic knowledge and how our understanding of theory and methodology transforms from such a perspective. We then proceed to outline how participant observation provides a repository of terms and modes of engagement for negotiating proximity in such a way (section three). Drawing on examples of participant observation on security we explore core dimensions of negotiating proximity.
We draw on contemporary practice theorists and pragmatist thinkers to investigate in more detail the move towards a critical security methodology driven by proximity. We discuss the importance of recognizing and strengthening the multifaceted networks in which research is embedded, the practical value of academic knowledge and how our understanding of theory and methodology transforms from such a perspective. We then proceed to outline how participant observation provides a repository of terms and modes of engagement for negotiating proximity in such a way (section three). Drawing on examples of participant observation on security we explore core dimensions of negotiating proximity.
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a discussion of recent changes in the foreign policy advisory system in Germany and its consequences for the dialogue between science and policy
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The used key is always bright? Zu den Folgen der Verwendung Sozialwissenschaftlichen Wissens in der Außenpolitik: Der Fall des "Demokratischen Friedens. DSpace/Manakin Repository. ...
Chapter questions if the contemporary metaphors used to describe IR's relation with its environment are adequate in the light of an upcoming knowledge society. An alternative vocabulary is developed based on actor network theory.
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Climate change, biodiversity loss and the proliferation of marine regulations profoundly change the maritime law enforcement environment. New and different forms of blue crimes are likely to emerge and need responses. Novel environmental... more
Climate change, biodiversity loss and the proliferation of marine regulations profoundly change the maritime law enforcement environment. New and different forms of blue crimes are likely to emerge and need responses. Novel environmental protection regimes increase the need for effective law enforcement. The same time marine infrastructures and seagoing capacities face new challenges to operability linked to sea level rise, higher waves and extreme weather events. This report provides a concise summary of these developments with a focus on the South Pacific Islands. It concludes 1) that current climate change and biodiversity vulnerability assessment and adaption strategies need to consider more fully law enforcement requirements; 2) there is the need for focused assessments of the consequences of climate change and biodiversity concerns for maritime law enforcement; 3) the report calls for realizing stronger synergies between projects that target maritime security, blue economy, and marine protection in the light of the anthropocene
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This Policy Brief is the result of the two-day workshop on "Maritime Infrastructures: Protecting subsea data cables in Europe and the Atlantic", held in Lisbon on the 29 th and 30 th of June 2022, on the sidelines of the United Nations... more
This Policy Brief is the result of the two-day workshop on "Maritime Infrastructures: Protecting subsea data cables in Europe and the Atlantic", held in Lisbon on the 29 th and 30 th of June 2022, on the sidelines of the United Nations Ocean Conference, in a partnership between the Atlantic Centre, SafeSeas, the University of Copenhagen, and the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria. The workshop, which brought together academics and stakeholders from the industry, European
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The EU's subsea data cable network is both vital for global connectivity and vulnerable. This study provides a systematic review of the current security threats, as well as the actors at the origin of these threats. Building on reports... more
The EU's subsea data cable network is both vital for global connectivity and vulnerable. This study provides a systematic review of the current security threats, as well as the actors at the origin of these threats. Building on reports and expert input, the paper takes stock of current awareness, preparedness and response mechanisms, both at the EU and Member State level. A number of recommendations suggest how to improve the resilience of the cable network. Proposals build on the need to enhance EU-wide awareness, improve coordination and share information across EU institutions and Member States. In addition, surveillance capabilities must be advanced, response and repair mechanisms strengthened, and the topic mainstreamed across external action.
Research Interests: Law of the Sea, China, European Union Politics, Cyberspace, Russia, and 10 moreMaritime Security, Cable Structures, Critical Infrastructure Security, Maritime, Infrastructure, Critical infrastructure protection, Cyber Security, Submarine Cable, Maritime Domain Awareness, and Ports & Maritime Security
Tackling maritime security is one of the major global challenges today. Safeguarding international transport by sea; preventing accidents and disasters; fighting transnational organised crimes like piracy and the trafficking of narcotics... more
Tackling maritime security is one of the major global challenges today.
Safeguarding international transport by sea; preventing accidents and disasters; fighting transnational organised crimes like piracy and the trafficking of narcotics and weapons; addressing fishery crimes and preventing other environmental crimes are all vital for international security and realising the prospects of the blue economy.
Maritime security is a global task. It requires effective maritime security governance at both national and regional levels, but also external capacity building to assist countries in developing their human and material capacities.
Significant investments have been made in maritime security and a rich experience base has been built over the years regarding how to organise maritime security governance and do capacity building work. This report consolidates this experience and identifies best practices to organise maritime security more efficiently and devise ways in which it can be effectively supported by donors. It provides guidelines for mastering maritime security.
Mastering maritime security requires reflexive capacity building. What reflexivity means in practice is demonstrated in this report by drawing on the experience of the Western Indian Ocean region.
The report is an important toolkit for all practitioners involved in maritime security. It also provides an essential guide for the planning, programming and implementation of capacity building for maritime security.
Safeguarding international transport by sea; preventing accidents and disasters; fighting transnational organised crimes like piracy and the trafficking of narcotics and weapons; addressing fishery crimes and preventing other environmental crimes are all vital for international security and realising the prospects of the blue economy.
Maritime security is a global task. It requires effective maritime security governance at both national and regional levels, but also external capacity building to assist countries in developing their human and material capacities.
Significant investments have been made in maritime security and a rich experience base has been built over the years regarding how to organise maritime security governance and do capacity building work. This report consolidates this experience and identifies best practices to organise maritime security more efficiently and devise ways in which it can be effectively supported by donors. It provides guidelines for mastering maritime security.
Mastering maritime security requires reflexive capacity building. What reflexivity means in practice is demonstrated in this report by drawing on the experience of the Western Indian Ocean region.
The report is an important toolkit for all practitioners involved in maritime security. It also provides an essential guide for the planning, programming and implementation of capacity building for maritime security.
Research Interests: Development Studies, Coastal Management, Maritime History, International Security, Maritime Law, and 60 moreSecurity, Naval History, Marine Protected Areas, Security Studies, Maritime Routes, Marine Conservation, Law of the Sea, Maritime Policy, Marine Science, Capacity Building, Environmental Security, Liberal Peacebuilding, Security sector Reform, Maritime Education, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Transnational Organized Crime, Ownership, Sustainable Peacebuilding, Coastal Zone Management, Peacebuilding, Maritime Security, Maritime, Somali Piracy, Piracy, Seafarers, Maritime Training and Education, Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning, Information Sharing, Statebuilding, Maritime Studies, Post Conflict Peacebuilding, Parliamentary Oversight over Security and Defense Sector, Coastguard, Piracy in the Somalian Coast, Marine Fishery, Smuggling, Fishery, Human Smuggling, Indonesian Highway Capacity Manual, Maritime Piracy, Blue Economy, Security Sector Reform/Security Governance, Royal Navy, Maritime safety and security management, Naval Diplomacy, Drug Smuggling, Military and Security assistance, Maritime Strategy and Security, UAV Naval Operations, Maritime Domain Awareness, Governance and State Capacity, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, Indian Navy, Seapower, UNODC, Peacebuilding and Development, Migrant Smuggling, Ports & Maritime Security, International Maritime Organization (IMO), and Maritime Security Governance
Accurate knowledge of maritime activities is vital for maritime security and the development of the blue economy. Although international donors have provided significant assistance, there are still no reliable regional maritime domain... more
Accurate knowledge of maritime activities is vital for maritime security and the development of the blue economy. Although international donors have provided significant assistance, there are still no reliable regional maritime domain awareness structures in the Western Indian Ocean. This policy brief reviews current activities to identify opportunities through low-tech solutions, human resources and collaboration for improvement of maritime domain awareness in the region.
Research Interests: Oceanography, Maritime History, Maritime Law, Marine Protected Areas, Indian Ocean History, and 17 moreSurveillance Studies, Marine Conservation, European Foreign Policy, Marine Science, Capacity Building, Surveillance, Indian Ocean World, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Marine and Fisheries Policy, Maritime Security, Somali Piracy, Western Indian Ocean, Piracy, Security and Surveillance, Governance and State Capacity, Djibouti, and International Maritime Organization (IMO)
The current strategy of the International Community to deal with Somali piracy runs the risk of failing. By analyzing the current attempts in countering piracy the authors come to the conclusion that one of the fundamental strategic... more
The current strategy of the International Community to deal with Somali piracy runs the risk of failing. By analyzing the current attempts in countering piracy the authors come to the conclusion that one of the fundamental strategic problems is the present narrow-minded focus on deterrence and containment. Alternative (eventually even unconventional) considerations are necessary to complement and enhance strategic thinking in this regard. To understand piracy as a challenge of peacebuilding offers such a possibility to rethink the current strategic perspective and to develop a more comprehensive strategy for countering piracy. In developing and exploring five alternative policy scenarios the authors show how a peacebuilding perspective might enhance and supplement present strategic thinking. By arguing to understand piracy as a ‘wicked problem’ they illustrate the key elements of pursuing sustainability and efficacy in dealing with Somali piracy
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Political scientists have started to focus on ‘practice’ as the smallest unit of analysis. Following a broader turn in the social sciences towards ‘practice’, the practice focus provides multiple advantages, including better... more
Political scientists have started to focus on ‘practice’ as the smallest unit of analysis. Following a broader turn in the social sciences towards ‘practice’, the practice focus provides multiple advantages, including better conceptualizations of short term social change, getting closer to the everyday activities of those speaking, writing and doing politics, appropriate conceptualization of agency-structure dynamics, or forms of analysis resonating with other communities than scholarly ones. This paper asks what the methodological implications of the practice turn are. It is argued that the practice focus does not only imply a certain ‘theory’ but also a certain methodology. I advance the term praxiography to speak about the types of analysis produced by practice researchers. I discuss key guidelines of praxiographic research on two layers: firstly, general research strategies which provide empirical access points for research, secondly, guidelines for data collection in the frame of participant observation, expert interviews, and document analysis. I end in suggesting that while praxiography is context driven, and hence required to be tailored to the research problem, it is important to reflect on the repertoire of tools available to praxiographic research strategies.
Research Interests:
Political scientists have started to focus on ‘practice’ as the smallest unit of analysis. Following a broader turn in the social sciences towards ‘practice’, the practice focus provides multiple advantages, including better... more
Political scientists have started to focus on ‘practice’ as the smallest unit of analysis. Following a broader turn in the social sciences towards ‘practice’, the practice focus provides multiple advantages, including better conceptualizations of short term social change, getting closer to the everyday activities of those speaking, writing and doing politics, appropriate conceptualization of agency-structure dynamics, or forms of analysis resonating with other communities than scholarly ones. This paper asks what the methodological implications of the practice turn are. It is argued that the practice focus does not only imply a certain ‘theory’ but also a certain methodology. I advance the term praxiography to speak about the types of analysis produced by practice researchers. I discuss key guidelines of praxiographic research on two layers: firstly, general research strategies which provide empirical access points for research, secondly, guidelines for data collection in the frame of participant observation, expert interviews, and document analysis. I end in suggesting that while praxiography is context driven, and hence required to be tailored to the research problem, it is important to reflect on the repertoire of tools available to praxiographic research strategies.
Not long ago piracy was considered as having disappeared in the annals of history. Yet piracy has returned as a major issue on the international security agendas. International security actors, including the UN Security Council, NATO and... more
Not long ago piracy was considered as having disappeared in the annals of history. Yet piracy has returned as a major issue on the international security agendas. International security actors, including the UN Security Council, NATO and the EU address piracy as a problem of 'international security and peace'. In this talk I reconstruct how piracy was gradually turned from a minor problem of 'maritime safety' in the 1980s, into a problem of regional security in the 1990s and into a major issue of international security and peace. Drawing on primary resources I interrogate how the problem of piracy was continuously extended. Initially seen as a problem of the safety of seafarers it became increasingly linked to issues such as corruption and weak governance, environmental security, transnational terrorism, humanitarian aid, non-proliferation, failed states and global commerce and trade. Through such linkages the spectrum of threats associated with piracy became extended and the network of actors concerned about it enlarged. I follow the work of John Dewey and Bruno Latour in arguing that what we can observe is the construction of a 'security public'.
The relation between theorists and practitioners of global politics can be described as the interaction between different communities of practice. To address global problems different of such communities cooperate and compete over the... more
The relation between theorists and practitioners of global politics can be described as the interaction between different communities of practice. To address global problems different of such communities cooperate and compete over the adequate interpretation of situations. The value of drawing on the concept of communities of practice approach (as popularized in IR among other by Emanuel Adler) lies in the attempt to locate meaning and interpretation not within organizational boundaries (e.g. the university, the think tank, bureaucracies or assemblies), but within the practices of communities which often transcend such boundaries. Various communities of practice of global politics have already been analyzed in those terms, including the academic discipline of international relations, the non-proliferation movement, or development and security practitioners. In this contribution we draw on this literature, but investigate the interaction of different communities of practice. We argued that a crucial driver of interaction are what Etienne Wenger, father of the community of practice concept, has described as “boundary objects”, or “boundary concepts”. The concept of boundary objects emphasizes that different communities use the same object, without agreeing on its meaning. Hence, such objects become the central hub for communication and negotiations between communities.
In this contribution we use such a (practice-theoretical) sociological conceptualization of the theory-praxis nexus to conduct an empirical study of the rise and fall of different boundary concepts that aim at conceptualizing the relationship between security and development policies. We identify four of these concepts, that is, the concepts of “failed states”, “human security”, “peacebuilding”, “responsibility to protect (R2P)”. All four concepts are crucial in organizing the communications of theoreticians and practitioners over the security development divide. We analyze these four cases of concepts in a three step analysis. We firstly investigate their origins, secondly ask which communities over time interact how through these concepts, and thirdly speculate about the future fate of these concepts and their role in organizing the theory-praxis dialogue. Our primary method is a quantitative co-citation analysis complemented by qualitative text analysis. Our contribution is structured in the following way. The first part will discuss the value a community of practice perspective offers for analyzing the theory-praxis nexus. The second part discusses the notion of boundary concepts and introduces the cases. The third part discusses the results from our four case studies.
The paper makes two major contributions to debates in IR. Firstly, it is one of the first attempts of demonstrating the value of practice theory to study the theory-praxis nexus. As such it is of relevance both to the current discussions on practice theory as well as the nascent sociology of the discipline of IR debates. Secondly, the empirical case studies contribute to the ongoing discussions on organizing the security development nexus. The majority of these discussions have been either centered on conceptual abstraction, or on implementation problems. Our sociological analysis adds practical reflexivity to the discussion.
In this contribution we use such a (practice-theoretical) sociological conceptualization of the theory-praxis nexus to conduct an empirical study of the rise and fall of different boundary concepts that aim at conceptualizing the relationship between security and development policies. We identify four of these concepts, that is, the concepts of “failed states”, “human security”, “peacebuilding”, “responsibility to protect (R2P)”. All four concepts are crucial in organizing the communications of theoreticians and practitioners over the security development divide. We analyze these four cases of concepts in a three step analysis. We firstly investigate their origins, secondly ask which communities over time interact how through these concepts, and thirdly speculate about the future fate of these concepts and their role in organizing the theory-praxis dialogue. Our primary method is a quantitative co-citation analysis complemented by qualitative text analysis. Our contribution is structured in the following way. The first part will discuss the value a community of practice perspective offers for analyzing the theory-praxis nexus. The second part discusses the notion of boundary concepts and introduces the cases. The third part discusses the results from our four case studies.
The paper makes two major contributions to debates in IR. Firstly, it is one of the first attempts of demonstrating the value of practice theory to study the theory-praxis nexus. As such it is of relevance both to the current discussions on practice theory as well as the nascent sociology of the discipline of IR debates. Secondly, the empirical case studies contribute to the ongoing discussions on organizing the security development nexus. The majority of these discussions have been either centered on conceptual abstraction, or on implementation problems. Our sociological analysis adds practical reflexivity to the discussion.
Piracy has become formulated as a global security problem. This paper reconstructs the process by which piracy was turned into a problem worthy of international attention and action in focusing on the making of Resolution 1816. Resolution... more
Piracy has become formulated as a global security problem. This paper reconstructs the process by which piracy was turned into a problem worthy of international attention and action in focusing on the making of Resolution 1816. Resolution 1816 authorized military measure in the Gulf of Aden and Somali territorial sea. Reading this process as a process of securitization the paper presents an advanced version of securitization theory which integrates ideas from Actor-Network Theory (ANT). The first part of the paper provides an overview of the making of Resolution 1816. The second discusses securitization theory and how it can be used to understand the work and global role of the United Nations Security Council. Some major problems are identified which the securitization perspective on its own cannot address, but which deem important for understanding the career of piracy in the Council. To cope with these, the paper introduces ANT and illustrates how its concepts can lead us to a fuller understanding of the piracy case. The paper makes a threefold contribution to the literature. It is the first study detailing how piracy was turned from a private and national issue into a global one. Secondly it advances our understanding of the working of the Security Council and thirdly it adds to the debates on strengthening securitization theory.
International Relations theorists and international administrations have both started to employ an approach from organizational theory, the Community of Practice approach. In this paper I investigate how International Relations scholars... more
International Relations theorists and international administrations have both started
to employ an approach from organizational theory, the Community of Practice approach. In
this paper I investigate how International Relations scholars have translated the concept as a
theory useful for conducting practice theory research, and how international administrations
have translated it into a governmental technology. To study the translation process I focus on
the translation work of three actors, that is Etienne Wenger, Emanuel Adler and Jean-Marie
Guéhenno. Over the course of this analysis, I connect what is seemingly unconnected: IR
theory and international administrations. Based on this analysis I ask what the implications of
such a “dual use” of a concept in science and administration are.
to employ an approach from organizational theory, the Community of Practice approach. In
this paper I investigate how International Relations scholars have translated the concept as a
theory useful for conducting practice theory research, and how international administrations
have translated it into a governmental technology. To study the translation process I focus on
the translation work of three actors, that is Etienne Wenger, Emanuel Adler and Jean-Marie
Guéhenno. Over the course of this analysis, I connect what is seemingly unconnected: IR
theory and international administrations. Based on this analysis I ask what the implications of
such a “dual use” of a concept in science and administration are.
While theories of practice have significantly advanced our understanding of 'practice', less attention has been given to the concept of 'theory'. This chapter investigates what it implies to consider theorizing as a practice. The shift to... more
While theories of practice have significantly advanced our understanding of 'practice', less attention has been given to the concept of 'theory'. This chapter investigates what it implies to consider theorizing as a practice. The shift to the verb and the valuation of the actual 'work' required to produce theory has substantial consequences: it implies to de-center from the individual mind and understand theory as a collective achievement situated in a distinct milieu and locale; to focus on process and actions, rather than the object ('the theory'); to grasp the practical knowledge, various skills, material resources and objects that are assembled in the production of theory, and to recognize the multiplicity of styles of theorizing. I show what different understandings of 'theory' come to the fore, and then argue that thinking about practice has led to various new, innovative styles of theorizing. I draw on a number of recent practice studies to outline four of such styles: 'mechanism', 'meditation', 'method' and 'experimentation'. Each of these grounds theorizing differently in practice. The chapter provides a much-needed primer for thinking how we can theorize with practices and how recent international practice work provides new points of orientation.
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Undersea communication cables are the core critical infrastructure of the digital age. 99% of all transoceanic digital communication-financial transactions, emails, or voice messaging-is transported through undersea fiber-optic cables.... more
Undersea communication cables are the core critical infrastructure of the digital age. 99% of all transoceanic digital communication-financial transactions, emails, or voice messaging-is transported through undersea fiber-optic cables. The global submarine cable network is a critical infrastructure that does not receive the analytical attention it deserves. We argue that cable security is a core dimension of current and future international security governance. We present the first systematic survey of the academic discourses that investigate the politics, governance, and protection of submarine data cables. Three rather narrow literatures, study the cables 1) as under threat from hybrid warfare and terrorism, or treat the cable network narrowly as a 2) technical or 3) regulatory problem. We demonstrate the need for broadening out the research agenda and addressing key questions of security governance and geopolitics of this increasingly critical infrastructure.
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This chapter provides firstly a discussion of how maritime security has been conceptualized by situating it in the broader discussions on the role of navies, transnational organized crime, state failure and the sustainable development... more
This chapter provides firstly a discussion of how maritime security has been conceptualized by situating it in the broader discussions on the role of navies, transnational organized crime, state failure and the sustainable development agenda. We then proceed in discussing the more particular debates on dedicated maritime security issues, in particular piracy, smuggling, and environmental crimes. We end in discussing a range of open questions that will be pertinent to strengthen our understanding of the maritime violence and development link.
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The oceans are increasingly understood as a security space. Does the new maritime security agenda lead to new spatial configurations? This chapter introduces the concept of 'pragmatic spaces' to explore spatial configurations produced in... more
The oceans are increasingly understood as a security space. Does the new maritime security agenda lead to new spatial configurations? This chapter introduces the concept of 'pragmatic spaces' to explore spatial configurations produced in responses to maritime security. Four exemplary spaces are discussed: how counter-piracy led to the development of high risk areas, how maritime security capacity building produced new regions constructed through codes of conduct, how the identification of smuggling routes established new forms of international partnerships, and how maritime domain awareness systems advance new transnational spaces of surveillance. These new spatial configurations were introduced to manage maritime security issues and enable transnational forms of governance.
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How do concepts emerge and change? This chapter investigates the concept of the 'blue economy'. The concept was originally proposed as an alternative to the 'green economy' and as a way of thinking innovation and sustainability. Over the... more
How do concepts emerge and change? This chapter investigates the concept of the 'blue economy'. The concept was originally proposed as an alternative to the 'green economy' and as a way of thinking innovation and sustainability. Over the years it has evolved into a concept that is primarily about the economic potential of the sea. The developing blue economy agenda aims at providing new direction for ocean governance, maritime trade, ocean resource exploration and ocean health. Increasingly it is also linked to concerns over maritime security. The chapter investigates the twist and turns that the concept of blue economy has been taking. It draws on a practice theoretical framework that argues that we should appreciate the way in which concepts are responses to concrete problematic situations. A range of such problematic situations are investigated. The chapter offers both, a rich empirical case from one of the least studied areas of global governance, as well as a new way of thinking about conceptual change in practice. Concepts are one of the basic linguistic material of international politics. Yet, the study of concepts is often reduced to a concern of historians of international thought. This misunderstanding is gradually corrected, 1 the awareness is growing that concepts are also a productive entry point for understanding contemporary international politics and how it changes. This new recognition is linked to the re-evaluation of linguistic structures as part of the introduction of discourse-theoretical and post-structuralist thoughts to the discipline of international relations (IR). These textualist perspectives have well advanced our understanding of why and how language matters in international politics. They, however, tend to focus on larger systems of meaning and do not scrutinize single concepts, their evolution, and career. In this chapter, I argue for basing the study of concepts on a practice theoretical perspective. 2 I draw on a contemporary and recently emerged concept: the Blue Economy. The concept of Blue Economy emerged over the last decade as a new way of thinking about and governing the oceans. I use the case of this concept to develop three interrelated claims for practice-based concept analysis: Firstly, following the work of Ludwig Wittgenstein and John Dewey I suggest that the meaning of a concept lies in its use. Concepts have no inherent meaning outside of their use. For Wittgenstein concepts are part of what he called " language games ". For Dewey, making a similar argument decades earlier, concepts had to be seen as part of " conjunct activities " of a community of functional language use. Rather than " language games " or " conjunct activities " I suggest the more established term of " practice " , to refer to the sets of activities within which concepts are used. In consequence, the study of concepts implies to study the practices of which concepts are part, the collectives that carry and enact the practice and the situations they are part (practical configurations).
Research Interests: African Studies, Oceanography, Practice theory, Conceptual change, History of concepts, and 13 moreConcept Mapping, Concepts, Conceptual History, Social Practice, Indian Ocean World, Maritime Security, Indian Ocean, African Union, Western Indian Ocean, Blue Ocean Strategy, Seychelles, Blue Economy, and Indian Ocean Studies
Research-led teaching is the mantra of today’s leading universities. The idea that world-leading research is causally linked to high quality education is the center piece in the identity of contemporary universities and a cornerstone in... more
Research-led teaching is the mantra of today’s leading universities. The idea that world-leading research is causally linked to high quality education is the center piece in the identity of contemporary universities and a cornerstone in their reputation and marketing strategies. In this article we argue that the idea of research-led teaching is a plausible and promising, yet idealistic leitmotiv that often has little correspondence to contemporary academic practice. Evaluating the notion against the backdrop of the broader contemporary situation in which the university and its academic practitioners work, we find that the idea of research-led teaching is challenged substantially. In consequence research-led teaching has become more a myth than a practice. Our intent is to open a reflexive discussion of what research-led teaching can mean today, considering that the notion is crucial in today’s academic vocabulary but has hardly been put to scrutiny in a sufficient manner.
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This article presents a conceptual exploration of theories of practice with reference to current debates in IR. While the concept of practice enlarges and refines the theoretical vocabulary of IR, we stress the importance of theoretical... more
This article presents a conceptual exploration of theories of practice with reference to current debates in IR. While the concept of practice enlarges and refines the theoretical vocabulary of IR, we stress the importance of theoretical rigour and for limiting what can be considered as practice theory. Drawing on the work of Reckwitz, we first set out the differences between rationalist, norm-based and cultural theories. Theories of practice extend existing culturalist approaches by providing different answers to core ontological and epistemological questions; they understand the social not through frames or discourses, but by taking (international) practices as the smallest unit of analysis. Second, we stress the importance of recognizing the diversity within practice theory and identify two traditions from which practice theory is developed, that is, a critical and a pragmatist one. The landscape in IR has so far been dominated by the critical genre, primarily associated with Bourdieusan praxeology. We argue for more attention to the pragmatist strand notably New French Pragmatism (Boltanski, Latour). The critical and the pragmatist genres can potentially work in a fruitful division of labour. They are capable of addressing different phenomena and creating a productive tension for future research agendas.
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The relation of the theory and practice of international relations has received some significant intellectual attention. Yet, empirical investigations of how the discipline hangs together with other actors remain rare. In adopting the... more
The relation of the theory and practice of international relations has received some significant intellectual attention. Yet, empirical investigations of how the discipline hangs together with other actors remain rare. In adopting the analytical vocabulary of ‘practice theory’ the article suggests to study the relation as the interaction of communities of practice. Major devices for this interaction are ‘boundary concepts’. I study three of these boundary concepts (human security, peacebuilding, the responsibility to protect) and demonstrate how they organize the relation between different communities of practice. I demonstrate the benefits of practice theory to study the relation, and show how it can illuminate the study of global politics.
Research Interests: Practice theory, Responsibility to Protect, Human Security, Peacekeeping, Communities of practice, and 7 moreSociology of Science, Conflict, Violence and Peacebuilding, Peacebuilding, Security-Development, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, Stabilization and Reconstruction, and Post Conflict Issues
International Relations theorists and international administrations have both started to employ an approach from organizational theory, the Community of Practice approach. In this article I investigate how International Relations scholars... more
International Relations theorists and international administrations have both started to employ an approach from organizational theory, the Community of Practice approach. In this article I investigate how International Relations scholars have translated the framework into a theory useful for conducting practice theory research, and how international administrations have translated it into a governmental technology. To study the translation process I focus on the translation work of three actors, that is Etienne Wenger, Emanuel Adler and Jean-Marie Guéhenno. Over the course of this analysis, I connect what is seemingly unconnected: IR theory and international administrations. Based on this analysis I ask what the implications of the ‘dual use’ of a concept in science and administration are. I review different potential applications of the community of practice approach as well as their respective strengths and disadvantages.
Research Interests: International Relations, International Relations, Multiculturalism, International Relations Theory, International Law, and 18 moreHuman Rights, Constructivism, International organizations, Conflict, Security, Security, Nationalism, United Nations, Diplomacy, Communities of practice, Theories of practice, Ethnicity, Minority Rights, Peace, International Territorial administrations, Freedom, Practice Theory;, and UN Secreteriat
The international community has awakened to the importance of the sea. Ocean health, ocean governance, maritime security and the blue economy are concepts that have received increasing attention over the past decade. However, caring for... more
The international community has awakened to the importance of the sea. Ocean health, ocean governance, maritime security and the blue economy are concepts that have received increasing attention over the past decade. However, caring for the oceans, fostering their economic prospects, and ensuring the security of the sea do not yet feature amongst the top priorities of most states. The Republic of Seychelles is one country that has been a crucial policy entrepreneur and advocate in raising the profile of the world's oceans. Rallying a coalition of small island states around a common cause, ensuring that coastal states recognise the importance of the sea, and taking on leadership roles, such as the chairmanship of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS), count amongst the notable achievements of the Indian Ocean nation. Now, former president James Alix Michel (2016) delivers a programmatic text on ocean governance that is likely to set the agenda for years to come. His core concept is that of the 'blue economy'.
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Whether global order is drifting towards democratic or technocratic modes of governing is a contested issue. This thesis takes up the challenge of investigating how trends towards global democratization or technocratization play out in... more
Whether global order is drifting towards democratic or technocratic modes of governing is a contested issue. This thesis takes up the challenge of investigating how trends towards global democratization or technocratization play out in the field of United Nations peacebuilding. To do so the ...
The question of when and how international orders change remains a pertinent issue of International Relations theory. This article develops the model of pragmatic ordering to conceptualise change. The model of pragmatic ordering... more
The question of when and how international orders change remains a pertinent issue of International Relations theory. This article develops the model of pragmatic ordering to conceptualise change. The model of pragmatic ordering synthesises recent theoretical arguments for a focus on ordering advanced in-practice theory, pragmatist philosophy, and related approaches. It also integrates evidence from recent global governance research. We propose a five-stage model. According to the model, once a new problem emerges (problematisation), informality allows for experimenting with new practices and developing new knowledge (informalisation and experimentation). Once these experimental practices become codified, and survive contestation, they increasingly settle (codification) and are spread through learning and translation processes (consolidation). We draw on the rise of the maritime security agenda as a paradigmatic case and examine developments in the Western Indian Ocean region to ill...
Research Interests: Pragmatism, International Relations Theory, Practice theory, Constructivism, Global Governance, and 15 moreCorporate Governance, Political Science, Ocean governance, Maritime Security, Indian Ocean, Change, Informality, Order, Experimentation, Praxiography, Ocean affairs, International Order, Ordering, Problematization, and International Practice Theory
ABSTRACT Undersea communication cables are the core critical infrastructure of the digital age. 99% of all transoceanic digital communication—financial transactions, emails, or voice messaging—is transported through undersea fiber-optic... more
ABSTRACT Undersea communication cables are the core critical infrastructure of the digital age. 99% of all transoceanic digital communication—financial transactions, emails, or voice messaging—is transported through undersea fiber-optic cables. The global submarine cable network is a critical infrastructure that does not receive the analytical attention it deserves. We argue that cable security is a core dimension of current and future international security governance. We present the first systematic survey of the academic discourses that investigate the politics, governance, and protection of submarine data cables. Three rather narrow literatures study the cables (1) as under threat from hybrid warfare and terrorism, or treat the cable network narrowly as a (2) technical or (3) regulatory problem. We demonstrate the need for broadening out the research agenda and addressing key questions of security governance and geopolitics of this increasingly critical infrastructure.
Research Interests: Business, Communication, Digital Humanities, Geopolitics, Maritime Law, and 15 moreTelecommunications, Corporate Governance, Political Science, Politics, Information Communication Technology, Computer Security, Capacity Building, Maritime Security, Indian Ocean, Geopolitcs and Geostrategy, Infrastructure, Critical infrastructure protection, Big Data, Submarine Cable, and Critical Infrastructure
Assemblage theory provides an innovative approach to analysing governance and a unique position to understand processes and situations of polycentrism. It's strength lies in understanding constellations that involve large numbers... more
Assemblage theory provides an innovative approach to analysing governance and a unique position to understand processes and situations of polycentrism. It's strength lies in understanding constellations that involve large numbers and multiple forms of actors and in exploring governing relations that are informal and often subject to rapid change. It is also best suited to understand situations where there is an overlap between jurisdictions and where new governance techniques, such as best practices, or public private partnerships are employed. Assemblage theorizing originates in political anthropology and geography where scholars drew on insights from social theory, relationalism and practice theory. Today, assemblage theorizing is adopted across disciplines to study governance at different scales from the city to regions and global processes. As a particularly parsimonious theory, it allows us to capture how issues and problems give rise to territories of governance at different scales and unique actor constellations become formed to address them. This chapter provides a concise overview of assemblage theory as an analytical tool for studying governance. We start by exploring the core conceptual apparatus of assemblage theory, and discuss concepts such as territorialisation and socio-material relations. Laying out the basic understandings of techniques, legitimacy and power that emerge, we turn to empirical examples to further explore these. We draw on the examples of the governance of two particular spaces, the oceans and cyberspace, in order to illustrate the analytical power of the approach. Both spaces involve complex territories and actor constellations. In the empirical discussion, we show how governing evolved using best practices and private public partnerships. Both examples show how assemblage often imply de-politicisation with power relations often becoming hidden.
Research Interests: Oceanography, Regulation And Governance, Governance, Ocean governance, Best Practices, and 15 moreCyberspace, Human-Nonhuman Assemblages, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Public Private Partnerships, Territoriality, Maritime Security, Maritime, Somali Piracy, IT Governance, Public Private Partnership, Territory, Assemblage Theory, Cyber Security, Territory and Territorialization Processes, and Polycentric Governance
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Research Interests: Business, International Security, Political Science, Surveillance Studies, Marine Conservation, and 14 moreEast Africa, Regionalism, Capacity Building, Indian Ocean World, Development, Security sector Reform, Maritime Security, Indian Ocean, Maritime, Western Indian Ocean, International Interventions, Public Administration and Policy, Governance and State Capacity, and Ports & Maritime Security
Research Interests: International Relations, International Relations Theory, International Studies, International Law, International Development, and 15 moreBorder Studies, International Security, Marine Protected Areas, Interstate and Intrastate War, Marine Conservation, European Foreign Policy, Law of the Sea, Capacity Building, Indian Ocean World, Counter terrorism, Marine and Fisheries Policy, Affairs, Islands, Inernational Security, and Djibouti
Research Interests: International Relations, Foreign Policy Analysis, Reflective Practice, Practice theory, Democratic Theory, and 15 moreActor Network Theory, NATO, Political Science, American Foreign Policy, International Political Economy, Securitization, Pierre Bourdieu, Research Utilization, Bruno Latour, Bourdieu, Relations, Ir, Policy Advice, Democratic Peace, and CIR
Ten years after the last large scale piracy attacks in the Western Indian Ocean, other maritime crimes such as illicit fishing and maritime smuggling have emerged. The spill over of conflicts in Yemen and Mozambique and maritime grey-zone... more
Ten years after the last large scale piracy attacks in the Western Indian Ocean, other maritime crimes such as illicit fishing and maritime smuggling have emerged. The spill over of conflicts in Yemen and Mozambique and maritime grey-zone activities have also become major maritime security issues. Yet, perhaps the most worrying-though largely underappreciated-trend is the surge of naval activity and strategic competition in the region. This is a major dilemma for the region: The region relies on external military actors to protect vital shipping lanes, but the presence of these actors also risks importing geopolitical tensions that could undermine regional maritime stability. How can the region address these maritime insecurities and the evolving militarization dilemma? We investigate the regional maritime security architecture to identify institutions that can help the region manage the militarisation dilemma. We argue that only the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) mechanism and the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) can help mitigate geopolitical competition in the region. Preparing these mechanisms to deal with the militarisation dilemma will be vital for the long-term prosperity of the Western India Ocean.
Research Interests: Naval Warfare, Political Violence and Terrorism, Maritime Policy, European Union, Ocean governance, and 14 moreMilitary and Politics, Militarization & Power, Regional Integration, Multidisciplinary, Security Dilemma, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Maritime Security, Crime, Iranian politics and history, The Rise of China, Hybrid Threats, African Security, Freedom of Navigation, and Indian Ocean Region
ABSTRACT
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Research Interests: International Relations, International Law, International Security, Naval Warfare, Political Science, and 14 moreSecurity Studies, Maritime Policy, Peacekeeping, Somalia, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, Peacebuilding, Maritime Security, Somali Piracy, Piracy, Incrementalism, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, Contemporary Security Issues, Stabilization and Reconstruction, and Post Conflict Issues
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Moving away from studying actors to studying practices opens a fascinating vista of global governance. Kratochwil provokes inquiry into the practical work actual people do in international relations. He helps to move beyond binaries by... more
Moving away from studying actors to studying practices opens a fascinating vista of global governance. Kratochwil provokes inquiry into the practical work actual people do in international relations. He helps to move beyond binaries by offering a pragmatic approach to global governance in a fragmented institutional environment. Yet, his criticism of best practices for their problems of applicability and perverse side-effects misses the existence of different kinds of best practices. Some of them have been highly successful, such as the ‘Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the Coast of Somalia’. One should not underestimate the potential of practices in both advancing scientific knowledge and ‘real-world’ change.
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In this introduction to a special section of the September 2019 issue of International Affairs, we revisit the main themes and arguments of our article ‘Beyond seablindness: a new agenda for maritime security studies’, published in this... more
In this introduction to a special section of the September 2019 issue of International Affairs, we revisit the main themes and arguments of our article ‘Beyond seablindness: a new agenda for maritime security studies’, published in this journal in November 2017. We reiterate our call for more scholarly attention to be paid to the maritime environment in international relations and security studies. We argue that the contemporary maritime security agenda should be understood as an interlinked set of challenges of growing global, regional and national significance, and comprising issues of national, environmental, economic and human security. We suggest that maritime security is characterized by four main characteristics, including its interconnected nature, its transnationality, its liminality—in the sense of implicating both land and sea—and its national and institutional cross-jurisdictionality. Each of the five articles in the special section explores aspects of the contemporary m...
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Research Interests: International Relations, Pragmatism, International Relations Theory, Expertise, Reflexivity, and 11 moreSociology of Expertise, Pierre Bourdieu, Reflexivity (Sociology), Gramsci, Sociology of Everyday Life, Social Practice, Multidisciplinary, Bourdieu, American Pragmatism, Post-Truth, and International Practice Theory
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Research Interests: Political Sociology, International Relations, International Relations Theory, Reflective Practice, Practice theory, and 15 moreInternational Studies, Actor Network Theory, International organizations, International Security, Evidence Based Practice, Social Epistemology, Maritime Piracy and Transnational Criminal Organizations, International Organisations, Maritime Security, Piracy, Maritime Studies, Maritime Piracy, International Organization, Epistemic communities, and International Organizations
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Research Interests: International Relations, Technology, International Relations Theory, Social Networks, Practice theory, and 11 moreInternational Studies, Actor Network Theory, International Security, Security Studies, Critical Security Studies, International Political Economy, Bruno Latour, Actor Network Theory (ANT), Social Practice, Assemblage Theory, and Science and Technology Studies
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Abstract: Within less than a decade piracy has been turned from a marginal economic problem into a global security problem. A surprising array of international actors addresses piracy and coordinates their activities. In this contribution... more
Abstract: Within less than a decade piracy has been turned from a marginal economic problem into a global security problem. A surprising array of international actors addresses piracy and coordinates their activities. In this contribution we interrogates this astonishing story of ...