Militarizing politics, essentializing identities: Interpretivist process tracing and the power of geopolitics

Guzzini, Stefano

doi:10.1177/0010836717719735

Cited by 13 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 109 publications

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“…It also allows an empirical check on such attributions by analyzing practices of recognition (in its many meanings) within domestic and international society. Yet it may miss the social psychological component that links it to domestic national identity practices (Guzzini, 2017). De facto, most analyses, depending on whether they concentrate more on the domestic or external social context, will use versions of the last two, with their respective limitations, and often explore the tensions between the two (e.g.…”

Section: Methodological / Theoretical Problems: Homeostatis and Anthr...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“Vision of Itself” in Foreign Policy Analysis: From the Role of Ideas to Identity and Recognition

Guzzini

2022

Teoria Polityki

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For Henry Kissinger, a stable international order is not only based on a balance of power, but also on a balance of identities, of “visions of itself ”. How do our observational theories of international relations come to understand this practical maxim? This article shows that rationalist theories, methodological underpinnings fall short of satisfactorily addressing the issue, while constructivism’s and post-structuralism’s social ontology and relational understanding of identity provide a better starting point. And yet, when we return from the level of explanatory theory back to foreign policy practice, constructivist theorizing, precisely for its focus on identity, risks of being abused for the purpose of nationalist apologies of the very kind that makes a balance of identities impossible.

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Section: Methodological / Theoretical Problems: Homeostatis and Anthr...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“Vision of Itself” in Foreign Policy Analysis: From the Role of Ideas to Identity and Recognition

Guzzini

2022

Teoria Polityki

Self Cite

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“…This is typical of social processes; a configuration of multiple paths often contributes to an outcome. Mechanisms can be part of, but are not reducible to, a wider process that can help answer “how” questions (Guzzini, 2017). The challenge of a relational configuration is thinking of causation in terms that seem to be contradictory, like openness and indeterminacy.…”

Section: Dominant Forms Of Process Tracing and Their Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Power is a capability that exists in and through relation, not as an event nor possession of any agent prior to the relationship in which it is exercised. We cannot explain “power” without knowing the context of the relation and the people sharing it (Guzzini, 2017). There is no necessary causal line from Indigenous rights policy and discourse to a single understanding and action, yet process-tracers can demonstrate which possible capabilities were excluded.…”

Section: Dominant Forms Of Process Tracing and Their Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decolonial process tracing: Indigenous rights and pipeline resistance movements

Awasis

2023

Environment and Planning F

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This article explores how decolonial methodologies and Anishinaabe gkendaasowin (ways of knowing) can augment detailed narrative process tracing methodologies used to examine social and political processes. While detailed narrative is most frequently used as a tool of causal inference, focusing on the unfolding of a singular time, I see potential for it to be enriched by Indigenous legal traditions that emphasize epistemic diversity and multiple temporalities. Analyzing how Indigenous rights are leveraged in decision-making processes for the Line 9 and Line 3 pipelines, I show how a decolonial approach to process tracing (DPT) that centers Anishinaabe gkendaasowin can change both the actors and power relations involved. Recognizing that energy decision-making processes take place alongside, outside, and within colonial state institutions, and are embedded in the land as constellations of reciprocal kinship responsibilities, DPT opens space to examine two kinds of Indigenous rights: those acquired through struggle with state institutions, and those inherent to Indigenous communities’ attachment to place. DPT addresses the shortcomings of a focus on linearity by privileging inherent rights that are often excluded from detailed narrative process tracing. To take inherent rights seriously, one must also take more-than-linearity and more-than-humans seriously—and DPT is uniquely positioned to do this. The key features I propose for decolonial process tracing are grounded constellations, multiversality, and multitemporalities. Decolonizing methodologies and Anishinaabeg studies provide direction for more expansive, decolonial process tracing techniques which can in turn help understand the relationship between temporalities, law, and energy governance.

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“…Despite these differences, both are important examples of treaty bodies law-making that advances the development of human rights. Following a process-tracing approach (Checkel 2015;Guzzini 2017;van Meegdenburg 2023), both case studies are based primarily on official documents, interviews and secondary literature.…”

Section: Two Illustrative Case Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2 specifies and clarifies a specialized and precise treaty in civil and political rights, the Convention against Torture (CAT), responding to severe challenges in light of counterterrorism campaigns in the 1990s and early 2000s (Liese 2009;Zimmermann et al 2023: Ch 2). Within the scope of human rights research methods (Andreassen, Sano and McInerney-Lankford 2018), we use a process-tracing approach (Checkel 2015;Guzzini 2017;Salehi 2022;van Meegdenburg 2023) to understand the process that led from a specific human rights challenge to the adoption of a General Comment addressing this issue. Based on meeting minutes, archival materials and expert interviews, we unpack the drafting history of both General Comments and provide empirical evidence for the mechanisms in our framework.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Informal human rights law-making: How treaty bodies use ‘General Comments’ to develop international law

Lesch

Reiners²

2023

Glob. Con.

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The United Nations treaty bodies were established to monitor the implementation of human rights by states parties. Through ‘General Comments’ – legally non-binding clarifications of treaty obligations – they have also influenced the development of international human rights law – for example, on the right to life and climate impacts. We address this phenomenon by establishing a twofold argument. First, we argue that General Comments are used by the committees to informally shape international law. They deliberately act as human rights law-makers, knowing that international institutions, organizations and professionals in their network will subsequently refer to such instruments. Second, we argue that treaty bodies not only rely on their network once they have adopted their outcome, but the experts’ personal networks also shape the drafting process of General Comments. We develop and illustrate an analytical framework with two case studies of General Comments on the human right to water and the torture prohibition. The analysis demonstrates the need for external knowledge of both technical and legal aspects of the norms being interpreted. By addressing pressing human rights challenges, expert committees can shape the law in times of stagnation and resist contestation even from powerful states.

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Militarizing politics, essentializing identities: Interpretivist process tracing and the power of geopolitics

Cited by 13 publications

References 109 publications

“Vision of Itself” in Foreign Policy Analysis: From the Role of Ideas to Identity and Recognition

“Vision of Itself” in Foreign Policy Analysis: From the Role of Ideas to Identity and Recognition

Decolonial process tracing: Indigenous rights and pipeline resistance movements

Informal human rights law-making: How treaty bodies use ‘General Comments’ to develop international law

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