On Becoming and Being a Middle Power: The Canadian Experience

Soward, F. H.

doi:10.2307/4492152

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Many literature on middle power tends to treat middle power as a status. This can be found in the early writings on middle power such as of Soward (1963), Cox (1989), and Ravenhill (1998).…”

Section: Middle Power As a Status And Middle Power As A Rolementioning

confidence: 91%

Middle power, status-seeking and role conceptions: the cases of Indonesia and South Korea

Karim

2018

Australian Journal of International Affairs

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Section: Middle Power As a Status And Middle Power As A Rolementioning

confidence: 91%

Middle power, status-seeking and role conceptions: the cases of Indonesia and South Korea

Karim

2018

Australian Journal of International Affairs

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“…As Holbraad 26 observed during the 1980s, hierarchical methodologies produced a 'highly heterogenous group in almost every significant respect'. Some decades 21 Gelber 1946;Glazebrook 1947;Anglin 1962;Holmes 1963aHolmes , 1963bSoward 1963. 22 Jordaan 2003, 169. 23 Cooper 1997. 24 Teo 2022.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Is anyone a middle power? The case for historicization

Robertson

Carr

2023

Int. Theory

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What should happen to a concept as it loses real-world application? The concept of ‘middle power’ rose to prominence in the mid-20th century, establishing an influential practitioner–scholarly nexus over the next several decades. This prestigious history came at a cost, embedding three core assumptions into the concept: that middle powers are International in focus, Multilateral in method, and Good Citizens in conduct. While there have been significant attempts by scholars to reform the concept, middle power theory has proven inseparable from these assumptions. In this paper, we examine six middle power states (Canada, Australia, South Korea, Indonesia, Turkey, and Mexico) and show middle power theory no longer helps us distinguish or interpret these states. Changes in the international environment suggest this finding will endure. As such, we argue for the historicization of the concept of ‘middle power’. We conclude by identifying a series of analytical puzzles which researchers will need to address to develop an appropriate conceptual lexicon for theorizing this type of state in the 21st century.

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“…Through the four approaches that have been developed so far, i.e., quantitative, behavioral, normative, and functional (Chapnick, ; Cooper, ; Cooper et al, ; Gilley, ; Holbraad, ; John, ; Ping, ; Roussel, ; Soward, ; Wood, ), the literature on middle powers has focused on a framework delimiting what characterizes middle powers on an individual (or state‐by‐state) level. Building on these researches, the article contributes to the behavioral and functional discussions by expanding the framework to the group level.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Middle Powers in the Indo‐Pacific: Potential Pacifiers Guaranteeing Stability in the Indo‐Pacific?

Swielande¹

2019

Asian Politics and Policy

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The article examines the potential of middle powers’ cooperation to establish communities of practice to reinforce their ability to influence world affairs. Illustrating the argument with three case studies—Australia, Indonesia, and South Korea—we assert that middle powers play key roles in structuring the world order. We test the following hypotheses: (i) middle powers do not look, nor do they need to look to great powers for leadership, and can influence events by forging new regional relationships; (ii) when leadership topples or tensions emerge between great powers, with a potential or nascent leadership vacuum, the initiative to guarantee the status quo (i.e., a liberal order) can be provided by middle powers. While rooted in IR theories, the research mostly builds upon the framework of communities of practice and management theories, linking them to highlight the importance of existing interactions, the opportunity for and advantage of greater cooperation and its potential systemic impact.

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On Becoming and Being a Middle Power: The Canadian Experience

Cited by 8 publications

References 5 publications

Middle power, status-seeking and role conceptions: the cases of Indonesia and South Korea

Middle power, status-seeking and role conceptions: the cases of Indonesia and South Korea

Is anyone a middle power? The case for historicization

Middle Powers in the Indo‐Pacific: Potential Pacifiers Guaranteeing Stability in the Indo‐Pacific?

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