Vicarious Identity in International Relations: Self, Security, and Status on the Global Stage [Hardcover]

Vicarious identification, or living through another is a familiar social-psychological concept. As this book argues, it is also an under-appreciated and increasingly relevant strategy of international relations. According to this theory, states identify and establish special relationships with other nations (often in an aspirational way) in order to strengthen their sense of self, security, and status on the global stage. In addition to theorizing vicarious identity in global politics and exploring a range of cases, the book outlines a qualitative methodology for analyzing vicarious identity at the collective level.Vicarious identification, or living through another is a familiar social-psychological concept. Shaped by insecurity and a lack of self-fulfilment, it refers to the processes by which actors gain a sense of self-identity, purpose, and self-esteem through appropriating the achievements and experiences of others. As this book argues, it is also an under-appreciated and increasingly relevant strategy of international relations.According to this theory, states identify and establish special relationships with other nations (often in an aspirational way) in order to strengthen their sense of self, security, and status on the global stage. This identification is also central to the politics of citizenship and can be manipulated by states to justify their global ambitions. For example, why might the United States look at Israel as a model for its own foreign policies? What shaped the politics of Brexit and why is the United Kingdom so attached to its transatlantic special relationship with the United States? And, why did Denmark so enthusiastically ally with the United States during the global War on Terror? Vicarious identity, as the authors argue, is at the core of these international dynamics.Vicarious Identity in International Relationsexamines the ways in which vicarious identity is relevant to global politics: across individuals; between citlC)