1st Edition
Special Relationships in World Politics Inter-state Friendship and Diplomacy after the Second World War
Claims of inter-state ‘specialness’ are commonplace in international politics. But how do some relationships between states come to be seen and categorized as ‘special’ in the first place? And what impact, if any, do recurring public representations of specialness have on states’ political and diplomatic interaction?
While much scholarly work exists on alleged instances of special relationships, and on inter-state cooperation and alliances more generally, little systematic and theory informed research has been conducted on how special relationships evolve and unfold in practice. This book offers such a comprehensive study. Theorizing inter-state relations as ongoing social processes, it makes the case for approaching special relationships as constituted and upheld through linguistic representations and bilateral interaction practices. Haugevik explores this claim through an in-depth study of how the bilateral relationship most frequently referred to as ‘special’ – the US-British – has unfolded over the last seventy years. This analysis is complemented with a study of Britain’s relationship with a more junior partner, Norway, during the same period.
The book offers an original take on inter-state relations and diplomacy during the Cold War and after, and develops an analytical framework for understanding why some state relationships maintain their status as ‘special’, while others end up as ‘benignly neglected’ ones.
1. Introduction 2. What is a special relationship? 3. Theorizing special relationships as a social process 4. Friends, partners or ‘poodle politics’? 5. Photo-ops and open doors 6. When lodestars fade 7. Conclusion: How relationships become special
Biography
Kristin Haugevik is Senior Research Fellow at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI).
"Scholars of international relations have not paid much attention to what makes relations between some states ‘special’. Kristin Haugevik’s fine book helps filling this gap. Employing a social constructivist lens, she offers a neat framework linking language and diplomatic practice to shed light on the inner-workings and long term dynamics of ‘special relationships’. Very well crafted and clearly written, this is a most welcome contribution to the IR literature on interstate friendship." - Dr Felix Berenskoetter, SOAS University of London, UK.
"Haugevik’s account of ‘special relationships’ resists the temptation to reify a category of practice; as such, she is able to remain squarely focused on the plethora of activity that it takes to shore up such a relationship between two states. Her remarkable study discloses the practical effort that goes into the production and reproduction of ‘specialness,’ complementing interest-based explanations by directing our attention to dynamic performances of state identity." - Patrick Thaddeus Jackson, American University, USA.
"Kristin Haugevik’s book Special Relationships in World Politics: Inter-State Friendship and Diplomacy after the Second World War provides a novel discussion of inter-state special relationships, analysing them as discursive social processes...Throughout her monograph she seeks to answer two central questions: how do special relationships emerge, and how do they subsist over time? While this piece may only provide a beginning toward answering these questions, their raising as well as her careful, thorough research will undoubtedly provide an invaluable platform for future studies." - Amy Kasper, The Hague Journal of Diplomacy.
