Overview
- Numerous tables and figures offer a helpful overview of the theory's core features
- Novel way of conducting critical investigations based on thinking tools
- Helpful guidance to comprehend deeper theoretical issues and their use for both theory building and policy decisions
- Explorative cases illustrate the value-added of the theory
- Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras
Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Political Science (BRIEFSPOLITICAL)
Buy print copy
About this book
The Theory of Contestation advances critical norms research in international relations. It scrutinises the uses of ‘contestation’ in international relations theories with regard to its descriptive and normative potential. To that end, critical investigations into international relations are conducted based on three thinking tools from public philosophy and the social sciences: The normativity premise, the diversity premise and cultural cosmopolitanism. The resulting theory of contestation entails four main features, namely types of norms, modes of contestation, segments of norms and the cycle of contestation. The theory distinguishes between the principle of contestedness and the practice of contestation and argues that, if contestedness is accepted as a meta-organising principle of global governance, regular access to contestation for all involved stakeholders will enhance legitimate governance in the global realm.
Similar content being viewed by others
Keywords
Table of contents (7 chapters)
Reviews
“In this groundbreaking work, Antje Wiener presents the first systematic account of the roles of practices of contestation in international relations and global governance. She focuses on the fundamental norm-generative power of practices of contestation - the basis of legitimacy – and maps the changes that a wide range of such practices bring about. In so doing she provides a new way of understanding change, as well as normativity, diversity and cosmopolitanism. It is a must read for anyone interested in these central issues of our time.” (James Tully, Distinguished Professor of Political Science, University of Victoria)
“Wiener’s A Theory of Contestation makes an important intervention into the field of international norms. […] [It] offers both an explanatory theory of how norms are contested and a normative defense of why they should be contested. Wiener’s argument is threefold. First, she argues that contestation generates international norms. Second, she argues that all norms are potentially contestable. Third, she argues that because contestation is central to the generation, transformation, and implementation of norms, international relations scholars should draw upon the ‘thinking tools’ developed by political theorists who work on norm contestation in the area of democratic theory.” (Jonathan Havercroft, University of Southampton)
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: A Theory of Contestation
Authors: Antje Wiener
Series Title: SpringerBriefs in Political Science
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-55235-9
Publisher: Springer Berlin, Heidelberg
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Political Science and International Studies (R0)
Copyright Information: The Author(s) 2014
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-642-55234-2Published: 25 August 2014
eBook ISBN: 978-3-642-55235-9Published: 14 August 2014
Series ISSN: 2191-5466
Series E-ISSN: 2191-5474
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XV, 95
Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations
Topics: Political Theory, International Relations, Constitutional Law