The Logic of Ritual Action in International Relations

Abstract International politics abounds with rituals, but the rationale for ritual action has not been systematically expounded in international theory. This introduction to the special forum on Ritual Action in World Politics invites the scholars and students of International Relations (IR) to take ritual seriously. Flagging ritual action as an underappreciated, yet politically consequential genre of action in international relations, I make two main contributions. First, the paper conceptualizes ritual action in relation to the existing rational and constructivist theories of social action. I probe the rationality, functionality, and performativity of ritual(ized) conduct vis-à-vis the logics of…

• PU
  Princeton University
• HU
  Harvard University
• UO
  University of Cambridge
• UO
  University of Oxford
• EC
  European Commission

  Award: 101043468
• LU
  Lunds Universitet
• GU
  Göteborgs Universitet
• HE
  H2020 European Research Council

  Award: 101043468