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Sims, and Ravi Sodhi: Domestic Violence Laws in the United States and India: A Systematic Comparison of Backgrounds and Implications DOI: 10.1057/9781137395535.0001 International Practice Theory: New Perspectives Christian Bueger Cardiff University, UK and Frank Gadinger Centre for Global Cooperation Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany DOI: 10.1057/9781137395535.0001 © Christian Bueger and Frank Gadinger 2014 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2014 978-1-137-39552-8 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The authors have asserted their rights to be identified as the authors of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published by 2014 PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries ISBN: 978-1-137-39553-5 PDF ISBN: 978-1-349-48421-8 This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Bueger, Christian, 1975– author. International practice theory : new perspectives / Christian Bueger and Frank Gadinger. pages cm 1. International relations – Philosophy. 2. International relations – Social aspects. 3. Political sociology. I. Gadinger, Frank, author. II. Title. JZ1251.B84 2014 327.101—dc23 2014034497 www.palgrave.com/pivot doi: 10.1057/9781137395535 Contents Acknowledgments vi 1 Introducing International Practice Theory 1 2 Situating Practice Theory in Social Theory and International Relations 8 3 Core Approaches in International Practice Theory 21 4 Conceptual Challenges of International Practice Theory 59 5 Towards Praxiography: Research Strategies and Techniques 76 6 After the Practice Turn – In Conclusion 97 References 105 Index 124 DOI: 10.1057/9781137395535.0001 v Acknowledgments This book is the outcome of an intellectual journey that brought us to different places and led us to discover thinkers across disciplines. Various conversations have shaped our thinking about what practice theory is and what we can do with it in International Relations (IR). The first ideas for writing this book emerged from a discussion in a corner bar in the suburbs of Florence. Back then, both of us were fascinated by the alternative universe that contemporary social theory provides to understand international politics, especially if compared to the narrow spectrum that classical IR theory has on offer. However, when first embarking on this intellectual quest, we occasionally thought we were heading in diverging directions by thinking about different prob- lems such as materiality, practical knowledge, reflexivity, justification or narrativity and in discovering new authors from other disciplinary contexts. Ultimately, we always noticed that the sometimes hidden intellectual spirit behind our search was the priority of practice in social life. “Practice theory” in IR has seen a similar evolution to our own experience. What was once a sort of intel- lectual stranger is now seen increasingly as a familiar body of thought whose core insights are of immediate relevance for the discipline. It is our impression that the connections that the idea of centering theory in practice provides are, however, still underestimated. With this book we hope to be able to make some of these connec- tions more visible and indeed also more plausible. Often we find that researchers prefer to develop niches, vi DOI: 10.1057/9781137395535.0002 Acknowledgments vii in arguing for the superiority of this or that perspective – whether it is Bourdieusan praxeology, Actor–Network Theory, Relationalism or Narrative theory – rather than elaborating on the grander picture. While our interpretation of what practice theory is, or perhaps should be, is, of course, also restrictive, the goal of this book is to outline how perspectives hang together, and how a set of common challenges – whether ontological or methodological – exists. These challenges provide a common ground, and are an invitation to appreciate the tensions between different theoretical perspectives and positions. At the same time, we hope that this book also provides an intelligible introduction for those new to practice theoretical thought. Our goal is to make the core assumptions and insights from international practice theory accessible and provide guidance of how to pursue a practice- theoretical research project. Finally, with this book we hope to spark more dialogue between IR and the different disciplines concerned about practice, including, but not limited to, sociology, cultural stud- ies, policy studies, organization studies or anthropology. Conversations with a range of individuals have been instrumen- tal in writing this book. We had the pleasure to talk over different aspects reflected in the book in discussions with Emanuel Adler, Morten Skumsrud Andersen, Trine Villumsen Berling, Richard Freeman, Inanna Hamati-Ataya, Gunther Hellmann, Friedrich Kratochwil, Xymena Kurowska, Jorg Kustermans, Anna Leander, Maximilian Mayer, Christian Meyer, Iver Neumann, Vincent Pouliot, Peer Schouten, Ole Jacob Sending, Peter Sutch, Hendrik Wagenaar, William Walters, Dvora Yanow, and Taylan Yildiz. Felix Bethke, Elisa Wynne-Hughes, Holger Niemann, and Sebastian Jarzebski have provided detailed comments on parts of the manuscript. We are grate- ful to Christopher Smith and Jan Stockbruegger not only for research assistance, but also for providing detailed comments on the entire manuscript. Christian Bueger acknowledges the support from the Centre for Advanced Security Theory, Copenhagen University, where parts of this manuscript were written. Writing up, moreover, benefitted from a grant by the Economic and Social Research Council [ES/K008358/1] and the support of the Department of Politics and International Relations, Cardiff University. Frank Gadinger would like to thank his colleagues and fellows at the Centre for Global Cooperation Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, DOI: 10.1057/9781137395535.0002 viii Acknowledgments for providing him with a stimulating work environment and rich discus- sions while writing this manuscript. Parts of Chapter 5 and 6 draw on Bueger, Christian, “Pathways to Practice: Praxiography and International Politics,” European Political Science Review 6(3), 383–406, 2014. DOI: 10.1057/9781137395535.0002 1 Introducing International Practice Theory Abstract: International Relations scholars increasingly are interested in practice. Following a larger turn to practices in the social sciences, a broad movement of scholars aims at studying practices. In this introduction we discuss what is fascinating about practice. International Practice Theory offers a genuine novel perspective on politics and international relations and comes along with a range of promises to analyze the world differently. We also provide an overview of the different strategies we adopt to explain what International Practice Theory is and does. Keywords: International Relations Theory; Practice Theory; Practice Turn Bueger, Christian and Frank Gadinger. International Practice Theory: New Perspectives. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. doi: 10.1057/9781137395535.0003. DOI: 10.1057/9781137395535.0003 