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The European Union as a Normative Power : A Response to Thomas Diez

Manners, Ian LU orcid (2006) In Millennium: Journal of International Studies 35(1). p.167-180
Abstract
In his recent article in Millennium 33, no. 3 (2005), Thomas Diez’s reconsideration of the Normative Power (NP) thesis raises a number of important questions about the European Union (EU) as a normative power in world politics. His article critically problematises NP and calls for ‘a greater degree of self-reflexivity’ in discussions and representations of the EU as a NP. This response to Diez’s article will develop the thesis of the EU as an NP by primarily addressing his main argument that: ‘the EU is not the first normative power, and self/other practices … can be observed in other historical instances, notably the United States’ and his two minor arguments: that ‘the concept of ‘normative power’, rather than being distinct from... (More)
In his recent article in Millennium 33, no. 3 (2005), Thomas Diez’s reconsideration of the Normative Power (NP) thesis raises a number of important questions about the European Union (EU) as a normative power in world politics. His article critically problematises NP and calls for ‘a greater degree of self-reflexivity’ in discussions and representations of the EU as a NP. This response to Diez’s article will develop the thesis of the EU as an NP by primarily addressing his main argument that: ‘the EU is not the first normative power, and self/other practices … can be observed in other historical instances, notably the United States’ and his two minor arguments: that ‘the concept of ‘normative power’, rather than being distinct from ‘civilian power’, is already embedded in the latter’; and ‘the discourse on ‘normative power Europe’ is an important practice of European identity construction’. It will be argued that the EU as an NP is different from great powers and distinctive from civilian power. But Diez’s reconsideration does raise a number of interesting questions of the EU selves in both ‘othering’ practices and reflexivity. (Less)
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author
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
European Union, Normative Power, critical social theory, reflexivity, Julia Kristeva, Abject, postcolonial, neocolonial
in
Millennium: Journal of International Studies
volume
35
issue
1
pages
14 pages
publisher
Millennium Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • scopus:33847053637
ISSN
0305-8298
DOI
10.1177/03058298060350010201
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
b202e543-96b9-4dbb-bc7b-dd7624c007bc
date added to LUP
2024-06-04 12:31:01
date last changed
2024-06-05 14:00:11
@article{b202e543-96b9-4dbb-bc7b-dd7624c007bc,
  abstract     = {{In his recent article in Millennium 33, no. 3 (2005), Thomas Diez’s reconsideration of the Normative Power (NP) thesis raises a number of important questions about the European Union (EU) as a normative power in world politics. His article critically problematises NP and calls for ‘a greater degree of self-reflexivity’ in discussions and representations of the EU as a NP. This response to Diez’s article will develop the thesis of the EU as an NP by primarily addressing his main argument that: ‘the EU is not the first normative power, and self/other practices … can be observed in other historical instances, notably the United States’ and his two minor arguments: that ‘the concept of ‘normative power’, rather than being distinct from ‘civilian power’, is already embedded in the latter’; and ‘the discourse on ‘normative power Europe’ is an important practice of European identity construction’. It will be argued that the EU as an NP is different from great powers and distinctive from civilian power. But Diez’s reconsideration does raise a number of interesting questions of the EU selves in both ‘othering’ practices and reflexivity.}},
  author       = {{Manners, Ian}},
  issn         = {{0305-8298}},
  keywords     = {{European Union; Normative Power; critical social theory; reflexivity; Julia Kristeva; Abject; postcolonial; neocolonial}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{167--180}},
  publisher    = {{Millennium Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Millennium: Journal of International Studies}},
  title        = {{The European Union as a Normative Power : A Response to Thomas Diez}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/03058298060350010201}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/03058298060350010201}},
  volume       = {{35}},
  year         = {{2006}},
}