Past event
The Politics of International Norms Book Launch
We are delighted to invite you to the launch of Anette Stimmer (St Andrews)'s latest book, “The Politics of International Norms: A Rhetorical Approach” (Cambridge University Press, 2025), jointly hosted by the ILCR and CGLG.
The main discussant of the book will be the ILCR Co-Director, John Hudson.
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About the Book
Norm contestation is prevalent in international affairs: Legal ambiguities and tensions generate debate, even when well-established international norms are applied to concrete situations. This book discusses a wide range of norm disputes and develops a rhetorical approach to the politics of international norms. Anette Stimmer demonstrates how actors can agree or disagree on the norm frame (norm-based justification) and/or behavioral claim (implementing action) when applying international law. Thus, norm contestation can have four “alternate endings”: norm impasse, norm neglect, norm recognition, and norm clarification. These alternate endings affect the clarity and strength of the contested norms, as well as subsequent debate, differently. Furthermore, Stimmer explains how three classical elements of rhetoric–speakers (including delegation to agents), argumentation, and audience reactions– influence the duration and outcome of contestation. This rhetorical approach is applied to eight norm disputes, ranging from military interventions to contestation over the human rights of terror suspects.
About the Author
Anette Stimmer is a Lecturer in International Relations at the University of St Andrews and Co-Director of the St Andrews Centre for Global Law and Governance. Her research focuses on how normative beliefs shape foreign policy decision-making and how decision-makers influence international law and norms, particularly concerning the (non-)use of military force. Her work has been published in International Studies Quarterly, the European Journal of International Relations, International Affairs, and the Journal of Global Security Studies.
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This promises to be an engaging discussion, and we would love for you to join us!