GIR Colloquium | ‘Vicarious Identity in International Relations’, Brent Steele
Thursday 27 May, 1:15 – 2:30pm, 441 and via Zoom*. For enquiries contact Prof Justin Hastings
Abstract
Vicarious identification, or “living through another” is a familiar social-psychological concept. Shaped by insecurity and a lack of self-fulfillment, it refers to the processes by which actors gain a sense of self-identity, purpose, and self-esteem through appropriating the achievements and experiences of others. It is also an under-appreciated and increasingly relevant strategy of international relations. Vicarious Identity in International Relations examines the ways in which vicarious identity is relevant to global politics: across individuals; between citizens and states; and across states, regional communities, or civilizations. This talk based on the 2021 book will introduce vicarious identity, and demonstrate its operation through the case of the United States vis-à-vis Israel.
About the Speaker
Brent J. Steele is the Francis D. Wormuth Presidential Chair, Department Chair and Professor of Political Science at the University of Utah, and the co-editor in chief of Global Studies Quarterly. In addition to Vicarious Identity in International Relations, he is also the author of the recent Restraint in International Politics (Cambridge University Press, 2019), which co-won the ISA Theory section book award for 2020.