Login
Create Account
Canadian Store (CAD)
You are currently shopping in our Canadian store. For orders outside of Canada, please switch to our international store. International and US orders are billed in US dollars.
 |
Nation Branding and International Politics |
eBook Available
Why nation branding is politically significant in understanding contemporary international politics.
Nation branding is regarded as essential for competitiveness among countries, but the idea of branding nations is often derided as lacking seriousness. While nation branding has been on the radar of scholars of marketing, communication, and media studies, as well as political geography for decades, it has only made a small dent into the international relations field.
In Nation Branding and International Politics Christopher Browning argues that international relations should take nation branding seriously. Nation branding not only involves the issues of culture, identity, and status - which are of principal concern to IR - but it is also a different and potentially fruitful way of reconceptualizing statehood. Mobilizing work on ontological security, anxiety, status, and distinction, and grounding the analysis in a broader historical context, Browning finds that nation branding is politically significant, though not necessarily for the reasons its advocates claim. Specifically, the book raises important questions about nation branding’s influence on the constitution of national identity, the reframing of citizenship, and the topography of contemporary geopolitics.
Nation Branding and International Politics considers how status, prestige, and reputation are constructed and maintained in international society, and how, perhaps, this construction and maintenance may be changing - just as the practice of nation branding is changing.
In Nation Branding and International Politics Christopher Browning argues that international relations should take nation branding seriously. Nation branding not only involves the issues of culture, identity, and status - which are of principal concern to IR - but it is also a different and potentially fruitful way of reconceptualizing statehood. Mobilizing work on ontological security, anxiety, status, and distinction, and grounding the analysis in a broader historical context, Browning finds that nation branding is politically significant, though not necessarily for the reasons its advocates claim. Specifically, the book raises important questions about nation branding’s influence on the constitution of national identity, the reframing of citizenship, and the topography of contemporary geopolitics.
Nation Branding and International Politics considers how status, prestige, and reputation are constructed and maintained in international society, and how, perhaps, this construction and maintenance may be changing - just as the practice of nation branding is changing.
Details
240 Pages, 6 x 9
2 photos, 3 tables
ISBN 9780228018919
October 2023
Formats: Cloth, Paperback, eBook
“Christopher Browning argues convincingly that nation branding maps onto a wide variety of modes of twenty-first-century statecraft, serving as a useful implement for states as varied as Sweden, Colombia, and North Korea. In his careful treatment of the subject, he fills a gap in the field of international politics, and does so with confidence, careful scholarship, and highly relevant examples. This book will be the text of choice for international relations scholars, bringing together previous work across multiple disciplines to create a meaningful synthesis” Robert A. Saunders, State University of New York and author of Geopolitics, Northern Europe, and Nordic Noir: What Television Series Tell Us about World Politics
“Browning rejects the notion that nation branding is a mere tool, seeing it as a deeply political project instead. He challenges the pacifying nature of nation branding, its emancipatory potential and its role in building understanding between states. Instead, he invites readers to consider how nation branding practices reinforce the status quo. In demonstrating the false promise of nation branding, Browning effectively opens up new avenues for further inquiry.” International Affairs
“Browning rejects the notion that nation branding is a mere tool, seeing it as a deeply political project instead. He challenges the pacifying nature of nation branding, its emancipatory potential and its role in building understanding between states. Instead, he invites readers to consider how nation branding practices reinforce the status quo. In demonstrating the false promise of nation branding, Browning effectively opens up new avenues for further inquiry.” International Affairs
Christopher S. Browning is reader of politics and international studies at the University of Warwick and co-author of Vicarious Identity in International Relations: Self, Security, and Status on the Global Stage.
Tables and Figures vii
Acknowledgements ix
Introduction 3
1 Brand(ing) States 10
2 Competition States 30
3 Anxious States 57
4 Good States 87
5 Peaceful States 119
6 Stigmatised States 154
Conclusion: Nation Branding and the Remaking of International Politics? 182
Notes 193
References 199
Index 225
Acknowledgements ix
Introduction 3
1 Brand(ing) States 10
2 Competition States 30
3 Anxious States 57
4 Good States 87
5 Peaceful States 119
6 Stigmatised States 154
Conclusion: Nation Branding and the Remaking of International Politics? 182
Notes 193
References 199
Index 225
