Awkward Powers: Escaping Traditional Great and Middle Power Theory

'Awkward Powers' is an innovative and impressive book written by leading scholars in the field. It assists with our understanding of the changing nature and role of middle powers at a time of considerable upheaval in the international system.

• Dr. David Walton, Western Sydney University, Australia This wonderfully provocative collection of essays is a welcome contribution to an International Relations discipline still obsessed with big powers. It highlights how smaller states are now variously intervening in regional and global affairs. The book confirms that their "awkwardness" can no longer be ignored.

• Dr. Allan Patience, The University of Melbourne, Australia

  This book introduces the editors' new concept of "Awkward Powers". By undertaking a critical re-examination of the state of International Relations theorising on the changing nature of the global power hierarchy, it draws attention to a number of countries that fit awkwardly into existing but outdated categories such as "great power" and "middle power". It argues that conceptual categories pertaining to the apex of the international hierarchy have become increasingly unsatisfactory, and that new approaches focusing on such "Awkward Powers" can both rectify shortcomings on power theorising whilst shining a much-needed theoretical spotlight on significant but understudied states. The book's contributors examine a broad range of empirical case studies, including both established and rising powers across a global scale to illustrate our conceptual claims. Through such a novel process, we argue that a better appreciation of the de facto international power hierarchy in the 21st century can be achieved.

  Gabriele Abbondanza, PhD, is a Visiting Fellow at the Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney. He specialises in Australian and Italian foreign and security policy; national power, and regional, middle, and great power theory.

  Thomas Wilkins, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in International Security in the Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney, and a Senior Fellow (Non-Resident) at the Japan Institute for International Affairs. He has published widely on International Relations theory and Asia-Pacific security issues.

Auteur

Gabriele Abbondanza, Ph.D., is Visiting Fellow at the Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney. He specialises in Australian and Italian foreign and security policy; national power, and regional, middle, and great power theory. His research has been published in journals such as European Political Science, History of Political Thought, Australian Journal of International Affairs, and The International Spectator. He has published two monographs on Australian and Italian geopolitics (Aracne), and currently teaches a number courses related to International Relations and Security.

Thomas Wilkins, Ph.D., is Senior Lecturer in International Security in the Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney, and a Senior Fellow (Non-Resident) at the Japan Institute for International Affairs. He has published widely on International Relations theory and Asia-Pacific security issues in journals such as Review of International Studies, Australian Journal of International Affairs, *and *International Relations of the Asia Pacific. He co-edited the volume Rethinking Middle Powers (Routledge) and his latest monograph is entitled Security in Asia Pacific (Lynne Rienner).

Résumé

This book introduces the editors' new concept of Awkward Powers. By undertaking a critical re-examination of the state of International Relations theorising on the changing nature of the global power hierarchy, it draws attention to a number of countries that fit awkwardly into existing but outdated categories such as great power and middle power. It argues that conceptual categories pertaining to the apex of the international hierarchy have become increasingly unsatisfactory, and that new approaches focusing on such Awkward Powers can both rectify shortcomings on power theorising whilst shining a much-needed theoretical spotlight on significant but understudied states. The book's contributors examine a broad range of empirical case studies, including both established and rising powers across a global scale to illustrate our conceptual claims. Through such a novel process, we argue that a better appreciation of the de facto international power hierarchy in the 21st century can be achieved.

Contenu

PART I INTRODUCTION.

1. Gabriele Abbondanza and Thomas Wilkins, The Case for Awkward Powers

PART II AWKWARD GREAT POWERS

2. Gabriele Abbondanza, The Odd Axis: Germany, Italy, and Japan as Awkward Great Powers

3. Emilian Kavalski, India: An Awkward Great Power?

4. Thomas Wilkins & Lucas Rezende, A liminal and transitional awkward power: Brazil betwixt the great and middle powers.

PART III AWKWARD MIDDLE POWERS

5. Amy Freedman, Thailand as an Awkward Middle Power

6.Sarah Teo, Middle power awkwardness? Indonesia's norm entrepreneurship in ASEAN

7. Jonathan Ping, Malaysia as an Awkward Middle Power

8. Yolanda Spies, The Equivocal Power of South Africa 9. Jiye Kim, Between a regional hegemon and a middle power: Is Nigeria an awkward middle power?

10. Dorothée Vandamme, The Normative Awkwardness of Pakistan

11. Virginie Grzelczyk, Neither This Nor That: Understanding North Korea via Role Theory

12. Aleksandar Mitreski, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Rentier Middle Power in Pursuit of Global Leadership of the Islamic Community

13. Gil Merom, Awkward and Peculiar: On Israel Flying Above its Designated Positional Pigeonhole

14. Peng Er Lam, Singapore as an awkward little red dot: between the small and middle power status

15. Marion Jacques, Tanguy Struye de Swielande and Tanguy de Wilde d'Estmael, Belgium: The capacities of a middle power, but the ambitions of a small power?

PART IV CONCLUSION 16.Thomas Wilkins and Gabriele Abbondanza, What makes an awkward power? Recurrent patterns and defining characteristics