DIIS ∙ DANISH INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES Ontological Security - the ‘on- off’ button...

DIIS ∙ DANISH INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

Ontological Security - the ‘on-off’ button of spill-over?Trine Flockhart

Singapore, 4 October 2011

What is the paper about?

A sympathetic revision of Ernst Haas’s neo-functionalism

Elevating spill-over from a first order theorizing concept to second order theorizing

Introduces ontological security as a precondition for agent action

Sees spill-over as a result of enthusiasm and a ‘can do’ attitude rather than a result of disappointment and frustration


Outline of paper

Neo-functionalism – the basics Haas’s ‘theory of international politics’ and change at

the macro level Ontological security Identity and the importance of self-esteem Narrative and the importance of biographical

continuity Practice and Action Action outcomes and conditions for spill-over


Neo-functionalism – the basics

Neo-functionalism – the first integration theory based on the empirical situation unfolding in (Western) Europe during the 1950s

Central concept spill-over, which holds that a dynamic and expansive logic of integration into different policy-areas and at higher levels of authority.

Seemed able to explain European regional integration in the 1950s and early 60s but fell into disrepute after De Gaulle’s veto


Haas’s ‘theory of international politics’

Ernst Haas was a prolific writer on nationalism, epistemic communities and social constructivism

The ‘other guy down the corridor’ Haas was always really concerned

with ‘change at the macro level’ and how to affect change

Change following crisis or disruptive events and change in the absence of crisis


Problems with Neo-functionalism

Euro-specific both in its empirical focus and in its theoretical assumptions and conditions

Extremely specific as it was conceptualized as a first order theory

Central concepts and processes were under specified

Formulated within the wrong ‘zeitgeist’ Unable to incorporate external events

and structural change


An eclectic model


Ontological security 1

The security of the self Anthony Giddens, Jenifer Mitzen ‘When an agent has a stable and as

possitive as possible view of self and where order and stability in regard to the future, relationships and experiences is maintained’

Individuals need to feel secure in who they are (self-esteem), experience themselves as a whole and continuous person and maintain uncertainty within tolerable limits


Ontological Security 2

Ontological security is what allows agents to get on with daily life

It requires that agents have ‘basic trust’ and manageable levels of anxiety

It assumes a stable cognitive environment through routinization of daily practices

It requires reinforcement through successful action leading to pride rather than unsuccessful/failed action leading to shame/disappointment


Identity and the importance of self-esteem

SIT assumes that agents strive to maximize their self-esteem and that a high level of self-esteem will prevent anxiety.

High self-esteem will ensure a positive narrative, which will produce integrity of the self.

SIT also assumes that agents need cognitive consistency, which is achieved through stable social relations through belonging to a social group with a given norm set


Narrative and the importance of biographical continuity

Narrative theory assumes that the aim of the narrative construction process is positive emplotment and sense making of the past

Narratives continuously incorporate occurring events and new episodes into a positive story about ‘who we are’

It is assumed that agents will always try to establish a ‘strong narrative’ that ensure biographical continuity and self-esteem.


The narrative-identity shuttle

There is a constant process of ‘shuttling’ to and fro between narrative construction processes and identity construction processes.

Time and energy consuming process Always in constitution and influenced

from both the structural/external level and from the agent level

Equilibrium between narrative and identity = ontological security


Practice and Action

Practice is seen as unconscious or automatic activities embedded in taken for granted routines contributing to stability

Action is reflexive intentional goal oriented behavior designed to affect change

Rhetorical action is located at the language level consisting mainly of statements that do not require any further action

Functional action requires actual action All action and practice can be reinforcing or

undermining


Possible action outcomes


The whole model


Towards a modernized version of spill-over

Applies to all intentional action processes designed to affect change

The overall process may be ‘kick-started’ by crisis, but is more likely to take place in the absence of crisis.

‘agent-led action related to a specific goal leading to further action in a dynamic, and possibly expansive, process where the initial agent-led action leads to more action, and all major actors remain committed to the project’

Results from positive emotionsDIIS ∙ DANISH INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

Conditions for spill-over Action (either rhetorical but preferably

functional) must be reinforcing Events must be able to be incorporated

into the narrative and identity construction processes without detrimental effects on bio-graphical continuity or self-esteem

Practice must be continuously reinforcing Disruptive structural change is absent Ontological security has to be

established at all times


NATO and EU (CSDP)

Two organizations within the same structural environment and similar roles

Yet since the end of CW dramatically different action patterns and different ontological security patterns

Both have displayed clear processes of spill-over

Both suggest that spill-over is fragile and difficult to establish and sustain


Conclusion Incorporate the structural/external

level and agent level – both of which feed into a process level

If all five conditions are present, spill-over may be ‘switched on’.

Elevating spill-over to a general issue of change

Allows for comparison between different processes of change

Change is always possible, but difficult to achieve and to sustain


DIIS ∙ DANISH INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES Ontological Security - the ‘on- off’ button...

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