The Logic of Expressive Rationality

• In Event: The Politics of International Norm Adoption, Evolution, and (non)Compliance

Abstract

Why do states acquire status symbols? States adopt seemingly disparate strategies to achieve status—such as increasing their military capabilities and adopting prevailing international norms. IR scholars usually explain state behavior based on the logic of consequences or the logic of appropriateness. However, neither logic can adequately account for status-seeking behavior. On the one hand, acquiring military capabilities is often instrumentally irrational because it creates security dilemmas. On the other hand, no international norm stipulates what status a state should aspire to or the right strategy to achieve it. To explain status-seeking behavior, I turn to a third logic of action introduced by Weber: expressive rationality. Following this logic, behavior has an expressive role—it expresses an actor’s identity. Expressive rationality explains why status symbols such as democracy are diffused from high- to low-status states. High-status states act as standard setters by defining the standard of behavior for “modern” or “civilized” states. States that want to be modern or civilized follow suit, acquiring the corresponding status symbols. Unlike existing approaches, expressive rationality takes the social context into account and can accommodate different status-seeking strategies, while avoiding the liberal bias common in norm socialization studies.

Author

• Marina Duque, Florida State University