Global Order and the Political Economy of Status

As Western centrality in the global order has been subject to relevant contestation, the mechanisms that allow states to convert material power into forms of status in world politics need to be scrutinized and theorized. The panel aims to advance empirical and theoretical debates on the topic by discussing how states attempt to acquire prestige vis-à-vis their peers in the international society. Cases ranging from nuclear politics to cybersecurity and attempts to become a rule-maker suggest that economic gains and investment are not easily translated into higher status, which nevertheless remains contingent on long-term dispositions and historical legacies associated to non-economic factors.