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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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International Relations

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Identity

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

International Boggarts: Carl Schmitt, Harry Potter And The Transfiguration Of Identity, Emma R. Norman Dec 2010

International Boggarts: Carl Schmitt, Harry Potter And The Transfiguration Of Identity, Emma R. Norman

Emma R. Norman

Of all the magical monsters in Harry Potter, boggarts are interesting both for the narrative function they perform, and for how they emphasize the complex relation between identity and violence in international politics. In this paper I show that the Potter series illuminates how globalization has transfigured our conceptions of collective identity and violence—to the point where conventionally accepted theories of international relations are having trouble dealing with them. Boggarts arouse our deepest fears, and amorphously shape-shift according to those fears. Consequently, no one knows what a boggart really looks like—adding to our insecurities. The parallels with contemporary international relations …


"Applying Carl Schmitt To Global Puzzles: Identity, Conflict And The Friend/Enemy Antithesis,", Emma R. Norman Aug 2009

"Applying Carl Schmitt To Global Puzzles: Identity, Conflict And The Friend/Enemy Antithesis,", Emma R. Norman

Emma R. Norman

This paper demonstrates the broad appeal and usefulness of the political and legal thought of Carl Schmitt to scholars of international relations by applying his seminal friend-enemy antithesis to current global problems as well as to current IR theories used to negotiate them. I argue that Schmitt’s contemporary appeal lies, first, in his insistence that collective identity is necessarily formed through conflict (enmity); and second, that identity lies at the very base of what motivates behavior on the international stage (at the sub-national, national and transnational levels). By implication, Schmitt’s theories offer some fresh insights into the sources and nature …