Politics of Stigmatization

This book studies how the pursuit of becoming an established insider in an international community shapes a states foreign policy. It looks at Polands response to three international crises that called for joint action of the EU and its members: the Iraq war of 2003, the Russo-Georgian war of 2008, and the Ukraine crisis beginning in 2013. The book develops the concept of strategic culture as a collection of historically informed narratives that guide a states pursuit of ontological security, a basic sense of certainty about the states role and place in the international environment. Building on this concept the author argues that Polands behavior reflects the awareness of its stigma as a late arrival in the EU, and more generally in theWest as an identity community. The study thus provides insight into how stigmatization and struggle for recognition shape international dynamics.