Politics of Stigmatization

This book studies how the pursuit of becoming an established 'insider' in aninternational community shapes a state's foreign policy. It looks at Poland'sresponse to three international crises that called for joint action of the EU and itsmembers: the Iraq war of 2003, the Russo-Georgian war of 2008, and the Ukrainecrisis beginning in 2013. The book develops the concept of strategic culture as acollection of historically informed narratives that guide a state's pursuit ofontological security, a basic sense of certainty about the state's role and place inthe international environment. Building on this concept the author argues thatPoland's behavior reflects the awareness of its stigma as a 'late arrival' in the EU,and more generally in the'West' as an identity community. The study thusprovides insight into how stigmatization and struggle for recognition shapeinternational dynamics.