ABSTRACT

Status-seeking is an important aspect of the foreign policies of a number of small states, but one that has been rarely studied. This book aims to contribute to our understanding not only of status-seeking, by coming at that question from a new angle, that of a small state, but also to our understanding of foreign policy, by discussing the importance of status for foreign policy overall.

If status is a hierarchy, then it is important to focus not just on the highest-ranking powers, but also those at lower levels. As the distribution of power is becoming more diffuse, the role of small and medium powers becomes more significant than it was during the Cold war. The book chapters go beyond familiar explications of "soft power" or conflict resolution to highlight new aspects of Norway’s foreign policy, including contributions to national defense, global warming, and management of Arctic resources.

This book will be of interest to students and scholars in areas including US Foreign Policy, International Relations and European Politics.

chapter |21 pages

Introduction

Small states and status 1

chapter 1|20 pages

The formative years

Norway as an obsessive status-seeker

chapter 2|14 pages

Status, small states, and significant others

Re-reading Norway's attraction to Britain in the twentieth century

chapter 3|17 pages

A great power performance

Norway, status and the policy of involvement

chapter 4|13 pages

Status and sovereign equality

Small states in multilateral settings

chapter 5|22 pages

From ‘forces for good’ to ‘forces for status’?

Small state military status seeking

chapter 6|18 pages

Gifts favour the giver

Norway, status and the Nobel Peace Prize

chapter 7|20 pages

How to be a ‘front-runner’

Norway and international climate politics

chapter |10 pages

Conclusion

A small middle power