Monographs

Why do some attempts to divide an opposing alignment fail even when the divider possesses substantial material power? And why can a state sometimes weaken the social foundations of an alignment without changing the target's basic material incentives? The Social Fabric of Alliances develops a relational constructivist theory of how adversaries attempt to weaken alignments and alliances by manipulating the social relationships that sustain them. The book's central concept is the social wedge which is an intentional strategy by an external actor to weaken a political alignment by altering how members of that alignment recognize, identify with, or trust one another. The defining feature is therefore not the instrument employed, but the relational object of the intervention and the mechanism through which it is expected to affect alignment.

Keywords: Alliance politics; wedge strategies; social wedges; relationalism; constructivism; recognition; identity; trust; alignment

Why do states respond differently to international norms governing nuclear weapons, and what distinguishes genuine nuclear renunciation from formal adherence? This book develops an interdisciplinary framework to explain how states’ historically situated experiences and subjective understandings of nuclear weapons shape their responses to international norms and rules. Rather than treating renunciation as a binary outcome or assuming that formal commitments reflect internalized norms, it distinguishes between compliance and conformity as two analytically separate institutional outcomes. Their alignment constitutes genuine renunciation, while their divergence reveals alternative forms of engagement with, resistance to, or rejection of the international nuclear order. A typology of these outcomes explains how states may formally renounce nuclear weapons without internalizing the norms underpinning renunciation, as well as how their responses vary according to their interpretations of nuclear capabilities, national identity, and strategic circumstances. By connecting subjective interpretation to institutional outcomes, the book challenges the assumption that observable adherence necessarily signals normative acceptance. It offers a framework for understanding variation in nuclear renunciation and the complex relationship between state agency, international norms, and the institutional order governing nuclear weapons.

Keywords: Nuclear renunciation, Constructivism, Social Psychology,Compliance, Conformity,International rules and norms, NPT, TPNW

Complex maritime territorial disputes have intensified in Asia-Pacific region after the Cold War and with the introduction of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Tiny islands have turned into major flashpoints threatening regional peace, stability, and cooperation. This research describes China’s maritime territorial disputes in East and South China Seas, examines the impact of the ongoing disputes on regional security and cooperation, evaluates the role of China in the region regarding disputes, and explores the possibility for potential military conflict. Furthermore, the book analyses the role of the US and its interest, and evaluates possible ways for peaceful conflict mitigation and resolution. The investigation concludes that China’s maritime territorial disputes have destabilizing impact on security and negative impact on international cooperation. The book suggests that China will manage to influence further the region in its favour, similarly to Rome’s influence in the Mediterranean and the US’s in the Caribbean seas.