Prestige and punishment: Status symbols and the danger of white elephants.

IF 1.9 2区社会学 Q2 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Cooperation and Conflict Pub Date : 2025-03-01 Epub Date: 2024-10-08 DOI:10.1177/00108367241280178

Paul Beaumont, Lucas de Oliveira Paes, Cristiana Maglia

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This article identifies and unpacks the intrinsic potential for backlash in the pursuit of status symbols. While status loss has been associated with domestic pushback and reduced legitimacy for ruling governments, the literature on status is yet to examine how status-seeking can backfire even when a state can successfully claim to have acquired a status symbol. We contend that status backlashes are an inherent risk of status-seeking due to the multivocality of costly status symbols. Our heuristic framework for studying status backlashes proposes examining modes of critique that construe status symbols as irrational or unjustified costly endeavours, undermining their legitimating capacity and potentially even transforming them into a marker of stigma. Empirically, we identify three modes of critique present in reactions to Brazil's hosting of the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016. There, despite recognizing the symbolic value of hosting these mega-events, Brazilian audiences also criticized the government for the opportunity costs, vested interests and subservience that it entailed. Undertaking two shadow case studies - on the backlash against the United Kingdom's renewal of its Trident nuclear weapons system and Norway's engagement in military interventions between 1999 and 2012 - we document how these modes of critique associated with status symbols can travel across contexts.

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本文指出并解读了在追求地位象征的过程中出现反弹的内在可能性。虽然地位的丧失与国内反弹和执政政府合法性的降低有关，但有关地位的文献尚未研究即使一个国家可以成功地宣称获得了地位象征，地位追求如何会适得其反。我们认为，由于代价高昂的地位象征的多义性，地位反弹是寻求地位的固有风险。我们研究地位反弹的启发式框架建议研究将地位象征视为非理性或不合理的代价高昂的努力的批判模式，这些批判模式破坏了地位象征的合法化能力，甚至有可能将地位象征转化为耻辱的标志。通过实证研究，我们发现在对巴西举办 2014 年世界杯和 2016 年奥运会的反应中存在三种批判模式。在这些事件中，尽管巴西受众认识到主办这些大型活动的象征意义，但他们也批评了政府的机会成本、既得利益和屈从。通过对英国更新三叉戟核武器系统和挪威在1999年至2012年间参与军事干预的反弹这两个影子案例的研究，我们记录了这些与地位象征相关的批评模式是如何在不同背景下传播的。

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来源期刊

Cooperation and Conflict Multiple-

CiteScore

4.10

自引率

10.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Published for over 40 years, the aim of Cooperation and Conflict is to promote research on and understanding of international relations. It believes in the deeds of academic pluralism and thus does not represent any specific methodology, approach, tradition or school. The mission of the journal is to meet the demands of the scholarly community having an interest in international studies (for details, see the statement "From the Editors" in Vol. 40, No. 3, September 2005). The editors especially encourage submissions contributing new knowledge of the field and welcome innovative, theory-aware and critical approaches. First preference will continue to be given to articles that have a Nordic and European focus. Cooperation and Conflict strictly adheres to a double-blind reviewing policy.