The Making of “Dominion” Status at the 1907 Imperial Conference: Dissociation, Racialization, and the (Re)Constitution of International Pecking Orders

This paper theorizes dissociation as a key but overlooked dynamic in the (re)constitution of international pecking orders. Conceptually, dissociation captures how actors look to ensure they are considered separate from, dissimilar, and fundamentally uncomparable to certain “others” with whom comparison is considered undesirable and disempowering. Drawing on original archival research, we showcase the value-added of this conceptual lens by examining the reformulation of the British imperial hierarchy at the 1907 Imperial Conference, which formally institutionalized “Dominion” status for the first time. We show how the British settler-colonies sought to dissociate themselves from the backward and racialized “Crown Colonies,” ultimately adopting the label “Dominion” to assert their status as a qualitatively distinct type of polity. We further argue that dissociation often relies on—and reinforces—racialized logics, which actors draw upon to naturalize social boundaries. Our argument suggests that actors are not merely concerned with being “above” other actors in their comparison group on a status ladder. Rather, we demonstrate how actors also struggle to construct pecking orders and social boundaries so that they are considered not simply superior to, but categorically different from—and ultimately uncomparable to—those they deem inferior.