Interpreting Norms and Stigma: The India-US Nuclear Relationship from 1974 to 2008

Abstract

Scholars in International Relations (IR) have been turning to a critical constructivist agenda in norms research in recent times. However, in doing so, there has been an underutilisation in applying this area of research for understanding the nuclear behaviour and identity formations of states described as deviant in nuclear governance. This thesis therefore asks: How do stigmatised states justify and normalise nuclear non-compliance with hegemonic powers in nuclear politics? To answer this question, the thesis develops two main arguments. The first argues that stigmatised states engage in social interactions with a hegemonic state in justifying partial adherence to norms of nuclear deterrence, non-proliferation, and non-use.

Drawing on the India-United States case study from 1974 to 2008, this thesis demonstrates as well as empirically argues that India’s transformational nuclear relationship with the United States points to the discursive power of social interactions in nuclear governance. In examining how stigmatised identities manage their stigma in international politics, this thesis suggests i) stigma redaction as a form of identity management whereby stigmatised states engage in semi-corrective behaviour to prevent their identity from being cemented as ‘deviant’ by the hegemon, and ii) stigma redaction being employed through the political discourse of reasoning of instance whereby deviance is connected to a previous act of compliance to make incongruent behaviour more socially presentable. In order to develop these arguments, the project draws from nuclear politics, International Political Sociology, and existing work on India’s foreign and nuclear policy. Applying an interpretive methodology, the thesis relies on an interactionist approach to further the understanding of deviance in international politics. For its empirical analysis of data, this thesis employs Critical Discourse Analysis on archival sources. It aims to contribute to International Security Studies, the increasing scholarship on global IR, and the empirical research on India’s nuclear identity.

Date of Award	1 May 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	King's College London
Supervisor	Hassan Elbahtimy (Supervisor) & Stephan Engelkamp (Supervisor)