I am truly excited to share this new research articlehttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💥" title="Symbol für eine Kollision" aria-label="Emoji: Symbol für eine Kollision">Reputation crisis management and the state: Theorising containment as diplomatic response modehttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="💥" title="Symbol für eine Kollision" aria-label="Emoji: Symbol für eine Kollision">co-authored with Cecilie Basberg Neumann @OsloMet and published #openaccess in @EuroJournIR today! https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="➡️" title="Pfeil nach rechts" aria-label="Emoji: Pfeil nach rechts"> https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/13540661211008213">https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/...

What response options are available in the toolbox to governments, bureaucrats and diplomats who are faced with potentially harmful international attacks on their states’ identities and reputation?

We show, firstly, how different categories of state representatives – governments, bureaucratic officials and diplomats – assume different roles and have different response options available to them when faced with attacks on their state’s international identity and reputation.

Secondly, we argue that containment is a defining but understudied feature of diplomatic activity, especially when a state is engaged in mediation activities or dealing with an ontological security crisis.

For diplomats dealing with a prospective ontological security crisis, containment seems to serve two key functions: 1) Keeping communication channels open & providing a secure space for dialogue; and 2) recognising the other party’s emotions &viewpoints through emphatic listening

We substantiate our argument with a case study of how #Norwegian government representatives, bureaucratic officials and diplomats responded to escalating international criticism against Norway’s Child Welfare Services following a wave of transnational protests in 2016.

Faced with harsh and escalating international criticism of Norwegian practices, a chief priority for the diplomats involved became to diffuse the crisis and prevent it from causing long-term damage to the bilateral relationships in question.

We have benefitted greatly from reading and building on the work of many great scholars working on related topics including (but not limited to) @RebAdlerNissen @Prof_MHolmes @BrentJSteele1 @emma_hutchison @ojs100 @suboticjelena @AnnTowns3 @HalvardLeira @NgGraeger

We would also like to express our gratitude to the editors & reviewers of @EuroJournIR for excellent, constructive feedback on the manuscript we initially submitted.

The research was partially financed by the project “EPOS: Evaluating Power Political Repertoires”, financed by @RCN_Norway