Psychology, Status, and Recognition in International Politics

In this episode, Professor Deborah Welch Larson joins host Morten Skumsrud Andersen to discuss how the need for recognition and the fear of status loss affect international politics. 

Drawing on decades of research, Larson starts with the mistrust that defined the Cold War, before examining how powers like China and Russia seek international status through emulation, competition, and social creativity. 

The episode also explores a paradox of contemporary U.S. politics; whilst President Donald Trump aims to restore American greatness, his policies may undermine the foundations of U.S. international status. We examine the psychology of grievance and humiliation, and ask what it signals when a hegemon begins to retreat from the international order it helped create. 

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