Urbanising norms? Cities as local amplifiers in global norm dynamics on HIV/AIDS policies

Abstract

Despite the growing activities of cities in world politics, and the importance of local actors in norm research, little has been done to assess the contribution of cities to global norm dynamics. Drawing on the normatively contested field of global HIV/AIDS policies, we show how cities differ from other local actors usually discussed in norm research. Instead of adapting, contesting or even rejecting global norms, cities amplify them. Amplification is a local reaction to global norm dynamics that resembles a combination of norm implementation and norm entrepreneurship. To show this urban engagement with norms in detail, we first link the existing strands of city research and norm research in IR. Second, we present the global norm dynamics related to HIV/AIDS policies as a normative context for city activities. Third, we scrutinise cities’ contribution to norm dynamics by analysing their networking and dissemination activities within and beyond city borders. As a result, we find that cities support global norm dynamics and amplify global norms even against a very different local and national background. These results have important implications for current norm research that has so far neither examined cities in detail, nor conceptualised local actors as amplifiers of global norms.