Writing Norms

Abstract

The language used by norm research exercises a form of epistemological violence that seeks to minimize normative ambiguity, hence foreclosing alternative ways of reading and writing about norms. Taking a seminal text of constructivist literature on norms as an example, this article examines how this research has been dominated by a specific “norm language.” To uncover the power of this language, we examine the normalizing effects and implications of a particularly influential work in norm research literature. Inspired by the work of Jacques Derrida, we inquire into the presuppositions of “International Norm Dynamics and Political Change” by Martha Finnemore and Kathryn Sikkink. A double reading of the text traces how it relies on logocentric dichotomies that need to be sustained by discursive moves of deferral, closure, and forgetting. We provide an alternative reading of some of the stories in the text that work to destabilize its underlying logics. Finally, we offer a perspective on “writing norms” calling for a culture of tolerance and an ethics of “hospitality” that celebrate normative ambiguity as a source for dialogue.