Self-Esteem, Altruism, and Power in Multipolarity - by Hanna Samir Kassab (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

This book asserts that state identities drive state motivations shaping state behavior. It describes several state motivations connected to self-esteem and identity: economic wealth, identity dominance through altruism, and controlling political outcomes for other states otherwise understood as decisionism. Part of this process is getting other states to acknowledge and recognize this self-image. As a result, self-esteem is at the core of state motivations, and seeks to connect the ideational with material reality. For instance, status quo powers, for instance the United States, will maintain their system because it is their system. On the other hand, revisionist powers like China and Russia will be motivated to amend or even overturn the system given their own understandings of self and self-esteem. Revisionist states may feel oppressed by an unfair or unjust international system, having exceptionalist identities of their own long supplanted by the United States. Feelings of humiliation define self-esteem and the need to overturn the system may be defined by these negative experiences. This book then adopts a constructivist framework of analysis and argues that narratives, identities, and whole realities are created through a cogent process of mutual constitution.

From the Back Cover

An exciting book that raises important debates in international relations. A must-read.

Jonathan Rosen, New Jersey City University jonathanrosenrosen@gmail.com

"Is Pax Americana in decline?" This question baffles all observers of international relations and foreign policies, regardless of one's normative preferences for or against the U.S.. In this tastefully written book, the author brilliantly provokes the concept of "self-image" in a constructivist framework that analyzes the changing global order, not only in terms of material capabilities, but also in relation to psychological dynamics among competing powers.

Wenyuan Wu, PhD Independent scholar, author of Chinese Oil Enterprises in Latin America: Corporate Social Responsibility wenyuan.wu@cferfoundation.org

States act not only to survive but to protect and enhance their self-image on the world stage. Dr. Kassab's book bridges political psychology and international relations by explaining how self-esteem shapes state motivations and geopolitical outcomes.

Dr. Muhammet Koçak, National Intelligence Academy, Turkey

This book asserts that state identities drive state motivations shaping state behavior. It describes several state motivations connected to self-esteem and identity: economic wealth, identity dominance through altruism, and controlling political outcomes for other states otherwise understood as decisionism. As a result, self-esteem is at the core of state motivations and seeks to connect the ideational with material reality. Feelings of humiliation define self-esteem and the need to overturn the system may be defined by these negative experiences. This book then adopts a constructivist framework of analysis and argues that narratives, identities, and whole realities are created through a cogent process of mutual constitution.

Hanna Samir Kassab, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at East Carolina University has published "Prestige, Humiliation And Saving Face: National Identity and Great Power Politics" in Contemporary Military Challenges and is the recipient of the Department of Defense's Minerva Grant: "Food Fights: War Narratives and Identity Reproduction in Evolving Conflicts."

About the Author

Hanna Samir Kassab, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at East Carolina University has published "Prestige, Humiliation And Saving Face: National Identity and Great Power Politics" in Contemporary Military Challenges and is the recipient of the Department of Defense's Minerva Grant: "Food Fights: War Narratives and Identity Reproduction in Evolving Conflicts."