Description
This paper extends the use of role theory to narrow social contexts. Role theory is extensively used to explain individual foreign policy (FP) decisions, broad international positions of states, or long-term patterns of FP behaviour. However, role theory has yet to focus on narrow social contexts of specific issue areas. This paper uses role theory to reveal how beliefs about specific FP issue areas unfold in patterns of FP behaviour. The use of narrative methodology centralises actor experiences with a specific issue area and identifies the international narration of an actor’s role. This narrow approach to roles is applied to the case of British FP behaviours emerging from its understandings of Russian digital disinformation. Russian digital disinformation is applied because it is an evolving technological challenge that must be continually reinterpreted by the UK. Evolving British understandings produce roles specific to itself, Russia, and digital disinformation, setting expectations for patterns of future FP behaviours. These roles can refer to proximity to other actors, responsibility, status, and capabilities.
Keywords: Foreign Policy Analysis, Role Theory, British Foreign Policy, Russian Digital Disinformation
