Description
This paper aims to examine how and why norms are contested in international relations (IR) by building on Elvira Rosert’s (2023) typology of norms and Antje Wiener’s (2014, 2018) theory of contestation. Specifically, it will question whether the way in which a norm is defined according to the typology affects the way(s) in which it is contested. It is important to ensure that analysis of norm contestations is considered at all levels, as much of the literature has an over-focus on purely state-level actors. I argue that different norms are essentially contested in different ways in IR, but that this contestation goes beyond the level of states to form a wider movement of contestation internationally against a specific norm. I aim to showcase this through the example of LGBTQ+ acceptance in the European Union. Do actors at different level contest norms in differing ways depending on the type of norm in question and what is the relationship between norm types and contestation more broadly in IR?
