Since September 2023, I have been a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in International Relations at the University of St Andrews. Previously, after completing my DPhil in International Relations, I was a PPRF in Politics at Nuffield College, University of Oxford. My research focuses on norm contestation, and thus explores debates over the meaning of international norms.
I seek to contribute to the literature in International Relations and International Law which considers normative frameworks to be incomplete and ambiguous. I analyse how agreement on the meaning of norms can come about when new contexts emerge and the incomplete and ambiguous elements of norms give rise to debate. In my book, “The Politics of International Norms: A Rhetorical Approach”, I develop a typology of the different outcomes that norm contestation can have and discuss explanations for this variation in outcome. I look at contestation by the United States but also by less powerful actors such as international courts and small states. My case studies include high-stakes debates over maritime boundaries, the interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya and over the right to self-determination. With my research, I seek to bridge divides between constructivist and rational choice scholars and I am particularly interested in insights from rhetorical approaches.
I am also interested in reasons for action and how normative beliefs influence decision-making. For instance, based on the example of foreign policy decision-making on Brexit, I have explored how moral convictions and social norms influence elite decision-making.
Before starting a doctorate at Oxford University, I studied the M.A. in Law and Diplomacy at the Fletcher School, Tufts University, and a B.A. In International Relations at the University of Dresden. In-between degrees, I worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Panama. Furthermore, I previously worked as chief of staff of a member of the German Bundestag.
When I don’t do research on the role of norms in international affairs, I like to travel, read, discuss politics and spend time with my husband and two kids.
Anette Stimmer 