The city as an actor in international relations : the case of cross-border city networks seen from Kristiansand, Norway

Abstract

Cities garner increasing interest as an object of study within the field of international relations. Networked social relations is used as a guiding framework to understand cities as actors rather than as sites for international politics. This thesis seeks to broaden the understanding of cities as political actors and how they influence processes of global governance through cross-border city networks. The thesis aims to identify different motives for ordinary- and globalizing cities to participate in cross-border city networks. It will do so through a case study that focuses on network participation from the perspective of actors in Kristiansand. Four actors who participate in Kristiansand’s cross-border city networks were interviewed in order to examine local perspectives on network participation. The thesis will argue that networked city diplomacy is a vast and complex landscape that cities must navigate to solve local and global challenges related to security and development. Furthermore, the thesis will argue that the motives for city diplomacy are changing. It will be suggested that cities are moving away from traditional forms of city diplomacy based on peacebuilding and peacekeeping and over to more strategic forms of networked city diplomacy that are rooted in cost-benefit rationales. Lastly, the thesis will suggest a link between strategic city diplomacy and status literature in International Relations. The thesis contributes to the project “Interdisciplinary Master Class 2019” and the project “Kristiansand Dobbel+”.