Johan Eriksson | Södertörn University (original) (raw)
Book chapters by Johan Eriksson
Cyber Security Politics: Socio-Technological Transformations and Political Fragmentation, 2022
This book examines new and challenging political aspects of cyber security and presents it as an ... more This book examines new and challenging political aspects of cyber security and presents it as an issue defined by socio-technological uncertainty and political fragmentation. Structured along two broad themes and providing empirical examples for how socio-technical changes and political responses interact, the first part of the book looks at the current use of cyberspace in conflictual settings, while the second focuses on political responses by state and non-state actors in an environment defined by uncertainties. Within this, it highlights four key debates that encapsulate the complexities and paradoxes of cyber security politics from a Western perspective-how much political influence states can achieve via cyber operations and what context factors condition the (limited) strategic utility of such operations; the role of emerging digital technologies and how the dynamics of the tech innovation process reinforce the fragmentation of the governance space; how states attempt to uphold stability in cyberspace and, more generally, in their strategic relations; and how the shared responsibility of state, economy, and society for cyber security continues to be renegotiated in an increasingly transsectoral and transnational governance space. This book will be of much interest to students of cyber security, global governance, technology studies, and international relations.
Technology and International Relations, 2021
This chapter presents an introduction to and brief overview of the study of technology and intern... more This chapter presents an introduction to and brief overview of the study of technology and international relations, including a discussion of
research gaps and new horizons. In particular, this contribution addresses whether and how prevailing theoretical approaches have been able to analyze the relationship between technological and international political change. This includes how the personal, social, societal, and, to an extent, also biological worlds are becoming increasingly interconnected through new technologies – what has been referred to as the ‘fourth industrial revolution’. How then is technology addressed within the field of international relations (IR)? Given the considerable attention IR literature pays to globalization and global structural change – core themes of contemporary IR – it might be expected that the role of technology in world politics would be a major focus. What would global politics and globalization be if the rapid development and diffusion of global information and communications technologies (ICTs) were not taken into account?
Regulating Chemical Risks, Jan 1, 2010
This chapter analyses the sciencepolicy interface in EU chemicals policy, with a particular focu... more This chapter analyses the sciencepolicy interface in EU chemicals policy, with a particular focus on the relationship between Risk Assessment and Risk Management. This is achieved through a case study of SCHERthe scientific committee responsible for assessing ...
Papers by Johan Eriksson
Cooperation and Conflict, 2009
The central contention of this article holds that scholars do not adequately assess and explain t... more The central contention of this article holds that scholars do not adequately assess and explain the influence of transboundary security issues on government behaviour. Their assessment is not adequate because they do not fully conceptualize the relationship between internal and external security concerns. Their explanations are not adequate because existing theories cannot fully explain how and why states respond to transboundary security issues. To rectify these concerns, stimulate and structure further research, and encourage scholarly dialogue, we build an analytical framework for (a) understanding what we describe as the ‘nexus’ of internal and external security matters, and (b) explaining why that nexus may change state behaviour on transboundary security issues. The resulting framework encourages a strong focus on the nature of transboundary problems before studying their implications for changes in perceptions, policies, politics and polity.
Statsvetenskaplig Tidskrift, 2011
Research problem What do states have in common with municipalities, the Catholic Church, criminal... more Research problem What do states have in common with municipalities, the Catholic Church, criminal MC gangs, virtual communities, nomadic peoples, and corporate empires? My contention is that a degree of autonomy within some form of territory is a common goal for such, in other respects, very different entities. I also argue that in a globalized world, alternative forms of territories are emerging and gaining in significance, a development largely overlooked by the literature on globalization as well as by traditional state-centric perspectives. Perspectives on the significance of political territories are highly polarized, which has implied a lack of problematization (Brenner & Elden 2010). In a traditional perspective influenced by (neo)realism, it is held that the territorial dimension of politics is crucial for autonomy and political power (Mearsheimer 2001), but this reflects postulation rather than problematization. From this perspective, globalization and transnational networks are not considered to be sufficiently challenging to call for theoretical and conceptual revision. State territory is believed to be largely unaffected by globalization, and is considered to continue to be the basic units of the international system. Theories of globalization and transnational networks, on the other hand, hold 1 Projektet bedrivs vid Utrikespolitiska institutet. Johan Eriksson är även verksam vid Södertörns högskola.
Regulating Chemical Risks, 2010
This chapter analyses the sciencepolicy interface in EU chemicals policy, with a particular focu... more This chapter analyses the sciencepolicy interface in EU chemicals policy, with a particular focus on the relationship between Risk Assessment and Risk Management. This is achieved through a case study of SCHERthe scientific committee responsible for assessing ...
Journal of International Relations and Development, 2021
Why is there a lack of grand, forward-looking vision in contemporary Russian space policy? Our st... more Why is there a lack of grand, forward-looking vision in contemporary Russian space policy? Our study reveals nothing that compares with either ambitious Soviet goals or contemporary American goals of being first, reaching farthest, and being a dominant power in space; nor are there any clear explanations available of what goals Russia pursues in space. Notwithstanding the celebrational rhetoric on Russia being an 'acknowledged leader' which recurrently refers to its superpower past, the substance of contemporary Russian space policy is not focused on hegemony but rather on reaching equal status, catching up, being competitive, and strengthening independent access to space. Whether motivated by a shift to a less ambitious great power identity seeking equal status rather than dominance or departing from a perception of inferiority in comparison with the West, Russian space policy simultaneously seeks lasting space cooperation with the US and criticises the US for militarisation of space. This may seem paradoxical from a geopolitical perspective, but it makes sense from an identity perspective; for better or worse, the US remains Russia's 'significant other' in space.
International Studies Review, 2009
... amenable to state control; and that communities, including business and professional associat... more ... amenable to state control; and that communities, including business and professional associations, have ... In the Middle East, it has become common practice for the government or a ... fees, membership applications, and computer pricing and, in turn, preempting challenges to the ...
Review of International Studies, 2011
This article discusses how and under what conditions ideas coming from International Relations (I... more This article discusses how and under what conditions ideas coming from International Relations (IR) scholarship are used in foreign policy. We argue that the focus on policy relevance, which dominates the IR literature on the research-policy interface, is limited. Focusing instead on political utilisation highlights types and mechanisms of political impact, which are overlooked in studies on policy relevance. The fruitfulness of this change in focus is showed in an analysis of how Samuel Huntington's ‘clash of civilizations’ notion and Joseph Nye's ‘soft power’ concept have been used in US foreign policy. George W. Bush's explicit critique and reframing of ‘the clash’ thesis should not be interpreted as absence of impact, but as a significant symbolic utilisation, which has helped legitimate US foreign policy. Likewise, in the few instances in which the notion of ‘soft power’ has been used explicitly, it has played a conceptual and symbolical rather than instrumental rol...
Review of Policy Research, 2010
This article addresses the relationship between scientific expertise and policy in European chemi... more This article addresses the relationship between scientific expertise and policy in European chemicals regulation. We argue that the role of scientific expertise in the European regulation of chemicals varies across decision-making levels, countries, and stages of the policy process. Our case study of the role of scientific expertise in the regulation of brominated flame retardants illustrates considerably different manifestations of this interconnected process across regulatory arenas, even though this case concerns a single group of substances. On the European Union level, we find a mix of technocracy and politicization; in Sweden, a clear-cut politicization; and in Poland, noninvolvement. Such differences can be explained by a combination of factors, in particular frame dominance, and mobilization of advocacy coalitions.
Globalizations, 2019
This paper argues that past research has overlooked how the way problems and solutions are framed... more This paper argues that past research has overlooked how the way problems and
solutions are framed contribute to a prevailing gap in the global governance of
climate and energy. Empirically, this paper investigates the frames of energy
and climate change as expressed in key documents from the International
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and International Energy Agency (IEA). Partly
in contrast to past research, this paper finds (1) that there is a growing
similarity in how the IPCC and IEA frame climate and energy; (2) that the IEA
has gone from ignoring to acknowledging climate change and the
transformation to a low-carbon energy system; and (3) that there is a
prevailing difference in emphasis, whereas the IPCC only marginally discuss
energy, while the IEA is still mainly talking about energy needs and fossil
fuels even if climate change and renewables have entered their agenda.
Cooperation and Conflict, 2009
The central contention of this article holds that scholars do not adequately assess and explain t... more The central contention of this article holds that scholars do not adequately assess and explain the influence of transboundary security issues ongovernment behaviour. Their assessment is not adequate becausethey do not fully conceptualize the relationship between internal andexternal security concerns. Their explanations
are not adequate becauseexisting theories cannot fully explain how and why states respond totransboundary security issues. To rectify these concerns, stimulate andstructure further research, and encourage scholarly dialogue, we buildan analytical framework for (a) understanding what we describe as the‘nexus’ of internal and external security matters, and (b) explaining why that nexus may change state behaviour on transboundary security issues.The resulting framework encourages a strong focus on the nature of transboundary problems before studying their implications for changesin perceptions, policies, politics and polity.
Cyber Security Politics: Socio-Technological Transformations and Political Fragmentation, 2022
This book examines new and challenging political aspects of cyber security and presents it as an ... more This book examines new and challenging political aspects of cyber security and presents it as an issue defined by socio-technological uncertainty and political fragmentation. Structured along two broad themes and providing empirical examples for how socio-technical changes and political responses interact, the first part of the book looks at the current use of cyberspace in conflictual settings, while the second focuses on political responses by state and non-state actors in an environment defined by uncertainties. Within this, it highlights four key debates that encapsulate the complexities and paradoxes of cyber security politics from a Western perspective-how much political influence states can achieve via cyber operations and what context factors condition the (limited) strategic utility of such operations; the role of emerging digital technologies and how the dynamics of the tech innovation process reinforce the fragmentation of the governance space; how states attempt to uphold stability in cyberspace and, more generally, in their strategic relations; and how the shared responsibility of state, economy, and society for cyber security continues to be renegotiated in an increasingly transsectoral and transnational governance space. This book will be of much interest to students of cyber security, global governance, technology studies, and international relations.
Technology and International Relations, 2021
This chapter presents an introduction to and brief overview of the study of technology and intern... more This chapter presents an introduction to and brief overview of the study of technology and international relations, including a discussion of
research gaps and new horizons. In particular, this contribution addresses whether and how prevailing theoretical approaches have been able to analyze the relationship between technological and international political change. This includes how the personal, social, societal, and, to an extent, also biological worlds are becoming increasingly interconnected through new technologies – what has been referred to as the ‘fourth industrial revolution’. How then is technology addressed within the field of international relations (IR)? Given the considerable attention IR literature pays to globalization and global structural change – core themes of contemporary IR – it might be expected that the role of technology in world politics would be a major focus. What would global politics and globalization be if the rapid development and diffusion of global information and communications technologies (ICTs) were not taken into account?
Regulating Chemical Risks, Jan 1, 2010
This chapter analyses the sciencepolicy interface in EU chemicals policy, with a particular focu... more This chapter analyses the sciencepolicy interface in EU chemicals policy, with a particular focus on the relationship between Risk Assessment and Risk Management. This is achieved through a case study of SCHERthe scientific committee responsible for assessing ...
Cooperation and Conflict, 2009
The central contention of this article holds that scholars do not adequately assess and explain t... more The central contention of this article holds that scholars do not adequately assess and explain the influence of transboundary security issues on government behaviour. Their assessment is not adequate because they do not fully conceptualize the relationship between internal and external security concerns. Their explanations are not adequate because existing theories cannot fully explain how and why states respond to transboundary security issues. To rectify these concerns, stimulate and structure further research, and encourage scholarly dialogue, we build an analytical framework for (a) understanding what we describe as the ‘nexus’ of internal and external security matters, and (b) explaining why that nexus may change state behaviour on transboundary security issues. The resulting framework encourages a strong focus on the nature of transboundary problems before studying their implications for changes in perceptions, policies, politics and polity.
Statsvetenskaplig Tidskrift, 2011
Research problem What do states have in common with municipalities, the Catholic Church, criminal... more Research problem What do states have in common with municipalities, the Catholic Church, criminal MC gangs, virtual communities, nomadic peoples, and corporate empires? My contention is that a degree of autonomy within some form of territory is a common goal for such, in other respects, very different entities. I also argue that in a globalized world, alternative forms of territories are emerging and gaining in significance, a development largely overlooked by the literature on globalization as well as by traditional state-centric perspectives. Perspectives on the significance of political territories are highly polarized, which has implied a lack of problematization (Brenner & Elden 2010). In a traditional perspective influenced by (neo)realism, it is held that the territorial dimension of politics is crucial for autonomy and political power (Mearsheimer 2001), but this reflects postulation rather than problematization. From this perspective, globalization and transnational networks are not considered to be sufficiently challenging to call for theoretical and conceptual revision. State territory is believed to be largely unaffected by globalization, and is considered to continue to be the basic units of the international system. Theories of globalization and transnational networks, on the other hand, hold 1 Projektet bedrivs vid Utrikespolitiska institutet. Johan Eriksson är även verksam vid Södertörns högskola.
Regulating Chemical Risks, 2010
This chapter analyses the sciencepolicy interface in EU chemicals policy, with a particular focu... more This chapter analyses the sciencepolicy interface in EU chemicals policy, with a particular focus on the relationship between Risk Assessment and Risk Management. This is achieved through a case study of SCHERthe scientific committee responsible for assessing ...
Journal of International Relations and Development, 2021
Why is there a lack of grand, forward-looking vision in contemporary Russian space policy? Our st... more Why is there a lack of grand, forward-looking vision in contemporary Russian space policy? Our study reveals nothing that compares with either ambitious Soviet goals or contemporary American goals of being first, reaching farthest, and being a dominant power in space; nor are there any clear explanations available of what goals Russia pursues in space. Notwithstanding the celebrational rhetoric on Russia being an 'acknowledged leader' which recurrently refers to its superpower past, the substance of contemporary Russian space policy is not focused on hegemony but rather on reaching equal status, catching up, being competitive, and strengthening independent access to space. Whether motivated by a shift to a less ambitious great power identity seeking equal status rather than dominance or departing from a perception of inferiority in comparison with the West, Russian space policy simultaneously seeks lasting space cooperation with the US and criticises the US for militarisation of space. This may seem paradoxical from a geopolitical perspective, but it makes sense from an identity perspective; for better or worse, the US remains Russia's 'significant other' in space.
International Studies Review, 2009
... amenable to state control; and that communities, including business and professional associat... more ... amenable to state control; and that communities, including business and professional associations, have ... In the Middle East, it has become common practice for the government or a ... fees, membership applications, and computer pricing and, in turn, preempting challenges to the ...
Review of International Studies, 2011
This article discusses how and under what conditions ideas coming from International Relations (I... more This article discusses how and under what conditions ideas coming from International Relations (IR) scholarship are used in foreign policy. We argue that the focus on policy relevance, which dominates the IR literature on the research-policy interface, is limited. Focusing instead on political utilisation highlights types and mechanisms of political impact, which are overlooked in studies on policy relevance. The fruitfulness of this change in focus is showed in an analysis of how Samuel Huntington's ‘clash of civilizations’ notion and Joseph Nye's ‘soft power’ concept have been used in US foreign policy. George W. Bush's explicit critique and reframing of ‘the clash’ thesis should not be interpreted as absence of impact, but as a significant symbolic utilisation, which has helped legitimate US foreign policy. Likewise, in the few instances in which the notion of ‘soft power’ has been used explicitly, it has played a conceptual and symbolical rather than instrumental rol...
Review of Policy Research, 2010
This article addresses the relationship between scientific expertise and policy in European chemi... more This article addresses the relationship between scientific expertise and policy in European chemicals regulation. We argue that the role of scientific expertise in the European regulation of chemicals varies across decision-making levels, countries, and stages of the policy process. Our case study of the role of scientific expertise in the regulation of brominated flame retardants illustrates considerably different manifestations of this interconnected process across regulatory arenas, even though this case concerns a single group of substances. On the European Union level, we find a mix of technocracy and politicization; in Sweden, a clear-cut politicization; and in Poland, noninvolvement. Such differences can be explained by a combination of factors, in particular frame dominance, and mobilization of advocacy coalitions.
Globalizations, 2019
This paper argues that past research has overlooked how the way problems and solutions are framed... more This paper argues that past research has overlooked how the way problems and
solutions are framed contribute to a prevailing gap in the global governance of
climate and energy. Empirically, this paper investigates the frames of energy
and climate change as expressed in key documents from the International
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and International Energy Agency (IEA). Partly
in contrast to past research, this paper finds (1) that there is a growing
similarity in how the IPCC and IEA frame climate and energy; (2) that the IEA
has gone from ignoring to acknowledging climate change and the
transformation to a low-carbon energy system; and (3) that there is a
prevailing difference in emphasis, whereas the IPCC only marginally discuss
energy, while the IEA is still mainly talking about energy needs and fossil
fuels even if climate change and renewables have entered their agenda.
Cooperation and Conflict, 2009
The central contention of this article holds that scholars do not adequately assess and explain t... more The central contention of this article holds that scholars do not adequately assess and explain the influence of transboundary security issues ongovernment behaviour. Their assessment is not adequate becausethey do not fully conceptualize the relationship between internal andexternal security concerns. Their explanations
are not adequate becauseexisting theories cannot fully explain how and why states respond totransboundary security issues. To rectify these concerns, stimulate andstructure further research, and encourage scholarly dialogue, we buildan analytical framework for (a) understanding what we describe as the‘nexus’ of internal and external security matters, and (b) explaining why that nexus may change state behaviour on transboundary security issues.The resulting framework encourages a strong focus on the nature of transboundary problems before studying their implications for changesin perceptions, policies, politics and polity.