Social movements, contestation and direct international rule: Theoretical approaches

Based on a case study from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the paper discusses theoretical approaches to “direct internationalized rule” and the contestation thereof. Direct internationalized rule is understood as relationships of authority between international actors, such as international organizations, and individuals. Such relationships, it is argued, are increasingly widespread and significant. But how can they be approached analytically? Social movement studies, the global governance perspective, and the governmentality approach are scrutinized in terms of their offerings for an adequate analysis of forms of contestation to