“Every Scar Tells a Story”

The second chapter presents a critical review of literature on stigma in international society. It identifies main streams of research on stigma in the discipline of International Relations. The chapter delivers a thorough analysis of how the literature defines stigmatization, stigma imposition, and destigmatization, how it assesses the functions of stigma in the international realm, and how it relates stigma to concepts such as power, identity, status, and emotions. It also thoroughly analyzes different answers in the literature on questions why, when, and how states manage their stigma, as well as which factors influence their choice of stigma management strategies.