2011 Prize in International Relations

Winner: Vincent Pouliot

International Security in Practice: The Politics of NATO-Russian Diplomacy (Cambridge University Press, 2010)

Excerpt from jury report: With International Security in Practice, Vincent Pouliot makes significant theoretical and substantive contributions to international relations, in general, and to the study of international security, more specifically. Pouliot articulates a “logic of practicality”, building upon the work of Pierre Bourdieu to extend constructivist theorizing to develop a “theory of practice of security communities.” Pouliot’s application of theory to practice in his unraveling of the post-Cold War relations between Russia and NATO allies provides important insights to this period and serves as a prototype for scholars investigating the development of security communities in other historical and regional contexts. With an initial work of this scope and sophistication, Pouliot has established himself at the forefront of his field.