Dr Charlotte Epstein

MA - La Sorbonne; Mphil., PhD - Cantab.

Dr Epstein’s interests include International Relations theory, with a particular interest in post-structuralist approaches and discourse theory, critical security studies and global environmental politics. In her book, The Power of Words in International Relations: Birth of An Anti-Whaling Discourse, Epstein approaches the topic of whaling both as an object of analysis in its own right and as a lens for examining the role of discursive power in international relations.

Before joining the department, Dr Epstein was a Georges Lurcy Visiting Scholar at the UC Berkeley Political Science Department. She holds two undergraduate degrees in Humanities (in Philosophy and Literature) and a Masters in Philosophy from L’Université de Paris-Sorbonne, an MPhil and a PhD in International Relations from the University of Cambridge (UK); and has taught at both Cambridge University and UC Berkeley. At Sydney University she teaches courses on global environment politics and IR theory.

Dr Epstein is also an expert associé of the Centre d’Etudes et de Recherches Internationales (CERI/Science-Po Paris), an associate researcher of l’Institut Français des Relations Internationales (IFRI) and an a Associate of the Sydney Centre for International Law

Research Interests

• International relations
• Political Theory
• Psychoanalysis
• Research, Science & Technology Policy

Current Research Projects

Dr Epstein is currently involved in four research projects:

Her central project explores the theoretical foundations underpinning conceptions of agency, subjectivity and discourse in international relations.

A podcast of Dr Epstein's paper 'When the Pre-modern is Post-Modern: Hobbes, Lacan and the Making of the International System' presented at the University of London, Royal Holloway, University of London can be found here:'
http://backdoorbroadcasting.net/2010/10/charlotte-epstein-%E2%80%9Cwhen-the-pre-modern-is-post-modern-hobbes-lacan-and-the-making-of-the-international-system/

Second, she has initiated a multi-authored collaborative project around rethinking 'norms' in IR. This project is yielding a series of rolling fora in various international relations journals, the first of which is International Studies Perspective (early 2012).

A third research axis centres on the international politics of surveillance and biometric technologies. Dr Epstein forms part of the Faculty research group on 'Surveillance and Everyday Life'. In July 2011, she delivered a keynote speech, entitled "The Big Other is Watching You: Surveillance, Sovereignty, Subjectivity," at the research group's conference at the University of Sydney.

The fourth project revolves around the international politics of food security.

Publications

2012

Chapter/s

Epstein C. (2012), 'From Norms to Nomos', Bourdieu in International Relations, Rebecca Adler-Nissen (ed.), Routledge: New York and London (forthcoming)

Journal Articles

Epstein C. (2012) 'Interrogating the Use of Norms in International Relations: A Forum Introduction', in International Studies Perspective, Vol 13 No 2 (in print)

Epstein C. (2012) 'Stop Telling Us How To Behave: Socialization or Infantilization?'', in International Studies Perspective, Vol 13 No 2 (in print)

2010

Book Chapter/s

Epstein C 2010, Moby Dick or Moby Doll? Discourse or “the Social Construction Of” All The Way Down’, in Constructing the Global Economy, Abdelal, R., Blyth M. and Parsons C. eds., Cornell: Cornell University Press

Conference Paper/s

Epstein C 2010, When the Premodern is Postmodern. Hobbes, Lacan and the Making of the International System’, paper presented at the International Studies Association (ISA) annual conference (New Orleans), and the Interpretative Policy Analysis (IPA) annual conference (Grenoble)

Epstein C and Vetterlein A 2010,‘IR’ Hyperagents, or the Persistent Neglect of Structures in the Study of Change in International Politics’, paper presented at the International Studies Association (ISA) annual conference (New Orleans)

Epstein C 2010,‘Stop Telling Us How to Behave: Socialization or Infantilization?’ Paper presented at the Sydney University Workshop on Interrogating the Use of Norms in IR

2009

Journal Article/s

Epstein C 2009, ‘Whaling’s Fatal Blow’, Sydney Ideas Quarterly, No. 1/

Epstein C 2009, ‘The Oceans around Us: Borders and Sustenance’, Dialogue, Vol.28, No.1 (Journal of the Australian Academy of the Social Sciences)

Conference Paper/s

Epstein C 2009, Making the Subject Matter: Conversations with Psychoanalytic theory, paper presented at the International Studies Association (ISA) annual conference (New York)

2008

Book

Epstein C 2008, The Power of Words in International Relations: Birth of an Anti-Whaling Discourse, MIT press, Cambridge, MA (Runner-up to the 2009 ISA Sprout Award)

Book Section/s

Epstein C 2008 'Embodying Risk: Using Biometrics to Protect the Borders' in Risk and the War on Terror, ed. Louise Amoore and Marieke de Goede, Routledge, London.

Conference Paper/s

Epstein, C 2008, ‘Making the Subject Matter in International Relations: Can Jacques Lacan Help?’, presented at the International Studies Association (ISA), the British International Studies Association (BISA) annual conferences and the Oceanic Conference for International Studies (OCIS).

Epstein, C and A. Vetterlein 2008, 'Whither the Structures? IR's (Half) Turn to Sociology', American Political Science Association (APSA) Annual Conference

2007

Book Section/s

Epstein C 2007 'Common But Differentiated Responsibility' in Encyclopedia of Governance, ed. Mark Bevir, SAGE Publications, pp. 115-16.

Epstein C 2007 'Endangered Species Protection' in Encyclopedia of Governance, ed. Mark Bevir, SAGE Publications, pp. 272-73.

Epstein C 2007 'Natural Resource Management' in Encyclopedia of Governance, ed. Mark Bevir, SAGE Publications, pp. 590-93.

Epstein C 2007 'The Ecosystemic Approach' in Encyclopedia of Governance, ed. Mark Bevir, SAGE Publications, pp. 255-55.

Epstein C 2007 'The Precautionary Principle' in Encyclopedia of Governance, ed. Mark Bevir, SAGE Publications, pp. 744-45.

Journal Article/s

Epstein C 2007 'Book Review:The State and the Global Ecological Crisis by J. Barry and R. Eckersley', Environmental Politics, vol.16:1.

Epstein C 2007 'Guilty Bodies, Productive Bodies, Destructive Bodies: Crossing the Biometric Borders', International Political Sociology, vol.1:2.

Conference Paper/s

Epstein C 2007 'Applying Genealogy to Hegemonic Discourses : The Case of the Anti-Whaling Discourse',International Studies Association (ISA) Annual Conference.

2006

Journal Article/s

Epstein C 2006 'Book Review: Debating the Earth: the Environmental Politics Reader, by J. Dryzek and D. Schlossberg', Environmental Politics, vol.15:1.

Epstein C 2006 'The Making of Global Environmental Norms: Endangered Species Protection', Global Environmental Politics, vol.6:2, pp. 32-55.

Conference Paper/s

Epstein C 2006 'Guilty Bodies, Productive Bodies, Destructive Bodies: Crossing the Biometric Borders',International Studies Association (ISA) Annual Conference.

Epstein C 2006 'Sauvons la baleine ! Le pouvoir discursif en relations internationales : une étude de cas',Institut d´Etudes Politiques (Groupe d´Etudes en Relations Internationales), Bordeaux, France.

2005

Journal Article/s

Epstein C 2005 'Knowledge and Power in Global Environmental Activism', International Journal of Peace Studies, vol.10:1, pp. 47-67.

2004

Conference Paper/s

Epstein C 2004 'A Fractured Hegemony? The US Position in the International Politics of Whaling',International Studies Association (ISA) Annual Conference.

Epstein C 2004 'Whale Discourses, or the Greening of Empire',International Studies Association (ISA) Annual Conference and U.C. Berkeley Political Theory Graduate Research Seminar.

2003

Journal Article/s

Epstein C 2003 'World Wide Whale: Globalisation and a Dialogue of Cultures?' Cambridge Review of International Affairs , vol.16:2, pp. 309-322.

Conference Paper/s

Epstein C 2003 'Knowledge-Power-Activism',International Studies Association (ISA) Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon.

2002

Conference Paper/s

Epstein C 2002 'To Consume or not to Consume?'CIS/ Cambridge Coach House Seminars and British International Studies Association (BISA) Annual Conference.

2001

Journal Article/s

Epstein C 2001 'Book Review: Towards a Sustainable Whaling Regime, by R. Friedheim ', Environmental Politics, vol.11:2.

Conference Paper/s

Epstein C 2001 'Discursive Construction of Environmental Problems: The Weight of Words in International Environmental Regimes', University of Keele.