Dr Charlotte Epstein

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

BACKGROUND

My interests are in the areas of International Relations theory, particularly in post-structuralist approaches and discourse theory, critical security studies and global environmental politics. In my book, The Power of Words in International Relations: Birth of An Anti-Whaling Discourse, I approach 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, I was a Georges Lurcy Visiting Scholar at the UC Berkeley Political Science Department. I hold 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. I also taught at both Cambridge University and UC Berkeley before coming to Sydney. At the University of Sydney I teach courses on IR theory, political theory, and global environment politics.

I am also affiliated as a chercheur associé with the Centre d’Etudes et de Recherches Internationales (CERI/Science-Po Paris), as well as the l’Institut Français des Relations Internationales (IFRI) (Paris), and, at Sydney, I am an Associate of the Centre for International Law.

RESEARCH

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 keynote may be viewed here: http://surveillanceandeveryday.com/exposing-bodies-symposium/keynotes/

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

TEACHING

Current Courses

• GOVT6147 - Foundations of International Relations

PUBLICATIONS

Books Authored and Edited

Epstein, C 2008, The Power of Words in International Relations: Birth of an Anti-Whaling Discourse, MIT press, Cambridge¹.

Refereed Journal Articles

Epstein, C. 2013, 'Constructivism Or the Eternal Return of Universals in International Relations. Why Returning to Language is Vital For Prolonging The Owl's Flight', European Journal of International Relations, special issue on The End of Theory? vol. 19, no. 3 (forthcoming, September)

Barclay, K and Epstein, C. (2013)' Securing Fish for the Nation: Food Security and Governmentality in Japan', Asian Studies Review, vol.2, no.13, pp.215-233.(Special Issue on'The International Politics of Resources: China, Japan and Korea's Demand for Energy, Minerals and Food')

Epstein, C 2013, "Theorizing Agency in Hobbes's Wake: The Rational Actor, the Self or the Speaking Subject?", International Organization, vol. 67, no. 2.

Epstein, C and Barclay, K 2013, "Shaming to 'green': Australia-Japan relations and whales and tuna compared", International Relations of the Asia-Pacific , vol.13, no. 1, pp. 95-123, available online at http://irap.oxfordjournals.org/content/13/1/95.full?keytype=ref&ijkey=k4BDKmtuKHRO0LE.

Epstein, C 2012, "Symposium: Interrogating the Use of Norms in International Relations: Introduction", International Studies Perspective, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 121-122.

Epstein, C 2012, "Stop Telling Us How To Behave: Socialization or Infantilization?", International Studies Perspective, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 135-145.

Epstein, C 2011, "Who Speaks? Discourse, the Subject and the Study of Identity in International Politics", European Journal of International Relations, vol 17, no. 2, pp. 327-350, available online at http://ejt.sagepub.com/content/17/2/327.

Epstein, C 2009, "Whaling’s Fatal Blow", Sydney Ideas Quarterly, no. 1.

Epstein, C 2009, "The Oceans around Us: Borders and Sustenance", Dialogue, (Journal of the Australian Academy of the Social Sciences), vol. 28, no. 1.

Epstein, C 2007, "Guilty Bodies, Productive Bodies, Destructive Bodies: Crossing the Biometric Borders", International Political Sociology, vol. 1, no. 2.

Epstein, C 2006, "The Making of Global Environmental Norms: Endangered Species Protection", Global Environmental Politics, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 32-55.

Epstein, C 2005, "Knowledge and Power in Global Environmental Activism", International Journal of Peace Studies, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 47-67.

Epstein, C 2003, "World Wide Whale: Globalisation and a Dialogue of Cultures?", Cambridge Review of International Affairs, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 309-322.

Book Chapters

Epstein, C 2012, "Norms. Bourdieu's nomos, or the structural power of norms", in Bourdieu in International Relations, Rebecca Adler-Nissen (ed.), Routledge: New York and London

Epstein, C 2010, "Moby Dick or Moby Doll? Discourse or 'the Social Construction Of' All The Way Down", in R Abdelal, M Blyth & C Parsons (eds) Constructing the Global Economy, Cornell University Press, Cornell.

Epstein, C 2008, "Embodying Risk: Using Biometrics to Protect the Borders" in L Amoore & M de Goede (ed.), Risk and the War on Terror, Routledge, London.

Epstein, C 2007, "Common But Differentiated Responsibility" in M Bevir (ed.), Encyclopedia of Governance, SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks.

Epstein, C 2007, "Endangered Species Protection" in M Bevir (ed.), Encyclopedia of Governance, SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks.

Epstein, C 2007, "Natural Resource Management" in M Bevir (ed.), Encyclopedia of Governance, SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks.

Epstein, C 2007, "The Ecosystemic Approach" in M Bevir (ed.), Encyclopedia of Governance, SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks.

Epstein, C 2007, "The Precautionary Principle" in M Bevir (ed.), Encyclopedia of Governance, SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks.

Keynote papers and Guest Speaker Presentations

Epstein, C 2011, "The Big Other is Watching You: Surveillance, Sovereignty, Subjectivity", keynote speech at Surveillance and Everyday Life Conference, University of Sydney, July 2011, available online at http://surveillanceandeveryday.com/exposing-bodies-symposium/keynotes/

Selected Conference Papers

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 & 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

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

Epstein, C 2008, "Making the Subject Matter in International Relations: Can Jacques Lacan Help?", paper 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 & Vetterlein, A 2008, "Whither the Structures? IR's (Half) Turn to Sociology", paper presented at the American Political Science Association (APSA) Annual Conference.

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

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

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

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

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

Epstein, C 2003, "Knowledge-Power-Activism", paper presented at the International Studies Association (ISA) Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon.

Epstein, C 2002, "To Consume or not to Consume?" paper presented at the CIS/ Cambridge Coach House Seminars and British International Studies Association (BISA) Annual Conference.

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

Book Reviews

Epstein, C 2007, "The State and the Global Ecological Crisis", by J. Barry & R. Eckersley, Environmental Politics, vol. 16, no. 1.

Epstein, C 2006, "Debating the Earth: the Environmental Politics Reader", by J. Dryzek & D. Schlossberg, Environmental Politics, vol. 15, no. 1.

Epstein, C 2001, "Towards a Sustainable Whaling Regime", by R. Friedheim, Environmental Politics, vol. 11, no. 2.

¹ Runner-up to the 2009 ISA Sprout Award.