Friederike Kuntz
World Society, Multilateralism, and Multilateral Congresses and Conferences.
On the Proliferation and Persistence of International Congresses and Conferences in Interstate Relations.Within my dissertation, I investigate social foundations of multilateral meetings between representatives of states or state-like entities
that occur in the form of (so called) international congresses and conferences.
For the theoretical framework I draw on the concept of multilateralism as an institution developed by Ruggie and others as well as on
assumptions new institutionalists (e.g. Boli; Lechner; Meyer; Thomas and others) provided with regard to processes of globalization.
The empirical analysis predominantly deals with the history of international congresses and conferences during the nineteenth century
as according to my estimation important developments already appear within this period.
At large, my dissertation not only aims at comprehending the proliferation and persistence of congresses and conferences in
interstate relations from the nineteenth century onwards as well as social factors therein involved but also sheds light on
social variables influencing the evolution of multilateralism through reliance on some broader analytical framework.
