Status preservation vis-à-vis hegemonic misrecognition

Abstract

What happens when the hegemon misrecognises the status of its allies or partners? This article argues that hegemonic recognition plays a critical role in stabilising allies’ social standing within the established international hierarchy. When such recognition is withdrawn—particularly in contravention of the ally’s sovereignty and shared basic norms of the status group—misrecognised states not only confront a potential legalistic erosion of their sovereignty but also experience status anxiety that unfolds relationally: uncertainty over how they are now positioned vis-à-vis the hegemon, their status peers, and other states beyond the status group. In response to this multidimensional threat, allies mobilise a range of status-preserving strategies aimed at reaffirming their rightful place and standing within the existing order. Building on works regarding status, this article identifies four core status-preserving strategies: status performance and signalling, normative reassertion, international insertion, and selective accommodation. Through qualitative analysis on two selected cases, it demonstrates how Canada and Denmark seek to preserve their sovereign status without capitulating to hegemonic coercion. In this way, this research contributes to existing status scholarship by shifting focus from status-seeking to status-preserving behaviours, and by exploring the implications of misrecognition from a norm-breaking hegemonic ally rather than a strategic adversary.