ABSTRACT
Our volume started from the premise that role theory is a useful framework with which to understand the dynamics of global politics. The goal was to contribute to role theory specifically, and to the study of international relations (IR) more broadly, by building insight into an aspect that has been generally overlooked in role theory research: the domestic political process and the internal contestation of national role conceptions. In the following pages, we draw out some of the major findings regarding vertical and horizontal contestation, reflect on how the chapters speak to the role theory approach and to the broader discipline, and pres ent ideas for future research.
