In a special issue of Global Studies Quarterly published in January 2024, the age-old question posed by John G. Ruggie in International Relations is explored: what makes the world hang together? This exploration is part of a broader movement in IR that draws on constructivism, the practice turn, critical theory, and non-Western philosophies to understand how social structures bind actors in global politics. By building on Étienne Wenger’s work and John Searle’s concept of background knowledge, the study defines international communities of practice (CoP) as domains of knowledge forming communities of practitioners united by shared interests in learning and implementing common practices. These CoPs serve as the social fabric that facilitates learning and collaboration, enabling social ordering in world politics.
The concept of CoPs originated from social anthropology, knowledge management, and theories of learning, and has gained significant traction across the social sciences. Introduced to IR by Adler, the concept has become a key area of research in international practice theory. CoPs are not merely individual members organized in networks, groups, or fields, but rather the communal resources and shared background knowledge that define the social fabric of relations in action. These CoPs can be both formalized within institutions and informal, depending on the context, and are essential for negotiating meanings, competencies, and shared knowledge.
While CoPs often manifest in formal institutions, they can also operate informally, transcending organizational boundaries. They encompass communities engaged in various shared practices, from diplomatic negotiations to military operations, financial regulation, refugee crises, and tech standardization. These CoPs represent diverse groups collaborating on common interests, challenging the notion that they are solely professional affiliations confined within specific organizations. The dynamic nature of CoPs involves both like-minded collaboration and power struggles that shape social relations within and between these communities.
What Communities of Practice Bring to IR?
The international CoP concept offers a unique lens through which to analyze social ordering processes in global politics. By focusing on the origins and evolution of social orders, the concept sheds light on how specific configurations of meaningful performances organize and transform international relations. This approach emphasizes the decentralized, relational, and productive nature of power in shaping epistemic and material social competence, laying the groundwork for understanding the social epistemology of world politics, particularly in global governance and world ordering.
CoP scholars delve into qualitative relationships between units rather than structural interactions, emphasizing practices over ties or nodes. They explore how interactions within CoPs are influenced by the spaces and actors in which they operate, highlighting the significance of emergent dynamics within domains of shared knowledge. The concept resonates with notions of regimes and epistemic communities in IR, revealing how social interactions shape political outcomes and policy innovation within specific knowledge domains.
While there may be overlaps with network governance and epistemic communities, CoPs distinctively focus on social communication of knowledge, negotiation of meanings, and collective identity formation. By examining how practitioners engage in shared practices and navigate power dynamics, the CoP framework enriches our understanding of social ordering in world politics and the role of communities of practice in shaping global governance norms.
Five themes emerge as avenues for future research to advance the international CoP agenda: studying liminality and boundaries, examining identity formation and reciprocity, delving into power dynamics and contestation, exploring normativity and ethics, and expanding the research scope to encompass global perspectives beyond Western contexts. By addressing these themes, scholars can further elucidate the role of CoPs in shaping social order, knowledge production, and collective learning in world politics.
References
Adler, E. (2005). Communitarian International Relations: The Epistemic Foundations of International Relations. London: Routledge.
Adler, E. (2019). World Ordering. A Social Theory of Cognitive Evolution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.