Role conflict in International Relations: the case of Indonesia’s regional and global engagements
| Author | Moch Faisal Karim |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/00471178211073880 |
| Published date | 01 March 2023 |
| Date | 01 March 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
https://doi.org/10.1177/00471178211073880
International Relations
2023, Vol. 37(1) 96 –116
© The Author(s) 2022
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DOI: 10.1177/00471178211073880
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Role conflict in International
Relations: the case of
Indonesia’s regional and
global engagements
Moch Faisal Karim
Bina Nusantara University
Abstract
In recent years, scholars have devoted increased attention to the notion of roles in foreign policy
analysis and international relations. However, role theory literature has so far less frequently
explored re-conceptualising role conflict. To further understand the concept of role conflict,
this article aims to unpacks the notion of international audiences. To do so, this article advances
the application of role conflict by arguing the importance of notion of vertical role conflict
that considers the different levels of international audiences, specifically regionally and globally.
Building upon the symbolic interactionist conceptualisation of social interaction as a stage,
regional and global levels can be seen as arenas for role-playing but with different expectations
to fulfil. The article proposes two types of vertical role conflict, stemming from the difference
between the regional and global levels. These theoretical claims will be elucidated through the
study of Indonesia’s regional and global engagement in two areas: human rights and trade.
Keywords
human rights, Indonesian foreign policy, role conflict, role theory, trade policy
Introduction
Role theory has a long tradition in the field of sociology. It concerns on how individu-
als behave based on their respective social identities and situation.1 In the literature of
International Relations (IR), role theory, which was introduced by KJ Holsti in the
1970s, has been widely used by students of foreign policy analysis to analyse the
Corresponding author:
Moch Faisal Karim, International Relations Department, Faculty of Humanities, Bina Nusantara University,
Kemanggisan Ilir III No. 45, Jakarta, DKI Jakarta 11480, Indonesia.
Email: mkarim@binus.edu
1073880IRE0010.1177/00471178211073880International RelationsKarim
research-article2022
Article
Karim 97
foreign policy behaviour of states in the international system.2 Role theory provides
rich conceptual tools to describe specific foreign policy phenomena while also engag-
ing and incorporating different levels of analysis and supplementing other theoretical
approaches.3
As one of the earliest key concepts of role theory literature developed in sociology,4
the notion of role conflict has been mobilised to understand how states behave in inter-
national politics. The concept provides a nuanced understanding of how role conception
can be hindered by the enactment of other roles. Much IR literature focuses on role con-
flict within the nexus between ego-driven and alter-driven role conceptions, as well as
inter-role conflict, in which ego-driven states pursue two or more roles entailing contra-
dictory behaviours.5 Recent studies have tried to unpack how domestic audiences under-
stand the notion of role conflict.6 For instance, Kaarbo and Cantir show how role conflict
between two expectations can be traced back within a domestic political process.7 They
further make a distinction between conflict occurring as a result of two roles pursued by
one state, and conflict between the role preferences of domestic actors and role expecta-
tions of international actors.8
Despite the growing literature in understanding role conflict, most studies seem to
overlook international audiences. This article advances the conceptualisation of role con-
flict by arguing the importance of considering the different levels of international audi-
ences, specifically regionally and globally. This allows us to see the regional and global
levels as role-playing stages with different audience expectations to fulfil. This article
proposes two types of role conflict, stemming from differences between the regional and
global levels. The first type appears when a role manifests differently at regional and
global levels, with foreign policy elites assigning different meanings to the same role
being enacted at different levels. We can refer to this as ‘reconciled role conflict’. The
second type of role conflict appears where one particular role is highly performed and
treated as a part of state identity in some situations, yet is disregarded in others. We can
call this type of conflict ‘unreconciled role conflict’,9 because of the lack of effort by
government elites to reduce the tension. I elucidate these theoretical claims through the
study of Indonesia’s growing interest in playing a more significant regional and global
role in the post-authoritarian era, specifically during the presidency of Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono (2004–2014). Building upon interviews with forty Indonesian policymakers
and supported with analysis of official documents, this article discusses Indonesia’s
regional and global engagement in human rights as well as trade issues. With regard to
human rights, this article focuses on Indonesia’s aspiration for greater engagement in
democracy and human rights promotion, despite the lack of full acceptance of demo-
cratic norms. On trade issues, the article aims to analyse the puzzling case of Indonesia’s
greater support for trade liberalisation despite its domestic audience’s preference for a
protectionist approach.
This article presents three sections. In the next section, I develop and refine the notion
of international audiences to further unpack the concept of role conflict. The third section
elucidates these theoretical claims through the study of Indonesia’s regional and global
engagement in human rights and trade issues. The last section provides the contribution
of our analysis towards a broader understanding of role conflict.
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