Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects
The Architecture of Recognition: Status Tiers, Perceptions, and Group Dynamics at the United Nations
Date of Degree
9-2026
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Program
Political Science
Advisor
Michael J Lee
Committee Members
Peter Romaniuk
Bruce Cronin
Subject Categories
International Relations | Models and Methods
Keywords
international status, united nations, prestige, international recognition
Abstract
This dissertation investigates an underexplored question in International Relations: why do states recognize others' international status? Existing literature often conflates status beliefs with status recognition, assuming a linear relationship in which states with the greatest recognition are those of the highest status. Consequently, the motivations driving states to express, overexpress, or withhold recognition remain poorly understood.
Addressing this gap, this dissertation proposes a framework that treats status beliefs and recognition as distinct ontological units. I argue that international status is a network of beliefs embedded within specific state communities, where local and global status dynamics mutually reinforce one another. Because states possess strategic and emotional incentives to express or withhold deference, recognition acts as an imperfect manifestation of these underlying beliefs. Drawing on the Stereotype Content Model in social psychology, I posit that a state's willingness to grant recognition is driven by the interaction between the target state’s perceived competence (status) and warmth (good intentions and in-groupness).
To test this theory of status recognition, the dissertation employs a mixed-methods approach within the low-stakes environment of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). It combines inferential social network analysis of novel relational data on draft resolution co-sponsorships with in-depth elite interviews of diplomats stationed in New York to analyze how groups, status tiers, and perceptions influence the dynamics of international recognition of status.
Recommended Citation
Acevedo Ossa, Juan P., "The Architecture of Recognition: Status Tiers, Perceptions, and Group Dynamics at the United Nations" (2026). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/6828
