University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 2020 Performing IR Charles Darwin LuLevitt University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the Communication Commons Recommended Citation LuLevitt, Charles Darwin, "Performing IR" (2020). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1802. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1802 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact
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[email protected]. Performing IR A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences University of Denver In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Charles Darwin LuLevitt August 2020 Adviser: Dr. Bernadette Calafell, Ph.D. ©Copyright by Charles LuLevitt 2020 All Rights Reserved Author: Charles LuLevitt Title: Performing IR Advisor: Dr. Bernadette Calafell, Ph.D. Degree Date: August 2020 ABSTRACT This research is an attempt to create a new way of understanding international relations, which is defined here as knowledge and practice that informs us of the nature, goals, and actors of international politics. At the core of the research is a simple concern, but one I am still rather unsure I have thought of enough: what does it mean to create a different discourse? The argument made is that international relations as we know it, is a discourse centered on state, sovereignty, and anarchy, and also white, hegemonic masculine culture, which forces us to maintain that culture’s social dominance.