Practice, pirates and coastguards: The grand narrative of Somali piracy

Bueger, Christian ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4259-9299 2013. Practice, pirates and coastguards: The grand narrative of Somali piracy. Third World Quarterly 34 (10) , pp. 1811-1827. 10.1080/01436597.2013.851896

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Abstract

In this article I develop a practice–theoretical account to provide the first systematic investigation of the justification of Somali piracy. Arguing for an understanding of piracy as a ‘community of practice’, I show how this community is organised by a ‘grand narrative’ that projects piracy as a quasi-state practice of the protection of sovereignty against foreign intruders. Paying attention to narrative provides an explanation for the persistence of piracy and assists us in understanding the phenomenon. Relying on publicly available interviews with pirates, I deconstruct this grand narrative and detail the different functions of the narrative in the light of situations in which it is told. The article develops an alternative perspective on piracy based on the study of practice, narrative and situation that provides new avenues for the study of clandestine, illicit or violent practices.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Department of Politics and International Relations (POLIR)
Subjects:	J Political Science > JX International law J Political Science > JZ International relations
Publisher:	Routledge
ISSN:	0143-6597
Funders:	ESRC
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Last Modified:	03 May 2023 09:50
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/49024

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