1st Edition

The International Politics of Logos Colours, Symbols, Cues, and Identities

178 Pages 43 Color & 3 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

178 Pages 43 Color & 3 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

178 Pages 43 Color & 3 B/W Illustrations
by Routledge

The International Politics of Logos provides the first systematic analysis of logos and the role they play in international politics. Whilst there is growing scholarly interest in visual politics, logos have largely remained hidden in plain sight despite being the most important symbol of a variety of organizations. Visual artefacts, such as logos, play an increasingly central role in... Read more

1. Introduction

Logos between the battlefield and the marketplace: some definitions and a short history

The politics of logos: our main argument

Book structure

2. Flags, Symbols, and Colours: Visual Political Studies Reviewed

Visual political science: a brief review

International Relations’ visual turn

Logos in semiotics and marketing studies

Conclusions

3. Uncharted Territory: Theories and Methods for Visual Political Analysis

Colours and symbols

Political parties

Private military and security companies

Terrorist groups

Studying logos: our methodology

4. Colours, Symbols, Ideologies: The Logos of Political Parties

Colours and symbols in political party logos

Operationalizing visual Europeanization

Political parties: data and method

Political parties: results

Political parties: conclusions

Political parties: appendix

5. Building Legitimacy: Private Military and Security Companies’ Logos

Logos as discourse: marketing security as a commodity

Logos and the private security market

PMSCs’ logo semiotics: a Peircean approach

A visual history of PMSCs’ logos: the inception of the market

Market expansion and the invasion of Iraq

Market consolidation after the Blackwater affair

Russian PMSCs: a new combat-oriented market

What’s in a logo? An analysis

Private military and security companies: conclusions

6. Violent Signs: Terrorist Groups’ Logos

Interpretive and explanatory approaches in terrorism studies

Logos as behavioural cues: theoretical expectations

Terrorist groups: data and method

Terrorist groups: results and discussion

Terrorist rebranding: Aum Shinrikyo

Terrorist groups: conclusions

Terrorist groups: appendix

7. Conclusions

Implications

Political logos: a new research agenda

Biography

Matteo C.M. Casiraghi is Assistant Professor of International Relations at the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. Previously, he was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellow at the University of Warwick, UK, and the University of Denver, USA. He has published articles in the Journal of Peace Research, the European Journal of Political Research, and West European Politics, amongst others.

Eugenio Cusumano is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Messina, Italy, and Assistant Professor (on leave) at the University of Leiden, the Netherlands. He was previously a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Fellow at the University of Venice, Italy, and the University of Queensland, Australia, and a Fulbright Scholar at the Korbel School of International Studies, Denver, USA. He has published over 30 journal articles and two monographs on non-state actors' role in international security and has collaborated with the International Organization of Migration, the NATO Centre of Excellence on Civil-Military Cooperation, and the EU Centre of Excellence on Hybrid Threats.