This important new volume advances current role theory scholarship, offering concrete theoretical suggestions of how foreign policy analysis and IR theory could benefit from a closer integration of role theory. It will be of great interest to all scholars and students of international relations, foreign policy and international politics.

Section 1: Role Theory in IR and Social Theory 1. Introduction and Defining of Key Terms of Analysis Sebastian Harnisch 2. Role Theory Research in IR: State of the Art and Blind Spots Marijke Breuning 3. George Herbert Mead, the Pragmatist Tradition and Role Theory Sebastian Harnisch 4. Habermas meets Role Theory: Communicative Action as Role Playing Harald Müller 5. Identity and Role Change in International Politics Dirk Nabers Section 2: Comparative Foreign Policy Analysis: Combining Role Theory with Complementary Approaches 6. Role Transformation of NATO and its New Members: Socialization as a Two Way Street? Trine Flockhart 7. Reconsidering the EU's Role in International Relations: Do Role Performances Fit to Role Conceptions? Ole Elgström and Rikard Bengtsson 8. Civilian Power meets Transforming Euroatlanticist: Comparing Germany's and Poland's European Security and Defence Policies Cornelia Frank 9. Does Membership in EU and NATO Matter? Convergence of Sweden's and Norway's Role Concepts by Interaction with International Institutions Rachel Folz Section 3: On Hegemony and Hierarchy in IR: Foreign Policy Roles in the United States and Allied Countries 10. Agency and Role Change: The Obama Factor in the Reconstitution of US Hegemony Hanns W. Maull 11. Terrorized America? September 11 and its Impact on US Foreign Policy Raimund Wolf 12. With or Without Consensus? US hegemony and France as a Reluctant Ally Ulrich Krotz and James Sperling 13. With or Without Consensus? US Hegemony and China's Role as a Rival but Responsible Power Jörn-Carsten Gottwald Section 4: Conclusions 14. Hegemony and Consent: The Current State of Role Theory and the International Social Order Sebastian Harnisch, Cornelia Frank and Hanns W. Maull

Sebastian Harnisch is Professor of International Relations and Foreign Policy at the University of Heidelberg, Germany

Cornelia Frank is Lecturer in Political Science at the Chair for Foreign Policy and International Relations, University of Trier, Germany.

Hanns W. Maull is Professor of Foreign Policy and International Relations at the University of Trier, Germany.