Lateral Relations in World Politics: Rethinking Interactions and Change among Fields, Systems, and Sectors

Abstract Scholarship drawing from a wide array of perspectives including field theoretical and functional differentiation approaches has shed increasing light on the sectoral dimensions world politics. In contrast to dominant emphasizing hierarchy power in relations between global fields, this article offers novel interpretive framework for understanding how diverse systems, or sectors may interact facilitate change politics beyond operation established hierarchies dynamics. Taking forward previously underutilized concept symbolically generalized media communication, elucidates two processes international political by which different transform The first process, lateral retreat, is illustrated with reference case study Protestant Reformation, internal changes religious facilitated development an increasingly autonomous domain. second penetration, response climate Covid-19 crises, scientific sector contributed toward transformed priorities associated hierarchies, at least short term. These cases are used indicate broad potential scope application communication enrich relational theorizing relations, improve dynamics missed traditional power- (and anarchy-) centric accounts.