Disentangling the “Pathways of Exclusion”: Naming, Blaming, Shaming, and Stigmatization in World Politics

This article provides a nuanced theoretical investigation into naming, shaming, blaming, and stigmatization as distinct yet interconnected mechanisms of social regulation in international relations. Drawing on interdisciplinary insights from psychology, social punishment, and the history of law, it highlights the unique contributions of each mechanism to exclusionary dynamics, arguing that their conflation in existing scholarship obscures their individual logics and effects. Illustrations from the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) demonstrate how these mechanisms unfold and interact in practice. By examining the pathways through which they combine, the article sheds light on their implications for reputation, compliance, and the persistence of marginalization. This study advances debates on the role of stigma in international relations by disentangling its relationship with related practices, offering critical insights into how exclusion is enacted and contested. In doing so, it suggests ways to bridge theoretical and empirical gaps, providing scholars and policymakers with tools to navigate the tensions between status and accountability in world politics.