A Ritual Approach to Deterrence

How can ritual help to elucidate the symbolism of deterrence? Traditional deterrence scholarship tends to overlook the active role of deterring actors in creating and redefining the circumstances to which they are allegedly only reacting. In order to address the weight of deterrence as a symbol, collective representation and strategic repertoire, this paper proposes to rethink deterrence as a performative and generative (ontological) security practice with ritual features, functions and effects. Riding the ‘fourth wave’ of deterrence studies, the paper posits a novel theoretical account for understanding the mediation of ambiguity in extended deterrence. Drawing on the example of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) in the Alliance’s eastern flank, the proposed conceptualization of extended deterrence as an interaction ritual chain in allied defence, solidarity and community-building offers new insights about the deterrence and collective identity nexus. The case of eFP throws into stark relief the ontological security significance of ritualizing allied deterrence. Lacking social and political consensus about the severity of a threat in question, the ritualization of deterrence serves as a potent valve for communicating the credibility and commitment in an extended deterrence situation, along with answering the identity demands of a collective actor.