Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
PhD student in International Relations, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
3
Assistant Professor of Department of Political Science, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
The formation of nation-states introduced the concept of national sovereignty, which has subsequently faced new challenges due to evolving dynamics among international actors. This article aims to elucidate the emerging phenomenon of 'sovereignty evasion' in international relations—a concept shaped by technological advancements, globalization, and the rise of transnational actors that challenge traditional state sovereignty. An explanatory research method is employed for this purpose. Through content analysis of various sovereignty theories, the fundamental characteristics of sovereignty were identified. Subsequently, using logical analysis and confrontational reasoning, new defining features of sovereignty evasion were delineated, leading to its conceptualization within international relations. This study is innovative both in its subject matter and methodological approach. As it seeks to explain a novel phenomenon, it does not proceed from a hypothesis. The analysis reveals that sovereignty evasion represents a systematic pattern of agency that challenges the nine core attributes of national sovereignty—territory, nation, legitimacy, state institutions, independence, loyalty, accountability, and obedience. This is achieved through three primary mechanisms: 'avoidance of acceptance,' 'emancipation from domination,' and 'escape from control,' ultimately seeking to create alternatives to the conventional concept of sovereignty. Rather than constituting anarchic rebellion, sovereignty evasion emerges as a structured paradigm structurally opposed to national sovereignty and the nation-state model. It is characterized by features such as teranscendence of territorial Bonds, Transnational Community, Transnational legitimacy, Decentralized Transnational networked Structures, dependence, fragmented loyalties, and Transnational Authority.
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