Conclusions

Abstract

This work has sought to explore the making of informal states. Rather than measuring the degree of ‘state completeness’ in these politically ambiguous places, the aim has been to follow insights from political sociology and critical perspectives in international relations theories by focusing on the practices of statecraft. This study suggests that if we conceive informal states as figurations, we may gain a more subtle understanding and thus a clearer picture of how these informal states operate, which is the central question of this work. What we have observed is that informal states function as a network of interdependencies involving a plurality of actors with overlapping as well as colliding interests, perceptions, and visions. This concluding chapter has two tasks. The first is to summarize themes explored in this study by way of a review of the figurations of informal states in order to question who the actors involved in the figuration are and what it is that binds them together in this network. The second is to briefly examine the implications of this analysis for theories of international relations.