Circus and international relations : An impossible combination?
Mäensivu, Maria (2026)
2026
Politiikan tutkimuksen maisteriohjelma - Master's Programme in Politics
Johtamisen ja talouden tiedekunta - Faculty of Management and Business
Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2026-05-12
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202605115348
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202605115348
Tiivistelmä
This thesis is an exploratory study on the intersections between circus and international relations. The aim of the research was to see how circuses can be conceptualized as international actors, what aspects of international relations affect circus and how can circuses broaden various understandings of the international realm.
The research relied on decolonial ontological foundations and epistemologies based on queer and feminist understandings. Together, they created an understanding of methodology as collage that aimed to challenge the boundaries of knowledge and connect seemingly incompatible ideas in new and creative ways. Three themes were generated with the use of Thematic Analysis: “circus as a cosmopolitan community”, “power and circus”, and “queer potential of circus”.
The research findings show that circuses should be approached as cosmopolitan actors belonging into a shared community based on similar identity and values. This community challenges various borders such as state- or cultural divisions. Circuses are also affected by and uphold structures power in various ways. While international relations affect circuses, they can also challenge these norms through carnivalization and resisting the seriousness of politics. Finally, the queer potential of circus encourages circuses to challenge various taken for granted norms and embrace the embodied politics of circus. While ignoring politics ultimately upholds its various power structures, challenging and discussing them can give circus the ability to imagine alternative political futures.
This research argues that circus can be an interesting topic of study within the field of international relations. It can challenge various assumptions about states, borders and international actors. Furthermore, it can give us new insights into the ways in which power, travel and bodies operate across international spaces.
The research relied on decolonial ontological foundations and epistemologies based on queer and feminist understandings. Together, they created an understanding of methodology as collage that aimed to challenge the boundaries of knowledge and connect seemingly incompatible ideas in new and creative ways. Three themes were generated with the use of Thematic Analysis: “circus as a cosmopolitan community”, “power and circus”, and “queer potential of circus”.
The research findings show that circuses should be approached as cosmopolitan actors belonging into a shared community based on similar identity and values. This community challenges various borders such as state- or cultural divisions. Circuses are also affected by and uphold structures power in various ways. While international relations affect circuses, they can also challenge these norms through carnivalization and resisting the seriousness of politics. Finally, the queer potential of circus encourages circuses to challenge various taken for granted norms and embrace the embodied politics of circus. While ignoring politics ultimately upholds its various power structures, challenging and discussing them can give circus the ability to imagine alternative political futures.
This research argues that circus can be an interesting topic of study within the field of international relations. It can challenge various assumptions about states, borders and international actors. Furthermore, it can give us new insights into the ways in which power, travel and bodies operate across international spaces.