Ontological security: genesis, application in international relations and multilateralism and minilateralism studies

Why is minilateralism “exclusive, flexible, resilient, and functional” by nature? This article seeks to understand how these elements are constructed in the paradigm of cooperation in a minilateral format. It is emphasized that the concept of ontological security was originally formulated by R.D. Laing in the 1960s, becoming a component of the therapeutic approach to patients suffering from schizoid disorders and simultaneously part of the anti-psychiatric movement. In the 1980s, E. Giddens reinterpreted ontological security in his structuration theory. In the 2000s, Brent J. Steele and J. Mitzen pioneered the application of ontological security in international relations, focusing on global politics, conflict, and security studies. Recently, Nina S. Krickel-Choi has redefined ontological security, reviving some aspects of its theoretical foundation. Accordingly, the author assesses and interprets ontological security in terms of multilateralism and minilateralism with the aim of rethinking the paradigm of minilateral cooperation.