The Heinz I. Eulau Award is presented annually by the American Political Science Association (APSA) to honor the best article published in the APSA journal Perspectives on Politics.
Citation from the Award Committee:
“Blurring the Boundaries of War: PTSD in American Foreign Policy Discourse” uses rich descriptive data to tell a compelling story about the politicization of war trauma and its far-reaching implications. Through historical analysis and a review of presidential papers, debates, and Congressional records spanning the last fifty years, Adam Lerner argues that heightened focus on PTSD has contributed to a notable blurring of traditional spatiotemporal boundaries associated with war. This shift extends the impact of war trauma into indefinite futures and locations far beyond the immediate battlefield, thereby challenging established ethical distinctions between victims and perpetrators of war.
Lerner’s narrative of the “pathologization of war” stands as a testament to the value of rich descriptive analysis combined with theoretical insights. The article does more than just present data; it weaves a narrative that challenges conventional understandings of trauma and its role in society. By demonstrating how discourse on PTSD has evolved and influenced policy, Lerner not only sheds light on the changing landscape of American foreign policy but also prompts deeper reflections on the conceptual and ethical challenges posed by war trauma. We believe that this study will generate fresh research inquiries on a topic of policy and theoretical relevance for American foreign policy and far beyond.
Dr. Adam B. Lerner is Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. His research focuses on the legacy of mass violence in the international system and tools of global repair and reconciliation. His first book, “From the Ashes of History: Collective Trauma and the Making of International Politics”, was published by Oxford University Press in March 2022. It received the 2023 Peter Katzenstein Award from Cornell University, the 2023 Edgar S. Furniss Book Award from the Mershon Center at Ohio State, the 2023 APSA Ideas, Knowledge, and Politics Book Award, the 2023 ISA International Ethics Book Award, an Honorable Mention for the 2023 ISA Theory Book Award, and an Honorable Mention for the 2023 Hedley Bull Book Prize from ECPR. His refereed articles have appeared or are forthcoming in the European Journal of International Relations, Perspectives on Politics, Review of International Political Economy, International Studies Quarterly, International Affairs, and International Theory, among other outlets.
APSA thanks the committee members for their service: Dr. Tara Grillos (Chair) of Purdue University, Dr. Resat Bayer of Koç University, and Dr. Mette Eilstrup-Sangiovanni of Cambridge University.