MINISTERIAL IDENTITY - THE NORWEGIAN MINI STRY OF FOREIGN-AFFAIRS

The existing literature on the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Aff airs (MFA) is far from comprehensive and dominated by articles written by Maurice East and associates. The article presents this literature, criticises its pre-empirical presuppositions, and presents an alterna tive interpretation of MFA behaviour. The main point is to show how MF A behaviour must include an understanding of the meaning MFA personnel themselves ascribe to their behaviour.