How Soft Power Works (original) (raw)
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A Comment on Nye's Concept of Soft Power
Since we started this course on international relations theory, we have been dealing quite a lot with the concept of power, and with its useful application on the international political framework, too.
Soft Power: theoretical framework and political foundations
Przegląd Europejski, 2020
Although 30 years have passed since it was first formulated by the American political scientist Joseph Nye Jr, experts in international relations still debate on the contribution that soft power can give in foreign policy. This article aims to analyse the epistemological framework of soft power since its elaboration over the years till now. The research delves into two essential angles of soft power. The former is the study on the relevance of the concept of soft power in the current political dynamics. The latter is the definition of the idea of soft power with a focus on the evolution of such an idea since it was formulated by Joseph Nye Jr. The academic debate around the concept of soft power can be summarised mostly around four points: (1) the definition of soft power, (2) the relationship between hard and soft power; (3) resources and behaviours generating soft power; (4) the actors involved, when we speak about soft power. In the political debate of the last few years, some political scientists and practitioners have raised doubts about relevance and effectiveness of soft power in the current international political dynamics. However, the COVID-19 pandemic, which is reshaping the global order, is demonstrating that deploying effective public diplomacy is still crucial in international relations.
E-IR, 2020
The irrelevance of Soft Power stems not from its theoretical dimension, but from a changing global landscape. The 21st century will be characterized by growing competition among three giants – China, India and the United States. To contend with this triumvirate, nations will create short-termed strategic alliances that will collectively bargain opposite the giants, or force their hands. These alliances will rest on shared interests, not shared values. In a world governed by increased competition, as opposed to cooperation, the practice of Soft Power will become secondary. The benefit of strategic alliances lies in their malleability. Unlike the Cold-War era, nations will not be bound to one giant. On the contrary, nations will collaborate with different giants towards different ends. National power will emanate from a nation’s status as a desirable member in strategic alliances. This desirability may rest on diverse resources ranging from economic stability to technological infrastructure and geographic location. Now is not the age of uni-polarity or bi-polarity. Now is the age of giants. And in this age, power will function differently, as explained in this article.
Revising the soft power concept: what are the means and mechanisms of soft power?
The power of attraction (soft power), as developed by Joseph Nye, has been increasingly discussed in international relations literature and policy, yet soft power has not been fully utilized because of under‐specified tools and mechanisms by which soft power influences international actors. This article revises the concept of soft power by generating a continuum of power based on the tools useful for implementing different degrees of soft or hard power. In addition, the article describes two mechanisms through which soft power influences international actors, beginning the call for exploration of other such mechanisms. Reconceptualizing soft power in terms of objects that are controlled and utilized by policy‐makers, such as agenda‐setting and framing, provides us with more useful analytical variables to understand international relations and to provide policy recommendations.
The chinese vision of soft power. General considerations
Bulletin of "Carol I" National Defense University, 2023
In the last half of the century, public diplomacy has gained great popularity worldwide, becoming one of the basic components of diplomatic practices. From this perspective, it is important to study how the concept of soft power is currently perceived and understood in China at the national level as well as by civil society and the target of China's public diplomacy. Various Chinese scholars from major Chinese universities concerned with the issue of soft power have published numerous articles systematically describing China's perspective on the concept and where their country stands at the beginning of the 2000s, with the intention of defining the concept and charting a trajectory for their country. Looking at the Chinese sources and comparing them with the general notions of soft power presented by Joseph Nye, we can state that we are witnessing a new process of assimilation and adaptation in China of a theory that does not originate in Asia. This article aims to illustrate how China defines soft power and how it has implemented this new tool of the new diplomacy by analyzing the specialized materials published in China during the period 2005-2017.