The Meaning of Diplomacy

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3 Citations (Scopus)
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Abstract

This article draws on interviews with 198 state ambassadors and applies an interpretivist lens to provide a more nuanced conceptualization of diplomacy. In doing so, we seek to project a closer fit between scholarly definitions of the term and how diplomacy is understood by practitioners. We contribute to the literature by proposing a more refined understanding of the term, presented here as five distinct (though not mutually exclusive) ‘meanings’ of diplomacy: (1) The actors taking part in modern diplomacy; (2) the objectives of diplomacy; (3) the mechanisms of diplomacy; (4) diplomacy as a skill; and (5) diplomacy as a profession. We find that drawing on the full range of the diplomatic experience is particularly important given the growing challenges to negotiation as the primary agency of diplomacy.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)159-183
Number of pages25
JournalInternational Negotiation: a journal of theory and practice
Volume26
Issue number2
Early online date1 Sept 2020
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2020.

Keywords

  • ambassadors
  • diplomacy
  • diplomats
  • negotiation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Sociology and Political Science
  • Political Science and International Relations

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