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 language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 159-183 |
Number of pages | 25 |
Journal | International Negotiation: a journal of theory and practice |
Volume | 26 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 1 Sept 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 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