Routledge Relational, Networked and Collaborative Approaches to Public Diplomacy: The Connective Mindshift (Routledge Studies in Global Information, Politics and Society)

Over the past decade, scholars, practitioners, and leading diplomats have forcefully argued for the need to move beyond one-way, mass-media-driven campaigns and develop more relational strategies. In the coming years, as the range of public diplomacy actors grows, the issues become more complexly intertwined, and the use of social media proliferates, the focus on relations will intensify along with the demands for more sophisticated strategies. These changes in the international arena call for a connective mindshift: a shift from information control and dominance to skilled relationship management. Leading international scholars and practitioners embark on a forward-looking exploration of creative conceptual frameworks, training methods, and case studies that advance relational, networking, and collaborative strategies in public diplomacy. Light on academic jargon and rich in analysis, this volume argues that while relationships have always been pivotal to the practice of public diplomacy, the relational dynamics are changing. Rather than focus on specific definitions, the contributors focus on the dynamic interplay of influence in the public diplomacy environment. That environment includes state and non-state actors, public and private partners, competitors and collaborators, new and old media, and is conditioned by power, ethics, and cultures. This book is an essential resource to students and practitioners interested on how to build relationships and transform them into more elaborate network structures through public communication. It will challenge you to push the boundaries of what you think are the mechanisms, benefits, and potential issues raised by a relational approach to public diplomacy Review 'The editors and contributors of this volume have done a fine job of defining crucial issues that will shape the future of public diplomacy. The key to true engagement and the successful wielding of influence – the essence of public diplomacy – is to be found in the relational strategies described in this book. Those who manage and study nations’ foreign policy should pay close attention to these analyses of the new realities of connectivity.' ―Philip Seib, University of Southern California 'Ambitious, thought provoking, and highly readable, this is the best available account of the relational approach to public diplomacy. These probing and insightful essays by accomplished scholars will prompt reflection, agreement, and counter-argument – precisely what is needed in the study and practice of 21st century diplomacy.'―Bruce Gregory, George Washington University 'This volume has a great deal to offer, as even the three visions included in this volume lend constructive advice to those in public diplomacy circles today. Perhaps by increasing accessibility to the public, looking forward to a relational and networked paradigm, while imagining new uses of social media, cultural initiatives and collaborative exercises, we just might shift public diplomacy out of crisis. This book could be a useful resource for institutions where international relations and public affairs are taught or researched, as well as a thought-provoking resource for students and professors addressing geopolitical communications.'―Brooke Bagan, The Hague Journal of Diplomacy 'In short, adding to the sum total of knowledge in the field and offering ideas opening new doorways for thoughts and practices, this book will be a relevation to all who open its cover.'―Ellen Huijgh, Australian Journal of International Affairs About the Author R. S. Zaharna is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication and an affiliate Associate Professor in the School of International Service at the American University in Washington, DC. She has been one of the leading scholars in public diplomacy and was recently selected as a Research Fellow by the USC Center on Public Diplomacy. In addition to more than twenty years of teaching strategic commu