Diplomacy as a Social World

Role Images and Diplomatic Memoirs
1. Auflage 2025
ISBN: 978-1-032-85392-5
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 214 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 453 g

Reihe: Routledge New Diplomacy Studies

This book proposes a reconceptualization of diplomacy as a social world, which has implications for the study of diplomatic memoirs as speech acts and forms of communication in relation to role images of diplomats.

In contrast to the dominant paradigm of Bourdieu-inspired practice theory, which focuses on struggles for position and power, this book proposes to understand diplomacy as a social world. From this vantage point, the intrinsic logic of diplomacy is situated within its own universe of discourse, which has its own manner of communicating and interacting. One element of this universe is role images. The work argues that memoirs by former diplomats serve as a pivotal medium through which diplomatic role models circulating in the wider public sphere are (re)produced. To this end, however, it is necessary to read self-narratives by diplomats not as sources for past events, but as speech acts and communication. The book applies this framework to an empirical analysis of 40 memoirs by former German ambassadors. The result of this analysis is the identification of five diplomatic role models: messenger, traveler, representative, reasonable actor, and relational actor.

This book will be of much interest to students of diplomacy studies, foreign policy, social theory, and International Relations in general.

Zielgruppe

Postgraduate, Professional Reference, and Undergraduate Advanced

Autoren/Hrsg.

Franz, Benedikt

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Kultur Staatsbürgerkunde, Staatsbürgerschaft, Zivilgesellschaft
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Regierungspolitik Innen-, Bildungs- und Bevölkerungspolitik
• Rechtswissenschaften Öffentliches Recht Verwaltungsrecht Verwaltungspraxis Polizei
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Internationale Beziehungen Internationale Organisationen und Institutionen
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Internationale Beziehungen Diplomatie
• Interdisziplinäres Wissenschaften Wissenschaften Interdisziplinär Friedens- und Konfliktforschung

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1 Introduction 2 Diplomacy as a Social World 3 Roles, Diplomacy, and Practice 4 Reading Autobiographies and Memoirs 5 Framework of the Empirical Analysis 6 Reporting: Diplomats as Messengers 7 Storytelling: Diplomats as Travelers 8 Self-assertion: Diplomats as Representatives 9 Reflection: Diplomats as Reasonable Actors 10 Thanking: Diplomats as Relational Actors 11 The Diplomatic Memory Corps 12 Conclusion

Über Autor(innen)

Benedikt Franz has a PhD from Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.