The Meaning of Diplomacy

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.

Public and cultural diplomacy practices: Empirical study of foreign Consulate Generals in Bali, Indonesia

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Diplomacy is the conduct of international relations by having a negotiation, dialog, or other forms of contact to promote peace (Cornago, 2008). Hart and Siniver (2020) define that "diplomacy is what diplomats make of it." The term "public diplomacy" has evolved through different eras.

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