The Rhetoric of Soft Power

Reviews / Votes

Hayden (American Univ.) offers a welcome, much-needed analysis of what has become one of the most discussed concepts in international relations--soft power. Joseph S. Nye's concept of soft power has gained much attention in recent years, yet a thorough theoretical analysis has been sorely lacking. Hayden provides this analysis by merging this concept with the notion of public diplomacy, which he defines broadly as purposive attempts by actors to communicate in global media, cultural, and information spaces. In the author's own words, the book's goal is "to develop a theoretical treatment of soft power and public diplomacy through an interdisciplinary investigation of what is demonstratively a transnational, interdisciplinary phenomenon." The book succeeds in this goal. One of Hayden's main contributions is to not only offer a fresh analysis of US debates over the use of soft power in light of increased anti-Americanism in recent years. He also offers a rich comparative analysis of how soft power is deployed in the crucial states of China, Japan, and Venezuela, demonstrating how the key soft power notions of influence and persuasion are conceived of differently in different national contexts. Summing Up: Highly recommended. * Choice Reviews * Scholars and practitioners of public diplomacy are certain to benefit from this thoughtful examination of the articulation of soft power. Public diplomacy is driven in part by the quality of rhetoric that is presented to global publics, and Craig Hayden does a fine job of analyzing the significance of communication in this important element of nations' foreign policy. -- Philip Seib, University of Southern California Hayden takes a complex area of increasing geopolitical significance and gives us a clear and direct road map. As states vie to determine the effects of their travails, Hayden's comparative study is both timely and original. -- Monroe E. Price, University of Pennsylvania Hayden has filled a gap in the comparative public diplomacy literature by illustrating how different visions of soft power can produce different public diplomacy practices, programs, and goals. His richly informed analysis of four major actors is guided by an original theoretical framework based on the scope, mechanism, and outcomes of soft power. -- R.S. Zaharna, American University