New Public Diplomacy, Social Media and Non-State Actors

Abstract

Some of the discussions in political science and international relations have clustered around the impact of individuals and non-state actors, especially on how and how much they affect public diplomacy. As a result of the great and rapid change in information and communication technologies, and the growing importance of civil society, new public diplomacy has started to include non-state actors. Yet, the differences and disagreements among perspectives in public diplomacy, blurs the place of non-state actors in public diplomacy. This study, drawing attention to this ambiguity in the literature, examines the role of non-state actors, especially individuals, in the new public diplomacy with the use of social media. In this context, literature review and qualitative research method were applied. In the first part of the article, the change and transformation in the new understanding of public diplomacy and especially the effect of social media are emphasized. In the second part; attention has been drawn to the existence of non-state actors in the new public diplomacy and the importance of their changing and increasing roles over time. In conclusion, the study claims that if different perspectives are combined in a common view, the new public diplomacy will become both more understandable and more accurate, otherwise – if the uncertainty surrounding the place of non-state actors in public diplomacy continues- “the rise of a new academic field” will not be possible.

Keywords

• New Public Diplomacy
• Non-State Actors
• Social Media
• Citizen (public) Diplomat

Yeni Kamu Diplomasisi, Sosyal Medya ve Devlet Dışı Aktörler

Abstract

Siyaset bilimi ve uluslararası ilişkiler alanındaki tartışmaların bir bölümü, bireylerin ve devlet dışı aktörlerin, kamu diplomasisini hangi yollarla ve ne kadar etkilediği noktasında yoğunlaşmaktadır. Bilgi ve iletişim teknolojilerinde yaşanan büyük ve hızlı değişim ve sivil toplumun rolünün giderek artması sonucu, yeni kamu diplomasisi, devlet dışı aktörleri daha fazla içerir hale gelmiştir. Bununla birlikte, kamu diplomasisi alanındaki perspektifler arasındaki farklılıklar nedeniyle, devlet dışı aktörlerin alandaki yerlerinin tam olarak tanımlanması mümkün olamamıştır. Bu çalışma, literatürde söz konusu olan bu belirsizliğe dikkat çekerek, sosyal medyanın kullanımıyla yeni kamu diplomasisinde devlet dışı aktörlerin, özellikle bireylerin aktör rolü üstlenmelerini incelemektedir. Bu çerçevede literatür taraması ve nitel araştırma yöntemi uygulanmıştır. Makalenin ilk bölümünde yeni kamu diplomasisi anlayışında yaşanan değişim ve dönüşüm ile özellikle sosyal medyanın etkisi üzerinde durulmuştur. İkinci bölümde ise; yeni kamu diplomasisinde devlet dışı aktörlerin varlığı, zaman içerisinde değişen ve artan rollerinin önemine dikkat çekilmiştir. Sonuç olarak çalışma, farklı perspektiflerin ortak bir görüşte birleştirilmesi halinde, yeni kamu diplomasisinin hem daha anlaşılır hem de daha doğru işler duruma geleceğini, aksi takdirde -devlet dışı aktörlerin kamu diplomasisi içerisindeki konumu hususundaki belirsizliğin sürmesi durumunda- “yeni bir akademik alanın doğuşunun” mümkün olamayacağını iddia etmektedir.

Keywords

• Yeni Kamu Diplomasisi
• Devlet Dışı Aktörler
• Sosyal Medya
• Vatandaş Diplomat

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