Performing Interstate Relations Through Amicable Actions

• In Event: ICA Interactive Paper/Poster Session II
  In Interactive Poster Session: Public Diplomacy Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

The communicative problem guiding this study is how to foster amicable relations between states. Resorting to linguistic-pragmatics and international relations theories, it firstly aims at conceptualizing amicable actions and their potential to thwart escalatory processes or initiate, maintain, and restore solidarity-based and deference-based relations in interstate communication. On the basis of 2,180 amicable actions performed by a variety of international actors in a range of communicative contexts and corroborated by eight senior foreign affair policymakers, a classification that points to variations, goals, and prevalence of amicable actions is suggested. In the conclusions, I argue for the empirical importance and practical applicability of amicable actions and point to six challenges (situational, intentional, interpretative, power, cultural, and media-related) that need to be confronted in the future in order to answer the overarching question: Under what conditions do amicable actions achieve their ends?

Author

• Zohar Kampf, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem