This book explores the phenomenon of soft power in international relations. In the context of current discourses on power and global power shift s, it puts forward a comprehensive taxonomy of soft power and outlines a methodological roadmap for its empirical study. To that end, the book classifies soft power into distinct components - resources, instruments, reception, and outcomes - and identifies relevant indicators for each of these categories. Moreover, the book integrates previously neglected aspects into the concept of soft power, including the significance of (political) personalities. A broad range of historical examples is drawn upon to illustrate the effects of soft power in international relations in an innovative and analytically differentiated way. A central methodological contribution of this book consists in highlighting the value of comparative-historical analysis (CHA) as a promising approach for empirical analyses of the soft power of different actors on the international stage. By introducing a comprehensive taxonomy of soft power, the book offers an innovative and substantiated perspective on a pivotal phenomenon in today’s international relations. As the forces of attraction in world politics continue to gain in importance, it provides a valuable asset for a broad readership.
This book was the winner of the 2021 ifa (German Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations) Research Award on Foreign Cultural Policy.
“In this important and thoughtful book, Hendrik Ohnesorge explains and advances our knowledge of the ways that soft power, public diplomacy, and charismatic personal diplomacy are shaping the international relations of our global information age.”
Joseph S. Nye, Jr., Harvard University and author of The Future of Power
Introduction: In the Midst of Global Power Shifts.- Power in International Relations: Understandings and Varieties.- A Taxonomy of Soft Power: Introducing a New Conceptual Paradigm.- A Methodological Roadmap for the Study of Soft Power.- Conclusions and Outlook.
Hendrik W. Ohnesorge is Managing Director and Research Fellow at the Center for Global Studies/Chair in International Relations at the University of Bonn (Germany). He holds a bachelor’s degree in “Politics and Law” from the University of Münster (Germany) and a master’s degree in “German, European, and Global Politics” from the University of Bonn. In 2011/12, Mr. Ohnesorge studied abroad in the United Kingdom at the University of Southampton. In 2017, he was visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley (USA), and in early 2019, he obtained his PhD from the University of Bonn. His research interests include global power shifts, soft power, US foreign policy and transatlantic relations, and the influence of individual decision-makers on international politics and history.
