😂 the more i run into it during teaching (international studies) the more i agree. But i do enjoy @mariarepnikova.bsky.social engagement with the concept in Chinese soft power.
Comments
Log in with your Bluesky account to leave a comment
Ha, I hear you. I have plenty of frustrations with that scholarship myself. In my latest book project, I actually stay away from "soft power" and analyze what I describe as different mechanisms of "image-making," including ideational power, censorship and tangible enticement.
that's a great approach! much more useful when defined precisely. problem is nowadays the term is inflated so much that it's often lost analytical values. (which is why your work is all the more important!)
Thank you so much, Chenchen! This means a lot coming from you. I hope you like the book when it comes out. I was struggling with the approach for a long time, but I thought it's better to analyze more concrete mechanisms and practices than more vague "soft power."
Analytical clarity was also term I had in my head. I really like the direction you're taking with the new book project and excited to see what emerges. I do think 'censorship' is another term with reduced analytical clarity; it has become used to described so many forms of digital governance.
Comments