The potential of soft power: commentary on “ the origins and evolution of soft power”
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: In this discussion, I argue that the concept of soft power tends to be located in an actor-oriented and intentionalist understanding of social power and therefore pays scant attention to power as process in time and its structural determinants. This is problematic when turning to the normative component of soft power, i.e. the perception of legitimacy, and questions concerning the non-deliberative nature of international power. I conclude that the very vagueness and elusiveness of the concept of soft power leaves room for more structure-oriented, historically informed, and less intentionalist paths of research on international power.
Source: Journal of Political Power
Author: Per Jansson
Institution: Linköping University
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4415956400