Music as a Communication Factor in Foreign Policy

Abstract

The relevance of this study is conditioned by the increasing importance of cultural channels of communication in the context of the globalisation of international socio-cultural space. The realities of the 21st century require a comprehensive analysis, considering the new foreign policy environment where multidirectional flows of international communication, including of media character, such as cinematography, theatre, TV, streaming, and music, are playing a qualitatively new role. This paper will therefore focus on the growing role of “cultural diplomacy” (hereafter without the quotes), expressed through the media interaction of sovereign and supranational actors at the international level. The purpose of the study is to establish or deny the impact of cultural diplomacy, including through musical performance, on foreign policy and political discourse at the international level. In the course of the study, primary data from original research by European and American authors was analysed and the heterogeneous structure of cultural diplomacy theory, expressed through the dialectical nature of positivism and theory criticism, was represented. The methodological basis used during the study is expressed in general scientific methods, which include the method of analysis, synthesis, generalisation, deduction and induction, and special – sociocultural, cultural-anthropological, and cultural-historical. The theoretical approach to the study of the multidimensional phenomenon of cultural diplomacy was based on constructivism, which best meets the objectives. Conclusions regarding the effectiveness of cultural diplomacy were drawn from the research. The field of music and diplomacy is far from being exhausted by the recent surge in scholarly attention and has the potential to grow exponentially. Coordinating a better understanding of past practices with an innovative and flexible approach to contemporary policy-making will create new opportunities to reconsider and redefine the role of music in the pursuit of sustainable diplomatic ties in the international arena.