Rethinking Soft Power from the Power Recipient’s Perspective: Voluntary Compliance is the Key

Abstract

In this editorial, I build on my recent article (Ayhan, 2023), and explain three ideal types for power recipients’ compliance with the power wielders’ desires: fear-, appetite-, and spirit-based compliance. Soft power is often conflated with fear- or appetite-based compliance, but it is actually present when power recipients comply voluntarily with power wielders while maintaining their sense of esteem and agency. Habit is the hardened effect of soft power, which is in play when voluntary compliance becomes commonsense and habitual, although the process could initially rest on fear- or appetite-based compliance. I illustrate the ideal types with a case study of regional actors’ motives for compliance with China-centric hierarchical order in historical East Asia.

BibTeX citation

@article{ayhan_rethinking_2023,
    title = {Rethinking Soft Power from the Power Recipient’s Perspective: Voluntary Compliance is the Key},
    volume = {3},
    doi = {10.23045/jpd.2023.3.1.001},
    pages = {1--17},
    number = {1},
    journaltitle = {Journal of Public Diplomacy},
    author = {Ayhan, Kadir Jun},
    year = {2023}
}