Diplomatic sites: a critical enquiry

Although diplomacy increasingly takes place in non-traditional, non-Western settings, public and academic debates still focus solely on the conference table, the ministerial office, and the press conference as sites of diplomatic practice. This book confronts the problem of diplomatic Euro-centrism head on, weighing potentially revolutionary changes such as increasing globalization and the rise of such powers as India, China, and Brazil. Iver Neumann, a Norwegian scholar with broad diplomatic experience, considers the potential of diplomatic sites that range from the dinner table to a host of culturally specific locations, in which today's third parties attempt to mediate conflict, facilitate peace, and manage aggressors and long-standing civil wars. Since the media plays a significant role in shaping the public's perception of diplomacy, Neumann surveys the representation of diplomacy in popular culture and concludes that, far from being in crisis, diplomatic activity is becoming more and more prevalent in an increasing number of unconventional locations. His study concludes that in today's globalized world, the art of diplomacy is thriving.