Cancel culture: conceptualization of the term and its use in foreign policy

Cancel culture:
conceptualization of the term and its use in foreign policy


Rustamova L.R.,

MGIMO University, Moscow, Russia; Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, leili-rustamova@yandex.ru


elibrary_id: 718273 | ORCID: 0000-0001-9803-9904 | RESEARCHER_ID: AAP-3766-2021

Adrianov A.K.,

MGIMO University, Moscow, Russia, artemadrianov1@gmail.com


elibrary_id: 1190016 | ORCID: 0000-0001-5135-8369 | RESEARCHER_ID: ITU-4434-2023

Article received: 2023.04.03. Accepted: 2023.05.02


DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2023.04.04
EDN: TXMHBX


For citation:

Rustamova L.R., Adrianov A.K. Cancel culture: conceptualization of the term and its use in foreign policy. – Polis. Political Studies. 2023. No. 4. https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2023.04.04. EDN: TXMHBX



Abstract

The article studies how cancel culture can be used in foreign policy. The precursors for the “cancellation” of certain states appeared at the end of the 20th century, when the US foreign policy discourse began using such terms as “state sponsors of terrorism”, “rogue states”, “failed states” and “axis of evil”. As a result, conditions have arisen under which a state or a coalition of countries is pursuing a deliberate policy aimed at excluding a certain country from the international community in order to completely isolate it. In 2022, this phenomenon affected Russia, which was subjected to cancellation after the start of the special military operation in Ukraine. It is noted that the effect of cancel culture is based on the mechanism of the spiral of silence, according to the definition by E. Noel-Neumann. Fearing isolation, people tend to hide their true opinion if they feel they are in a minority. Some people can publicly renounce their former views without actually changing them, while others silently join the majority. This concept can also be applied to studying the “cancellation” of Russia, in which the discourse promoted by the Western media creates a false impression that the majority of the world’s population condemns Russia. The same goal is pursued by the eradication of the traces of Russian culture in world history, as well as the cancellation of Russian cultural figures, and preventing Russian teams from participating in international competitions. To combat the “cancellation” of Russia, it is necessary to break the spiral of silence, that is, to openly and as widely as possible convey the Russian point of view to the world audience using broadcasting tools, social networks, streaming services and mechanisms of public and academic diplomacy. The main target audience should be non-Western countries where a neutral or positive attitude towards Russia prevails, but which could change their position under the influence of global pro-Western media that have the upper hand in some states. At the same time, it is necessary to continue looking for ways to convey the Russian point of view to the population and politicians of Western countries in order to break the spiral of silence, and, consequently, prevent the “cancellation” of Russia in the West. 

Keywords
cancel culture, spiral of silence, cultural diplomacy, public diplomacy, Russian culture, policy of isolation.


References

Billingham, P., & Parr, T. (2020). Enforcing social norms: the morality of public shaming. European Journal of Philosophy, 28(4), 997-1016. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejop.12543

Bouvier, G. (2020). Racist call-outs and cancel culture on Twitter: the limitations of the platform’s ability to define issues of social justice. Discourse, Context & Media, 38(8), 100431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2020.100431

Chiou, R. (2020). We need deeper understanding about the neurocognitive mechanisms of moral righteousness in an era of online vigilantism and cancel culture. AJOB Neuroscience, 11(4), 297-299. https://doi.org/10.1080/21507740.2020.1830872

Clark, M.D. (2020). Drag them: A brief etymology of so-called “cancel culture”. Communication and the Public, 5(3-4), 88-92. https://doi.org/10.1177/2057047320961562

Geusens, F., Ouvrein, G., & Soetkin, R. (2023). #Cancelled: a qualitative content analysis of cancel culture in the YouTube beauty community. The Social Science Journal, 60(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/03623319.2023.2175150

Lageson, S., & Kaplun, K. (2021). Public accusation on the Internet. Sociology of Crime Law and Deviance. Sociology of Crime Law and Deviance, 26, 99-114. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1521-613620210000026007

Mboti, N. (2010). To show the world as it is, or as it is not: the gaze of Hollywood films about Africa. African Identities, 8(4), 317-332. https://doi.org/10.1080/14725843.2010.513240

Norris, P. (2021). Cancel culture: myth or reality? Political Studies, 71(1), 145-174. https://doi.org/10.1177/00323217211037023

Nye Jr., J.S. (1990). The changing nature of world power. Political Science Quarterly, 105(2), 177-192. https://www.jstor.org/stable/2151022

Pilon, J.G. (2020). 2020. America and the cancel culture of fools. Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs, 14(2), 183-196. https://doi.org/10.1080/23739770.2020.1815365

Prorokova-Konrad, T. (Ed.). (2020). Cold War II: Hollywood’s renewed obsession with Russia. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. https://doi.org/10.14325/mississippi/9781496831095.001.0001

Shaw, T. (2007). Hollywood’s Cold War. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Wairimũ, N.N., & O’Brien, W.E. (2021). Hollywood imagines urban Africa, and it’s as bad as you think. Social Dynamics. A Journal of African Studies, 47(1), 83-99. https://doi.org/10.1080/02533952.2021.1899736

Walker, Ch., & Ludwig, J. (2017). The meaning of sharp power. How authoritarian states project influence. Foreign Affairs. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/china/2017-11-16/meaning-sharp-power

Аrtamonova, U., & Rustamova, L. (2023). “Canceling” Russia: implications for cultural diplomacy. World Eсonomy and International Relations, 67(3), 101-109. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.20542/0131-2227-2023-67-4-123-131

Chugrov, S.V. (2022). Cancel culture in world politics: historical and philosophical roots. Polis. Political Studies, 5, 88-98. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2022.05.07

Noelle-Neumann, E. (1996) Offentliche Meinung. Die Entdeckung der Schweigespirale. (Russ. ed. Noelle-Neumann, E. Obshchestvennoe mnenie. Otkrytie spirali molchaniya. Moscow: Progress-Akademia; Ves’ Mir).

Nye, J.S., Jr. (2013). The future of power. (Russ. ed.: Nye, J.S., Jr. Budushchee vlasti. Moscow: AST).

Parastaev, G.N. (2011). The problem of manipulation in American political discourse (on the example of public speeches of US politicians). Bulletin of the M.A. Sholokhov Moscow State Humanitarian University. Philological Sciences, 3, 97-103. (In Russ.)

Preobrazhenskiy, L.Y. (2011). “Failed states” and “Rogue states”. Origin of concepts and their place in modern foreign policy strategy of the USA. Tambov University Review: Series Humanities, 9, 299-305. (In Russ.) https://www.elibrary.ru/download/elibrary_16908659_28280923.pdf

Rustamova, L. (2018). Public diplomacy of Russia in the settlement of the conflict in Syria. World Politics, 1, 33-37. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.25136/2409-8671.2018.1.25576.

Surikov, I.E. (2018). Greek nicknames of the Archaic and Classical periods. IV. Athens: From the “Great Ostracisms” to the “Great Demagogues”. Journal of Historical, Philological and Cultural Studies, 3, 170-197. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.18503/1992-0431-2018-3-61-170-197

Tabarintseva-Romanova, K.M (2019). “New” types of diplomacy of the 21st century: cultural diplomacy in modern international discourse. Scientific Journal “Discourse-P”, 3, 26-37. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24411/1817-9568-2019-10302.

Zaller, J.R. The nature and origins of mass opinion. (Russ. ed.: Zaller, J.R. Proiskhozhdenie i priroda obshchestvennogo mneniya. Moscow: The publishing house “Institute of Public opinion Fund”).

Content No. 4, 2023

See also:


Konkov A.E., Chukov R.S.,
Parliamentary Diplomacy: Developing Relations Between Society and State at the Mega-Political Level. – Polis. Political Studies. 2020. No1

Kostyrev A.G.,
The intelligent power, public diplomacy, and social networks as a factors of international politics. – Polis. Political Studies. 2013. No2

Grunt Z.A., Kertman G.L., Pavlova T.V., Patrushev S.V., Khlopin A.D.,
Russian Everyday Life and Political Culture: Problems of Renovation. – Polis. Political Studies. 1996. No4

Sidorov Ye.Yu.,
Culture of Peace and Russia's Culture. – Polis. Political Studies. 1998. No5

Alekseyeva T.A.,
Strategic culture: evolution of the concept. – Polis. Political Studies. 2012. No5

 

   

Introducing an article



Polis. Political Studies
2 2005


Information
Political Science Chronicle

 The article text
 

Archive

   2024      2023      2022      2021   
   2020      2019      2018      2017      2016   
   2015      2014      2013      2012      2011   
   2010      2009      2008      2007      2006   
   2005      2004      2003      2002      2001   
   2000      1999      1998      1997      1996   
   1995      1994      1993      1992      1991