Cultural Diplomacy in International Relations Theory and Studies on Diplomacy

This article analyses how the concept of cultural diplomacy has appeared in the theoretical debate on international relations and studies on diplomacy. As cultural diplomacy has long been present in the practice of diplomacy, it was examined primarily by its historians and practitioners. As a result, it was conceptualized and perceived mostly as an instrument with which states advance their interests and achieve political objectives. As far as theoretical perspective is considered, cultural diplomacy has appeared most of all in relation to the concept of «soft power». The goal of this paper is to present in a systematised way how this category has been present in the theoretical discourse. Furthermore, the article aims at determining whether the content of the concept has changed in response to processes and phenomena currently observed in international politics.