Has globalization made soft power more important than hard power in the conduct of international affairs?

Abstract

As Nye points out in his book ‘Soft Power ‘,Power is the capability to get things done, meaning that it has the ability to gain the outcomes one wants through affecting the behavior of others.
In this essay I will explore whether globalization has made the emergence of soft power more important and effective, within the conduct of international affairs, than hard power. In order to discuss this question it is essential to have an understanding on globalization and on the constitution of these two concepts of power. I will firstly outline what globalization is within international relations and define these two notions power. Moreover I will embed the benefits and goals of soft power by surrounding this concept within a historical context. I will conclude with a discussion on why soft power is of greater importance within the conduct of international affairs within our modern society today.

Globalization, by its advocates, is seen as a facilitator for a ‘'new idealism of economic openness, political transparency, and global culture.'' It stipulates prosperous advancements in common human standards and equality as norms and rules, which are channeled around the world. From a critic point of view, globalization is seen as a tool through which powerful hegemonic states implement economic primacy, by which little attention is paid on human rights, labor standards and the environment among other concerns; in this form globalization is a threat in which states try to protect themselves from, as individuals try to combat the dangers which arise from it.