Disruption in Public Diplomacy: Toward Clarification of a Fractured Term

When used in public diplomacy studies, the term disruption is commonly associated with digital technologies. Numerous studies have investigated how digital technologies can “disrupt” various actors engaging in public diplomacy activities, while also disrupting the means through which public diplomacy is evaluated. However, disruption is a much broader term that refers to the impact that innovations may have on society. In this sense, ideas, concepts, and metaphors can be just as disruptive as new technologies. This may also be true of disease, pandemics, and infrastructure. The “idea” of monotheism; the concept of “statehood” and the metaphor of “publics” have reshaped societies and the world. This chapter seeks to decouple the term disruption from technology while also reflecting on those ideas, concepts, and metaphors that have influenced the study and practice of public diplomacy.