Track-change diplomacy: Technology, affordances and the practice of international negotiations

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

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Track-change diplomacy : Technology, affordances and the practice of international negotiations. / Adler-Nissen, Rebecca; Drieschova, Alena.

In: International Studies Quarterly, Vol. 63, No. 3, 7, 21.06.2019, p. 531-545.

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Harvard

Adler-Nissen, R & Drieschova, A 2019, 'Track-change diplomacy: Technology, affordances and the practice of international negotiations', International Studies Quarterly, vol. 63, no. 3, 7, pp. 531-545. https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqz030

APA

Adler-Nissen, R., & Drieschova, A. (2019). Track-change diplomacy: Technology, affordances and the practice of international negotiations. International Studies Quarterly, 63(3), 531-545. [7]. https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqz030

Vancouver

Adler-Nissen R, Drieschova A. Track-change diplomacy: Technology, affordances and the practice of international negotiations. International Studies Quarterly. 2019 Jun 21;63(3):531-545. 7. https://doi.org/10.1093/isq/sqz030

Author

Adler-Nissen, Rebecca ; Drieschova, Alena. / Track-change diplomacy : Technology, affordances and the practice of international negotiations. In: International Studies Quarterly. 2019 ; Vol. 63, No. 3. pp. 531-545.

Bibtex

@article{b06d8d17099046699bac58fb2f31b34b,
title = "Track-change diplomacy: Technology, affordances and the practice of international negotiations",
abstract = "How does technology influence international negotiations? This article explores {\textquoteleft}track-change diplomacy{\textquoteright} – how diplomats use information and communication technology (ICT) such as word processing software and mobile devices to collaboratively edit and negotiate documents. To analyze the widespread but understudied phenomenon of track-change diplomacy, the article adopts a practice-oriented approach to technology, developing the concept of affordance: the way a tool or technology simultaneously enables and constrains the tasks users can possibly perform with it. The article shows how digital ICT affords shareability, visualization and immediacy of information, thus shaping the temporality and power dynamics of international negotiations. These three affordances have significant consequences for how states construct and promote national interests; how diplomats reach compromises among a large number of states (as text edits in collective drafting exercises); and how power plays out in international negotiations. Drawing on ethnographic methods, including participant observation of negotiations between the EU{\textquoteright}s member states as well as in-depth interviews, the analysis casts new light on these negotiations, where documents become the site of both semantic and political struggle. Rather than delivering on the technology{\textquoteright}s promise of keeping track and reinforcing national oversight in negotiations, we argue that track-change diplomacy can in fact lead to a loss of control, challenging existing understandings of diplomacy.",
keywords = "Faculty of Social Sciences, Practice Theory, International Relations Theory, Diplomacy, Negotiations, Power, STS, ANT, Affordance, European Union, participant observation, Interviews, interpretive studies, Documents, International relations, Technology, ICT, Information and communication technologies (ICTs), Digital Data, social data science, Digital technologies, anthropological method, Ethnography, Qualitative case study, diplomats",
author = "Rebecca Adler-Nissen and Alena Drieschova",
year = "2019",
month = jun,
day = "21",
doi = "10.1093/isq/sqz030",
language = "English",
volume = "63",
pages = "531--545",
journal = "International Studies Quarterly",
issn = "0020-8833",
publisher = "Oxford University Press",
number = "3",

}

RIS

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T1 - Track-change diplomacy

T2 - Technology, affordances and the practice of international negotiations

AU - Adler-Nissen, Rebecca

AU - Drieschova, Alena

PY - 2019/6/21

Y1 - 2019/6/21

N2 - How does technology influence international negotiations? This article explores ‘track-change diplomacy’ – how diplomats use information and communication technology (ICT) such as word processing software and mobile devices to collaboratively edit and negotiate documents. To analyze the widespread but understudied phenomenon of track-change diplomacy, the article adopts a practice-oriented approach to technology, developing the concept of affordance: the way a tool or technology simultaneously enables and constrains the tasks users can possibly perform with it. The article shows how digital ICT affords shareability, visualization and immediacy of information, thus shaping the temporality and power dynamics of international negotiations. These three affordances have significant consequences for how states construct and promote national interests; how diplomats reach compromises among a large number of states (as text edits in collective drafting exercises); and how power plays out in international negotiations. Drawing on ethnographic methods, including participant observation of negotiations between the EU’s member states as well as in-depth interviews, the analysis casts new light on these negotiations, where documents become the site of both semantic and political struggle. Rather than delivering on the technology’s promise of keeping track and reinforcing national oversight in negotiations, we argue that track-change diplomacy can in fact lead to a loss of control, challenging existing understandings of diplomacy.

AB - How does technology influence international negotiations? This article explores ‘track-change diplomacy’ – how diplomats use information and communication technology (ICT) such as word processing software and mobile devices to collaboratively edit and negotiate documents. To analyze the widespread but understudied phenomenon of track-change diplomacy, the article adopts a practice-oriented approach to technology, developing the concept of affordance: the way a tool or technology simultaneously enables and constrains the tasks users can possibly perform with it. The article shows how digital ICT affords shareability, visualization and immediacy of information, thus shaping the temporality and power dynamics of international negotiations. These three affordances have significant consequences for how states construct and promote national interests; how diplomats reach compromises among a large number of states (as text edits in collective drafting exercises); and how power plays out in international negotiations. Drawing on ethnographic methods, including participant observation of negotiations between the EU’s member states as well as in-depth interviews, the analysis casts new light on these negotiations, where documents become the site of both semantic and political struggle. Rather than delivering on the technology’s promise of keeping track and reinforcing national oversight in negotiations, we argue that track-change diplomacy can in fact lead to a loss of control, challenging existing understandings of diplomacy.

KW - Faculty of Social Sciences

KW - Practice Theory

KW - International Relations Theory

KW - Diplomacy

KW - Negotiations

KW - Power

KW - STS

KW - ANT

KW - Affordance

KW - European Union

KW - participant observation

KW - Interviews

KW - interpretive studies

KW - Documents

KW - International relations

KW - Technology

KW - ICT

KW - Information and communication technologies (ICTs)

KW - Digital Data

KW - social data science

KW - Digital technologies

KW - anthropological method

KW - Ethnography

KW - Qualitative case study

KW - diplomats

U2 - 10.1093/isq/sqz030

DO - 10.1093/isq/sqz030

M3 - Journal article

VL - 63

SP - 531

EP - 545

JO - International Studies Quarterly

JF - International Studies Quarterly

SN - 0020-8833

IS - 3

M1 - 7

ER -

ID: 209361185