Shapi Yagizarov
Ph.D in History, assistant professor
The Academy of Public Administration
Under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
PROBLEMS OF POSITIONING THE IMAGE OF THE STATE
IN THE FOREIGN POLICY SPACE
The question of what goals are pursued by states, purposefully forming the image of their country, is solved differently in the studies of representatives of various trends. Classical realists see the reason for this in the very value of a favorable image as such: states strive for national honor and prestige in international relations due to the fact that honor and prestige are significant in themselves.
However, the definition of the image of the country, as it seems, cannot be identified with the image of the state, since the state is a purely political category and, accordingly, is a scientific concept, unlike the word "country", which, although often used as a synonym for the state, has a plurality of meanings.
The country acts in this case as an object of image, along with other existing - political leader or individual institutions of political power. If we approach the definition of concepts in a narrower sense, then in our opinion, it is worth separating the concepts of "state" and "country". The state is a special organization of political power, possessing a special mechanism, a system of bodies and institutions, which directly governs society. The state in the political science sense implies the consideration of three power- legislative, executive and judicial, of course, through the political institutions representing them.
In a broader sense, the concept of "state" or "country" includes not only the institutions of political power, but it is a community of people, represented and organized by the supreme power; and living on a certain territory. Proceeding from the functional approach to the definition of the state, where its main function is declared to be the maintenance public order, any institution (family, mass media, trade unions, church, etc.) is associated with the state. That is, the state is not separated from society, it appears as a politically organized people.
Adhering to a narrow approach to the state as an organization of public power and as a political organization conducting internal and external policy, let us formulate the key concepts - "image of the state" and its components - "internal political image" and "foreign political image".
Based on the definition of the image of the state, let us consider its two components.
The internal political image of the state, as a component, reflects a generalized image or images of the activities of institutions of political power, the existing state, often, purposefully formed by the government itself and the media, and reflecting the national political culture or internal subcultures.
In modern conditions of information transparency of the society, it is important to realize that domestic and foreign policy images of the state are closely intertwined and interconnected. In order to gain respect in the world, it is necessary to create a favorable environment inside the state as well.
Consequently, the internal political image is not at all secondary, there is a need for a positive internal political image of the country.
Firstly, it is necessary to preserve and strengthen solidarity in society, to prevent social class conflicts fraught with revolutionary upheavals. Forces destructive to the ruling regime exist in any state, but in conditions of political and socio-economic stability they are usually on the periphery of the political field, occupy a marginal position in society. A positive political image of the state, formed by the majority of its citizens, is a factor and at the same time an indicator of stability in society.
Secondly, the need for the existence of a positive internal political image of the country is associated with the need for the "ruling class" to maintain unity with regard to the chosen path of development, society and the state. A positive image of the state, which is formed not only among the population, but also among the elite itself, should prevent a split in the upper strata of society and, accordingly, save the state from the danger of disintegration.
Third, a favorable internal political image creates a positive mood among the population during the implementation of deep social transformations. Ultimately, the participation of citizens in them is a decisive factor in any reform: political, economic, social, and to ensure such participation, it is necessary to convince them of the correctness of the proposed path. In other words, the reform potential of the population can be used effectively only by creating a positive attitude towards their own country developing in the "right" direction.
Fourth, the need for the existence of a positive internal political image is explained by the desire of the ruling elite to preserve and strengthen their power. The population and, first of all, the leaders of public opinion should have a general positive perception of the politicians' activities related to the activities of the politicians of public opinion should be formed a general positive perception of the activities of politicians associated with the effective development of the economy, the rise in the welfare of the population, increasing the level of security of life (in the context of the increased threat of international terrorism), the growing authority of the state in the international arena, etc[1]. If the image of the state in the eyes of its population will be low on a significant number of key indicators, then in a democratic regime, the ruling party risks losing power during elections, and in a non-democratic regime the ruling party will be deprived of power during elections. At the same time, the necessity of a positive internal political image is explained by the desire of the authorities to convince citizens that the positive image of the country in their eyes is also positively perceived by the international community. This contributes to improving the political well-being of the population and is an additional resource for strengthening the regime within the society.
Based on the definition of internal political image, it is necessary to emphasize the distinctive features of this concept.
First, the internal political image should correspond to the social expectations of various social groups, which manifest themselves in two ways: as a right to expect appropriate behavior, and as an obligation to behave in accordance with the status of the subject of power. The greater the discrepancy between "what is and how one would like it to be", the stronger the desire for other institutions of power. Thus, ideally, the internal political image should reflect as accurately as possible the status of the subject of power
image should reflect the social expectations of citizens as accurately as possible. For example, social insecurity, fears for the future will affect the expectations of citizens, which are likely to be associated with a strong government that will protect and restore order.
Second, the most important characteristic of the internal political image is its stereotypical nature is its stereotypical character. Any assessment of a phenomenon is based on arguments and aspiration to comprehend the meaning and significance, a stereotypical assessment, on the contrary, reflects only emotions, sympathies and antipathies. Hence, a certain partiality arises, which affects the perception of power, making it incomplete, one-sided and inadequate.
It seems that the foreign policy image of a state is an image of activity of the institutions of power of any state (in our case - the Republic of Azerbaijan), purposefully or spontaneously formed by the institutions of power and mass media, both of the state itself and other states.
Foreign policy image is formed in the system of relations of the state with other states and international structures. The process of globalization stimulated the change of technologies of forming and maintaining the image of the state.
The American economist Kenneth E. Boulding was the first to define the term "image of the country". The images that are important in international systems are the images that a nation has of itself and other structures of the system that make up its international environment. In particular, he emphasized the role of the "value system" in the perception of a country's image. Thus, it can be said that it is under the influence of ideology that an image is constructed. As Boulding put it when explaining the relationship between states: "We act according to the way the world appears to us, but not necessarily according to the way it 'is'"[2].
Robert Jervis says that "A state's image can be a major factor in determining how easily a state can achieve its goals. A desired image can often be more useful than a significant increase in military and economic power"[3]. In this sense, the goal of any state's diplomacy is to build the right image.
The question of what goals are pursued by states, purposefully forming the image of their country, is solved in different ways in the studies of representatives of different directions. Classical realists see the reason for this in the very value of a favorable image as such: states strive for national honor and prestige in international relations due to the fact that honor and prestige are significant in themselves.
However, neither classical realists nor proponents of game theory provide a noteworthy answer to the question of what is the basis for the formation of a state's national image. In the view of the former, governments, like individuals, inherently seek to create an image of strength. According to game-theory proponents, governments decide what image they need at a given moment depending on the immediate situation: if it is necessary to prevent hostile actions by another state, they are likely to resort to the image of a firm, unshakable power.
The concept of "political image" is defined as an opinion about it based on an image formed in a representation purposefully shaped through professional endeavors. While the foreign policy image of a state is understood as an artificially created political and psychological representation of the state in the international arena. It is difficult to build it from scratch, as it is based on the foreign policy perception of the actors of international relations.
At the same time, it should be emphasized that there are many definitions of image and different approaches to their typologization. This diversity is mainly the result of considering the image of the state in different contexts - structural, functional, subject, etc.
The main tools for forming the image of the country are the media, diplomacy, language policy, dissemination of national culture. The main tools of forming the image of the country are mass media, diplomacy, language policy, dissemination of national culture. It follows that the above tools contribute to the formation of positive public opinion, providing conditions for the realization of the desired political goals. In this regard, the generalized foreign policy image of the state can be presented in three paradigms.
First, as an image, as it is represented by the subject. In our case - the president, the political elite, representatives of the authorities.
Secondly, as an image formed in the consciousness of the European public.
Thirdly, as an image that is purposefully created.
Based on this, the following typology of the foreign policy image of the state is proposed in the scientific literature[4].
In international relations there is always a political hierarchy and, accordingly, a hierarchy of images. "This is the nature of interstate relations - strong states have always determined the nature of the world order from the positions of their leadership and domination"[5]. Therefore, the "eternal" struggle for leadership, the desire for domination, is the formation, maintenance and development of the corresponding image. And this is one of the main regularities of the development of the entire system of international relations.
The desired foreign policy image of the state is the image that the state would like to have and build taking the assessment of the European and world political elite, and their society as a whole.
The subjective foreign policy image of the state is the perception of the president and other representatives of power about how the image of the state is perceived abroad.
The objective, or real foreign policy image of the state is the impression the foreign public (e.g., the European Union) has of the state; it is also called current or perceived. The objective image is not a constant value: it is capable of changing, depending both on the changing political context and on the efforts of political strategists.
Theoretically, image formation involves studying the image of competitors. However, in modern interstate relations little attention is paid to it. The main emphasis is placed on demonstrating one's positive qualities to protect state interests. The leading state, demonstrating its claims to world domination, forces other states to determine their attitude to these or those actions of the leader.
Image as an element of the state's strategy from the tactical point of view should be studied, adjusted and improved. Thus, the main goal in creating an image is superiority, ahead in communications. This means using the most effective means of communication in highlighting one's actions.
The ideal foreign policy image of a state is an average representation of foreign audience, for example, representatives of authorities in the European Union, about positive political trends in a state (the Republic of Azerbaijan). An ideal image can never be realized in real life. But it should be strived for and taken into account when making political decisions.
Formation of the international image of the state, its development and promotion is carried out in three stages:
1) creation of a conceptual vision of the foreign policy image of the state and its leaders;
2) strategy, development of models of foreign policy course and design of long-term programs;
3) tactics, mid-term and short-term programs, instant decisions and their implementation in the shortest possible time, including the development of methods and ways to achieve the goals.
In addition to the above typology, there is also another parallel classification based more on the technologies of practical image building"[6].
The formation of the international image of the state, its development and promotion is carried out in three stages:
1) creation of a conceptual vision of the foreign policy image of the state and its leaders;
2) strategy, development of models of foreign policy course and design of long-term programs;
3) tactics, medium-term and short-term programs, instant decisions and their implementation in the shortest possible time, including the development of methods and ways to achieve the goals.
Based on the above, the functional purpose of the foreign policy image of the state is as follows:
-in constructing a certain political reality;
- in the correction of world or regional public opinion;
-in manipulation of public consciousness abroad and control over it;
- formation of ideals, images corresponding to the perceptions of the public of other countries; - formation of ideals, images corresponding to the perceptions of the public of other countries of the public in other countries;
- regulation of relations within the international community.
In modern conditions, the great importance of foreign policy image is due to a number of objective and subjective reasons. Among them we should name, first of all:
- The steadily developing process of globalization and expansion of international relations.
The scientific literature distinguishes three main functions of the of the foreign policy image of the state: communicative, nominative, and targeted.
The communicative function of the foreign policy image is designed to facilitate the audience's (society's, community's) perception of information about politics; to provide a favorable regime for the perception of the state's activity, projecting to the audience (society) those of its characteristics that are most preferable.
The nominative function of the foreign policy image designates, singles out, builds up, differentiates the state in the environment of others, demonstrates its distinctive features, emphasizing the specificity of the political system and its functioning.
The address function concerns the relationship between the image and its target audience. If we proceed from the definition of image as a purposefully formed image, then the address function of foreign policy image acquires the main importance.
Stability and predictability of foreign policy is the main base, the foundation of a new positive foreign policy image of the state, even if old images and stereotypes are still alive.
Most states today have their own political image. But there are also many examples from the past. Since political image helps to find more effective means to preserve the foundations of the order existing in society, it is necessary for a new state, even if it is based on the territory of the old one, to prove the legitimacy of the newly created power structure and to make a new identification of the country in order to move away from the stereotypes of the past.
Different political theories assess the necessity of forming the image of the state in different ways: realists - in its self-value, in its ability to impress other states, to demonstrate its power; institutionalists - in its ability to conclude important agreements, in the stability and predictability of the behavior of other states, in fidelity to its obligations. But it remains obvious that the foreign policy image of the state is an additional tool for the state's integration into the world community, a guarantee of non-interference in its domestic politics and a resource in the fight against domestic political opposition.
Obviously, every state has a need for a positive domestic and foreign policy image. However, there can be contradictions between these two sides of the image. The current situation is such that in one or another country (for example, in Muslim countries living under Sharia law) social ideals and values that do not correspond to the system of so-called universal values may prevail in the public consciousness. In this case, the political elite can create a positive image of the state (and its own) among its population, but in the international arena its foreign policy image will most likely be negative.
In modern conditions, the authorities, as a rule, give preference to the internal political image, i.e. they focus primarily on their own citizens, which is natural within the boundaries of the existence of sovereign states. However, as the process of globalization unfolds, external factors play an increasingly important role in the life of any country, and countries whose foreign policy image has a negative "coloring", one way or another have to make efforts to change the situation. It can be predicted that in the XXI century the role of the foreign policy image of the state will gradually increase, and political elites of all states will pay at least as much attention to it as to the internal political image.
The image of a country is a holistic concept. Having analyzed it, it can be noted that the perception of image is subjective, so each person, regardless of their socio-economic environment, will have a different perception of the same country. It follows that the image of a country is malleable and can evolve. There can be deviations between facts, interpretations and perceptions, hence discrepancies between reality and image, which gives countries some leeway to build their image. Indeed, the perceived image does not always correspond to reality. Thus, it is necessary for each state to use various technologies to build the image of its country in the international arena.
Today, as in ancient times, the image of the state serves the preservation of stable power and accomplishment of "great deeds".
Bibliography:
1.См.: Ольшанский Д.В. Политический РК..СП6., 2003. С.56.
2.Boulding K.E. National images and international systems // Journal of Conflict Resolution. 1959. № 2. P. 120-131;
3.Jervis R. The Logic of Images in International Relations // Princeton University Press. 1970. P. 285-286.
4.Бурстин Д. Имидж. М., 1993. С.114
5.Табатадзе Г.С. Основные процессы и тенденции современных межгосударственных отношений // Философия социальных коммуникаций. Волгоград, 2011. № 1. С. 8;
6.Галумов Э.И. Международный имидж России. М., 2003. С.106-109
Shapi Yagizarov
Ph.D in History, assistant professor
The Academy of Public Administration
Under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Problems of positioning the image of the state
in the foreign policy space
Summery: The study of the goals of states in shaping the image of their country varies in different directions. The image of a country cannot be identified with the state, as the state is a political category and a scientific concept.
The image of the state is the most important aspect of the country's domestic and foreign policy. It consists of two components: internal political image, which reflects the activities of political institutions and national political culture, and foreign policy image, purposefully created by the government and the media. In modern society, internal and external political images are interrelated, and a positive internal political image is necessary to maintain social solidarity and prevent social class conflicts.The importance of the external political image in the modern era is due to the developing process of globalization and international relations. In modern conditions, the authorities tend to focus on their internal political image, but as globalization develops, external factors play an increasingly important role in the life of the country.
Keywords: globalization, image, country, foreign policy image, internal policy image, state.
Шапи Ягизаров
Доктор философии по истории, доцент
Академия Государственного Управления
При Президенте Азербайджанской Республики
Проблемы позиционирования имиджа государства
во внешнеполитическом пространстве
Резюме: Изучение целей государств при формировании имиджа своей страны варьируется в разных направлениях. Имидж страны нельзя отождествлять с государством, так как государство - это политическая категория и научное понятие.
Имидж государства - важнейший аспект внутренней и внешней политики страны. Он состоит из двух компонентов: внутриполитического имиджа, который отражает деятельность политических институтов и национальную политическую культуру, и внешнеполитического имиджа, целенаправленно создаваемого правительством и СМИ. В современном обществе внутриполитический и внешнеполитический имиджи взаимосвязаны, а позитивный внутриполитический имидж необходим для поддержания социальной солидарности и предотвращения социально-классовых конфликтов. Важность внешнеполитического имиджа в современную эпоху обусловлена развивающимся процессом глобализации и международных отношений. В современных условиях власти, как правило, сосредоточены на своем внутреннем политическом имидже, но по мере развития глобализации внешние факторы играют все более важную роль в жизни страны.
Ключевые слова: глобализация, образ, страна, внешнеполитический имидж, внутриполитический имидж, государство.