#12098. The strength of weak bonds: Substituting bodily copresence in diplomatic social bonding

August 2026publication date
Proposal available till 29-05-2025
4 total number of authors per manuscript0 $

The title of the journal is available only for the authors who have already paid for
Journal’s subject area:
Political Science and International Relations;
Sociology and Political Science;
Places in the authors’ list:
place 1place 2place 3place 4
FreeFreeFreeFree
2350 $1200 $1050 $900 $
Contract №12098.1 Contract №12098.2 Contract №12098.3 Contract №12098.4
1 place - free (for sale)
2 place - free (for sale)
3 place - free (for sale)
4 place - free (for sale)

Abstract:
One of the central puzzles in the study of diplomacy is why some interactions between leaders result in positive social bonds, while others are mired in distrust and hostility. Recent research in the field of microsociology and the study of everyday interaction suggest several critical ingredients for a successful interaction, including bodily copresence. In this article, we interrogate this claim and provide theoretical reasons why textual communication may serve as a proxy for copresence in leader interactions. We demonstrate that while copresence, in the form of face-to-face interaction, is required for strong bond formation, mediated interaction in the form of letters can serve to create weak social bonds. The strength of weak bonds is in the reduction of distrust and the gradual development of trust that can be critical to the de-escalation of crises.
Keywords:
crisis diplomacy; diplomacy; International Relations; nuclear diplomacy; psychology; summit diplomacy

Contacts :
0