Non-rational, social trends towards public diplomacy
Idealistic motivations for public diplomacy also point toward a more abstract concept of
explanations of state actions based on non-rational, social trend theory. As with idealistic
motivations which may lie outside a rational interest calculus, the concept of a social trend
includes two levels of states practicing public diplomacy out of mimetic or imitative actions and
due to social pressures towards the behavior. The non-rational, social perspective would suggest
a trend towards public diplomacy where states conduct because they perceive it to be the
appropriate behavior of states. States see other states practicing public diplomacy and follow
suit. In this way, public diplomacy is not necessarily rationally based.