Emerging Powers in International Politics - The BRICS and Soft Power

The rise of large and rapidly growing nations is having a significant impact on the global order, as their expanding influence reshapes the structure of power in the international system. These emerging powers are increasingly asserting themselves as major actors on the global scene. Leading this cadre of emerging powers are five nations referred to as the BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. This book takes inventory of both the individual and collective soft power of this rising bloc of nations. Having embraced the potential of this newly emphasized type of power as a means of generating international influence, these nations have dedicated substantial effort and resources to implementing a soft power offensive.

About the Author

Mathilde Chatin is a PhD candidate in the Brazil Institute at King’s College London, UK. She has been a fellow at the BRICS Policy Center in Rio de Janeiro, and a visiting scholar in the Department of International Relations at the University of São Paulo, Brazil.

Giulio M. Gallarotti is a Professor of Government and Tutor in the College of Social Studies at Wesleyan University, USA. He has also been a visiting professor in the Department of Economic Theory at the University of Rome, Italy. He is the author of The Power Curse: Influence and Illusion in World Politics (2010) and Cosmopolitan Power in International Relations: A Synthesis of Realism, Neoliberalism, and Constructivism (2010).