Strategic Communications: A Coorientation Approach in Russian and American Universities

Abstract

This study focuses on two countries that often dominate international public diplomacy, and examines how Russian and American youth view the current relationship between Russia and the United States. The article promotes research on the theory of co-orientation and proves that coordination can be one of the theoretical foundations in the field of strategic communication. The study first identifies the main issues affecting the relations between the two countries. Then, using the survey methodology, data on these questions is collected from respondents from the United States and Russia. Four main scenarios of co-orientation are considered : monolithic consensus, pluralistic disregard, false consensus, and disagreement. The results of the study show that the type of coordination scenario that best characterizes the relationship between the United States and Russia is disagreement. The results also highlight the status of strategic communication as an interdisciplinary science with the psychological roots of coorientation theory.