Captain America? On the relationship between Hollywood blockbusters and American soft power

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Travis Nelson
2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-66
Author(s):  
Christine Adams

The relationship of the French king and royal mistress, complementary but unequal, embodied the Gallic singularity; the royal mistress exercised a civilizing manner and the soft power of women on the king’s behalf. However, both her contemporaries and nineteenth- and early twentieth-century historians were uncomfortable with the mistress’s political power. Furthermore, paradoxical attitudes about French womanhood have led to analyses of her role that are often contradictory. Royal mistresses have simultaneously been celebrated for their civilizing effect in the realm of culture, chided for their frivolous expenditures on clothing and jewelry, and excoriated for their dangerous meddling in politics. Their increasing visibility in the political realm by the eighteenth century led many to blame Louis XV’s mistresses—along with Queen Marie-Antoinette, who exercised a similar influence over her husband, Louis XVI—for the degradation and eventual fall of the monarchy. This article reexamines the historiography of the royal mistress.


Asian Survey ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-240
Author(s):  
Sung Deuk Hahm ◽  
Sooho Song

Ever since the concept of soft power was introduced, there has been debate about what it is and how it works. We join the debate by studying how the success of Korean cultural products in Taiwan has improved the relationship between South Korea and Taiwan. The two countries normalized their relationship in 1948 and maintained cooperation until the severance of formal ties in 1992 because of South Korea’s rapprochement with China. Beginning in early 2000, however, South Korea’s cultural products have enjoyed great success in Taiwan. Since that time, the relationship between the two countries has significantly improved, including trade and tourism expansion, increased Taiwanese direct investment in South Korea, and policy changes by Taiwan’s government. These changes provide empirical evidence of soft power.


Author(s):  
Kristina Kironska

Abstract This article combines the study of Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy with a case study of Taiwan–Myanmar relations from a perspective of political relations, economic cooperation, and Taiwan’s (un)recognisability in Myanmar—i.e. Taiwan’s soft power in Myanmar. The first part of the paper introduces the policy and compares it with the previous ones, and sheds light on Taiwan’s motivation to engage with Myanmar. It considers the ongoing trade war between the United States and China, due to which investment relocation from China is expected to sharply increase. The second part of the paper provides an insight into the relationship between Taiwan and Myanmar after Myanmar’s state-led political transformation from military rule and economic liberalisation since approximately 2010. It explains the main aspects and determinants of the relationship between two countries that share a neighbouring potential hegemon which they both wish to balance against.


2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (11) ◽  
pp. 45-53
Author(s):  
Thuy Le Thi Bich

The power of each nation is determined by many factors, including the role of its culture. Culture is seen as an effective tool of soft power to affirm the image of our country in the international community. As one of the originating centers of Asian civilization and one of the largest, oldest civilizations in the world, India's soft power exists naturally in its own long historical culture. The Indian epic is considered to be the source of soft power, the link between the world and Indian culture, helping Indian culture expand its influence on other countries and the world. In this article, we focus on presenting the unique features of thinking, soul, thought, and “Indian spirit” reflected in the epic - the source of Indian culture and the epic continuation in countries in Southeast Asia. Thereby, this article helps its readers have a comprehensive view of the Indian epic - the source of “soft power” of Indian culture in Southeast Asian countries to strengthen and develop the relationship between India and other countries in Southeast Asia more and more sustainably and lasting.


2015 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 470-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter McNamara ◽  
Federica Pazzaglia ◽  
Karan Sonpar

We examine the resource mobilization efforts undertaken by a social venture to organize the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games and bring about a change in social attitudes towards the cause of learning and intellectual disabilities. In contrast to previously advanced views of social ventures as powerless actors, we find instead that they are able to leverage the visibility afforded by large-scale events to create positions of mutual dependence, which allow them to access broad support bases and assert themselves in relationships with external parties. Specifically, we find that resource mobilization involves six distinct tactics rooted in the softer forms of power, namely, attraction and inducement. The use of these soft-power tactics depends upon the social venture’s goal at different moments of the relationship with its partners and the level of support available from each external party. Our elaborated theory highlights both the role and limitations of soft power in mobilizing resources and managing relationships.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
M Ali Sofyan

The relationship between masculine and feminine is collectively constructed. Both narrative and discourse of feminism has long emerged up to the third-wave. As Foucault has been pointed out that feminism itself has constructed discourse on inequality since it departs from patriarchy. Meanwhile, patriarchy has produced a threat even though it is under the pretext of feminism. The term postfeminism is thus arises after feminism, where there are no sources of oppression that originate from patriarchy.In fact, however, the interpretation of religious arguments (Islam in particular) does not subordinate women. But on the contrary, the religious argument actually wants to make women equal to men in the society. This article offers an analysis of the relation between Islam and postfeminism based on the perspective of religious commodification. It was noted that social media played a pivotal role in raising religion to engage on a global scale.Women from the perspective of postfeminism are seen as independent subjects. Freedom, gender equality, and pluralistic representation are the starting points for postfeminist women. Soft Power owned by social media contextualizes religion (Islam) and disseminates ideas including femininity in a new method, where the religious consumption can be enjoyed every second.Indonesian (Muslim) women campaign for gender equality and postfeminism awareness that is free in all things through social media (Instagram and YouTube). This is usually done in various ways such as lectures and fashion. Religious commodification, in this case is seen when religious understanding is capitalized. This perspective finally bringing Muslim women to say that "I am beautiful for myself". Although some argue that capitalizing religion appear to be less precise, when the commodification of religion can support women's freedom.


2019 ◽  
pp. 131-148
Author(s):  
Peter Čajka

Already in the Middle Ages, in times of the first universities, education was an important source of knowledge and social status. Nowadays, education, together with its quality and level of teaching, is used as a means of pursuing national interests abroad, as well as influencing local elites, and sometimes even a larger population. High level and good quality of education is one of factors contributing to the relationship between states. The role of education as regards international prestige and the position of individual states has risen in recent years chiefly due to major changes in the global economy and a corresponding shift of values, values which have become important for the modernization of societies. Thus, education has become increasingly important, especially due to the growing significance of knowledge in the globalized world. Education has become an increasingly important factor in international relations and it translates into the soft power of a state.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Lalita Suwankaewmanee

The Captain America trilogy exemplifies American ideals: individuality, democracy, liberty, equality, and patriotism through the life and identity of its protagonist Steve Rogers. From the blatant display of American cultures to American values to the artistic imitation of American policies, the Captain America trilogy incorporates all mentioned elements and presents the world the compelling stories where heroes are created, sacrifices are made, damages are done—all for the protection of humanity. As the curtain closes, superheroes always emerge as the saviors—to all. The assertion of power, as the trilogy demonstrates, is no longer through the brutal force of military power but wielded through soft power, namely culture, values, and policies. Only through careful analysis of the storyline, character traits, dialogues, and images, one may discover hidden messages in the art that imitates life. As stated by Joseph Nye (1990), a political scientist, “the best propaganda is not propaganda”.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Faiz Hamad Zoubi

The main objective of the study is to explore the extent of the conceptualization of soft-power leadership among graduate business students, and the degree to which they apply the concept in their study programs in the Jordanian universities. In precise, to explore the effect of curriculums and courses, learning style, and the way the business program is managed in forming the concept of soft power leadership in students. The analysis was extended to investigate the variation in the relationship between curriculums, learning style, and program management as independent variables and soft-power leadership concept as dependent variable due to the moderating variables gender, background education, and work sector. A sample of 350 students was drawn from two representative universities in Jordan. Data were collected by a self-designed questionnaire based on literature, Amos 21 was used in the analysis, and findings were as follows: Students have positive attitudes toward soft-power leadership conceptualization with a satisfactory level of belief. Learning style and curriculums have been found to be of significant effect in soft-power conceptualization. This indicates that the American Model of Management Education (AMME) is applied in both curriculums and learning styles in business schools in Jordan. With regards to the moderating effect of gender, background education, and job sector of students it was found that gender significantly affects the relationship between learning style and soft-power concept, and it does affect the relationship between program management and soft-power concept, Background education significantly affects the relationship between both curriculums and program management, and soft-power concept, while the job sector that students belong to in their work only affects significantly the relationship between program management and soft-power concept.  


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