Beyond Soft Power

China Report ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.H.M. Ling
Keyword(s):  
Soft Power ◽  
World Politics ◽  
The State ◽  
State History ◽  
The World ◽  
Historical Culture ◽  
Cultural Power ◽  
India And China

The concept of ‘soft power’ impoverishes our understanding of politics. It assumes (i) the world has never encountered instances of ‘soft power’ before or knows no better when encountering it; (ii) culture cannot have any interests, agency or impact of its own; and (iii) it cannot capture the state. History—especially from India and China—debunks these assumptions. I propose a contrasting concept, cultural power. It turns ‘soft power’ on its head by (i) articulating the state as ontology, not instrument; accordingly, (ii) culture can generate its own centre (or centres) of gravitas that (iii) invariably outstrips the state in purpose and identity. To demonstrate, I draw on recent filmic representations from India and China. These replay the power of historical culture, like Hindu reincarnation and/or Confucian love, through a contemporary venue. I conclude with some implications of cultural power for politics, in general, and world politics, in particular.

scholarly journals Corrigendum

China Report ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 427-427
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Barack Obama ◽  
The State ◽  
Cultural Power ◽  
China Today ◽  
India And China

Article: Beyond Soft Power: Cultural Power from India and China Today through Film China Report, May 2017, 53: 2, 172–187, DOI: 10.1177/0009445517696632 By L.H.M. Ling The aforementioned article got published with the following errors. The errors are deeply regretted. 1. On page 173, 1st paragraph, the correct sentence is as follows:  Third, in making this assumption, Nye denies culture of any inherentpower to re-shape or co-create the state in ways previously not anticipated. 2. On page 176, 1st paragraph, the correct sentence is as follows:  When the baby turns out to be a girl, the king is so disappointed he allows his queen (who’s jealous of the concubine anyway) to drown the child. 3. On page 179, paragraph 1, line 4, the word ‘Sanguo Yanyi’ is to be in italics as follows:  A 1994 TV drama, ‘ Sanguo Yanyi’, predates… 4. On page 184, 2nd paragraph, the correct sentence is as follows:  But states also risk a lethal backlash when ignoring or denying the power of culture. 5. On page 185, 2nd paragraph, the correct sentence is as follows:  It could sweep an African-American junior senator like Barack Obama into office as much as someone exhibiting outright racist-misogynistic-xenophobic tendencies like Trump.

scholarly journals ECONIMIC ASPECTS OF BREAKUP OF YUGOSLAVIA

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (11) ◽  
pp. 83
Author(s):  
Dražen Marjanac
Keyword(s):  
World Market ◽  
World Politics ◽  
The State ◽  
The World ◽  
High Inflation ◽  
Workforce Productivity ◽  
And Function ◽  
Internal And External Factors ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
Productivity And Competitiveness

Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia represented a community of six republics with socio-cultural, social and economical differences that increased over the decades, leading to disintegration of the state. Factors that led to the collapse of the state are numerous, such as cultural and religious differences, nationalism, structure and function of the state system, internal and external factors of disintegration, change in the world politics, different levels of economic development of the republics.The economic system of Yugoslavia was based on self-managing model, a hybrid of both capitalism and socialism, which was considered to be the most effective use of capital goods, increasing workforce productivity, distributing the income and creating a product competitive for the domestic and foreign markets. However, this system had tremendous disadvantages which in addition to the changes in the world market led to the state of recession, very high inflation, decrease in workforce productivity and competitiveness of the final products in the markets, eventually resulting in the collapse of the entire system and disintegration of Yugoslavia.

EPIC - THE SOURCE OF THE “SOFT POWER” OF INDIAN CULTURE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (11) ◽  
pp. 45-53
Author(s):  
Thuy Le Thi Bich
Keyword(s):  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Indian Culture ◽  
The World ◽  
Indian Epic ◽  
Historical Culture ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Southeast Asian Countries

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.

Saudi Arabia’s Soft Power

2012 ◽  
Vol 49 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 233-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulio Gallarotti ◽  
Isam Yahia Al-Filali
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Shock Waves ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Arab Spring ◽  
Its Region ◽  
The World ◽  
The Face ◽  
Cultural Power ◽  
Oil Wealth ◽  
The Arab Spring

When people are asked the question, what is the source of Saudi Arabia’s power, who would cite factors other than oil? This equation of Saudi power exclusively with its oil wealth is mistaken. Historically, a principal and the most consistent source of Saudi power at the domestic, regional and global levels has not been revenues from oil, but the cultural power that inheres in a nation that is both the capital of the Muslim and Arab worlds. This soft power accounts for as much, if not more, of Saudi influence than even oil itself. To a large extent, this power explains why Saudi Arabia has remained stout in the face of the shock waves of the Arab Spring. Saudi soft power also accounts for much of the leverage that the Kingdom enjoys in its region and the world at large. This article assesses the principal sources of Saudi Arabia’s soft power, discusses the modern day international, regional and domestic challenges facing Saudi Arabia, and finally analyzes how Saudi soft power can effectively deal with those challenges.

scholarly journals THE STATE AS A COMPETITOR

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1709-1713
Author(s):  
Jovica Palashevski
Keyword(s):  
Soft Power ◽  
The State ◽  
Nation State ◽  
Television Programs ◽  
Academic World ◽  
Economic Competition ◽  
Daily Newspapers ◽  
The World ◽  
Market State ◽  
Political Globalization

The most commonly asked question is whether states are competing with one another. It is correct to think that nations compete with each other just as the firms do. Paul Krugman points out that the idea of state competition is a dangerous obsession. However, the generally accepted viewpoint between policymakers and the academic world is very different. The transformation of the nation-state into a corporate market-state lies at the heart of political globalization. Inclusion in economic competition is another manifestation of practicing the so-called. "Soft power" by the states. Books, government reports, daily newspapers, television programs, virtually all over the world, announce the language and imagination of the battle of competition between countries for a larger piece of the global economic pie.

scholarly journals DEFENSE FINANCING FEATURES WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE NEW CHALLENGES

2020 ◽  
pp. 163-169
Author(s):  
OKSANA CHEBERYAKO ◽  
VIKTOR KOLESNYK ◽  
ALINA GAIDUCHENKO
Keyword(s):  
Armed Forces ◽  
World Politics ◽  
The State ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Military Force ◽  
The Third ◽  
The World ◽  
Third Millennium ◽  
The Usa ◽  
New Challenges

The beginning of the third millennium was marked by the desire of the leader countries (USA, China, and Russia) to geopolitical, geostrategic and geo-economic redistribution of spheres of influence. The collapse of the USSR, the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact Organization, the end of the Cold War did not bring the world closer to stability and security. Military force capabilities continue to be considered as one of the most powerful factors in world politics. Proof of this is the intensification of the struggle of the world›s superpowers for regional and global leadership, control over oil, gas and energy flows. It is worth mentioning the Transnistrian conflict, Russia-Led wars in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the Russian-Georgian war in August 2008, the civil war in Syria, the intensification of Islamic extremism within the ISIS, Russia›s annexation of Crimea, the hybrid war unleashed and continues to wage by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. In this connection, it is becoming increasingly important to provide corresponding levels for the defense budget funding. Thus, the study of the peculiarities of defense financing in Ukraine and powerful military superpowers is of considerable scientific, practical and political interest. Comparing the defense expenditures of different countries makes it possible to identify key problem issues in the defense financing of Ukraine and bring the corresponding costs to international standards. This indicator is one of the most important criteria that characterize the state›s desire for development, relevant combat readiness of the armed forces and other military forces in the face of new challenges. The last years of the previous century were characterized by global geopolitical changes and growing contradictions, which resulted in: the transformation of the bipolar model (USA - USSR) into a multipolar (powerful military superpowers - the USA, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, France, Japan, Germany, India, Brazil)); globalization of world economic processes; erosion through «hybrid wars», which are a new kind of global confrontation in today›s destabilized international security environment, the facets of the division between war and peace. The availability of weapons of mass destruction and high-precision weapons in the third millennium, the growth of their capacity, the complexity of military equipment and combat assets, the use of new methods and means of warfare have led to significant changes in the functions and tasks of the armed forces, increasing their number and government spending on defense purposes. Today there are about 200 armies in the world with a total number of 24-25 million people (about 0.4% of the world›s population) (Military..., 2002). The state of the troops of any state must correspond to its economic capabilities and at the same time ensure the implementation of national security tasks.

scholarly journals INTERNATIONAL SPACE INFORMATION: CONFRONTATIONAL REALITY OR POSSIBILITY OF DIALOGUE?

2018 ◽  
pp. 38-50
Author(s):  
Volodymyr Grubov ◽  
Mykola Sanakuiev
Keyword(s):  
Private Information ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Hybrid Methods ◽  
World Order ◽  
World Politics ◽  
Information Policy ◽  
Information Space ◽  
The Political ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
The World

The article is an attempt to find the key problems of political and legal settlement of the international information space through a combination of methodology for its determination and the interests of the leading players interacting on the site of the UN. Tectonics changes that brought the global politics of information considered in the contest birth of a new objective reality and causes that produce it — is the existence of «axial» principles of organization of information being human (D.Bell), the struggle between the «national and international society» and national conflicts security strategies of the leaders of world politics. This policy is based within the familiar concept of «real politic» (G. Morgenthau), which is in first place in international relations was not the principle of law and the principle of power «struggle for power levers» that demonstrated the willingness of the strongest members of the world order to apply hybrid methods of struggle. It is emphasized that this trend raises a number of negative consequences both social and political, legal and humanitarian aspects in the life of individual societies, as entire countries. It has been suggested that the level of severity of the political and legal conflicts in a more equitable manner in the functioning of the information-mesh postoru depend on how consistently the main players in world politics will follow conventions already achieved, and not worry about persecution own benefit and interest. It is emphasized that the language of political practice, this means that democratic slogans proclaimed human rights objective information and privacy began to sink in organized public and private information violence, and it was just part of the language semantics television, texts newspapers and magazines, daily communication. It is proved that a similar situation shows the existence of a conflict between the constant declarations of priority of rights and freedoms and the growth opportunities of interested residents to control the information space «information man». This conflict is present in the information policy of virtually all world leaders. In the context of identified internal contradictions and the increasing severity of humanitarian problems analyzed complex problems of political and legal nature that need to be addressed to the international community both within the political and legal relations that exist in the UN system for information policy and within the established concept of «soft security» (soft power), which now attracted the leading countries of the world.

scholarly journals THE EXERCISE OF SOFT POWER BY THE U. S. THROUGH THE USE OF MULTILATERAL DIPLOMACY DURING G. W. BUSH AND B. OBAMA PRESIDENCY

2017 ◽  
pp. 16-25
Author(s):  
V. Matvienko ◽  
I. Gavrylenko
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
The United States ◽  
The State ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Clear Vision ◽  
The World ◽  
International Obligations ◽  
Multilateral Diplomacy ◽  
World Development

In the modern world, multilateral diplomacy is a significant factor of soft power, as it demonstrates commitment to global goals and international cooperation, the desire to address the interests of not only allies, but also of hostile states, and the presence of a clear vision of the world development that altogether increases the attractiveness of the state. The article analyzes the approaches to the multilateral diplomacy of the administrations of two U. S. presidents, namely of G. W. Bush and B. Obama. The study came to the conclusion that the United States mostly neglected the potential of soft power that could have been obtained in case of more active use of multilateral mechanisms. The preference was given to unilateralist actions on the world stage under the administration of G. W. Bush, and this trend was mainly preserved by B. Obama, despite his declared commitment to international obligations, although he generally managed to increase the importance of multilateral diplomacy for the United States and to improve the image of the state in the international arena.

scholarly journals Power Fields of the modern world Politics

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 57-75
Author(s):  
A. A. Vershinin ◽  
A. V. Korolkov
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Policy ◽  
Russian Federation ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Use Of Force ◽  
World Politics ◽  
Modern World ◽  
The West ◽  
The Past ◽  
The World ◽  
The Russian Federation

he spate of violence all over the world including the West makes us to pay attention to the factor of force in world politics. During the past decades Western countries tried to reduce the problem of force to the discussion about so-termed soft power. As a result they were not politically and morally ready to the outbreaks of the use of force in its traditional meaning. This fact to large extent explains their pained reaction to the foreign policy of the Russian Federation and the ups and downs of their politics in regard to China.

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