9 Applying the Soft Power Rubric: How Study Abroad Data Reveal International Cultural Relations

2020 ◽  
pp. 173-200
Keyword(s):  
Study Abroad ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Cultural Relations

Prospects for the Development of Russian-African Cooperation in the Cultural and Humanitarian Sphere

2020 ◽  
pp. 5-14
Author(s):  
Olga Konstantinova
Keyword(s):  
Soft Power ◽  
Russian Language ◽  
Cultural Relations ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Science And Culture ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
Russian Education ◽  
Further Development ◽  
Russian Universities ◽  
The Russian Language

The relations between Russia and Africa today go to a new level. This was successfully demonstrated by the first Russia-Africa Summit. The «soft power» that is capable of creating an atmosphere of trust and mutual understanding and supporting the further development of political, economic, and cultural relations between the Russian and African peoples is of great importance for the further advancement of Russia’s interests, which is considered in this article. Currently, the «soft power» of Russia in Africa is represented by the activities of the Russian centers of science and culture, the «Russkiy Mir» Foundation, schools at the Russian Embassies in African countries, the education of Africans in Russian universities and more. However, the author concludes that Russia does not fully use «soft power» on the continent. It is necessary to increase the number of Africans studying the Russian language, to more actively promote Russian education, to involve compatriots and graduates of Soviet / Russian universities to joint projects, which will undoubtedly contribute to the further development of mutually beneficial Russian-African ties.

Cultural Diplomacy and International Cultural Relations in Twentieth-Century Europe

2016 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 373-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHARLOTTE FAUCHER
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Cultural Diplomacy ◽  
Transnational History ◽  
Diplomatic History ◽  
Synthetic Approach ◽  
Cultural Relations ◽  
Fourth Volume ◽  
National Boundaries ◽  
Twentieth Century Europe

In a 2004 review essay on transnational history published in the pages of this journal, Akira Iriye discussed the ‘internationalisation of scholarship’ and concluded that ‘historians easily cross oceans and traverse national boundaries’. The books under review here offer a striking example of this internationalisation, not only in their geographical remit but equally in the transnational interests and collaboration of their authors. Three of them are edited volumes – which, in their showcasing of different approaches, methodologies and topics, are particularly suited to addressing the hybrid nature of cultural diplomacy. Their rich variety of case studies reveals the interplay of micro and macro history, as well as the complex relations between local, national and transnational, as well as between governmental and non-governmental historical actors. The fourth volume is a jointly authored work by François Chaubet and Laurent Martin that presents a synthetic approach to cultural exchange, the relations between culture and policy and cultural globalisation. Together these recent books represent the evolution of a cultural approach to diplomatic history and international relations, epitomised by an interest in ‘soft power’ and closely shaped by the development of transnational history, entangled history (histoire croisée) and the study of cultural transfers. As such, they allow a more cumulative consideration of the roles and meanings of cultural diplomacy in twentieth-century Europe.

CCTV's Global Outreach: Examining the Audiences of China's ‘New Voice’ on Africa

2014 ◽  
Vol 151 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Gorfinkel ◽  
Sandy Joffe ◽  
Cobus Van Staden ◽  
Yu-Shan Wu
Keyword(s):  
Soft Power ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Brand Awareness ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Cultural Relations ◽  
Global Media ◽  
The World ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
China Central Television

This scoping article introduces key issues surrounding the globalisation of China Central Television (CCTV), focusing on its African operations, content and reception, specifically in Kenya and South Africa. At a time when the Chinese government is seeking to enhance positive perceptions of China and China–Africa relations, and its associated media outlets are seeking to compete with other major global players like CNN and the BBC, this article takes steps towards understanding the extent to which CCTV may be succeeding in these missions. Some of the challenges identified for CCTV-Africa in our small-scale pilot study include attempting to simultaneously target ‘African’, ‘Western’ and Chinese audience groups, which may detract from its ability to appeal to specific international audiences; competition from other international and local broadcasters who already have a strong spectator base; and a lack of accessibility, awareness and sustained interest in the channel. It calls for more in-depth research into global audiences' reception of CCTV-Africa, and CCTV more generally, in order to track CCTV's brand awareness and assess whether China's global media soft power activities actually have any leverage in enhancing cross-cultural relations and international audiences' perceptions of China in Africa and the world.

Cultural Diplomacy

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis G. Martínez del Campo
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Spanish Language ◽  
Cultural Relations ◽  
Spanish Society ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Uk ◽  
In The Beginning ◽  
Spanish Language Education

In this book, I explore the history of the British-Spanish Society, which played a key role in the cultural relations between Spain and the UK during the 20th Century. I argue that this association is an early example of those cultural institutions involved in foreign policy. Although its aims were usually political and economic, its strategies were based on the advocacy of cultural understanding between Britons and Spaniards. In fact, the British-Spanish Society’ biggest achievement was its important contribution to the development of the Spanish language education in the UK in the 20th Century. In the beginning, the association was basically a British soft power tool, but it also served the Spanish diplomatic strategy after the World War II. This book offers the first overview of its history, paying special attention to both its role in British-Spanish relations, and its contribution to Spanish language education in the UK.

scholarly journals “Atlantic Gap or Network of Opportunities?” Spanish-American Cultural Relations, Women, and Diplomacy (1959-1975)

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 008
Author(s):  
Moisés Rodríguez-Escobar ◽  
Francisco Rodríguez-Jiménez
Keyword(s):  
Soft Power ◽  
The United States ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Spanish American ◽  
Cultural Relations ◽  
Global Village ◽  
The Public ◽  
Exchange Program ◽  
Professional Careers ◽  
Academic Year

The geopolitical context of what would later come to be called the “global village” made governments pay more attention to their external image and the public opinion of third-world countries. The previous emphasis on the development of military or economic alliances (hard power) was complemented with alternative views, other ways of connecting with different global societies (soft power). Relations between the United States and Spain did not escape this general dynamic. Here, we evaluate the extent to which this connection affected women’s access to higher education in Spain. With the Residencia de Señoritas, there was a narrowing of the educational and cultural exchange relations between the two countries. After the abrupt cessation of the civil war, the establishment of the Fulbright program in the 1959-60 academic year allowed Spain to recover and to intensify the exchanges that had taken place since the beginning of the century. We will see what the fields of study in this prestigious exchange program were, and analyze to what extent the training received on the other side of the Atlantic facilitated the professional careers of the Spanish Fulbrigthers upon their return.

The Case of Iranian Cultural Diplomacy in Syria

2009 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia von Maltzahn
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Soft Power ◽  
Cultural Diplomacy ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Cultural Relations ◽  
Bilateral Relations ◽  
Syrian Population ◽  
Conventional Methods ◽  
The Government ◽  
Islamic Values

AbstractThe study of intra-regional use of soft power in the Middle East has received little attention to date. This article focuses on the case of revolutionary Iran's cultural diplomacy in Syria, to throw light on the Iranian government's efforts to promote its Islamic values and build relationships between the two peoples. After introducing the Islamic Republic's motivations in establishing cultural relations abroad, the article examines the goals and content of Iran's cultural diplomacy work in Syria, against the background of bilateral relations. It will become clear that Islamic Iran understands the importance of soft power in advancing its ideas and establishing lasting links. The government utilizes conventional methods of cultural diplomacy and tries to reach out to the Syrian population at large. Whilst the Syrian regime cooperates with its ally, the initiative comes from the Iranian side. The study is based on field work in Syria in 2008, drawing on interviews and publications from the Iranian Cultural Chancellery in Damascus.

Cultural Awareness of Students in Communication Sciences and Disorders: A Mixed-Methods Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 1231-1242
Author(s):  
Celeste Domsch ◽  
Lori Stiritz ◽  
Jay Huff
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
Cultural Awareness ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Global Awareness ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Term Study ◽  
Short Term Study

Purpose This study used a mixed-methods design to assess changes in students' cultural awareness during and following a short-term study abroad. Method Thirty-six undergraduate and graduate students participated in a 2-week study abroad to England during the summers of 2016 and 2017. Quantitative data were collected using standardized self-report measures administered prior to departure and after returning to the United States and were analyzed using paired-samples t tests. Qualitative data were collected in the form of daily journal reflections during the trip and interviews after returning to the United States and analyzed using phenomenological methods. Results No statistically significant changes were evident on any standardized self-report measures once corrections for multiple t tests were applied. In addition, a ceiling effect was found on one measure. On the qualitative measures, themes from student transcripts included increased global awareness and a sense of personal growth. Conclusions Measuring cultural awareness poses many challenges. One is that social desirability bias may influence responses. A second is that current measures of cultural competence may exhibit ceiling or floor effects. Analysis of qualitative data may be more useful in examining effects of participation in a short-term study abroad, which appears to result in decreased ethnocentrism and increased global awareness in communication sciences and disorders students. Future work may wish to consider the long-term effects of participation in a study abroad for emerging professionals in the field.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document