Soft power describes the influence a country has on another through the admiration generated by the recognition and appreciation of its intangible resources like its culture, political values and...Show moreSoft power describes the influence a country has on another through the admiration generated by the recognition and appreciation of its intangible resources like its culture, political values and foreign policy objectives. In essence, it captures a country’s attractive power. This thesis will aim to answer why Nigeria, despite its extensive soft power resources, is not recognised as having substantial soft power. After investigating the conventional understanding of soft power as presented by Joseph Nye, this work will map out some of Nigeria’s most influential soft power resources to showcase why Nigeria would be expected to be recognized as having significant soft power. It will argue that, besides issues regarding its credibility and public diplomacy strategy, Nigeria suffers from structural constraints. It illustrates how the common understanding of soft power is not neutral, rather it is shaped by a hegemonic worldview that is Eurocentric in nature, favouring “Western” states. This thesis aims to show how it is relatively harder for a country like Nigeria to be recognized as attractive or powerful due to the normative assumptions underlying the dominant ideas of what attractiveness and power look like.Show less
South Korea’s growing economic status and power over the last century has brought more attention to the increasing presence of the country in the global arena. One of the prime examples of South...Show moreSouth Korea’s growing economic status and power over the last century has brought more attention to the increasing presence of the country in the global arena. One of the prime examples of South Korea’s rising presence on the global stage is the transnational phenomenon known as the Korean Wave. As K-pop and K-dramas continue to spread across the world, the Korean language is making its way to increase its spread at a similar pace. Therefore, at the centre of this paper stands the following research question: How does the spread of Hallyu serve as a tool of soft power for South Korea to promote the Korean language around the world?Show less
In deze scriptie wordt gefocust op de motieven van het Cubaans medisch internationalisme. Al sinds het begin van de revolutie zendt het Cubaanse regime medici naar o.a. Chili, Nicaraqua, Guatemala,...Show moreIn deze scriptie wordt gefocust op de motieven van het Cubaans medisch internationalisme. Al sinds het begin van de revolutie zendt het Cubaanse regime medici naar o.a. Chili, Nicaraqua, Guatemala, maar ook naar landen op het Afrikaanse continent; Algerije, Mozambique en Angola. Vanaf de jaren 90 werden steeds meer Cubaans medische missies gezonden naar westerse, kapitalistische staten. Castro zag de Cubaanse medici als zijn ‘leger van witte jassen’. Het Cubaans medisch internationalisme wordt beschouwd als medische diplomatie. De medische missies fungeren als soft power instrumenten. Op basis van de medische missies verkrijgt Cuba symbolisch kapitaal in de vorm van goodwill, prestige, aanzien en invloed. Het symbolisch kapitaal kan dienen als fundament voor het aantrekken van fysiek kapitaal. De Mais Médicos en Oil-For-Doctors programma’s tonen op welke wijze Cuba zijn internationale economische belangen veilig stelt. Ook verwerft Cuba met behulp van de medische diplomatie steun en zodoende invloed in internationale fora. Echter, bezijden de pragmatische argumenten is het van belang om de altruïstische, idealistische beweeggronden niet uit het oog te verliezen.Show less
This thesis researches the different view of China on soft power by analysing China's media discourse in Chinese English-language media channels on Covid-19. The Chinese government has a more...Show moreThis thesis researches the different view of China on soft power by analysing China's media discourse in Chinese English-language media channels on Covid-19. The Chinese government has a more different stance in believing that soft power can be generated and created, similar to hard power being created with the use of greater military force and economic power. Soft power, in Nye’s view, is a by-product of other things, not something you can “create” in and of itself. A notable shift in narrative can be identified between the two periods and media channels selected for this thesis. Consequently, China’s attempt at creating soft power is made visible by this shift in narrative.Show less
Sports mega-events have been used in Japan's nation-branding efforts for many decades. The Tokyo 1964 Olympics in particular were instrumental in aiding Japan's postwar recovery, serving as a...Show moreSports mega-events have been used in Japan's nation-branding efforts for many decades. The Tokyo 1964 Olympics in particular were instrumental in aiding Japan's postwar recovery, serving as a symbol of the economic and technical progress that they had made to the outside world and the Japanese population. 57 years after the fact Japan is set to host the Olympics once again, and brandings such as that of the ''recovery games'' have been used by the organizers to draw a parallel between the 2 games. Using analysis based on a combination of media accounts, promotion materials, public statements by the organizers and public opinion polls, this thesis will show why these parallels are problematic, as well as showing why the ''recovery games'' rhetoric is flawed within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.Show less
The Chinese Communist Party considers it its plight to modernize the country and make it a stable and innovative global competitor/leader with a well-backed middle class, while at the same time set...Show moreThe Chinese Communist Party considers it its plight to modernize the country and make it a stable and innovative global competitor/leader with a well-backed middle class, while at the same time set future technology standards. One aspect of such modernization is the technological development of the online gaming industry that has been growing almost exponentially in revenue over the last two decades and has plenty of room for further economic investment, technological standardization and norm setting. This thesis aims to find out how the Chinese government during Xi Jinping’s presidency has projected its national plans on the Chinese gaming industry. Its conclusion is based on a policy analysis of national plans that is supported by literature that address themes such as internet governance, soft power and nationalism.Show less
The 2018 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing was an historic event to chart the next stage of Sino-African relations. The event was also symbolic in showcasing a FOCAC that is co...Show moreThe 2018 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing was an historic event to chart the next stage of Sino-African relations. The event was also symbolic in showcasing a FOCAC that is co-owned by China and Africa. In view of growing Sino-African cooperation under the FOCAC, this thesis researches how Chinese and African media framed this edition of the FOCAC. I ask the following research question: What are the implications of Chinese and African news outlets’ different discourses of the FOCAC for China’s soft power in African countries? The thesis uses selected media from China (Xinhua, CGTN) and Africa (The Star, Daily Nation, Vanguard, Ahram Online, SABC News). I use content and discourse analyses of news articles and reports of the 2018 FOCAC to distinguish different versions of the FOCAC story, as well as themes emphasized by the respective news outlets. I also conduct a visual analysis of television items concerning the FOCAC where I examine their source and emphasized discursive elements in the visual materials. By conducting this multifaceted analysis of media discourse of the FOCAC, this thesis adds a new angle to scholarly research on Chinese soft-power and cultural diplomacy in Africa.Show less
Soft power has become increasingly important for emerging states to establish themselves on the global landscape. Sports mega events present the perfect opportunity to do so in allowing the host...Show moreSoft power has become increasingly important for emerging states to establish themselves on the global landscape. Sports mega events present the perfect opportunity to do so in allowing the host country to engage in nation-branding and image promotion. Academic literature suggests that hosting a sports mega event contributes extensively to the host country’s soft power. With an unfavorable international reputation, Russia recognized the necessity to improve on its soft power and hosted the 2018 FIFA World Cup. However, Russia’s soft power remained seemingly unchanged despite the expected soft power impact of hosting a sports mega event. Academic literature fails to account for the crucial role of the media in determining the success of a sports mega event in combination with the fragile nature of soft power. This thesis argues that negative media narratives resulted in Russia’s inability to increase its soft power despite hosting a sports mega event, and, thereby, that the role of the media has been largely neglected in sports mega event discourse. Negative effects of sports mega events are identified, and corresponding keywords are applied in a qualitative content analysis to analyze negative media narratives in newspaper articles. Subsequently, it is explained what role the media played in the impact Russia's hosting of the 2018 FIFA World Cup had on the country's soft power based on narratives of corruption and human rights violations as well as Russia’s projection as international ‘bad guy’.Show less
During the last decade, inbound foreign tourism rate in Japan underwent an outstanding escalation: from 5.22 million in 2003, the number of tourists visiting the country skyrocketed to 19.3 million...Show moreDuring the last decade, inbound foreign tourism rate in Japan underwent an outstanding escalation: from 5.22 million in 2003, the number of tourists visiting the country skyrocketed to 19.3 million in 2015. The government made active efforts towards this achievement as part of the strategy to strenghten the Japanese image abroad, as well as its national brand. A necessary part of this strategy was constituted by Japanese food, following the international popularity that it enjoyed in the recent years. As the global interest for authenticity and uniqueness grew especially in regards to food and tourism, this resarch tries to understand why Japanese government is using food as a product to give legitimization to its entire national brand, specifically by selling it through tourism consumption, to then establish which strategies are being adopted in order to reach this scope.Show less
Over the past decade Japanese popular culture has become increasingly well-known, and Japan has attempted to actively promote this development through its nation branding program 'Cool Japan'. This...Show moreOver the past decade Japanese popular culture has become increasingly well-known, and Japan has attempted to actively promote this development through its nation branding program 'Cool Japan'. This thesis analyses whether Cool Japan can be considered a successful program in the Netherlands when it comes to exhibitions as a vehicle for Japanese soft power by looking at three exhibitions: Cool Japan (2017, National Museum of World Cultures), Kingdom of Characters (2014, Japanmuseum SieboldHuis), and Hello Kitty - Hello Holland (2011, Japanmuseum SieboldHuis). Three separate analyses cover to what extent Japanese institutions are involved with these exhibitions, how visitors experience the exhibition and whether they learn anything new at all, as well as the exhibitions' effect on Dutch consumerism of Japanese popular culture.Show less
Since its introduction, the Belt and Road initiative (BRI) has become a central Chinese foreign policy project and has consequently received a lot attention in the international sphere. By...Show moreSince its introduction, the Belt and Road initiative (BRI) has become a central Chinese foreign policy project and has consequently received a lot attention in the international sphere. By referring to ancient Silk Road times, China shows it is dedicated to take an inclusive approach by its desire to develop the initiative in all the countries that are willing to cooperate. One could argue that it is a product of China’s rise to becoming an economic and political heavy-weight over the last decades. Therefore, it is important for scholars to better understand the Chinese BRI. This paper seeks to contribute to this understanding by investigating the specific case of the BRI in Kazakhstan. As the largest country of the Central Asian region in terms of land, Kazakhstan holds a key position in the BRI as the area that will connect China to the Middle-East and Europe. This study aims to build on the idea that the BRI qualifies as a Chinese strategy in conducting this case study research. To produce such a study, this paper will draw on the framework of power as introduced by influential political scientist and assistant Secretary of Defense under former president Bill Clinton, Joseph S. Nye. In the remainder of this paper, Nye’s concepts of hard, soft and smart power will be understood as mechanisms for influence when looking at the Chinese BRI in Kazakhstan. More specifically, the ambition of this paper is to investigate whether China is combining hard and soft power elements in Kazakhstan into a strategy that could be understood as smart power.Show less
The Mongols are known primarily for their ruthlessness and sheer militairy force; this thesis will look at the role other factors have played in the Mongol conquest of China in order to explain the...Show moreThe Mongols are known primarily for their ruthlessness and sheer militairy force; this thesis will look at the role other factors have played in the Mongol conquest of China in order to explain the adaptation process of the early Mongol Empire.Show less
With the boom in the Chinese economy and its increasing influence in the global world order, China adhered to a new strategy that focuses on improving its image in the world by relying solely on...Show moreWith the boom in the Chinese economy and its increasing influence in the global world order, China adhered to a new strategy that focuses on improving its image in the world by relying solely on soft power. China’s soft power strategy in the Middle East is little researched, however, the Middle East is of paramount global importance as the region is the world’s largest energy supplier. This thesis examines China’s soft power strategy and its key objectives in the Middle East through an in-depth analysis focusing on economic, cultural, political and military soft power initiatives. The findings of this research argue that China’s pivot towards the Middle East is primarily driven by its need to secure energy sources, as well as other economic interests. Its influence in the Middle East is rapidly increasing through these various soft power initiatives. Although China’s soft power strategy is mainly focused on economic and cultural soft power initiatives, political and military soft power initiatives have taken a larger focus in recent years. As China is gradually shifting from non-interference to limited-interference in the regions political and security affairs, it is committed to maintain and improve its image, which it attained solely through soft power, by not losing its neutrality while gradually becoming more proactive in the political and security field.Show less
A Bite of China is a food-themed documentary that was broadcast on the China Central Television(CCTV) on May 14, 2014. It has soon become popular among both domestic and International audiences....Show moreA Bite of China is a food-themed documentary that was broadcast on the China Central Television(CCTV) on May 14, 2014. It has soon become popular among both domestic and International audiences. However, the show is not considered to be just food-related, but a way to present China's history and culture through the country's cuisine. The popularity of A Bite of China has spurred my curiosity to investigate the factors that contribute to the attractiveness of the series. Food serves as a window through which both domestic and international audiences get to understand China's culinary culture. According to the statements of Director Chen Xiaoqing, the main motivation to create the series is to show China's culinary culture to the whole world in order to promote Chinese culture. Since it is challenging to collect and analyze the audiences' feedback about the show, l will focus on the producers' perspectives to investigate the production and presentation of A Bite of China. In this thesis, the concept of soft power which proposed by American scholar Joseph.S.Nye will be applied in the analysis of the show. The connection between China's soft power and the presentation of the show will be built to some extent.Show less
