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CULP-420 Diplomacy and Culture
Through a study of “soft power” in cultural diplomacy past and present, this course will ask fundamental questions about how the United States should best communicate with, and understand other cultures and countries. A focus will be the challenges of cultural diplomacy in the post 9/11 era, the period of America’s hegemony. We will consider both how the US is portrayed abroad through culture and the arts, and how other countries and culture are understood in this country: culture diplomacy is a two way street. Questions and topics to be considered include: what are the appropriate roles of the private and the public sector? What is the interface between “soft power” as exercised through cultural diplomacy and “hard power” as exercised through foreign policy and military action? What is the relationship between US culture – our most significant export, and generally appreciated worldwide – and anti- Americanism? How does America’s cultural diplomacy compare with policies in other countries? We will study both “high” and “low” culture, from ballet to hip hop. Finally, we will look at case studies of countries, initiatives, and media, drawing on the rich resources of Washington’s Embassies, arts institutions, government agencies, and associations. Special attention will be paid to the challenge of cultural diplomacy between the United States (and the west) and the Muslim world.
The course will be organized as a seminar, with weekly readings, frequent brief class presentations, plus a final research paper and oral report.
Credits: 3
Prerequisites: None
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