CULTURE & INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Students will study the cultural aspects of international relations. Students will learn the importance of the cultural dimension constituted by world views and beliefs that are being formed by religion, history, and geography. This course will deal with a cultural dimension in international relations; external interference, determinants of foreign policies, topics of world issues, and space for multinational interactions.

Students will learn the contents of soft power and its' implication. How can we approach culture as independent variable to explain international relations and relativism? How to make a model for public diplomacy based on culture? At the end of the session, students may get a clear view on public diplomacy.

Lectures, seminars, and case presentations will be a major part. First couples of weeks, I will deliver the theoretical lecture on public diplomacy and power of culture in IR. Then students will start present academic articles of various countries' public diplomacy. Then students will find and present a potential source of public diplomacy of a selected country. It will be a series of seminar. For the final paper, you have two choices. One is to write an academic paper. The other is to write a public diplomacy proposal to your government (local or central). You have to make your decision by the end of March. This class might be one of the most enjoyable class.