http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/soft-power Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Wed, 12 Aug 2026 07:00:14 -0400 Wed, 12 Aug 2026 07:00:14 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1659/tracing-the-success-of-soft-power-in-the-us-state-departments-future-leaders-exchange-program By Leyla R. Latypova - The United States government started exploring the soft power potential of student and scholar exchange programs as early as 1908, with the establishment of the Boxer Indemnity Scholarship Program.[1] The father of the theory of soft power, Joseph Nye, was not even born when Edmund James, then president of the University of Illinois, outlined precisely the soft power benefits of the student exchange in his letter to president Franklin D. Roosevelt. James wrote, “The nation which succeeds in educating the young Chinese of the present generation will be the nation which, for a given expenditure... Mon, 23 Oct 2017 11:42 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1659/tracing-the-success-of-soft-power-in-the-us-state-departments-future-leaders-exchange-program http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/836/anime-from-cult-following-to-pop-culture-phenomenon By Samantha Nicole Inëz Chambers - This study examined the scope of influence that Japanese anime had on American people born in the '80s and '90s. Relying on secondary research and a survey using a convenience sample of 107 students and young adults, this study found that anime conveys a negative image associated with violence and fringe culture, but people see anime as more of an art form than tasteless violent film. The study also found that piracy, though not overly common, was still practiced in the case of Japanese media, but some major studios are not impeding these fansubbing (fan-made subtitles) movements. They believe... Sat, 14 Dec 2013 11:24 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/836/anime-from-cult-following-to-pop-culture-phenomenon http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1482/soft-power-deployment-on-the-korean-peninsula By Oleksandr Shykov - South Korea, also known as the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a remarkable country in many ways. It survived the Korean War, supported by American military assistance. It successfully transitioned to democracy after nearly 40 years of authoritarian government. South Korea now boasts a strong economy that joined the trillion-dollar club of world economies in 2004.i The South Korean wave (hullyah) looks unstoppable with its success in Asia and around the globe. But in spite of its impressive résumé, the ROK has been criticized for its handling of diplomatic relations with the Democratic... Fri, 15 Nov 2013 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1482/soft-power-deployment-on-the-korean-peninsula http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1107/going-soft-environment-policy-in-the-european-union By Robert May - The European Union (EU) is rarely seen as a powerful actor on the international relations stage. A statecentric, ‘high politics’ view of global politics tends to overlook the involvement of the EU and its effectiveness, 2 and the dominance of Realist conceptions of power ensures that the role of non-state actors is consistently undervalued.3 However in the realm of international environmental negotiations, the EU has taken up a strong leadership role – and this article seeks to explain how the EU was able to do so despite not having the same coercive power resources as traditional... Tue, 01 Feb 2011 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1107/going-soft-environment-policy-in-the-european-union http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/253/exploring-japanese-popular-culture-as-a-soft-power-resource By Michael J. Norris - This essay argues that Japan does not derive soft power from its popular culture. After defining soft power, the essay assesses the attraction of Japanese cultural export to audiences. The essay gauges such attraction through a consideration of the levels of cultural export, the rise of otaku sub-culture and the increase in foreign Japanese language students. By investigating these three factors, the essay attempts to quantitatively measure evidence of attraction to Japan. However, Japanese popular culture does not provide Japan with soft power; the quantitative attraction to Japanese cultural... Mon, 17 May 2010 08:05 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/253/exploring-japanese-popular-culture-as-a-soft-power-resource