Abstract
This chapter grapples with the question of whether the EU can project a coherent image to the outside world through public diplomacy given its significant cultural diversity. Has this been an impossible task or has the EU over time managed to create successful and legitimate ways of augmenting its soft power through the export of its cultural products? To shed light on this issue, I first consider the United States as the target audience for European cultural products, and evaluate successes and failures on a practical level. To what extent and why are Americans aware of European cultures? Second, I compare American public diplomacy approaches to European ones. Given that both the EU and US have high-levels of cultural diversity, I conclude by drawing out the lessons and drawbacks of adopting an American approach to public diplomacy, especially in light of the changing geo-political landscape.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Bibliography
“American Exceptionalism Subsides: The American-Western European Values Gap,” Pew Research Global Attitudes Project, November 17, 2011. http://www.pewglobal.org/2011/11/17/the-american-western-european-values-gap/ (accessed April 15, 2013).
Basker, Emma, 2006, “EU Public Diplomacy,” in Javier Noya (ed.), The Present and Future of Public Diplomacy: A European Perspective. The 2006 Madrid Conference on Public Diplomacy, Madrid: Elcano.
Bozoki, Andras, Speech, Minister of Culture of Hungary, “Cultural Policy and Politics in the European Union.” http://www.ecoc-doc-athens.eu/research/presentations/1249-cultural-policy-and-politics-in-the-european-union.html (accessed August 28, 2013).
Committee on Culture and Education, European Parliament, “Draft Report on the cultural dimensions of the EU’s External Relations,” November 29, 2010.
Cross, Mai’a K. Davis, Jan (eds), 2013, European Public Diplomacy: Soft Power at Work, New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Cross, Mai’a K. Davis, 2012, “Identity Politics and European Integration,” Comparative Politics, 44(2): 229–246.
Cross, Mai’a K. Davis Cross, 2011, “Europe, A Smart Power,” International Politics 48(6): 691–706.
Cross, Mai’a K. Davis Cross, 2011, “Security Integration in Europe: How Knowledge-based Networks are Transforming the European Union”, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.
Ebels, Philip, “EU culture budget: small and likely to get smaller,” euobserver.com, October 25, 2012.
European Commission, “A Glance at EU Public Diplomacy at Work,” Brussels: European Communities, 2007.
European Commission, “Commission from the Commission to the European Parliament, The Council, The European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Promoting cultural and creative sectors for growth and jobs in the EU,” Brussels, September 26, 2012.
“The European Union: A Guide for Americans,” Brussels, 2008.
“EU Focus: The European Union and the United States: A Long-Standing Partnership,” Delegation of the European Union, Brussels, 2010.
“The European Union and the United States: Global Partners, Global Responsibilities,” European Commission External Relations. Brussels, 2006.
Everett, Wendy, 2007, “Dinosaur, Shipwreck or Museum Piece? The Unstable Identity of European Cinema,” in: The European Puzzle: The Political Structuring of Cultural Identities at a Time of Transition, edited by Demossier, Marion, New York: Berghahn Books pp.102–116.
Fox, Benjamin, “Culture sector an ‘untapped’ resource, says commission,” euobserver.com, September 27, 2012.
Gallup International, Voice of the People, 2005.
Gooch, Anthony, the Spokesman for the European Commission Delegation to the US, “Taking it to the U.S.: the EU’s Greatest Public Diplomacy Challenge,” April 19, 2006, University of Southern California Center on Public Diplomacy. http://uscpublicdiplomacy.com/index.php/events/events_detail/1934/.
De Gouveia, Philip Fiske, with Plumidge, Hester, “European Infopolitik: Developing EU Public Diplomacy Strategy,” The Foreign Policy Centre, November 2005.
Wenders, Wim, “The Image of Europe. Identification and Representation”, Discourse on Europe, Brussels, 11 June 2007.
Van Ham, Peter, 2005, “Branding European Power,” Place Branding, 1 (2): 122–126.
Kockel, Ullrich, 2007, “Heritage Versus Tradition: Cultural Resources for a New Europe?” in The European Puzzle: The Political Structuring of Cultural Identities at a Time of Transition, edited by Marion Demossier, New York: Berghahn Books, pp.85–101.
Leonard, Martin and Small, Andrew with Rose, Martin: “British Public Diplomacy in the ‘Age of Schisms’,” The Foreign Policy Centre, February 2005.
Lynch, Dov, “Communicating Europe to the World: What Public Diplomacy for the EU?”, European Policy Centre, November 2005.
Noya, Javier, “The United States and Europe: Convergence or Divergence in Public Diplomacy?” The present and future of public diplomacy: a European perspective; the 2006 Madrid conference on public diplomacy / ed. J. Noya. Madrid: Real Instituto Elcano, 4 December 2006.
Riordan, Shaun, “Dialogue-based Public Diplomacy: A New Foreign Policy Paradigm?”, Clingendael Discussion Papers in Diplomacy, No. 95, November 2004.
Rifkin, Jeremy, 2004, The European Dream: How Europe’s Vision of the Future Is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream, New York.
Scott-Smith, Giles. “Mending the ‘Unhinged Alliance’ in the 1970s: Transatlantic Relations, Public Diplomacy, and the Origins of the European Union Visitors Program,” Diplomacy & Statecraft, 16(4), pp.749–778.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Cross, M. (2014). Transatlantic Cultural Diplomacy. In: Henze, R., Wolfram, G. (eds) Exporting Culture. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-01921-1_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-01921-1_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer VS, Wiesbaden
Print ISBN: 978-3-658-01920-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-658-01921-1
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawSocial Sciences (R0)