Soft Power -- The Global Dominance of American Movies, Pop Music, Television, and Fast Food

Author: (Canada) Matthew Fraser
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2007-01-01
Features: This book provides a detailed analysis of the complex role soft power has played in the rise of the United States of America from historical and contemporary perspectives, divided into four major sections: film, television, popular music, and fast food. The subsequent discussion will trace the origins, historical evolution, and the real-world role of soft power resources in U.S. foreign policy. In the concluding section, readers will discover that the U.S. soft power arsenal indeed possesses formidable weapons capable of captivating the masses.
Author Matthew Fraser is the editor-in-chief of the Canadian National Post and a renowned scholar, formerly a professor at Ryerson University. Through this book, he argues that in its pursuit of empire and global dominance, the United States has not only relied on its hard power—its formidable political and military strength—to assert its dominance but has also depended on its soft power—its popular culture—to subtly infiltrate and promote American lifestyles and values worldwide. The book traces the origins, development, and impact of these major soft powers in U.S. foreign policy, organized into four sections: film, television, popular music, and fast food. It could be aptly described as a panoramic view of the U.S. popular culture entertainment industry.
Will Coca-Cola make the world a better place? Does the dominance of Hollywood films in the global film market benefit the industry? Can people stay timely and accurately informed about the world today with CNN's strong position in the cable industry? Has the global promotion of American popular music stifled non-commercial music? The U.S. "soft power," backed by political and military "hard power," influences the entire world—how is this process accomplished, and how do different cultures and nations resist? In an era where "globalization" is gradually becoming "Americanization," what does the future of the world under commercial order hold—is it conflict or peace?