A theoretical and methodological proposal in cultural diplomacy analysis: The case of the Brazilian Cultural Centre in Barcelona (2003-2013)

Abstract

The present doctoral thesis in the field of International Relations addresses Cultural Diplomacy, understood as the employment of the cultural dimension by a State in the conduction of its Foreign Policy. Part of the aim of this study is to propose a theoretical framework to study Cultural Diplomacy within the agent-structure interplay, which we call the rotational model. It entails an instrument that enables the identification of the agential and structural factors that influence the decision-making processes involved in the conduction of Cultural Diplomacy. The theoretical dimension also involves the proposal of two typologies to analyze Cultural Diplomacy, encompassing Cultural Diplomacy as power and Cultural Diplomacy as Resistance. Another purpose of this dissertation encompasses the proposal of a model to undertake a systematic statistical analysis in Cultural Diplomacy, which we call Cultural Diplomacy Data Analysis Framework (CDDAF). Further, the thesis seeks to apply the proposed theoretical and methodological frameworks to the analysis of Brazilian Cultural Diplomacy. This dissertation encompasses an empirical research, combining qualitative and quantitative analysis follows a case-study design, with in-depth study of the Cultural Diplomacy actions carried out by the Brazilian Cultural Centre in Barcelona (BCCBcn) from 2003 to 2013. The case study aims to identify the decision-making mechanisms regarding the BCCBcn and the resultant Cultural Diplomacy actions carried by the BCCBcn during the 2003-2013 period, the participant actors and the agent-structure factors involved in this process. It also seeks to identify the impact of the Cultural Diplomacy action in regard to the students of Portuguese Language at the BCCBcn. The methodological aspect included the employment of documental analysis, semi-structured interviews, survey and focal group discussion. The qualitative and quantitative data were collected through field work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brazil, at the Brazilian Consulate in Barcelona and at the BCCBcn. It also included the focal group discussion and the application of a survey to the students of the Brazilian Cultural Centre in Barcelona enrolled in its Portuguese Language courses.

Date of Award	8 Jul 2016
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
Supervisor	Elizabete Sanches Rocha (Director) & Ana Ayuso Pozo (Tutor)