The problem of country image in politological approach

Abstract

Examination of the concept of “country image”, which recently entered the field of political research, offers the authors the opportunity to find it important to examine how to interpret this concept, to highlight the importance of its capitalization in the conditions of a society, in which the image of the country can and must obtain a “social-profitable” dimension, adding value to the efforts of advancing of the society. The article is aimed at elucidating the direct attribution of the country image problem to the essential political categories as a state, small state, national interest, country reputa tion, national security, public opinion, information society, international communication, international relations, political communication, government communication, etc. A special attention is paid to the political elements of the symbolic action: building the national identity, soft power, country branding. The exemplification of the investigative parameters of the country image in the field of political science is carried out based on the opinions of the notorious researchers, which allows the argumentation of the multidimensionality of the phenomenon in question and reveals the multitude of possible approaches, including from a political perspective.