National Image Research Articles

Re-imaging a country beyond its conflict: evaluation of an Israeli public diplomacy intervention for youth in Germany

AbstractOutcome evaluations of public diplomacy programs remain scarce. Addressing this gap, this study evaluated Israel Project Day, a seminar-based Israeli intervention designed to improve Israel's image among German youth. The intervention provides a unique real-world application of the “Life in Israel” model that spotlights Israel’s cultural diversity and achievements beyond the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Utilizing a quasi-experimental pre-post design and mixed-linear models, the study shows that participation significantly improved overall attitudes toward Israel, interest in Israeli society, and perceptions of Israel as a democratic, multicultural, and safe place. Although the program avoided direct conflict-related messages, it facilitated more favorable views on Israel's policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, demonstrating potential spillover effects to the conflictual-political realm. Additionally, effects on German-Israeli cooperation and responsibility were modest, highlighting a challenge for the Israeli-German unique relationship. Finally, the effects on interest in Israeli society and politics and support for German-Israel cooperation were stronger for participants with low media exposure. By moving away from conflict-centric presentations and focusing on contributions and advancements, nations like Israel can potentially cultivate a more positive national image. Practical implications are discussed for crafting impactful outreach, upscaling, and sustaining flexible efforts attuned to sociopolitical developments and challenges.

Study on the Presentation of China's National Image in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of Hangzhou Asian Games from the Perspective of Semiotics

In the presentation of international image, shaping the country with the help of the language of cultural symbols has also become an important way of cross-cultural communication in today's era. The Hangzhou Asian Games has become a widely acclaimed event both at home and abroad, and one of its essences lies in the fact that it has skillfully borrowed many cultural symbols with consensus, realizing a high state of dialogue in the international communication arena.

Analyzing Multimodal Construction of China’s Image Based on the Illustrated Articles in The Economist

The shaping of national image is a two-way process, including “self-shaping” and “shaping by others”. Magazines are one of the important channels for disseminating information. Taking The Economist’s China-related reports in 2023 as a case, this article focuses on 195 reports on politics and diplomacy as well as economy, conducting quantitative and qualitative analyses of the visual images from the perspective of visual grammar, and further exploring the multimodal construction of China's image in The Economist. The research shows that the images in The Economist fully realize the representational meaning, interactive meaning and compositional meaning. In terms of the representational meaning, narrative representation is the major process. Images that reflect the reactional process, action process and symbolic process are used more frequently. In terms of the interactive meaning, “offer” images, long shot images and images with horizontal perspective appear more frequently. In addition, information value, salience, and framing are interrelated to achieve the compositional meaning. The political and diplomatic image of China constructed by The Economist is that China is a country with increasing power, which is authoritarian internally and threatening externally. In terms of economy, China is portrayed as a country with a fast growing economy which can withstand the global economic crisis, but its economic prospects are not optimistic, and the “China threat theory” still exists.

Ukrainian Nationalism in the Propaganda of the bolshevik’s and modern Ideology of the russian Imperialism

The study compares how “Ukrainian nationalism” was interpreted in the Soviet press and the texts of contemporary ideologues of Russian imperialism. The way in which Ukrainian nationalism and its alleged followers were dehumanized during the trial of the Union for the Liberation of Ukraine in 1930 (using the example of the texts of Andrii Khvylia, Mykola Skrypnyk and publications of the magazine “Bolshevik of Ukraine”) was examined. The image of Ukrainian nationalism presented in public statements that preceded and accompanied the full-scale war from 2022 was analyzed (texts of Timofey Sergeytsev, the address of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin). In the widely circulated texts, the authors accused the “nationalists” of espionage, treason, moral degeneration and the preparation of a coup d’état, which can be defined as hate speech. Communists and contemporary ideologues construct the image of the enemy, using accusations in a mirror that Ukrainian nationalists commit terror or genocide. They depict their victims as aggressors and themselves as victims, justifying violence against Ukrainians as preventive measures. Contemporary Russian ideologues, in particular Timofey Sergeytsev, claim that Ukrainians, hiding behind the rhetoric of independence, profess fascist, racist and Russophobic ideology. Putin and Sergeitsev rejected the Soviet style of hate speech according to which Ukrainian nationalism was bourgeois and therefore criminal. They repeat the pre-Bolshevik imperialist interpretation of the “Ukrainian question”, according to which Ukraine is an integral part of Russia. Therefore Ukrainian nationalism is criminal because it wants to destroy Russian-Ukrainian unity. For Sergeytsev, Ukrainian nationalists are criminals because they pursue a racial policy against Russians, introduced discriminatory laws, committed genocide in the Donbass, commit mass violence and murder of Russians, and established a dictatorship unrestricted by law. The accusations made at the SVU trial were repeated during the Holodomor in the party’s official documents and Joseph Stalin’s correspondence with his supporters, and were directed at Ukrainian peasants and members of the Communist Party (bolshevik) of Ukraine. These accusations can be considered evidence of the desire to eradicate Ukrainian nationalists through artificial hunger and terror, which was facilitated by the cultivation of the image of the enemy in the previous years. The texts of modern Russian ideologues not only construct the image of the enemy, but also outline a consistent program of murders and Russification of Ukrainians and, according to the assessments of jurists and historians, indicate the intention to commit genocide. Keywords: Bourgeois nationalism, Union for the Freedom of Ukraine trial, Andrii Khvylia, hate speech, image of the enemy, de-Nazification, Russophobia, Timofey Sergeytsev.

Exploring factors influencing Koreans’ intention to visit Japan through decision tree analysis: focusing on discharge of ALPS-treated water and low-yen perception

ABSTRACT In this study, factors influencing Koreans’ intention to visit Japan were examined using a decision tree. It is known that a negative national image generally adversely affects the intention to visit tourist destinations. Japan and Korea have maintained various political, economic and historical conflicts from the past. However, Koreans accounted for the largest proportion of tourists visiting Japan. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the decision-making process for Koreans’ intention to visit Japan and analyse the priority of influencing factors using a decision tree. As a result of the analysis, low-yen perception, historical animosity, interest in treated water, cultural familiarity and age were identified as major influencing factors. These results confirm that changes in Koreans’ perceptions of Japan are progressing despite the fact that the anti-Japanese sentiment towards Japan still exists. Such changes are affecting the selection of tourist destinations. This study is significant in that it considers factors influencing international tourism demand from various perspectives by inputting various predictive variables such as politics, economy, social culture and so on.

Interpretation of Western Images from a Postcolonial Perspective: A Case Study of Antonioni's Documentary Chung Kuo - Cina

This paper employs textual analysis and postcolonial theory to explore Michelangelo Antonioni's 1972 documentary Chung Kuo - Cina. The study delves into the film's portrayal of Chinese culture, people, and environment, focusing on how these depictions either reinforce or challenge Western audiences' expectations and prejudices. Antonioni's documentary is analyzed for its use of symbolism, cinematographic techniques, and scene selection in constructing an "exotic" image of China. Through a postcolonial lens, the paper examines how the documentary demonstrates Orientalist perspectives, reflecting Western stereotypes and biases towards China. Furthermore, it explores the broader implications of these representations in the context of cultural exchange and power dynamics. The analysis also considers the historical and political backdrop of the film's production, including the Cultural Revolution and China's efforts to shape its international image. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of how visual media shape and disseminate national images in cross-cultural contexts, highlighting the complexities of postcolonial identity construction and the enduring impact of Orientalism in contemporary visual culture.

Study on National Image Construction and International Communication in CHINA ON THE MOVE Amid Deconstructionism and Constructivism

National image documentary is a key part in shaping a country’s brand, fostering cultural exchange. However, China has faced challenges in presenting a dynamic and multidimensional national image on the global stage. In recent years, China has intensified its international communication efforts, leveraging various media formats to portray a more comprehensive image. The paper critically analyzes the contradictions inherent in the construction of national image and its overseas translation and communication, focusing on the biases of logocentrism and egocentrism. Taking China on the Move as a case study and examining its production, characterization, narrative, and translation strategies to summarize patterns and practices from a series of high-quality Sino-foreign co-produced documentaries. The analysis explores how the deconstructionist strategy of decentralization contributes to the joint-shaping of national image, and how an emphasis on marginalization reflects broader societal structures through the lens of ordinary lives. The deconstructionist translation strategy underscores the translator’s active role and the importance of “creative rebellion”. Conversely, the constructivist strategy elucidates the underlying logic of China’s image for international audiences, promoting empathetic communication by seeking common ground while acknowledging differences. The constructivist translation strategy also imposes necessary limitations on “creative rebellion” to ensure coherence in the translation process.

VERSIONS OF THE SZÉKELYʼS SELF-IMAGE FROM HEROIC TO IRONIC

The collective mental image of oneʼs community is closely related to the image created by strangers. Human sciences such as social psychology, political science, history, but also literary studies deal with the study of national images. The Székelys, a group of Hungarians with a specific dialect, traditions, and a separate sense of identity, already created lasting images of self-representation in texts in the 18th century, which are supplemented by the external images developed about them. The study examines the characteristics of the Székelyʼs self-image presented in literary form, how it has changed over time, and what kind of image Hungarians living in other regions have of the Székelys.

The newsworthiness of Gu Ailing: a comparative critical discourse analysis of Chinese and American media reports

Integrating discursive news values analysis and the discourse historical approach, this study compares the discursive construction of newsworthiness in the Chinese and American media’s reportage of the controversial US-born athlete Gu Ailing (or Eileen Gu), who chose to compete for China in the 2022 Beijing Olympic Games. It is found that the Chinese media associated Gu with grand narratives of the attraction of Chinese culture, the national image of supporting talents’ self-realization, and the propagation of a diversified youth culture. The American media, by contrast, mainly focused on representing Gu’s affinity with China as serving a country with different political systems and values. The present study demonstrates how a synthesis of discursive news values analysis and the discourse historical approach can enable discourse analysts to delineate news-value construing praxis through a critical ideological lens.

The Empathetic Communication of the Panda Symbol on the National Image and its Triggering Mechanism

In recent years, as China's influence continues to grow, more and more cultural symbols have begun to attract the attention of audiences at home and abroad, the most typical of which is the "panda". This article takes the dissemination of the national image by the "panda" symbol as the starting point, and analyzes the basis behind it - empathy communication and its generation mechanism. At the same time, it summarizes the main means by which contemporary empathy communication promotes the "panda" symbol to express the national image, in order to promote better cross-cultural expression of the "panda" symbol in the future.

The visual construction of the people’s country and the Chinese nation: political aesthetics in the Ethno-documentaries of New China

This paper discusses the political positioning of the people and the cultural image of the Chinese nation through the lens of the Social-historical Scientific Documentary Films of China’s ethnic minorities (hereafter referred to as “the Ethno-documentaries”) by restoring the problem to the site of the investigation of humanities and social sciences and the General Surveys on (Folk) Arts in the early years of the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in the 1950s. Through detailed analysis of specific Ethno-documentary films, this paper explores how the social sciences conducted its “Social and Historical Investigation of China’s Ethnic Minorities” via the medium of film to convey the advanced social concepts and ideological work of the new regime through the historical narrative of art and politics. This study highlights three key points. First, the “Chinese nation” as a modern political concept dates its origins back to the 1920s with the emergence of the “National Heritage Reorganization Movement” and the “Doubting Antiquity School.” However, it was only through the medium of the Ethno-documentaries that this concept was visually and aurally represented in films for the first time, which draws our attention to the fact that the entry point for understanding modern China lies in discerning the relationship between culture and politics. Second, when discussing the relationship between culture and politics, this study juxtaposes the Ethno-documentaries and “art for workers-peasants-soldiers,” which developed during the same period. These two forms of art focus respectively on national history and the suffering of the lower classes of society, and it is this intertextual nature of the historical narrative that jointly anchors the cultural and historical view of New China. Lastly, historical view is the core of the humanities, social sciences, and art disciplines in New China. Previous studies have mainly attributed certain phenomena to the “politicization” or “pan-politicization” of a particular historical period due to disciplinary barriers and cultural trauma and have stopped discussing such topics in depth. In contrast, the significance of the political aesthetics in the Ethno-documentaries is to have transformed classical Chinese artistic language into a modern one to represent the Chinese people and the Chinese nation. It also raises a question of re-sinicization of many modern political issues that have persisted until now: How do today’s Chinese art works vividly depict the prosperity of this country and its hardworking and courageous people?

Digital Dissemination of African Films in China: A Case Study of the Bilibili Platform

Cultural communication is of great significance to countries in shaping their national image and enhancing their national soft power. However, due to the influence of African politics and economy, African films always face the situation of insufficient production capacity in the film industry, internationalization experience, and film professionals. As a result, its culture has been discounted in the process of dissemination. In particular, African films have for many years relied only on video and other channels of dissemination, making it difficult to compete with the production and wide dissemination of films from Europe and the United States. Therefore, African films have only accounted for 4% of the African film market share in their home countries.

Digital Dissemination of African Films in China: A Case Study of the Bilibili Platform

Cultural communication is of great significance to countries in shaping their national image and enhancing their national soft power. However, due to the influence of African politics and economy, African films always face the situation of insufficient production capacity in the film industry, internationalization experience, and film professionals. As a result, its culture has been discounted in the process of dissemination. In particular, African films have for many years relied only on video and other channels of dissemination, making it difficult to compete with the production and wide dissemination of films from Europe and the United States. Therefore, African films have only accounted for 4% of the African film market share in their home countries.

The Role of Community Aesthetics in the External Communication Discourse System of Chinese Films Under the Background of the “Belt and Road” Initiative

As a cultural product, films bear the mission and responsibility of shaping the national image and conveying the spirit of China in international cultural exchanges. However, since the proposal of the “Belt and Road” initiative in 2013, the dissemination of Chinese films in countries along the route has remained unsatisfactory, thereby underscoring the urgency of reconstructing the discourse system for the external communication of Chinese films. To address this issue, it is of the utmost importance to establish a creative orientation that is focused on reshaping China’s image, fully exploring Chinese stories and the essence of the Chinese spirit, and developing a discourse system that is centered on Chinese narratives and supported by the theoretical framework of community aesthetics. Moreover, it is vital to engage in comprehensive collaboration in cultural exchanges with countries along the Belt and Road. This necessitates the adaptation of Chinese film promotion and distribution strategies to align with the characteristics of the new media era. Leveraging the aggregating power of new media platforms and online communities is essential for the creation of a sustainable and Chinese-style industrial model for the global dissemination of Chinese films.

The Role of Community Aesthetics in the External Communication Discourse System of Chinese Films Under the Background of the “Belt and Road” Initiative

As a cultural product, films bear the mission and responsibility of shaping the national image and conveying the spirit of China in international cultural exchanges. However, since the proposal of the “Belt and Road” initiative in 2013, the dissemination of Chinese films in countries along the route has remained unsatisfactory, thereby underscoring the urgency of reconstructing the discourse system for the external communication of Chinese films. To address this issue, it is of the utmost importance to establish a creative orientation that is focused on reshaping China’s image, fully exploring Chinese stories and the essence of the Chinese spirit, and developing a discourse system that is centered on Chinese narratives and supported by the theoretical framework of community aesthetics. Moreover, it is vital to engage in comprehensive collaboration in cultural exchanges with countries along the Belt and Road. This necessitates the adaptation of Chinese film promotion and distribution strategies to align with the characteristics of the new media era. Leveraging the aggregating power of new media platforms and online communities is essential for the creation of a sustainable and Chinese-style industrial model for the global dissemination of Chinese films.

Psychic Distance’s Impact on China’s Reverse M&A Innovation

ABSTRACT In this study, we examined Chinese firms’ cross-border reverse mergers and acquisitions (M&As). From the perspective of internal and external uncertainties, as well as the essence of psychic distance (PD), we established five dimensions of the PD of cross-border reverse M&A: cultural distance, national image, degree of internationalization, top management team (TMT)‘s overseas background, and perceived distance. Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), we found that the impact of PD on innovation performance was a combination of multiple factors, showing three types of configurations: external uncertainty dominant, internal uncertainty dominant, and perceived distance dominant. We further explored the interactions between knowledge conditions, such as firm size, industry relevance, and relative knowledge scale, and PD. This study supplements and expands current theories on the internationalization of emerging market enterprises from the perspective of latecomer countries.

Image restoration strategies in pandemic crisis communication: a comparative analysis of Chinese and American COVID-19 political speeches

This study explores the effectiveness of image restoration strategies in pandemic crisis communication at the highest levels of administration. By integrating corpus-assisted discourse analysis with Image Repair Theory, it aims to uncover the prevailing strategies adopted by Chinese and American leaders to restore or enhance a positive national image in the post-COVID era. Lancsbox 6.0 was utilized to extract excerpts and analyze linguistic devices from a self-built corpus of 144 political speeches delivered by top leaders in China and the United States. The results reveal that Chinese leaders, through the use of shared image restoration strategies such as bolstering and transcendence, shape a positive national image of a responsible country. In contrast, American leaders construct a confident and ambitious national image, projecting a leading geopolitical role in the world. These strategies have distinct features that contribute to the image restoration process. Apart from contributing significantly to the comparative research on Chinese and American pandemic-related political speeches, the research findings carry implications for the practice and promotion of national ideologies. The study also highlights the diverse ways in which credible and accurate crisis messages are employed, providing valuable insights for handling pandemics or other crises in the foreseeable or distant future.

Cultural Practices as a Tool for the Tourist Destination Development

The aim of the article is to analyse the functional peculiarities of cultural practices under the conditions of transforming tourist destinations in Ukraine. Results. On the basis of the conducted analysis, it is proved that the preservation of the uniqueness and attractiveness of tourist destinations depend on effective management and strategic priorities. It allows preserving the integrity of the cultural and tourist space with qualitatively new and attractive cultural practices. It is revealed that the tourist destination formation is one of the main tasks in the system of cultural policy development of modern states. The study analyses the role of tourist destinations as custodians of cultural heritage at all levels, such as global, glocal and local. It is established that such destinations form a unique cultural space for the entire country. They act as cultural receptacles and centres of cultural life that attract both local residents and tourists from other countries. It is noted that the symbiosis of cultural and tourist practices allows to form a national image with its unique cultural potential. The scientific novelty of the study consists in the theoretical understanding and determining the practical role and significance of cultural practices in the process of transforming tourist destinations. Conclusions. Ukrainian reality and world practices testify to active cultural transformations of tourist destinations. As custodians of cultural heritage, tourist destinations form the cultural space of the entire country. They are a concentration of cultures, a centre of cultural life of the state’s citizens, and a centre of tourism for representatives of other countries. An important tool for the qualitative transformation of the tourist destination functionality are cultural practices that are able to provide emotional recovery, establish rational communication and dialogue between all participants in the cultural process. As a cultural practice, intercultural dialogue is the most important value in solving the global problems of nowadays. The formation and development of a cultural landscape with unique cultural practices are the most important factors for preserving and restoring tourist destinations together with their values, which depend on national identity.

1950년대 도의 담론과 모범 국민 만들기 프로젝트에의 반발 : 손창섭 소설을 중심으로

1950년대 도의 담론과 모범 국민 만들기 프로젝트에의 반발 : 손창섭 소설을 중심으로

A Comparative Study of the National Image Constructed by Junior High School English Textbooks

Please refer to the URL that includes this article for the abstract.