Soft Power and Cultural Imperialism: A Critical Commentary

This paper queries the adequacy of the concept of soft power to explain contemporary international communication. It reviews the concept as developed by Joseph Nye and contrasts it with the earlier concept of cultural imperialism as instanced in the work of Herbert Schiller. Surprising similarities are found, but neither approach is adequate on its own. It is proposed that elements from both theories, supplemented by additional factors ignored by both, represents a more satisfactory approach. This synthesis is then used to analyse the attempts by China to project its own international cultural influence.