The research aims to find characteristics of organizing the Olympic Games from the perspective of public diplomacy. The study also tried to explore the effective way to use the Olympics for public diplomacy.
Introduction
- Background
- Research Purpose
- Research Questions
- Significance of Study
The holding of the Olympics involves unavoidable credit risks and may therefore be accompanied by soft impotence. The literature review in public diplomacy during the Olympics shows greater success in some states, but at the same time, some states have failed to achieve their goals due to the wrong ways of using the Olympics.
Literature Review
Public Diplomacy
- Concept and Definition
- Cultural Diplomacy
- Soft Power
The reference to soft power inevitably raises the question of its exclusion as one of the fundamental concepts to be explored in the context of public diplomacy. Public Diplomacy International actor's attempt to manage international relations through engagement with the foreign public.
The Olympic Games
- History and Features
- Olympics from the Political Perspective
The Olympic Games have long been a vehicle of direct and indirect political struggle, due to their popularity around the world. In recent years, the Olympic Games have become an event of economic, social and political importance.
Public Diplomacy in the Olympics
- The 1988 Seoul Olympic Games
- The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games
- The 2014 Sochi Olympic Games
The Olympic Games are one of the most globalized events in the world and therefore receive great attention from around the world. The slogan of the Seoul Games, namely 'The World to Seoul, Seoul to the World', also expressed all these ideas of the Korean government (Bridges, 2008). About 160 countries and more than 13,000 athletes took part in the Seoul Olympics, which at the time were the largest Games in history.
Since cultural resources are now part of public diplomacy, the Olympics can be seen as part of a soft power plan to spread the host's culture and heritage and showcase nations on the biggest stage. The Beijing Olympics were the most expensive and luxurious Summer Games in Olympic history. Thus, as seen in both the Seoul and Beijing Games, both democratic and non-democratic countries have used the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games as a soft power tool (Nye, 2008) to display and broadcast their culture and values (Arning, 2013).
Culture is a key area for the pursuit and exercise of 'soft power' by hosting the Olympics (Giulianotti, 2015). But in the case of Sochi, shortly after the closing ceremony, the world witnessed one of the biggest crises in European politics. Hosting such a huge international mega sporting event like the Olympic Games can be the perfect platform to make proper social interaction with the public at home and abroad (Chalip, 2006).
Methodology
- Data Collection
- Data Analysis
- Research Participants
- Interview Questions
- Trustworthiness
- Research Ethics
The details of the research questions can be obtained from the interviewees, including their real feelings and thoughts on issues regarding the use of Olympic Games as a tool of public diplomacy (O’Boyle & Shilbury, 2018). During the development and design of the interview paper, the literature regarding this study area and recommendations of this study specialist were taken into account. After the pilot interviews, the research revised the paper and fixed some of the open-ended questions.
These questions may vary from one interview to another, and the order of the questions may also vary. 5 What are the most common strategies that the host country focuses on during the preparation of the Olympic Games. Therefore, three strategies were implemented in this study to confirm the accuracy of the findings.
It also involves the use of multiple and different data sources to validate the results (Creswell and Miller, 2000). Peer research, also called peer review, is an external control of the research process. Interviews were also reviewed by colleagues of the researcher to add validity to the story and in case of misunderstandings, while protecting the anonymity of the participants.
Findings
Features of the Olympics from the Public Diplomacy
- Worldwide Spotlight
- International Broadcasting/Media
- Public Relations
- Diplomatic Window
Addressing the first research question, which focused on exploring the public diplomacy characteristics of the Olympic Games. The research focused on the characteristics of the Olympic Games; In particular, the researcher sought to explore the characteristics of the Olympic Games from the perspective of public diplomacy. I agree with you that the Olympics can be used as a tool of public diplomacy both internationally and domestically (Participant 4).
This is the powerful thing about the Olympics….[Skip]….a successful presentation can transform (cultivate) the nation's image, but can also damage the image irreversibly (Participant 6). Barcelona '92, for example, is a successful example of using the Olympic Games as a tool of public diplomacy. As time passes, I feel that I have gradually begun to understand the depth and true greatness of the Olympic Games.
The Olympic Games bring people from all over the world to the host country (participant 3). Perhaps the greatest feature of hosting the Olympic Games is that the host country can create a diplomatic environment with relatively easy exchanges with countries that have not had exchanges. Some participants pointed out that the Olympics could be the icebreaker of political tensions.
Beneficial and Detrimental Aspects of Using the Olympics in
- Beneficial Aspects of Using the Olympics
- Engagement of Local Publics
- Understanding for Foreign Publics
- Strong Planning and Coordination
- Soft Power
- Detrimental Aspects of Using the Olympics
- Inevitable Risks and Political Use
- Less Preparedness to Host and Scandals
- Economic Instability
Some participants said that the engagement of the local public is an important aspect of using the Olympics in public diplomacy and also for the successful implementation of the event. According to Chalip (2006), local residents and the public play a major role in the organization of the Olympic Games. The successful use of the Olympic Games as a means of public diplomacy and at the same time the successful hosting of the Olympic Games requires the support of citizens.
According to Grix et al. 2017), the UK government clearly believes in the benefits of hosting the Olympic Games. The display of soft power of the host country during the opening and closing ceremony of the Olympic Games is a beneficial factor for using the Olympics in DP (Participant 6). If the host country uses the Olympics as a showcase of its strong power or uses it as a political tool, it will bring inevitable reputational risks.
Human rights problems or the neglect of facilities after the Olympic Games were preserved have appeared in the international media. Apparently, these problems have remained in the public consciousness in Brazil, and this case shows that reputational risk can be a major negative factor in using the Olympics in PD (Participant 2, 6). A successful public diplomacy project through the Olympics must include preparations such as the completion of all Olympic venues and facilities.
Discussion and Conclusion
Implications of the Study
Based on the findings and participants' suggestions, the following implications can be proposed to explore the effective way in which the Olympic Games can be used for public diplomacy. The Olympic Games need not be used as a one-off event or as a showcase for the host country's soft power and to attract foreign audiences, but public diplomacy should be used to achieve global common goals and solve the problems . If so, the effects of the host country's public diplomacy will be enormous and also contribute to world peace, in keeping with Olympism.
In order to do public diplomacy effectively while hosting the Olympics, it is recommended to prepare enough strong power, such as financial stability. If the host country prepares to host the Olympics by properly combining hard power and soft power, it will be a great opportunity for the host country from the point of view of public diplomacy. Most public diplomacy uses soft power, but hard power and soft power should be well prepared when preparing for the Olympics.
This is also the main feature of hosting the Olympic Games from the point of view of public diplomacy. Whether planned or unplanned by the host nation, many Olympic Games are often used for public diplomacy. Since the Olympic Games are often used as a tool for public diplomacy, host countries should comprehensively plan and coordinate from the point of view of public diplomacy from the beginning of the preparations for the Olympic Games and this will increase the public diplomacy effect of the nation. bring along .
Limitation and Future Direction
If the goal of hosting the Olympic Games is to increase the image of the country and promote it to the world, it is very important not only to prepare the premises for the successful organization of the Olympic Games, but also to plan how to use them as a tool for public diplomacy from the very beginning. Regarding data collection, a mixed approach of interviews (online and offline) was used according to the current pandemic situation and the preferences of the respondents, such as Zoom or Skype for online interviews. However, different results could be indicated, especially if the respondents were interviewed face-to-face, as there are other areas that could be recorded, such as observing body language and feelings.
To host the Olympics, environmental issues or current global issues are increasingly addressed. The goal of this particular study was the use of public diplomacy in hosting the Olympics, but future studies are needed to also explore the sport in general. In addition, future studies should examine sports diplomacy from several different fields or stakeholders, so that a higher number of participants from different and similar areas could be evaluated.
Conclusion
Based on the findings and suggestions of the research participants, the researcher can suggest things to explore the effective way of using the Olympic Games for public diplomacy, which are Monitoring, Use of Smart Power and Strong Planning and Coordination for Public Diplomacy. The image of Beijing and London in Israeli media coverage of the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. Analyzing the roles of country image, nation branding and public diplomacy through the evolution of the Modern Olympic Movement.
Using sport as a tool of public diplomacy in regions or "stateless nations": the case of the Basque Country in contemporary Spain. Beijing's Ambitions: An Analysis of China's Elite Sport System and Its Olympic Strategy for the 2008 Olympic Games Signaling through the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games - Using Mega Sporting Events to Change the Host's Perception and Image.
오늘날 공공외교는 전 세계적으로 활용되고 있습니다. 본 연구의 목적은 올림픽대회 조직을 공공외교의 도구로 활용하는 데 있어 장려요인과 장애요인을 찾아내는 것이다. 나아가 공공외교 측면에서 올림픽을 어떻게 효과적으로 활용할 수 있는지 알아보는 것을 목적으로 하였다.
