A comparative study of smart power in Iranian and American sports diplomacy
Document Type : diplomacy
Authors
1 PhD student in Sports Management, Faculty of Sports and Health Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
3 Allameh Tabataba'i University
4 Master of Sport Management, Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Purpose: Today, the place of sports and sports efforts has gone beyond physical effort and mere entertainment and has especially found a political and international aspect. The internationalization of a sizable chunk of sports has caused countries to turn to international sports coordination in order to achieve national interests and reach their political and international goals. In this regard, the concept of sports diplomacy has emerged along with other diplomacy. Smart power diplomacy means using all diplomatic mechanisms in all fields to secure national interests, including the power mechanism of sports. Given this, the critical question has been raised that In line with sports diplomacy in the framework of smart power, what position has sports enjoyed in the diplomatic system of Iran and America?
Methodology: In this study, the descriptive-analytical method was used in the framework of Suzan Nasel's smart power theory and Joseph Nye's soft power theory.
Findings: Despite having an efficient capacity in the field of sports and using it optimally, in line with sports diplomacy, Iran has a marginal perspective and a secluded life attitude towards sports, whilst American considers sports as a tool so that sports was used to sanction and delegitimize or a tool to establish relations between two countries.
Conclusion: The United States of America, from the lens of smart power in sports diplomacy, has been seeking to achieve its long-term political goals in sports by presenting a coherent program regarding the use of athletes, coaches, referees, and sports companies, but Iran's political officials think of sports as a pastime and have not thought about the effectiveness of sports in the international arena, yet.
Keywords
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