1- Post‐Doctoral in Sport Management , mahbobeabedi69@gmail.com
2- Associate Professor of Sports Management Department of Mazandaran University
Abstract: (901 Views)
Today, sports are an essential part of the diplomatic tools of countries. As a desirable tool, the sport can shape the preferences of others through soft power. Therefore, the researcher decided to identify the political functions of public diplomacy and soft power in sports and tourism in Iran. This research was conducted in the framework of a qualitative approach, and data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The statistical population of the study was experts in the field of politics, sports and tourism, including five sports faculty members, five tourism faculty members, seven political science faculty members, and five people with executive work experience in the tourism and cultural heritage organization, and athletes with a history of participating in international competitions. The data collection method was a previous research study and an in-depth and open interview. In order to measure the reliability of the research, an intra-subject agreement was used. The average level of intra-subject agreement was reported as 89%. Based on the findings of the semi-structured interview, the most important political functions of public diplomacy and soft power in Iran's sports and tourism were six components: political character, foreign policy, domestic policy, political awareness, combating isolation, information and communication. According to the results of the research, it is suggested to use the advantage of sports, which is a common language between nations, to increase international communication and political awareness of sports ambassadors because of the benefits of the negotiations of athletes and coaches in sports events compared to official politicians; Diplomacy and communication are spontaneous and will face fewer restrictions.
Article Type:
Original Research |
Subject:
Arts and Humanities (General) Received: 2022/08/2 | Accepted: 2022/08/12 | Published: 2022/03/11