Hasanuddin Journal of Strategic and International Studies
Vol. 3 No. 2 (2025)

Going Beyond (Cultural) Soft Power: The Political Economy of Hollywood in Cold War

Oktaviano, Nandito (Unknown)
Ayudia, Putu Dinda (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
15 Jun 2025

Abstract

The notion of cultural soft power has always been addressed as the use of one film industry for the sake of a state’s soft power in international politics. However, the idea of a state–film industry combination omits and treats the two entities with identical and similar interests or powers. Confronting this conceptualization, this research uses an inductive methodology in its conceptual paper, which criticizes the existing concept and provides a new framework for analysis. This research offers a new conceptual framework to understand the seemingly combined nature of the film industry and state in world politics and to treat them as two distinct entities with different logics and interests. To do so, this paper proposes the use of the political economy approach to the film industry and Foucault’s governmentality for state rationality. Taking the case of Hollywood during the Cold War, this research argues that the combination of the state and film industry could only be realized in terms of industry profitability and the enhancement of the state’s images toward the international population. In other words, while the film industry will only want to propagate the state’s images in its international market because it is profitable, the state is equipped with various tools to create such conditions.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

hjsis

Publisher

Subject

Environmental Science Social Sciences

Description

Hasanuddin Journal of Strategic and International Studies (HJSIS) is an open access and international peer reviewed journal. Our main objective is to disseminate current and original articles from researchers and practitioners that enrich understanding and contributes to the past, current, and ...