How Do Citizen Diplomacy Practices Affect Country Image? A Study on International Students

Tarık Kodal; Faruk Temel

Makale detayları

How Do Citizen Diplomacy Practices Affect Country Image? A Study on International Students

Yazarlar:

Tarık Kodal | Faruk Temel

Yayıncı:

Selcuk University

Ana Başlıklar:

İletişim Çalışmaları

Dergi:

Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi Issue 57, pp.283-300

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

8/2025

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001357440

pISSN:

2667-4750

Anahtar kelimeler:

Özet:

 Individual relations, which are relatively outside of institutional and entrepreneurial structures, play an important role in forming images of countries in the international arena. The relationship between this process, which is defined as citizen diplomacy in the literature, and country image stands out as a remarkable issue. As a part of soft power organizations, the reflections of the accumulation that emerges from the relational activities of citizens in social layers in terms of the countrys image are important. While there are many studies on the role of top organizations in the literature, the effectiveness of citizen diplomacy, especially in constructing countrys image, has not been sufficiently determined, which constitutes the starting point of this study. The main problem of the study is the dynamics within which citizen diplomacy finds space for existence in its channel, the themes in which the interaction processes are clustered, and the results of this relational process for the country image in total. The research aims to determine the relationship between country image and citizen diplomacy and to analyze citizen diplomacy within the framework of experiences. In this context, 20 international students studying at Erciyes University were reached through the snowball sampling, and in-depth interviews were conducted. The data obtained was analyzed in line with the experiences within the scope of phenomenological research. As a result of the study, it was revealed that citizen diplomacy activities exhibit a strong link with the countrys image. In this context, the images of countries established through professional initiatives media content, etc. or well-established initiatives at the formal level schools, etc. are completely destroyed or strengthened as a result of citizen diplomacy activities.

 Individual relations, which are relatively outside of institutional and entrepreneurial structures, play an important role in forming images of countries in the international arena. The relationship between this process, which is defined as citizen diplomacy in the literature, and country image stands out as a remarkable issue. As a part of soft power organizations, the reflections of the accumulation that emerges from the relational activities of citizens in social layers in terms of the countrys image are important. While there are many studies on the role of top organizations in the literature, the effectiveness of citizen diplomacy, especially in constructing countrys image, has not been sufficiently determined, which constitutes the starting point of this study. The main problem of the study is the dynamics within which citizen diplomacy finds space for existence in its channel, the themes in which the interaction processes are clustered, and the results of this relational process for the country image in total. The research aims to determine the relationship between country image and citizen diplomacy and to analyze citizen diplomacy within the framework of experiences. In this context, 20 international students studying at Erciyes University were reached through the snowball sampling, and in-depth interviews were conducted. The data obtained was analyzed in line with the experiences within the scope of phenomenological research. As a result of the study, it was revealed that citizen diplomacy activities exhibit a strong link with the countrys image. In this context, the images of countries established through professional initiatives media content, etc. or well-established initiatives at the formal level schools, etc. are completely destroyed or strengthened as a result of citizen diplomacy activities.

 Individual relations, which are relatively outside of institutional and entrepreneurial structures, play an important role in forming images of countries in the international arena. The relationship between this process, which is defined as citizen diplomacy in the literature, and country image stands out as a remarkable issue. As a part of soft power organizations, the reflections of the accumulation that emerges from the relational activities of citizens in social layers in terms of the countrys image are important. While there are many studies on the role of top organizations in the literature, the effectiveness of citizen diplomacy, especially in constructing countrys image, has not been sufficiently determined, which constitutes the starting point of this study. The main problem of the study is the dynamics within which citizen diplomacy finds space for existence in its channel, the themes in which the interaction processes are clustered, and the results of this relational process for the country image in total. The research aims to determine the relationship between country image and citizen diplomacy and to analyze citizen diplomacy within the framework of experiences. In this context, 20 international students studying at Erciyes University were reached through the snowball sampling, and in-depth interviews were conducted. The data obtained was analyzed in line with the experiences within the scope of phenomenological research. As a result of the study, it was revealed that citizen diplomacy activities exhibit a strong link with the countrys image. In this context, the images of countries established through professional initiatives media content, etc. or well-established initiatives at the formal level schools, etc. are completely destroyed or strengthened as a result of citizen diplomacy activities.

 Uluslararası sahada ülkelerle ilgili imajların oluşumunda görece kurumsal ve girişimsel yapıların dışında seyreden bireysel ilişkiler önemli yer tutmaktadır. Literatürde vatandaş diplomasisi şeklinde tanımlanan bu sürecin ülke imajıyla ilişkisi dikkate değer bir konu olarak öne çıkmaktadır. Yumuşak güç organizasyonlarının bir parçası olarak toplumsal katmanlarda vatandaşların ilişkisel faaliyetleri sonucunda ortaya çıkan birikimin ülke imajı açısından yansımaları önem arz etmektedir. Nitekim, literatürde üst organizasyonların rolüne ilişkin çok sayıda çalışma bulunurken vatandaş diplomasisinin özellikle ülke imajının inşasındaki etkinliğinin yeterince tespit edilememiş olması bu çalışmanın çıkış noktasını oluşturmaktadır. Vatandaş diplomasisinin kendi mecrasında hangi dinamikler çerçevesinde varlık alanı bulduğu, etkileşim süreçlerinin hangi temalarda kümelendiği ve toplamda bu ilişkisel sürecin ülke imajı için ortaya çıkardığı sonuçlar araştırmanın ana problemini teşkil etmektedir. Araştırmada ülke imajının vatandaş diplomasisiyle ilişkisinin saptanarak, vatandaş diplomasisinin deneyimler çerçevesinde çözümlenmesi amaçlamaktadır. Bu bağlamda Erciyes Üniversitesinde öğrenim gören 20 uluslararası öğrenciye kartopu örnekleme yöntemiyle ulaşılmış ve derinlemesine mülakat gerçekleştirilmiştir. Fenomenolojik araştırma kapsamında deneyimler doğrultusunda elde edilen veriler incelenmiştir. Çalışma sonucunda vatandaş diplomasisi etkinliklerinin ülke imajıyla güçlü bir bağ sergilediği ortaya konulmuştur. Bu bağlamda profesyonel girişimlerle medya içerikleri vd. ya da formal düzlemdeki köklü girişimler okul vb. yoluyla ülkelerle ilgili kurulan imajlar, vatandaş diplomasisi etkinlikleri sonucunda tamamen yıkılmakta ya da güçlenmektedir.

Makale detayları

How Do Citizen Diplomacy Practices Affect Country Image? A Study on International Students

Yazarlar:

Tarık Kodal | Faruk Temel

Yayıncı:

Selcuk University

Ana Başlıklar:

İletişim Çalışmaları

Dergi:

Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi Issue 57, pp.283-300

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

8/2025

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001357440

pISSN:

2667-4750

Citizen Diplomacy

Soft Power

Public Diplomacy Country Image

International StudentsVatandaş Diplomasisi

Yumuşak Güç

Kamu Diplomasisi

Ülke İmajı

Uluslararası Öğrenciler

Sayı

Makale detayları

Yazarlar: Tarık Kodal | Faruk Temel

Yayıncı: Selcuk University

Ana Başlıklar: İletişim Çalışmaları

Dergi: Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi Issue 57, pp.283-300

Belge Tipi: Makale

Yayın Tarihi: 8/2025

Belge Dili: İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.): 2001357440

pISSN: 2667-4750

Sayı

Yazarlar:

Tarık Kodal | Faruk Temel

Yayıncı:

Selcuk University

Ana Başlıklar:

İletişim Çalışmaları

Dergi:

Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi Issue 57, pp.283-300

Belge Tipi:

Makale

Yayın Tarihi:

8/2025

Belge Dili:

İngilizce

Document ID (Org No.):

2001357440

pISSN:

2667-4750