ROLE OF AMERICAN POP-CULTURE (MASS MEDIA) IN AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY IMPLEMENTATION

I'm doing a research on the impact of American pop-culture (Mass Media) in its role in implementing the contemporary foreign policies of U.S. from the Bush administration to the current Obama administration. I've noticed that there's an evolution on how foreign policies are implemented both domestically and internationally. Individual citizens and sectors are now empowered to affect the implementation of these policies as opposed to the influence exerted by the conventional state leaders or diplomats. Media has become central to an individual's life that it can shape his concept of the world around him and thus, affects his participation in state policies.

American foreign policies from the period of George W. Bush to the current administration of Barack Obama are best implemented with the participation of citizens and sectors through the role of media in creating popular perception patterned from the American pop-culture.

Here are some of the things that I want to include in my research:

I. American Pop-culture
*what is it?
*how is it formed/created?
*how is it propagated?

II. American Foreign Policy
*what's the "heart" of American Foreign Policies?
*are these values i.e. democracy, freedom, human rights, etc. reflective/consistent with American pop-culture?
*how are these values portrayed in mass media?

III. The Role of Individuals/Society/Sector or Interest Groups in the Implementation of Foreign Policy
*what role does the individual/society/specific sector play in the implementation of foreign policies in terms of its effectiveness?

IV. Mass Media and the Individual/Society/Sector or Interest Groups
*how does mass media shape public perception which affects their participation if the implementation of the foreign policy
*how does pop-culture propagate foreign policy values through mass media?
*what's the role of public opinion in the implementation of American Foreign Policy

V. Case Analysis on Bush & Obama's Foreign Policies
*what were the predominant FP during his (Bush/Obama) term?
*how are these foreign policies implemented?
*events/factors that influenced the implementation of the foreign policy, and what role did media and the society play in the process?

Any suggestions or comments as to how the research can be improved?

These terms are very broad. You will have to find specific examples of connections between specific media and specific policy decisions. If this was my project, I would try to focus on a particular kind of media and a particular area of foreign policy. That is how to make it really intense and meaningful.

best implemented with the... ---"best" is very vague. This statement sounds really vague. Also, it is wordy and unnecessary to talk about the Bush and Obama administrations. Why not just say, "21st century" because that is really what you are covering.

Take out as many words as possible, and narrow the focus as much as possible.

:-)

Thanks Kevin! I already did some of the necessary narrowing of the topic as well as directing more focus on the specific medium and aspect of foreign policy that I'd like to look at.

So, instead of focusing on the Bush-Obama administration, I'd like to look at (as you've suggested) the foreign policies of the 21st century America. Also, in terms of the specific media, I'd like to look at the contemporary forms of media that's most prevalent in the 21st century that is, TV/Film and the internet. Regarding the focus of the foreign policy, I'd like to consider looking at the foreign policies for national and international security, because this is the primary concern of the American foreign policies in the 21st century.

Is this narrow enough? Thanks again :-)

look at the contemporary forms of media that's most
look at the contemporary forms of media that are most...

This is narrow enough to get you started. But after you have written paragraphs about 10 or 20 articles and books, you will notice that the theme of your paper is going in a direction you did not intend. Allow it to do that! It is easiest that way.

Follow the direction your paper takes, and I believe you will find that you need to narrow the focus of the paper even more. Narrow it to focus precisely on the theme that EMERGES in your literature review.

That is my advice, and that is why I recommend insisting on the right to change your outline as much as you want to change it.