| dc.description.abstract | This thesis examines the soft power potential of American international schools abroad by exploring American University of Beirut’s (AUB) as a case study and assessing its impact on views of Lebanon toward the United States (U.S.). National soft power comes from a state’s ability to influence another state’s actions through mechanisms of attraction rather than through pressure or force. The national soft power sources identified and studied in soft power literature are a state’s values, culture, and foreign policies. Attraction toward a state’s national soft power sources come through soft power resources, such as universities and national intuitions abroad. Most academic research to date on the impact of American schools abroad on U.S. national soft power has focused on AUB’s historical soft power influence, and all has been confined to the impact on university stakeholders. This thesis expands the research by seeking to understand whether AUB, as a prominent institution in Lebanon, has a broader impact on Lebanon’s views toward U.S. values, culture, and foreign policy. To better understand this, a case study was conducted using quantitative and qualitative data to determine if AUB has an impact on host society views of U.S. soft power sources. No statistically significant relationship was found between exposure to AUB and views of U.S. soft power sources. Therefore, AUB does not appear to impact Lebanese society’s favorability toward U.S. national soft power sources. Despite the absence of a statistically significant relationship, responses show high levels of regard for AUB within the host society, and the university does not appear to suffer from its association with the U.S. | |
