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Cuba constructed: The impact of perception on foreign policy decision-making

Posted on:2005-05-31Degree:Ph.DType:Dissertation
University:University of Missouri - Kansas CityCandidate:Scott, Randall PaulFull Text:PDF
GTID:1456390008977928Subject:Political science
Abstract/Summary:
This dissertation analyzes how and why images which foreign policy-makers have of the "other" influence the decision-making process. This work describes, in detail, the way in which culture influences decision-making at the very bedrock of information processing. Utilizing theories and evidence from such diverse fields as linguistics, philosophy of the mind, psychology, colonial studies, sociology, anthropology, political science, diplomatic history and learning theory, I demonstrate the pervasive effect of cultural perceptions. The empirical example presented to test this theory is the case of the United States relationship with Cuba during the Eisenhower administration. This work illustrates how the image of the Cuban revolutionaries as a foreign other, created through the cultural lens of the United States and by the U.S. self-concept, influenced the decision-making process of the Administration and led to an underestimation of the ability of the Cuban leadership throughout the Administration.
Keywords/Search Tags:Decision-making, Foreign
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