A Quantitative Content Analysis of Newspapers from Florida’s Cuban Diaspora. To what extent is soft power expressed in the writings of journalists and other editors? (July, 2016 - July, 2017)

Abstract: This thesis explores the US-based Cuban community through conducting a Quantitative Content Analysis (QCA) on three of the most popular, diasporic newspapers. The manifest content of 30 editorials and other news articles was analysed, utilising deductive reasoning to uncover the presence of soft power. Consequently, the results communicate the diaspora’s support for less coercive measures and policies that welcome increased relations, and often wish to support island-based Cubans. This contradicts the community’s characterisation as a group, who overwhelmingly supports the use of hard power, and wishes to restrict Cuban engagement. This study fits in an underdeveloped area of International Relations (IR) and, therefore, seeks to clarify that the diaspora are not monolithically in favour of hard power policies (that enforce isolation and economic coercion) to achieve its goals. In sum, the study utilises a combined theoretical framework that includes diaspora politics, identity, and soft power to analyse the findings, thus illustrating a frequent presence of soft power throughout many of these diasporic writings.