The Cost Of Freedom: Revolutionary Hopes & Realities Among Young Tunisians A Decade Post-Arab Spring, Sanjna Selvarajan

International Affairs Senior Theses

The Arab Spring of 2011 was an incredible tale of desperation, defiance, and vast political transformations—of civil society across North Africa and the Middle East revolting against dictatorship, corruption, and demanding democracy and freedom. Tunisia gained widespread international attention following the revolutions as the sole country to attain democracy. However, many Western scholars and news reports have dismissed Tunisia’s triumph as a lucky break and lauded its attainment of democracy and, especially, its newfound freedom of expression. Such a focus on “Tunisian exceptionalism,” however, ignores the nuanced consequences that have accompanied the country’s vast political transformation.

Situated a decade post-Arab …

Is Smart Power Leading The Way Forward? Reassessing Its Importance In The U.S. And China’S International Strategy, Zach Florman

International Affairs Senior Theses

Since the end of the cold war, the world of politics and international relations has seen China grow its power and influence tremendously. Much of this growth has been fueled by strategies and initiatives focused on smart power, a term coined by Joseph Nye in 2003,[1] through large economic projects such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Meanwhile, the backbone of the United States smart power is within institutions, most notably the United Nations (UN), which have begun to show their age and weaknesses. 1) Should smart power strategies be known as stronger power building initiatives than …

States Of Fear: The Rise Of The European Alt-Right Through The Eyes Of Immigrant Populations, Ellie Bowen

International Affairs Senior Theses

This research explores the rise of alt-right groups in Europe through a case study approach with a focus on Spain as well as a general approach focused on Europe as a whole. For the case study, blog posts from the Spanish female-immigrant centered forum, Afroféminas, were analyzed. To provide evidence from the broader European context while still centering immigrant and refugee voices, the PBS Frontline documentary film Exodus: The Journey Continues was utilized. Through the use of discourse analysis as well as theoretical grounding in Giddens’ structuration and Bourdieu’s praxeology, this research presented two main findings: (1) it is possible …

Everyday Nationalism: Representations Of The Falkland Islands/Malvinas Conflict In The United Kingdom And Argentina, Hagar Sivan

International Affairs Senior Theses

National identity is malleable; it is shaped by events such as conflicts, disasters, and achievements. The following research paper details a study conducted to assess the influence of the Falkland Islands/ Malvinas War of 1982 on national identity among youth in Argentina and the United Kingdom. Differences between the representations of the conflict in the two countries were discovered through interviews with British citizens and Argentines. The experiences of those individuals, were used to discover the factors that led the war to play a big role in Argentine society and the reasoning behind the lack of mention of the war …

The Relationship Between Energy Consumption (Renewable And Non-Renewable) And Economic Growth In Northeast Asia, Seung Min Park

Economics Student Theses and Capstone Projects

The worldwide environmental crisis such as climate change and global warming motivates countries to use renewable energy. Additionally, the crisis provokes the importance of energy and the appearance of ecological economic theory. The Northeast Asia region has effectively embraced renewable energy production to enhance energy independence and energy security. Countries in the region require to maintain their production level to successfully complete the transition of energy use from the non-renewables to renewables. However, renewable energy’s impact on economic output in the Northeast Asia region is dubious. Moreover, only a small number of research on the availability of ecological economics in …

#Nofilter: Identities, Tourist Narratives, And The Millennial White Savior, Alicia Graziano

International Affairs Senior Theses

Throughout time, human beings have used various means of expression to create identity and fashion a brand for themselves that exhibits favorable characteristics. The age of globalization has facilitated the ease with which people travel and experience new parts of the world, but has also made it easier to share one’s experience through social media, thus allowing for wider recognition of one’s identity as a citizen of the world. Modern tourists prefer the word “traveler,” due to widespread concerns about the negative impacts on the tourism industry on certain global locations and populations. In this paper, I will explore the …

India Is Hungary For Trump: Contextualizing The Rise Of Xenophobia In Right-Wing Parties, James Rider

International Affairs Senior Theses

In a climate of intensifying globalization, the rise of political parties and leaders that espouse xenophobic ideas challenges the ability of the nation-state to live up to multicultural ideals. Such parties and their leadership prey on the fears of those of those who are part of the national majority group by claiming that “outsiders” entering or within the country pose a threat to their well-being and the sanctity of their national identity. While many scholars have analyzed xenophobic parties within specific countries or regions, few have sought to find commonalities over regional and cultural boundaries. This paper analyzes three contemporary …

Cultivating The Dream: Migrant Experiences Under Free Trade Agreements, Hannah Van Dolsen

International Affairs Senior Theses

This study is a comparison of two different regional free trade agreements, NAFTA and the European Union. It analyzes the goals and structure of the respective agreements, the provisions for migration and labor in each agreement, and how these provisions translate to the employment conditions of migrant workers who have immigrated to a more developed nation to gain employment in low-skill jobs. The first group examined is Mexican migrant workers in agriculture and hospitality in the United States post-NAFTA, and the second group is Polish migrant workers in agriculture and hospitality in Britain after the 2004 accession of the EU. …

(Un)Locking The Door? Forces Behind Responses To Refugee Crises In Germany And Denmark, Corinna Goodman

International Affairs Senior Theses

This paper answers the question of why countries react to refugee crises the way they do and what factors contribute to that response. Germany and Denmark, countries that are similar in many ways, have shown different approaches to refugees and reactions to the Syrian Refugee Crisis. Germany made international headlines last year when it opened its borders and Chancellor Angela Merkel called on other EU-countries to do the same. Denmark, on the other hand, while having developed an extensive and internationally recognized refugee resettlement program, has attracted international attention with a new asylum law that can be seen as a …

(Un)Covering The Nipple: A Cross-­Cultural Comparison Of Decisions Around Breastfeeding, Victoria St. Dennis

International Affairs Senior Theses

Breastfeeding is thought to be the most beneficial resource for providing newborns with nutrition that will positively impact their growth and development, while also providing health benefits for the mother as well (American Academy of Pediatrics [AAP], 2005). However, the number of women that choose to breastfeed world wide is surprisingly lower than what would be expected. This paper will focus upon the reasons why women choose to not breastfeed, and go beyond the traditional assumptions of socio-­economic class and ethnicity; instead looking at elements of social and cultural influence from the local and global levels.

Dethroning Prince Charming: Problematizing Human Rights In The World’S Last Shangri-La, Mende Thuji Yangden

International Affairs Senior Theses

In the 21st century universalization of Human Rights has appeared as a contested concept. The Savage, Victim, Savior (SVS) metaphor has become a common rhetoric that universalization of human rights has promoted. The savage is represented as a non western nation-state, the victims are portrayed as minorities, women, children etc, and the saviors are usually the western nations or international institutions such as the UN, HRW, Amnesty International. The SVS complex leads to a one-dimensional, incomplete, racist, neo colonial and bias standpoint. It limits our understanding of the actual issue. Ethnic cleansing is an instance where universalization of human rights …

Neoliberalism: The Genesis Of The Central American Security Crisis, Camila Meléndez

International Affairs Senior Theses

Neoliberalism has been for long a popular subject in the assessment of development models and their effect in emerging and developing countries. The study of this model’s implications has remained however, focused to the realities and context of the 1990s disregarding the undeniable and interminable effect of rigid, universal, uni-dimensional and out-of context set of policies. This work therefore expands the study of neoliberalism assessing its political, economic and social implications and continuous role in the current crisis in the Central American countries. This work achieves the exploration of the neoliberalism-insecurity nexus by studying the conceptual framework of security, the …

From Cuba Libre To Hind Swaraj: Structure And Agency In The Struggle For Self-Determination, Maria Mayboeck

International Affairs Senior Theses

What explains the violent or nonviolent nature of a social movement? While much literature exists on both phenomena separately, this essay compares the charismatic leaderships of two liberation movements, one violent and one nonviolent, to attempt to identify the determinants for the respective violent or nonviolent strategy. The two case studies, Mahatma Gandhi in India and Che Guevara in Cuba, show similar starting points, characterized by a deep compassion for disenfranchised and marginalized people in their regions suffering from an exploitative foreign power. This paper identifies three main factors that influenced Mahatma Gandhi and Che Guevara to join or lead …

From The Ground Up: The Historical Roots Of Umuganda In Rwandan Economic And Political Development, Sarah Bates

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

Umuganda, the ritual of communal labor practiced in Rwanda since pre-colonial kingdoms, has a long and varied history of implementation. Once an integral part of the patron-client relationship, umuganda originated as the exchange of cattle for feudal protection; currently, it is a system of mandatory labor being utilized for post-genocide political and economic development. Umuganda has been championed by both past and present presidential administrations as the foundational centerpiece of progress, yet it also served as an instrumental tool in mass participation during the genocide. This paper will focus on the historical roots and transformation of umuganda in order to …

Diaspora Caribefia: Nostalgia Y Lenguaje En Las Novelas De Esmeralda Santiago, Julia Alvarez Y Cristina Garcia, Ruben J. Nazario

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

No abstract provided.

Microcredit In Uganda: A 'Bottom Up' Response, Mary Catherine Dreher

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

From the perspectives of new social history and economic anthropology, this project provides an examination of twentieth century Uganda. With this backdrop, this essay centerpieces a study of microcredit, a global poverty alleviation strategy successfully established in Uganda, East Africa. The project study demonstrates global, national and local level responses to economic inequities shaped by a modem capitalist world system. The essay then provides a case study of the replication of the Grameen Village Phone project in Uganda, with an emphasis on the role of women as pillars of the informal economic sector where microcredit projects are located. The Grameen …

La Polygamie Vue Et Vecue Dans Une Si Longue Lettre Par Mariama Ba Et Xala! Par Ousmane Sembene Simone, Simone A. Feaster-Armour

MALS Final Projects, 1995-2019

Le dictionnaire Larousse donne cinq definitions pour le mot ' mariage'; dans ce cadre nous n' avons pas besoin que deux. La premiere definition illustre l' acte individuel qui devient !'institution sociale: "Acte solennel par lequel un homme et une femme etablissent entre eux une union dont les conditions, les effets et la dissolution sont regis par les disposi-tions juridiques en vigueur dans leur pays." (Larousse 628) La deuxieme definition, "combinaison, reunion de plusieurs choses, organismes, etc.,'' exprime parfaitement les influences culturelles extemes qui s' imposent sur les maries dans n' importe quel pays ou culture. (628) Dans cette dissertation, …