International Relations Commons^™

Social Movements And Resistance: Extinction Rebellion Against Dominant Structures, Samira M. Eltiby

Theses and Dissertations

Public dissent is the outcome of governments inaction regarding issues that populations deem as necessary. Social movements are groups that emerge due to dissatisfaction with the status quo that is presented by the current neoliberal world order. The new social movement that is studied in this thesis seeks emancipation, freedom, environmental justice and action, and the dismantlement of neoliberal capitalism as a system of production. This thesis examines the relevance of Gramscian analysis to the study of new social movements, with a focus on Gramscian hegemony and leaderless movements. The thesis uses Extinction Rebellion (XR), a UK-based movement that adopts …

Predicting Sedentarism And Its Impact On Caloric Requirements, Jacob Michels, John C. Beghin

Yeutter Institute International Trade Policy Review

A recent study conducted by PhD candidate Jacob Michels and Agricultural economist John Beghin delves into the question of whether global estimates of food insecure populations need a reevaluation of their methodology to account for increasing sedentarism. This reevaluation is prompted by the increasing prevalence of sedentary lifestyles worldwide, which calls for a redefinition of caloric thresholds indicating the onset of food insecurity. In this short article, we provide a nontechnical summary of their investigation recently published in Michels and Beghin (2024).

Fostering Dissent: Analyzing Russian Rhetorical Strategies In Fomenting A Negative Image Of The Eu In Serbia, Suzan L. Juncaj

Senior Theses

As authoritarian regimes work to manipulate perceptions of democracy and frame themselves as an alternative, an in-depth analysis of image building is necessary to advance our understanding of world politics. Russia has served as a perpetrator in Serbia’s increasingly negative perceptions of the European Union. Through tactics such as political rhetoric, demonstrated through the Russian Foreign Ministry, Russia has carried out an information campaign with the intent to shift public attitudes towards the EU. This thesis evaluates the rhetorical strategies used by the Russian Foreign Ministry to project a negative image of the EU whilst illuminating an ideal image of …

Pegasus In Hungary: Analyzing Hungary's Use Of Pegasus On Journalists With Lessig's Four Modalities Of Regulation, Katherine Kuhl

Senior Theses

Over the last decade, technological advancements in the realm of cybersecurity has led to the growth of a multi-billion dollar commercial spyware industry, which puts highly privacy-invasive surveillance tools in the hands of both autocratic and democratic nations. This paper seeks to better understand why, and how democratic countries have been able to access these tools, and why they are willing to risk the reputational costs associated with illegal use of spyware. A field of scholarship is developing which seeks to find possible ways of eliminating or reducing the misuse of spyware on an international scale, under the presumption that …

From Norms Taker To Norms Breaker: A Comparative Study Of Turkey’S Nuclear Discourses Before And After The Ostensible Coup Of 2016, Sarah Tzinieris, Zenobia S. Homan, Cem Boke, Amna Javed

International Journal of Nuclear Security

This article offers an analysis of public statements made by Turkish government leaders, contrasting official attitudes on nuclear nonproliferation before and after the alleged military coup attempt in 2016. Significant developments in this period include deteriorating democracy and the rule of law in Turkey and the emergence of destabilizing foreign policy differences between Turkey and Western states. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also sought to consolidate domestic power and play a more assertive security role in the Middle East. This analysis of official statements reveals a distinct shift in Turkey’s nonproliferation rhetoric after the 2016 coup. In particular, Turkish government ministers …

A Pearl Ravaged: The Paradox Of Haiti And Its Socioeconomic Origins, Isabel Ishibe Exel

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Saint-Domingue was once the most profitable colony of the Caribbean, the so-called pearl of the Antilles. Nowadays, Haiti is known for being the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, a dramatic shift that raises the question of the factors contributing to Haiti's current state, marked by persistent violence, natural disasters, and political instability. Various discourses have framed Haiti as a country doomed for failure. However, relying on binary concepts such as success and failure is counterproductive to a refined analysis. How, then, should we structure this conversation? My ultimate goal for this work is to provide a nuanced analysis of …

Migrant Children And Legislation: Integrating Knowledge About Trauma Into Policy, Yolennys E. Albornoz

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study seeks to integrate some knowledge about trauma into migration policies in the U.S. regarding children. Migration is not a novel concept; it is a dynamic phenomenon that experiences continuous changes and constantly increases in numbers. Globally, the United States has been the primary destination for foreign migrants for a long time, and most of them are Latinos who cross the U.S. and Mexico border. Here, I explore how children face trauma in their home country, which forces them to migrate. Also, while they migrate and after they have migrated, exposing the three stages of trauma for migrant children. …

Evaluating Farm Size Change As An Expression Of Preferential Alignment In The Corporate Food Regime, Rachael Carpenter

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Food system awareness is increasingly prevalent in international development and relations. In particular, the impact of food systems on climate change, and the impact of climate change on the capacity of production form a feedback loop that has the potential to have a severe impact on the future. Whether this contribution will be positive or negative hangs in the balance, but the window of opportunity for forming and implementing such policies may be closing. In many ways, this understanding of food as a fundamental force in shaping the lives of people, particularly those who will be severely impacted and face …

Ontological Complexity Of Interpolity Orders: The Encounter Between Chosŏn And Tibet In Qing, Inho Choi, Minju Kwon

Political Science Faculty Articles and Research

This article examines the ontological complexity of interpolity orders with a focus on peripheral polities in the Qing order. Existing multiculturalist studies of the Qing order emphasized diverse cultural representations of a single imperial reality, lacking an understanding of multiple realities experienced by peripheral participants. Our analysis reveals the ontological complexity—rather than cultural diversity—of the Qing order, in which multiple ontological agents experienced different lived worlds, from the encounter between Chosŏn Korean envoys and the Tibetan Panchen Lama at Emperor Qianlong’s birthday ceremony. By analyzing the Chosŏn envoy member Pak Chiwŏn’s travelog and Tibetan records, we argue that the Chosŏn …

Turkey Vs Italy: Gender And Cyber Security, Esra Merve Caliskan, Irem Itegin

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

With the development of technology, security, a core human concern throughout history,has changed and branched out into new areas. Novel security concepts, including environmental security, economic security, and cybersecurity, have emerged as a result of these expanding areas. The importance of cybersecurity has increased in the linked world of today as a result of how prevalent technology is in our daily lives. This study looks at how the literature on international relations approaches the idea of cybersecurity, with an emphasis on the role gender dynamics play.

This study adopts a comprehensive strategy in recognition of the possibility that people of …

With Liberty And Justice For All? The U.S. Internment Of Japanese Peruvians During World War Ii, Catherine T. Meisenheimer

Swarthmore Undergraduate History Journal

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States committed to a policy of interning more than 120,000 Japanese Americans. While Japanese American detention remains the most researched instance of wartime internment, the U.S. incarceration of Japanese Peruvians merits equal attention. The political forces behind Japanese Peruvian internment transcended the more common explanations that haunt so much of literature today. Racism and hysteria played their respective roles in this history of wartime internment, but as the war progressed, other reasons for Japanese internment emerged. On January 4, 1942, the Japanese began interning American civilians in the …

الموقع الجغرافي كمحدّد للسياسة الخارجية (دراسة حالة الأردن), Eqbal Mefleh Marzouk

Journal of the Association of Arab Universities for Research in Higher Education مجلة اتحاد الجامعات العربية للبحوث في التعليم العالي

هدف المقال التعرف إلى أثر الموقع الجغرافي على السياسة الخارجية الأردنية من خلال مناقشة محور القضية الفلسطينية ومحوريْ اللجوء والإرهاب اللذيْن نتجا عن الربيع العربي، وقد استخدمت الدراسة المنهج الوصفي التحليلي ومنهج دراسة الحالة للتحقق من صحة فرضيتها القائلة بوجود علاقة ارتباطية بين موقع الأردن الجغرافي، وبين سياسته الخارجية. وقد تبيّن للدراسة بأن الموقع الجغرافي للأردن قد حكمه بتوجه سياسي معين، فبخصوص قرب الأردن من فلسطين، توجّه الأردن نحو الموازنة بين القوى العربية السياسية المجاورة وإدامة العلاقات الجيدة معها، واتّباع سياسة خارجية بعيدة عن إثارة الحساسيات مع دول الجوار الجغرافي، أما بخصوص أزمة اللجوء التي نتجت عن الربيع العربي وأبرزها …

Tigray Conflict And Political Development In Ethiopia: Assessing Governance, Political Participation And Human Rights., Olileanya Amuche Ezugwu, Moses M. Duruji

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

The escalation of intra-state conflicts in Africa has assumed an endemic nature, posing a challenge to regional stability. Conflicts have the capacity to not only cause physical destruction to individuals and property, but also impede the establishment and maintenance of the rule of law, undermine the legitimacy of states, and pose a threat to institutional structures. This paper examines the effect of the Tigray conflict on the political development of Ethiopia: election, political participation and human rights. The objectives of the study include examining the extent the Tigray conflict affected the political development of Ethiopia and efforts made to resolve …

The Last Colony: Theoretical Explanations On The Protractedness Of The Western Sahara Conflict, Elisabeth H. Austrheim

Journal of African Conflicts and Peace Studies

“There has never been a protracted war from which a country has benefited” (Tzu 1963: 73).

The forty-eight yearlong Western Sahara conflict over the former Spanish colony between Polisario and the Kingdom of Morocco continues its low prospects of resolution. The future of the territory, with both strategic geopolitical and financial relevance, remains uncertain in which the reasons for the continued prolongation appear to be many. Different conflict theories emphasise various factors causing protractedness, suggesting that many different causes, together, have engendered the current lack of settlement. Whilst the theory of protracted social conflicts emphasises developed high-tensioned, hostile relations between …

Humanitarian Intervention: Motivations And Norms In Cases Of Genocide, Jaelynn Thomas

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

In 1948, the international community came together and promised to “prevent and punish” genocides under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention). Despite the Genocide Convention’s commitment to humanitarian intervention, states are selective and inconsistent in intervention. While there are many case studies done on state motivation for intervention, statistical studies are rarely done and a system for predicting what variables will likely produce humanitarian intervention on a wide scale has not been explored. This study uses a Cross-Sectional Time Series Estimator Model to track whether states were more likely to intervene in …

The Rise And Fall Of Political Optimism And The Ongoing Consequences Of A Failed Optimistic Society, Eric Trujillo

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

When Nelson Mandela was set free and millions of South Africans rushed to the streets to celebrate the long awaited democratic regime in their country, many believed that the injustices and inequalities from Apartheid would disappear. Before the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994, millions of South Africans anticipated the ability to vote to change South Africa for the better. However, only 30 years into the democracy, South Africans are now challenged with the most important election in their history in 2024. South Africans are fed up with their democracy following years of political corruption, economic stagnation, deteriorating …

What Explains American Perceptions Of Russia And China?, Shane Stryker

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This undergraduate senior thesis project aims to investigate the question of how Americans perceive the challenges posed by Russia and China comparatively, and which factors have the greatest influence on these perceptions. This is important for many reasons, such as a greater understanding of American public opinion on foreign affairs that may help frame approaches to U.S. foreign policy. Additionally, finding where the American public agrees and disagrees on competitors and challengers provides us with insight that can be used to explain perceptions.

First, there will be a literature review concerning the importance of understanding public opinion, explanations and theories …

Government Corruption In The Northern Triangle Of Central America As A Major Factor In The Immigration Crisis In The United States, Kenia Karina Rodriguez Turcios

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

Immigration trends to the United States from Central America are often blamed on violence and insecurity created by cartels and street gangs. However, corruption in the government system in Central America is an understudied factor that might influence immigration from the region. This article adds to the literature on immigration by proposing that government corruption in the Northern Triangle is an important “push” factor which leads individuals to emigrate to the United States. Incorporating the role of corruption in our understanding of why we see large numbers of individuals fleeing their home countries to enter the United States provides us …

The Relationship Changes Between Asian Countries And Advanced Economies Before And After 2008, Jingyu Wang

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation is aimed to discuss the relationship change between east and southeast Asian countries and advanced economies, especially focus on the export and import changes before and after 2008. This study uses both econometrics model (fixed effect, first difference effect, difference-in-difference model) and social network models to analyze the impact of the 2008 financial crisis on these Asian countries and advanced economies. The results show that after 2008 the impact of exports with advanced economies on GDP per capita growth has changed from negative to positive, while the impact of imports with advanced economies on GDP per capita growth …

Decentralize, Depoliticize, Democratize: An Empirical Political Economy Analysis Of Global Cryptocurrency Adoption, Jennifer L. Verdier

CGU Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation examines the global adoption of cryptocurrency, challenging the broad narrative that it would fundamentally revolutionize finance through decentralization, depoliticization, and democratization. Despite not fully delivering on these transformative promises, cryptocurrencies have continued to gain traction. This dissertation delves into the political economy aspects that fuel this sustained adoption. Through quantitative examination of data from the International Monetary Fund, Statista, World Uncertainty Index, and the World Bank, this study investigates the complex interplay of factors influencing cryptocurrency adoption. The study employs multivariate models with TFE, assessing not only economic variables but also the critical roles of trust in traditional …

Examining The Impact Of Electric Vehicle Adoption On Health, Socioeconomic Disparities, And Policy, Arham Limoochi

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Transportation is a crucial source of air pollution in the United States, accounting for nearly 30% of all greenhouse gas emissions. This considerable contribution to environmental degradation has led many scholars to advocate for a shift towards Electric Vehicles (EVs) as an effective strategy to combat climate change and its adverse effects. EVs, known for their innovative design and reliance on alternative energy sources, differ significantly from traditional vehicles with internal combustion engines. This transition is more than a technological advancement; it symbolizes a significant move towards sustainable transportation, impacting environmental sustainability, public health, and socio-economic equity. My dissertation explores …

Factors Associated With Human Trafficking: A Quantitative Analysis, Thomas Mejdrech

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Human trafficking appears in many forms and affects millions of people every year. In addition to the direct consequences of human trafficking, the crime violates international laws and universally recognized human rights while providing a lucrative revenue source for criminals. The full effects of human trafficking remain unknown due to several challenges to collecting accurate information. Victims of human trafficking are reluctant to seek assistance from law enforcement for fear of punishment from traffickers, arrest, incarceration, or deportation from immigration officials. Additionally, victims’ documentation is frequently confiscated by their traffickers to maintain control. Which measurements are the best for tracking …

“Because I Said So”: How National Leaders Use Rhetoric To Frame The Issues Of National Security And The War On Drugs, Saul Valle

History and Political Science | Senior Theses

In the preamble of the 2024 presidential election seasons in both the United States and Mexico, there has been an increase in aggressive outspoken expression by national leaders regarding how to best handle the issue of drugs and drug use across the Western hemisphere. These types of sweeping policies are often credited to President Richard Nixon, who on June 18th, 1971, initiated his “War on Drugs,” a global policy campaign intended to address the production, distribution, and consumption of the illicit drug trade. Existing scholarship on this topic has extensively analyzed the early years of the American war on drugs …

War, Remembrance, And Katýn:
How Public Memory Sites Affirm National Identity, Adele Partington

History and Political Science | Senior Theses

The nation of Poland had a well-established national identity based on its culture, religion, language, and history prior to its occupation by the USSR, but this identity was suppressed in the sixty years of Soviet control from 1939 to 1989. After achieving their independence, Poles reexamined their history and identity, in addition to choosing which aspects of Soviet history and identity to keep or do away with. This thesis examines the relationship between public memory sites in or about Poland and the affirmation of the Polish national identity after Polish independence from the Soviet Union in 1989. Building on the …

“We’Ll Offer Asylum Just So Long As…” The Discrimination Of Poc And Lgbtq+ Refugees In Ongoing Refugee Crises, Faith N. Schaefer

Undergraduate Honors Theses

An ongoing refugee crisis is apparent in global politics and foreign relations. Still, the way receiving countries regard certain communities in this critical period has brought to light the inhumane discrimination solely based on one’s skin color and/or sexual identity. Despite the “open arms” policy that most nations tend to project, there is an unwritten protocol along borders that some states have chosen a “pick and choose” approach when it comes to People of Color (POC) and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and other gender non-conforming (LGBTQ+) individuals who are fleeing their country of origin. Any such prejudice and inequity …

The Challenges Of Decoding Russian Coercion, Cynthia A. Roberts

Publications and Research

This review essay critically examines cultural explanations of deterrence and coercion, focusing on Dmitry Adamsky’s The Russian Way of Deterrence as the most important recent effort to explain Russian strategic behavior through the lens of strategic culture. While recognizing the book’s considerable strengths in describing Russian concepts, terminology, and practices of deterrence and coercion, the essay questions how much explanatory leverage culture actually provides. It argues that cultural approaches risk over-complexifying the Russian case while under-specifying causal relationships, and asks why distinctive strategic cultures do not produce greater variation in coercive behavior and outcomes. The essay contrasts cultural interpretation with …

Sister City International Project Exchange: Providing Resources For Migrants, Claire Saldaña

Honors Program Theses and Research Projects

Migrants continuously enter the United States through the southern border and overwhelm Texas border cities’ resources. Many migrants entering U.S. have travel plans; however, they need basic resources to continue their journey. San Antonio has one of the best migrant resource center models in the country but are increasingly overwhelmed with the continuous surges. This proposal focuses on the City of San Antonio, as it is the main port of transportation for migrants to the rest of the U.S. Through the Sister City International program San Antonio will create a letter of intent for an exchange program. The creation of …

Identifying Youth Appeals In Alcohol Alternative Social Media Content Through Framing, Melina Oneal

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Proposed regulations for alcohol advertising prevent beverage companies from targeting people under the legal drinking age. However, similar regulations for alcohol alternative beverages are less explored, which could allow alcohol alternative products to create awareness for alcoholic beverages among youth. Alcohol alternatives beverages, including no-alcohol and low-alcohol products, are increasing in popularity and can function as compliments to alcoholic products to decrease the total alcohol volume consumed or as substitutes for alcoholic products. Framing theory can be operationalized through the Content Appealing to Youth Index, an index of content elements found in research literature to be appealing to youth, to …

International Cultural Property Protection And Law: Ukraine And Beyond, Susanna Helms

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This project examines the ongoing destruction and theft of Ukrainian cultural heritage by Russian forces since February 2022 in tandem with international cultural property law, and theory, and case studies. By studying relevant cultural property laws and gathering information from associated theories of cultural property nationalism and internationalism, this project examines how these laws and theories apply to modern Ukraine. This thesis utilizes a qualitative approach to analyze theories surrounding cultural property and heritage and explores how these theories influence international law. For a more comprehensive approach, three case studies are used and examined via qualitative historical analysis: Nazi art …

Nato Past 75: Moving Into A Twenty Years' Crisis, 2021-2041, Simon Serfaty

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

[Introduction] "A constructive treatment of Europe's present-day problems calls for historical thinking which is something more than mere historical knowledge," wrote historian Hajo Holborn about the political collapse of Europe. Historical thinking views the moment as a combination of Saint Augustine's "three presents" - of things past and things future as well as of things present. Admittedly, it is on all three accounts that current conditions now look bleak on both sides of the Atlantic. At home, the constitutional order is at risk in the United States and other Western democracies, pending the next national election; abroad, the postwar institutional …