Developing Cuba into a liberal market economy. A discourse analysis of European Union liberal economic policy towards Cuba

In this thesis I aim to critically examine how the European Union (EU) liberal economic discourse towards Cuba is (re)produced and how the discourse enables policy actions. Furthermore, I aim to go beyond the question of how the liberal economic discourse enables policy actions. I will do so by asking how alternative policy actions are disabled through the discourse. This critical understanding of the (re)production of liberal economic discourse, enabling and disabling policies, aims to make it possible to question the dominant liberal economic development thinking. The research uses discourse analysis within a post structural approach, wishing to contribute to critical insights in the field of foreign policy discourse analysis. The analysis of the construction of the Self and the Other, through spatial, temporal and ethical dimensions, aims to shed light on the underlying taken for granted notions embedded in EU discourse. These taken for granted notions are understood to enable...Show moreIn this thesis I aim to critically examine how the European Union (EU) liberal economic discourse towards Cuba is (re)produced and how the discourse enables policy actions. Furthermore, I aim to go beyond the question of how the liberal economic discourse enables policy actions. I will do so by asking how alternative policy actions are disabled through the discourse. This critical understanding of the (re)production of liberal economic discourse, enabling and disabling policies, aims to make it possible to question the dominant liberal economic development thinking. The research uses discourse analysis within a post structural approach, wishing to contribute to critical insights in the field of foreign policy discourse analysis. The analysis of the construction of the Self and the Other, through spatial, temporal and ethical dimensions, aims to shed light on the underlying taken for granted notions embedded in EU discourse. These taken for granted notions are understood to enable and limit policy actions. The goal of the thesis is to destabilize dominant liberal economic discourse and to open up room for plurality.Show less

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Developing Cuba into a liberal market economy. A discourse analysis of European Union liberal economic policy towards Cuba