When Extinction Rebellion (XR) burst onto the scene of global environmental politics with a ‘Declaration of Rebellion’ in October 2018, the network’s now notorious use of nonviolent civil...Show moreWhen Extinction Rebellion (XR) burst onto the scene of global environmental politics with a ‘Declaration of Rebellion’ in October 2018, the network’s now notorious use of nonviolent civil disobedience was not its only novel tactic: its global protests shared a distinctive approach to aesthetics and activism. The ‘hyper-aesthetic’ nature of XR’s protests, coupled with the network’s broad challenge to environmental politics, invites close consideration of what it means to engage aesthetics in an attempt to recalibrate the political response to climate change. However, International Relations has thus far paid limited attention to what aesthetic tactics of persuasion might mean for the understanding of global environmental politics or the nature of political responses to existential threats more broadly. This thesis therefore explores the aesthetic dimension of global environmental politics and XR’s place within it. Guided by aesthetic theory, self-conducted interviews with the founders of XR, and visual analysis, I argue that XR has utilised the exceptional capacity of ‘aesthetic protest’ - comprising performance, graphic design, language, installation art and more - to affect new and imaginative environmental sensibilities. This challenge - to see climate change as a unique and unprecedented threat that demands a more imaginative, urgent and emotional global political response - amounts to a challenge to the representational paradigms of contemporary global environmental politics.Show less
This paper focuses on demonstrating South Korean film's relevance, with the case of Parasite as an example, among the domestic and international relations sphere. Film is a cultural soft power...Show moreThis paper focuses on demonstrating South Korean film's relevance, with the case of Parasite as an example, among the domestic and international relations sphere. Film is a cultural soft power output that both represents popular culture's influence on a state and vice versa. Socioeconomic inequality, Korean foreign and domestic relations and history, and culture all are examined through the lens of International Relations constructivist theory.Show less
This thesis is a qualitative analysis of how Andean Indigenous Knowledge (IK) challenges prevailing assumptions about sustainable development. Through the examination of the global fashion industry...Show moreThis thesis is a qualitative analysis of how Andean Indigenous Knowledge (IK) challenges prevailing assumptions about sustainable development. Through the examination of the global fashion industry, the study hypothesises that Andean IK challenges dominant beliefs in economic growth and technological progress as preconditions for sustainable development and reveals its anthropocentric nature. A thematic document analysis of content produced by two Andean fashion brands – Allpamamas and Pachacuti – reveals the importance of respecting nature as an innate part of human well-being and achieving sustainable development. Thus, a framework is created to reimagine sustainable development through the re-evaluation of the relationship between humans and nature, broadening the potential for policies to address sustainability in the global fashion industry.Show less
Drawing upon the current literature examining silence within international relations, and society more broadly, this work applies such theories to global education policy. As a critical academic...Show moreDrawing upon the current literature examining silence within international relations, and society more broadly, this work applies such theories to global education policy. As a critical academic work, the concept of silence is utilized to uncover and problematize the nature and influence of standardized assessments at the global level. The OECD's PISA assessment is the focus of this examination, with the silencing of the arts and humanities, empathy and human relationships, oral tradition, and visual culture highlighted.Show less
Polling done by Ashcroft suggests a high correlation between people who thought that multiculturalism was a “force for ill” and a vote in favour Brexit. Nonetheless, very little research has been...Show morePolling done by Ashcroft suggests a high correlation between people who thought that multiculturalism was a “force for ill” and a vote in favour Brexit. Nonetheless, very little research has been carried out on providing explanations to this relationship. Thusly, my research paper attempts to analyse how UKIP framed multiculturalism before and during the Brexit campaign (from 2015-2016) by conducting a political discourse analysis. My findings suggest that UKIP framed multiculturalism as a failed policy that was to blame for the perceived lack of integration of minorities communities in British society. Furthermore, this backlash to multiculturalism led to a defining of British identity through the “othering” of these same communities, and a fervent rejection of Islam. Lastly, the framing of multiculturalism as a failed policy also creates the “othering” of the political establishment (who support multiculturalism), thus continuing the discourse of the “people” against the “elite”.Show less
