The thesis researches the question of how people came to vote in favor of leaving the European Union during the 2016 referendum on the UK's EU membership. It critically assess one of the main...Show moreThe thesis researches the question of how people came to vote in favor of leaving the European Union during the 2016 referendum on the UK's EU membership. It critically assess one of the main explanations for public Euroscepticism: the identity approach. The authors argues that this approach is too static and doesn't fully explain the mechanisms and dynamics behind the Leave vote due to a over-reliance on qualitative methods and four theoretical misconceptions within the approach. Based upon a qualitative research strategy, and a case study involving Leave voters in England, the author argues that a wider theoretical framework, including the cultural schema of people, the public mood in the country and the opportunity for change theory, could help us to understand the mechanisms leading to the meanings and beliefs that underlie the 2016 Leave vote.Show less
