Undergraduate Journal of Politics, Policy and Society

Imperialism – The Highest Stage of Inequality?

Ananya Kumar — 2022-01-17

The paper tries to examine the phenomenon of global inequality through the Global South-North Paradigm. The paper employs a historical approach and analysis of the political economy as tools for this study. Drawing from the Marxist and Dependency theoretical framework, the paper will first look at the main historical process through which this inequality came to exist, namely imperialism. Next, it will examine the formation of dirigiste regimes in the 1950s in the Global South, and their struggles for an equitable global order. It will then proceed to situate the contemporary condition of a globalized society, and will argue – on the basis of three case examples - that we have begun to see a reproduction of some of the characteristics of the economic system existing during the heydays of imperialism.

The widening gap between the Uighur and the Han Chinese in the Xinjiang region

Tomas Bilevicius — 2022-01-16

This interdisciplinary paper analyses the conflict between the Chinese government and the Uighur minority from the lens of sociology, communication, and political science studies. It answers the research question: “How does the political structure of the autonomous region, the change in economic paradigm and the control over mass media fuel the loss of social cohesion in the Uighur conflict in Xinjiang?”. From the sociological approach a lack of social cohesion and inequality is visible and Weber’s theory on social stratification is being applied. The mass media in China is state-owned, yet uniquely liberalized and it represents Uighurs with negative stereotypes. Xinjiang is given the status as an autonomous region, it has however no autonomy and there are strong ethnic boundaries dividing the minority from the majority. This paper concludes that the mass media, social organization, and the structure of the region contributes to the polarization and inequality between Uighurs and the Chinese government.

Populism, inequality, and Lëvizja VETËVENDOSJE in Kosovo

Rafael Campos-Gottardo — 2022-01-17

This paper examines Lëvizja VETËVENDOSJE’s (LVV) support in Kosovo using a populist lens. Traditionally, scholars argue that support for LVV’s populist rhetoric is due to ethnic nationalist factors. An additional explanation for the LVV’s success is the inclusion of inequality in Kosovo in LVV’s populist discourses and their division of society. Once the LVV included Kosovo’s inequalities in their populist discourses they were able to achieve electoral success. The LVV and their leader Albin Kurti divide Kosovo’s society into three groups through their discourse. These groups include the pure Albanian Kosovars, the corrupt international and local Albanian elite, and the corrupt Serbian government. The corrupt international elite force the local elite to support a dialogue with Serbia, drawing the elite’s attention away from inequality in Kosovo. Through their populist discourses, Albin Kurti and the LVV attempts to reshape political rhetoric in Kosovo to focus on issues of inequality and corruption.

How does the location of a young person influence their engagement with voluntary organisations as an agent of socialisation and in turn impact on the political socialisation of that young person.

Danielle Gayson — 2022-01-13

This research project aims to explore the link between involvement in a voluntary youth organisation and levels of political engagement as well as the influence of location on this relationship. The Belgian Political Participation Index will be discussed and will form the basis of our analysis. A case study approach was adopted for this research to provide rounded, detailed illustrations of first-hand experiences. For the participants of this project political engagement is not about the activities undertaken but rather about the issues which they support or are passionate about. The activities are a secondary thought to represent their passion. Therefore, it is possible to hypothesise that Youth Work Ireland as a representation of youth voluntary organisations, acts as an agent of socialisation to support young people in their political development, it is also evident that the location of both the young people and organisations can influence this development both positively and negatively.

Feminist Urban Design: Theories of Justice in Denver, CO

Megan A Morrell — 2022-01-16

Gender identities are lenses through which we view the world around us and conceptualize our own positionality within it. Physical space itself isn’t neutral, but rather it has significant social meaning. It reflects and reproduces socio-cultural values, including patriarchal ideology. Namely, urban built spaces implicitly and disproportionately prioritize men and male bodies. In this article, I will analyze existing literature, propose a new framework of inclusivity criteria for urban spaces using the case of Vienna, Austria, and finally, apply that framework to the case of Denver, Colorado. My research question is: What does feminist urban planning look like, and to what extent do urban spaces in Denver embody it? Essentially, the existing feminist urban geography literature can be categorized into procedural and distributive notions of just gender inclusion. I conclude that Denver is progressing towards feminist design in terms of horizontal decision-making, safety features, and increased mobility, but is limited regarding considerations for domestic labor and the naming of city spaces.

Slaughtering Our Minds

Jude Kelley — 2022-01-17

While livestock agriculture grows higher in demand, the necessity for employees working within slaughterhouses simultaneously increases. Yet, despite this need, companies responsible for overseeing employee well-being frequently disregard the psychological impacts that constant exposure to violence and death can have on employee mental health. As a generous amount of slaughterhouse employees fall under the realm of precarious work, corporations are not held to the same ethical standards for protecting their employees due to the grey zone. This paper aims to identify the correlation between working in slaughterhouses and mental health concerns. Further, it works to identify who is responsible for upholding employee rights and what steps can be taken through improving workplace support services, policies and legislation, and systemic change to advocate for the emotional and mental well-being of those working within slaughterhouses.

The Politics of Inequality

Patrick Laurent Cochrane — 2022-01-16

Ever since the Stonewall riots of 1969 the world has seen a surge in advocacy and policy promoting equality for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community. Canada is no exception to this, and since the federal policy legalizing same-sex marriage in 2005, the country has been making strides to ensure the protection and equality of LGBTQ Canadians. Federal, provincial and territorial governments have aimed their policies towards the protection of certain groups within the LGBTQ community. An often-targeted group are the individuals who identify as transgender, non-binary and intersex as the country has seen many legislative assemblies adopt policy aimed at the protection of this group. Despite this, it is widely understood that members of the LGBTQ community who identify as transgender, non-binary or intersex often face extreme hardship within society. This paper explores the question "how much state intervention is legitimate to promote greater social inclusion?" and, through an analysis of reports, media testemonies and academic litterature, argues that Canada lacks the policy required to create social inclusion for transgender, non-binary and intersex individuals in two key sectors, employment and healthcare.

The Feminist International Assistance Program and Future Approaches to Feminist Foreign Policy

Alysha Aziz — 2022-01-16

Feminist analysis can highlight previously hidden or unrecognized inequalities in international foreign policy. The goal of this analysis was to examine feminist foreign policy, as Canada looked to improve international relations through a feminist approach. I begin with a brief review of relevant concepts related to this area of policy as it lays the groundwork for further exploring Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Program (FIAP). Next, I explore theoretical discussions of what should be considered in developing feminist foreign policy. This is followed by a summary of the FIAP in order to understand the context of this analysis and better understand the goals of this policy. Moreover, an exploration of the absence of an intersectional feminist lens and preoccupation with economic activity as a means to end gender equality in the FIAP. Finally, some of the ways Canada and other countries can learn from this iteration of feminist foreign policy will be discussed including achieving gender equality as an ends rather than a means and a reorientation of the term feminist. Canada’s FIAP is an important step in inclusive foreign policies but the program’s absence of an intersectional approach and its focus on economic aspects of emancipation are insufficient in working towards the emancipation of women.