I put quite a lot of time, effort and money (£27,750 plus whatever interest) into my degree, just to get a grade. I learned a lot about topics that I am now passionate about, so it seems right and more valuable that I share that information with other people. I want to be a part of social change and so here are my essays on areas related to that goal - I've added a quick description with each document so that you can find the one(s) you're interested in.
Cheeky disclaimer: I don't necessarily agree with all of the points that I've made in these anymore. Regardless, you should use your own critical thinking when reading these or any other pieces. Be aware that you can find a source to back up anything that you want to say, so a reference doesn't mean what has been said is right or reliable.
First Year
Haven't shared as many of these essays. They were either not relevant to social change, a bit too crap and/or I disagreed with too much of what I wrote for it to be worth sharing.
Do Issues or Social Class Determine Voter Preference in the UK?
This one explains itself in the title, I suppose. It was written in 2017 (I think), not long after the General Election that we were promised there wasn't going to be and not much more than a year after Brexit
Is Marx’s political thought best described as scientific or utopian?
My favourite line that I came up with for this one was "...the result is a chicken and egg scenario where neither arrives first; realistically achieving communism requires a perfect human nature, but our nature will not be perfect until we enter a communist society." It pretty much sums up why I'm not a Communist, even though it would be quite nice.
Second Year
Getting into it a bit more at this point, this was the first year that actually contributed towards my overall degree. I've had to filter through a lot because for some crazy reason, that year I completed 19 different pieces of coursework - although many were quite small.
Does Nozick offer a persuasive defence of his entitlement theory?
This guy... I mean, his theory is called entitlement theory. Him and I were never going to get on well. So I tore him and his supporters a new one. At least, that's what it felt like at the time.
Discussion on the relationship between Neoliberalism and Globalisation, with reference to Neoliberalism in India and Mexico, the operations of Nike and the election of Donald Trump
I dipped my toe into the Geography department here and it encouraged me into a favourite past-time of mine: shitting on neoliberalism (even though it shits on the majority of us everyday #VivaLaRevolution)
What have been the principal obstacles to the realisation of feminist objectives in the post-war UK and to what extent, in 2019, have these obstacles now been overcome?
This one here will be nice and controversial, I'm sure. It was really interesting to write, but I didn't get a very good grade for it. Sexism, innit. (that was a joke)
Discussion on the contribution of Critical International Relations to our understanding of international politics today, with reference to the European response to the Refugee Crisis
Phwoar. This one was a corker. Feminist and Post-Colonial analysis in relation to something that I'm passionate about. Yes please (genuinely). This module has had an enormous impact on my view on the world since and is guiding me as I enter the work world. Definitely worth a read, even if just as an introduction to the general ideas.
Critically discuss the relationship between national images and national development
We were completing exams at home before it was cool. I had a week to complete this essay. Didn't take the full time available, thought I'd smashed it and... got a 2:2. It's far too short to do the topics it takes on justice, but might make you aware of some things that you weren't before. Linked strongly to the above essay.
Third Year
Why did I take third year more seriously than second? I don't know, but I also did more volunteering. I think I'm just a glutton for punishment.
Does the goal of happiness require a new political paradigm?
Yes it does, yes it does, yes it does. It may not be the most balanced of essays in the world, but I got a good grade and I got to shit on neoliberalism again. Enjoy. I did.
A Critique of Consequentialism as an Ethical Framework for the Justification of Military Humanitarian Intervention
Oh jeez, I took a module on the Ethics of War. Although it doesn't come up in this essay, I think it's worth mentioning that one thing I learned from the module was that the difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter is basically who wins. COME AT ME, GAMMONS.
Is wellbeing an idea whose time has come in British politics?
This is a module that I loved, which was all about placing wellbeing at the heart of policy-making (Wellbeing Politics) - linked to the 'goal of happiness' essay above. I really think that we should pursue it - message me and I'll tell you more about it and why I love it.
Truly Safe? The UK’s Response to the European Refugee Crisis
This one got my anger levels up and is heartbreaking. Somehow, the way that we treat refugees and asylum seekers has only got worse, so I suppose writing the report at that time stopped me getting a hernia from gritting my teeth for so long. It was my first ever report at university, so it's not the best, but the information is sound.
To what extent do you consider migration an ‘objective’ security threat?
I got my highest ever grade for this one, even though I taught it to myself - glad to see that my £27k was worth it. I wasn't sure how interesting I'd find it when I chose the question, but I'm glad that I did because it was really educational.
Protecting Minorities in a Nationalistic India: The Potential for Consociationalism
It was tough researching this one. I was inspired to focus the essay on India because I had read about the New Delhi riots at the start of this year, which was largely a religious attack on Indian Muslims. Whilst the Guardian and BBC reported on it, it was lower down the newsreel than Joe Lycett changing his name to Hugo Boss. I didn't bother checking other papers.
Mind the Protections Gap: Protecting Cross-Border Climate-Change Displaced Persons
This one here is the big one. The dissertation. Cross-Border Climate-Change Displaced Persons (it's my term and it really rolls off the tongue, huh? CCDPs for short), commonly known as 'climate refugees', do not have any international protections, so I wrote this essay on what protections CCDPs should have, why states should protect CCDPs and how these protections could be funded (and by whom). Please do what you can to reduce climate change so that fewer people are displaced and die from it ❤️
And to finish off, here's a picture of when I found out that I had got into Newcastle so that the link is more visually appealing to click on when I share this on social media 👌
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