ReallifeIR

The British Empire dominated and exploited its colonies for centuries in order to strengthen its own economy and sovereign power. The Empire fully dissolved by the 1960s but UK institutions are still entrenched with colonial practise, and as a result oppression remains. So,  how 'Great' really is Britain? I recently watched the new season of 'The Crown' - a Netflix drama based on the British Crown. Episode 8 features Margaret Thatcher opposing economic sanctions against the South African government to dissolve the apartheid due to it not being in Britain's economic interests. The events in the episode  demonstrate that in the 1980s institutions retained colonial attitudes towards less developed states. Despite South Africa no longer being a British colony, Thatcher still regarded it as a subaltern country, incapable of complying with a bounded sovereign state. She said that Britain did not need to associate with "unreliable tribal leaders in eccentric costume...

Environmental policy change may be best explained through 'a norm lifecycle' , but what about societal change in other contexts? Save Ridley Road (SRR) is a grassroots anti-gentrification campaign in Dalston, Hackney, who are fighting against plans to redevelop and privatise Ridley Road Market. The community of Dalston is under threat.  I joined SRR as part of my dissertation on traditional retail market gentrification last year. After studying the role of ideas in International Relations, it occurred to me that gentrification and resistance to it, may be processes of change best explained through a historical materialist lens that foregrounds class struggle and capitalism. Ridley Road Market has been the victim of continued disinvestment which has been used as a justification for its redevelopment. Although through the lens of neoliberal urban policy this may be seen as a positive, for the community of Dalston, it threatens their livelihoods. The market acts as a socio-ec...

We are now approaching the official Brexit leave date and so many people may be be asking what does this mean for British politics? Is nationalism weakening our position as a liberal democratic state? The official Leave campaign's slogan in 2016 was 'take back control'. The idea was that Britain would have greater control of its borders, immigration and trade if it was to leave the EU. The rhetoric suggested that becoming an independent nation would increase security, wealth and sovereign strength. More of the motivations behind the campaign can be seen here.  One way of viewing Britain's decision to leave the EU is through a neorealist lens . Neorealists believe that without an overarching authority in the global arena, states look to maximise their own security and power. Increasing security has been at the forefront of the Brexit agenda, as well as becoming an independent nation. At the heart of liberal theory lies the importance of liberal democracies co-operating ...

There is no doubt that we are in the midst of a climate crisis.  Greta Thunberg  explains that "At the current emission rate our remaining CO2 budget for 1.5C will be completely gone within 7 years". Although the outcomes of the recent Climate Ambition Summit look positive: the UK has pledged to cut emissions by 26% by 2030 and the EU by 55% , is this really enough to save the planet? It may be time 'we the people' take action.   I recently listened to a Guardian podcast on Spotify titled 'Leaded petrol, acid rain and CFCs: why the green movement can overcome the climate crisis'. Shortly after listening to this, I had a seminar about social constructivism and 'norm 'lifecycles' . The environmental movements spoken about in the podcast were fitting examples of a social constructivist explanation of change in society: new environmental norms had developed and become internalised over time. In the podcast, Janet Alty talks about the successful campai...