Date

12-2018

Document Type

Capstone Project (Open Access)

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Department

Social, Behavioral & Global Studies

Major

Global Studies

First Advisor

Ajit Abraham

Second Advisor

Richard Harris

Abstract

Since the election of Donald Trump in the United States in 2016, there has been a particularly nationalistic, illiberal shift in the way we interact with the rest of the world. As we have favored some while violently excluding others at our borders, the media and press which criticizes these policies is under attack. This shift is not exclusive to the United States and the following research will also focus on the illiberal democratic movements in Hungary, Brazil, the Philippines, and the unfolding right-wing politics of a post-Brexit state. In an explanatory style, this research will focus on Benedict Anderson’s imagined community theory and Reece Jones articulation of militarized borders to answer what the connection is between nationalism and border violence. My research will also be guided by Naomi Wolf’s discussion of the closing down of an open society to argue how this could be considered a soft form of fascism. Lastly, this research will turn to a collection of Howard Zinn’s essays to understand the loss of liberties and how to face this issue as a citizen.

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