http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/keyword/nation Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:49:16 -0400 Wed, 05 Aug 2026 15:49:16 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1959/occupation-and-the-road-not-traveled-in-habibi-rasak-kharban-2011 By Alya Osman - In adapting the twelfth-century story Layla and Majnun, Susan Youssef’s 2011 film Habibi Rasak Kharban re-imagines the Arabic folk tale in the context of Israeli occupation of Palestine, wherein the significance of journeys arises primarily from those not taken. Placing Youssef's film in conversation with Nizami's original poem (composed in 1118), this article examines Youssef's representation of literal and figurative journeys, focusing on the role of nature, mobility, stigma,notions of displacement and encounters with the ‘Other,’ and. Subsequently, I argue... Mon, 19 Sep 2022 02:51 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1959/occupation-and-the-road-not-traveled-in-habibi-rasak-kharban-2011 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1950/the-impact-of-gender-discrimination-on-statelessness-a-case-study-of-the-impact-of-nationality-laws-on-statelessness By Fernando A. Lopez Oggier - With over 10 million stateless people globally, statelessness has increasingly become a pressing issue in international law. The production of statelessness occurs across multiple lines including technical loopholes, state succession, and discriminatory legislation. This study assesses how gender-based discrimination in nationality laws impacts the incidence of statelessness. There are seven countries whose citizenship laws forbid women to confer their nationality to their children with little to no exceptions. This study examines five of these seven countries where sufficient, reliable information... Fri, 15 Apr 2022 12:40 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1950/the-impact-of-gender-discrimination-on-statelessness-a-case-study-of-the-impact-of-nationality-laws-on-statelessness http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1944/love-and-imperialism-reading-whitmans-leaves-of-grass-through-edward-carpenter-and-maurice-bucke By William R. Fuller - This paper explores the complexity of Whitman’s nationalism and, with reference to Leaves of Grass (1856), examines the apparent paradox between Whitman’s poetry of love and recognition and his imperialistic impulses. This paper draws upon the work of Edward and Carpenter and Maurice Bucke to frame Whitman’s nationalism within its historical-intellectual context. Ideas of evolution and cosmic consciousness intertwine with concepts of national and human destiny to give Whitman’s nationalism its distinct form, irreducible to modern definitions of nationalism, yet relevant... Fri, 11 Mar 2022 02:17 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1944/love-and-imperialism-reading-whitmans-leaves-of-grass-through-edward-carpenter-and-maurice-bucke http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1937/knowledge-production-in-international-relations-a-poststructural-feminist-critique-of-liberal-feminism By Dana K.J. Al-Thani - In popular international relations (IR) theory, knowledge production is often dismissed as an objective process between the researcher and the empirical world. This article rejects this notion and contends that the process of knowledge production is always inherently political in the conduct and study of IR. In order to achieve this argument, a poststructural lens is adopted in order to critique the liberal understanding of knowledge production within IR as a scientific process capable of revealing ‘universal truths.’ Additionally, in discussing ‘the political’ this article... Wed, 09 Feb 2022 01:27 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1937/knowledge-production-in-international-relations-a-poststructural-feminist-critique-of-liberal-feminism http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1934/the-politics-of-nation-building-ethnicity-and-democratization-in-ethiopia By Melale G. Hailu - This article explores the political relationship between nation-building, ethnicity, and democracy in the context of Ethiopia. It traces Ethiopia's poltical history, explores the consequential role ethnicity has played in the formation of the modern Ethiopian nation-state, and analyzes the manner in which democracy (or some form of it) has materlaized in the country post 1990. It argues that the politicization of ethnicity, in an already weak and culturally pluralistic state, further reinforces the existence of a repressive state and becomes a considerable impediment to democratic maturation and... Mon, 17 Jan 2022 11:59 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1934/the-politics-of-nation-building-ethnicity-and-democratization-in-ethiopia http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1932/chinas-international-investments-under-xi-jinping-long-term-implications-of-the-belt-and-road-initiative-and-asian-infrastructure-investment-bank By Rakkshet Singhaal - The study examines the degree to which Xi Jinping has brought about a strategic shift to the Chinese outward investment pattern and how this may present significant political leverage and military advantages for China in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). In order to understand China’s intention behind its outward investments, the study examines the numerous outbound investments made by Chinese businesses and state-owned enterprises, especially in the infrastructure and energy sector, and demonstrate a strategic shift brought by Xi Jinping to achieve his domestic objective, which can be seen... Fri, 14 Jan 2022 10:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1932/chinas-international-investments-under-xi-jinping-long-term-implications-of-the-belt-and-road-initiative-and-asian-infrastructure-investment-bank http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1928/structural-violence-in-the-queer-community-a-comparative-analysis-of-international-human-rights-protections-for-lbtiq-people By Misty Farquhar - This paper discusses the structural violence experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, or queer (LGBTIQ+) people and people with disabilities (PWD), and reviews the international human rights protections available to each group through United Nations (UN) processes. It begins by exploring the human rights issues faced by LGBTIQ+ people, the impacts on their health and wellbeing, and the lack of international systems in place to protect them. It then repeats the process for PWD and highlights the efficacy of the protections afforded them. A comparative analysis contextualises the... Mon, 20 Dec 2021 09:19 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1928/structural-violence-in-the-queer-community-a-comparative-analysis-of-international-human-rights-protections-for-lbtiq-people http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1913/securitization-framing-and-the-threat-of-right-wing-militias-under-donald-trump By Mia Wolosky - This paper assesses the political preferences and ideologies of the Trump administration and how they influenced framing issues in a way that has underestimated the threats of right-wing militia groups in the United States. President Trump and officials within his administration used rhetoric to place emphasis on the security concerns associated with immigration and far left-wing groups, while failing to condemn violence coming from the right. This paper analyzes how framing, and the securitization of certain issues, downplayed and encouraged the persistent threat of far right-wing domestic terrorists... Tue, 05 Oct 2021 10:23 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1913/securitization-framing-and-the-threat-of-right-wing-militias-under-donald-trump http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1906/turning-crisis-into-opportunity-how-global-economic-institutions-can-use-covid-19-to-address-global-challenges By Nicolas Verbeek - The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated current global challenges. However, this article argues that this time of crisis can also be a unique opportunity for the existing global economic institutions - G20, WTO, IMF, and World Bank (WB) - to make the necessary improvements that are needed to effectively address the global challenges of our time. First and foremost, these challenges include the immediate health crisis, climate change, and global inequality. The opportunity has come to become effective altruists, that is, to do the best possible for people who are worse off at a moderate cost to oneself... Thu, 16 Sep 2021 08:18 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1906/turning-crisis-into-opportunity-how-global-economic-institutions-can-use-covid-19-to-address-global-challenges http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1896/ethnography-folklore-afanasev-and-russian-self-identity By Margaret R. Devlin - While the history of ethnography in Russia dates back to the Kievan Rus era, modern ethnographic production in Russia developed in the 17th century and expanded during the late 18th and early 19th centuries as interest in folktales and in the lives and natures of Russian peasants exploded amongst the Russian elite. This paper briefly explores the history of Russian ethnography before examining the Russian concepts of narod (народ, the people) and narodnost (народность, the Russian soul). This work examines the folklore collections of Alexander Afanasev and his process of editing... Thu, 08 Apr 2021 03:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1896/ethnography-folklore-afanasev-and-russian-self-identity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1877/inglorious-basterds-a-satirical-criticism-of-wwii-cinema-and-the-myth-of-the-american-war-hero By Nadine Hussein - This article explores the way in which Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds challenges the myth of the American hero and criticizes the glorification of war cinema by satirizing the viewer directly. The particular focus is on the subtly with which Tarantino creates a network of parallels and analogical relations which dissolve the distinction between hero and villain. This article also argues that Tarantino effectively manipulates the audience into confronting the self-aggrandization of the American collective memory of WWII and exposes the ease at which the viewer is propagandized. Tarantino... Tue, 16 Feb 2021 04:53 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1877/inglorious-basterds-a-satirical-criticism-of-wwii-cinema-and-the-myth-of-the-american-war-hero http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1870/liberal-and-realist-explanations-of-merkels-open-door-policy-during-the-2015-refugee-crisis By Niklas Ernst - During the 2015 refugee crisis Chancellor Angela Merkel allowed refugees to enter Germany in unprecedented numbers. Her historic decision to adapt the so-called “open-door policy” continues to shape contemporary German politics. More precisely, it will likely define Merkel’s legacy and political future. This article analyzes her decision through two major IR theories: liberalism and realism. It aims to contribute to the discipline’s understanding of the “open-door policy” by assessing what each theory can explain well and less well. While the article analyzes... Mon, 01 Feb 2021 02:03 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1870/liberal-and-realist-explanations-of-merkels-open-door-policy-during-the-2015-refugee-crisis http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1869/a-barrier-to-prosperity-analyzing-the-impact-of-israeli-security-policy-on-palestinian-manufacturing-productivity By Zachary T. Fesen - Israel has increased the nation’s security presence around the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank. Here, the research project analyzes how transaction costs resulting from Israeli security policy impact the output of manufacturing activities in the Palestinian territories. The study examines transaction costs in the form of import restrictions and items Israel restricts from entering the Palestinian territories in the form of the dual-use goods list. Existing research outlines trade restrictions from Israeli security policy but does not explain how the restrictions impact Palestinian manufacturing... Wed, 27 Jan 2021 10:15 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1869/a-barrier-to-prosperity-analyzing-the-impact-of-israeli-security-policy-on-palestinian-manufacturing-productivity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1868/stereotypes-in-bollywood-cinema-does-article-15-reinforce-the-dalit-narrative By Khushi Gupta - The vacuum created by the absence of any response or resistance from the Dalit characters elaborate that the oppressed themselves cannot speak and thus are spoken for. Having denied Dalits their voice, the non- Dalits have become a self-appointed spokesperson of the Dalits throughout history. Such depiction in Bollywood have resulted in the misrepresentation and misappropriation of Dalits experiences. The continuous stereotypical representation as submissive, dark-skinned, shabby and under-confident individuals continue in the films. There is a repeated portrayal of men and women being outcasted... Tue, 26 Jan 2021 11:54 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1868/stereotypes-in-bollywood-cinema-does-article-15-reinforce-the-dalit-narrative http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1860/reimagining-populism-to-reveal-canadas-right-wing-populist-zeitgeist By Kyle R. Friesen - Through an examination of recent populist political formulations in Canada, this paper argues that prevailing understandings of right-wing populism are incomplete insofar as they occlude expressions of right-wing populism through regional and economic formulations of ‘the people’ that exist outside of ethnic or cultural conceptions of ‘the nation.’ Thus, counter to the prevailing popular narrative, this paper contends that Canada is not immune to right-wing populism and that such populism can exist without overt ethnic or culturally based exclusions in its construction... Mon, 11 Jan 2021 11:37 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1860/reimagining-populism-to-reveal-canadas-right-wing-populist-zeitgeist http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1833/deconstructing-and-renouncing-the-conditioned-identities-of-gender-and-nationality-in-modern-society By Anna . Militsi - This paper investigates the convoluted societal processes to which the individual is exposed from an early age in order to form and acquire their sense of identity, and aims at dismantling these very processes by exhibiting their flimsy and unsubstantiated underpinning rationale. The compelling role of gender has often been excluded from deliberations and studies regarding the issue of national identity and nationalism as culturally constructed forms of identity and "imaginary" figments of historical unity (Rodó-Zárate, n.d.). In this light, the scope of this paper is threefold;... Mon, 09 Nov 2020 09:04 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1833/deconstructing-and-renouncing-the-conditioned-identities-of-gender-and-nationality-in-modern-society http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1826/resurrecting-the-bog-queen-exploring-the-gender-politics-of-irelands-bogs-in-postcolonial-and-nationalist-literature By Rosie Ryan - Bogs are one of Ireland’s most notable and mysterious landscapes. As explored in the work of Seamus Heaney, the bog’s capacity to preserve memory across generations makes it a melancholic terrain that is uniquely suited to explorations of Ireland’s national identity, particularly as Ireland emerged out of the grip of British colonialism. This paper draws upon postcolonial, feminist, and literary theory to explore why the bog has become such a provocative terrain for the exploration of Irish identity and Irish femininity. Beginning with the writings of colonial administrators,... Mon, 26 Oct 2020 10:41 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1826/resurrecting-the-bog-queen-exploring-the-gender-politics-of-irelands-bogs-in-postcolonial-and-nationalist-literature http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1817/the-power-of-right-wing-populism-in-the-twitter-age-analysis-of-donald-trumps-tweets-during-the-2016-election By Cecilia S. Dakers - The emergence of social media platforms into American life has remarkably altered the political communication landscape. Websites such as Twitter have become a prioritized communication medium for politicians looking to directly reach the electorate, replacing more traditional mass-media avenues. Concurrent with this transformation, the United States has seen a rise in modern right-wing populism, reaching a new peak with the election of Donald Trump in 2016. This article dissects the role of Twitter as a vital communication channel for Trump's right-wing populist rhetoric throughout his 17-month... Fri, 16 Oct 2020 07:55 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1817/the-power-of-right-wing-populism-in-the-twitter-age-analysis-of-donald-trumps-tweets-during-the-2016-election http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1806/the-effectiveness-of-the-international-criminal-court-challenges-and-pathways-for-prosecuting-human-rights-violations By Sarah J. Goodman - Of the thousands of potential cases that could have been investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC), only 44 individuals have been indicted, with 45 cases currently before the ICC. Further, only 14 out of the 45 have resulted in a complete proceeding, and only nine were convicted. Scholars in the field have not adequately addressed why cases come before the ICC and how this process may result in a full hearing and verdict. Because of these gaps, empirically-informed recommendations for areas of improvement for the ICC are also largely absent. To begin to fill these gaps, this research... Wed, 30 Sep 2020 12:04 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1806/the-effectiveness-of-the-international-criminal-court-challenges-and-pathways-for-prosecuting-human-rights-violations http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1802/improving-medical-humanitarianism-pitfalls-and-best-practices-for-international-aid By Casey Kozak - The necessity of international relief is unending as new crises continue to emerge across the world. International aid plays a crucial role in shaping how affected communities rebuild after a crisis. However, humanitarian aid often results in a variety of unanticipated consequences and negative outcomes. Inadequate aid leaves behind substantial and foundational problems that the local community or healthcare system is not equipped to handle. There exist a number of hurdles to the success of international medical aid, including those posed by medical pluralism, short-term aid, lack of coordination... Fri, 25 Sep 2020 11:30 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1802/improving-medical-humanitarianism-pitfalls-and-best-practices-for-international-aid http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1801/abu-ghraib-homonationalism-and-the-rationalization-of-modern-torture By Emma D. Rosner - Drawing on Jasbir Puar’s analysis of homonationalism in the post-9/11 United States, I investigate the Orientalist and Islamophobic discourses present in liberal and LGBTQ news articles and human rights reports responding to the release of torture photos from Abu Ghraib prison in May 2004. This study looks at how Western journalists and human rights organizations from diverse political and social identifications bolstered the homonationalist project in their responses to torture at Abu Ghraib. In doing so, it reveals homonationalism as a discourse with multiple iterations that differ across... Thu, 24 Sep 2020 10:18 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1801/abu-ghraib-homonationalism-and-the-rationalization-of-modern-torture http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1778/seeking-a-better-life-asylum-law-the-migration-crisis-and-available-legal-remedies By Audrey Cialdella - Between 2012 and 2017, the number of asylum applications from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras—countries collectively known as the Northern Triangle—increased by eight hundred percent[1]. The Trump administration has responded by increasing deportations, separating families, and forcing would-be asylum seekers to wait to file their claims in Mexico, where they have limited resources and remain exposed to many of the dangers from which they fled[2]. The root of this mass exodus from three small countries reaches back to the Cold War, when the US became enmeshed in civil wars in... Thu, 27 Feb 2020 08:22 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1778/seeking-a-better-life-asylum-law-the-migration-crisis-and-available-legal-remedies http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1769/united-states-patents-biopiracy-and-cultural-imperialism-the-theft-of-indias-traditional-knowledge By Daanyaal R. Kumar - This article aims to present the biopiracy of traditional knowledge from India by the United States, which has occurred directly through the use of patent law and indirectly through economic power and cultural imperialism. Throughout this essay, I will analyze U.S. patent law, patent law cases where Indian traditional knowledge is being stolen, and the influence of U.S. Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America in India. Through lenses of economic power and cultural imperialism, I will examine how economic power and U.S notions of cultural imperialism have given the United States the... Thu, 03 Oct 2019 08:21 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1769/united-states-patents-biopiracy-and-cultural-imperialism-the-theft-of-indias-traditional-knowledge http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1759/climate-change-as-a-security-issue-in-the-indo-pacific-region-borders-environmental-phenomena-and-preexisting-vulnerabilities By Billie R. Trinder - In recent years, climate change has been increasingly framed as a security issue, with some theorists going so far as to call it the most important security issue of the 21st century. This paper will examine the relationship between climate change and human security through the lens of environmental possibilism (Sprout, 1965), recognizing related environmental phenomena as risk intensifiers. It is recognized that climate change acts as a risk multiplier to violent conflict rather than a direct cause, where the vulnerability and ability or inability of populations to adapt to environmental change... Fri, 15 Feb 2019 09:38 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1759/climate-change-as-a-security-issue-in-the-indo-pacific-region-borders-environmental-phenomena-and-preexisting-vulnerabilities http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1755/the-search-for-nationhood-in-older-scots-literature-a-study-of-the-flyting-of-dunbar-and-kennedy-and-the-tale-of-ralph-the-collier By Glenn A. Mills - The corpus of Older Scots literature is hyper-attentive to the themes and issues surrounding nationhood and sovereignty. Authors of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries often espoused and exploited the national pride of the Scottish people, producing works which articulated an incipient sense of Scottish nationalism. Indeed, starting from the second half of the fifteenth century, Scotland began to enjoy a period of ‘national and cultural confidence.’[1] Despite a tumultuous period of Stewart minorities, James IV’s right to rule was gradually recognised by competing Scottish... Fri, 01 Feb 2019 09:03 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1755/the-search-for-nationhood-in-older-scots-literature-a-study-of-the-flyting-of-dunbar-and-kennedy-and-the-tale-of-ralph-the-collier http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1752/women-and-globalization-the-impact-of-increased-womens-economic-rights-on-globalization By Liam F. Kerr - Globalization is generally studied as a process that extensively impacts nations and peoples across every aspect of society. Empirical and theoretical research largely focuses on this effect, seeking to discover the impact of an increasingly globalized world on the rights and circumstances of historically disadvantaged peoples, particularly women. While research suggests a mixed verdict on the positive and negative results of globalization for women, there is generally a paucity of research on whether an increase in women’s economic rights might enhance globalization, measured by global... Tue, 15 Jan 2019 09:57 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1752/women-and-globalization-the-impact-of-increased-womens-economic-rights-on-globalization http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1745/changes-in-estonian-defense-policy-following-episodes-of-russian-aggression By Benjamin Cooper - After joining the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in 2004, Estonians felt secure and in charge of their future. However, following the 2007 Bronze Horseman incident in the Estonian capital of Tallinn which included riots incited by Russian disinformation as well as cyberattacks on the Estonian banking and government infrastructure, many in Estonia became cognizant of the need for the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF), NATO, and the EU to do more to combat the growing Russian threat. When Russia invaded Crimea in 2014, any Estonian illusions of a peaceful and mutually... Tue, 30 Oct 2018 09:29 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1745/changes-in-estonian-defense-policy-following-episodes-of-russian-aggression http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1742/a-state-of-illegitimacy-the-dynamics-of-criminal-and-state-legitimacy-in-mexico By Benjamin J. Mackey - The following paper seeks to elucidate the complex processes involved in the Mexican State’s loss of authority and the subsequent acquisition of this authority by armed criminal groups operating in that country. In theoretical terms, this authority is termed the monopoly on the legitimate use of violence, and its transfer from the State to criminal groups carries profound implications - both quantifiable and otherwise - that are explored here. In order to detail the first half of this process, wherein the Mexican State has lost its authority, this paper presents a framework based on the... Mon, 08 Oct 2018 08:15 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1742/a-state-of-illegitimacy-the-dynamics-of-criminal-and-state-legitimacy-in-mexico http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1715/realism-and-arab-nationalism-an-uneasy-partnership By Marina M. Elgawly - The relationship between realism and nationalism is not clearly articulated in international relations literature. On one hand, realism and nationalism are viewed as contradictory forces, standing against one another as reason to emotion, reality to identity. On the other, nationalism and power politics are inherently intertwined; nationalism often significantly promotes the escalation of war, thus affecting the balance of power. In the context of the modern Middle East, the relationship between realism and nationalism is obfuscated even further as Arab nationalism, a neither particularistic nor... Mon, 18 Dec 2017 10:09 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1715/realism-and-arab-nationalism-an-uneasy-partnership http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1724/mnc-decision-making-under-sanctions-south-africa-and-rhodesia By Yuichiro Kakutani - By using an incentives/disincentives model to map the divergent behaviors of multinational corporations (MNCs) confronted by a sanctioned economy, I explain why some economic sanctions work better than others at achieving their desired political outcomes. When presented with the opportunity to "run the blockade," MNCs are incentivized to sanction bust by the allure of higher profit through rent extraction. At the same time, MNCs are disincentivized to sanction bust by the penalties for breaking the sanction, but only if MNCs believe sanction busting operations is inconspicuous enough to avoid... Thu, 30 Nov 2017 12:00 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1724/mnc-decision-making-under-sanctions-south-africa-and-rhodesia