UCL Political Science: Dissertation

Beatrice's dissertation asked how political community is constructed in the EU compared to the sovereign state. She argued that many ways in which community is described in the nation state are reproduced in the EU. The dissertation was built on R.B.J. Walker’s theory of the inside world of the state being seen as different to the outside world, and of there being a view of world politics that only sees the possibility for progression and democracy within the state. Using discourse analysis as my methodology, she did her research in two museums: the Imperial War Museum in London and the House of European History in Brussels. She looked at how both museums reproduced an inside/outside binary through showing progress, peace and unity as only possible within either the UK or the EU. She then looked at how they resisted this through showing the potential for community beyond borders. She found that while the museums showed a potential to re-think discourse, the inside/outside binary was dominant in both. She argued that the EU reflects the same processes that sustain the sovereign state through imagining life outside the EU as fundamentally different to life within. Bea has just finished a three-month job as a research assistant.

Making Sense of Sustainability: An Application of Ostrom’s Theory of Collective Action Towards the Development of a General Framework of Sustainability in Savings and Credit Associations Despite the widespread recognition that a majority of lower-income and rural populations across the world rely on community-based financial service providers such as savings and credit associations (SCAs), there is scarce research on when and why these local self-governing mechanisms exist sustainably and successfully in some cases and not in others. This dissertation sought to apply Ostrom’s theory of collective action towards the beginning of developing a general framework for understanding the factors driving the sustainability of SCAs. A plausibility test of the theory was conducted through structured, focused case study comparisons of three SCAs in the Philippines, finding that the theory holds. Findings from this research should contribute towards a better integration of SCAs into financial inclusion strategies. Perhaps by finally incorporating the vital player of communities, we can achieve financial access for all at a faster and more inclusive pace. Sarah is currently working in policy and practice impact with the Economic and Social Research Council.