I’m Erik van Zuylen, 24 years old. On this page I would like to present my Masters Thesis in the Political Sciences. I’ve worked on this for almost two years. It has been very well received so far, graded 8.8 out of 10. This has motivated me to make an effort to beat the ‘iron law of Masters Theses’: “the Masters Thesis shall never be read again, as soon as it’s graded”.
Another reason for publishing the thesis online is because of its content. Of course the subject is extremely controversial, especially after the American invasion into Iraq. Therefore, some readers might dismiss this thesis as ‘orientalist’, or as part of the ‘neo-conservative agenda’. When reading it carefully, you will see this is not the case. I have made an effort to develop a perspective that is both non-determinist, critical of oppression and of the current structures of global governance. This approach might help to remove some of the dogma surrounding discussions on contemporary politics and bring it back to the core questions, like:
What will be the effects of the current geopolitical tensions in the ‘Greater Middle East’, both for the citizens of these countries and the wider world?
What will be the outcome of the current transformations of the global political economy?
How can citizens relate to these issues and do they have a chance to engage in initiatives to improve their own future?
Although the thesis is carefully grounded within different fields of social scientific research, it is first and foremost a result of personal reflection, especially the scenarios. Therefore, I would be very grateful for any feedback, criticism and alternative perspectives. I’d also like to invite readers to come up with their own scenarios, which could be published here when their academic quality is sufficient.
In light of the currents events, I’m trying to collect the latest news and background to make sense of the huge stream of information
