The Westphalian state system—i.e., the global division of power in to roughly 195 sovereign nation-states—is proving inadequate in the face of rapid globalization. As our world becomes increasingly integrated, the political tools of the past, which uphold division and absolute autonomy, cannot offer a viable vision for the future. This is particularly salient in the case of global climate change: our commitment to statehood and international competition is preventing us from seeing the ways in which we are deeply interconnected, effectively imperiling current and future generations. Indeed, how should we respond to the 200-250 million climate refugees that will be displaced in the next 50-70 years due to climate change? What duties of justice are they owed? In this project, I assess the social contract tradition in political theory which offers the main philosophical grounds for the contemporary state system. I argue that, for a number of different reasons, social contract theory fails to offer a desirable framework for the new global political order necessitated by globalization. A theoretical framework that recognizes the ways in which humans are fundamentally in nature, and thus widens the scope of justice, offers a more promising alternative for regulating global cooperation. Indeed, if we, the human race, see ourselves as a unified group playing a small part in the larger play that is the global ecosystem, then our vision will clear and we will begin to see the appropriate duties of justice that we owe to each other, nonhuman animals, and nature.

Brain Drain, the global movement of medical doctors from developing to developed countries, has contributed to South Africa’s inability to supply its rural populations with access to medical care. The drivers of medical migration are generally attributed to economic, educational, and security-centered motivations; however, despite these conditions improving widely across South Africa, the number of young South African doctors who choose to emigrate annually continued to grow. Thus, it is important to understand what motivations for migration are uniquely salient to the Born Free Generation, South Africans who were born after the end of Apartheid. Using data collected from surveys and interviews, this study explores how Born Free Doctors interpret their national identity, and how this understanding contributes to their motivations to emigrate. This investigation of identity is characterized primarily by Rainbowism, the national project to create a common South African national identity around Nelson Mandela’s vision for an inclusive and diverse “rainbow nation”. Using common narratives from the collective memory of Born Free South Africans as ‘cultural tools’ for decision mediation, this study presents a framework to interpret motivations for migration based on common national narratives that reflect the conflicted national identity of Born Free Doctors, resulting from unfulfilled ambitions of the Rainbow Nation.

This study explores the contemporary state of immigration to the French Polynesian island of Tahiti and its influences on the indigenous people and the environment. Environmental issues are very important for Tahitians, for whom the land – te fenua – is a symbol of life and a source of pride. After reviewing historical and current immigration policies to the island, I found that Tahitians, being isolated and relatively homogeneous, are far more welcoming to tourists than they ever have been to settlers. Immigration to the island of Tahiti is strictly controlled to preserve resources and the indigenous ways of life. I conducted a 3 week survey, in both French and English, to understand the current sentiments of the indigenous population with regards to new immigrants and their impact on the environment. Survey was done online and it targeted only people living in Tahiti, 18 years of age and older using snowball and convenience sample collection methods. Survey responses, through a relatively small sample, still reveal complex perceptions on the part of the locals towards immigrants, people of different beliefs, religions, and races, as well as the connection between immigrants and the environment and the economy. Overall, this study emphasizes the ways humans are connected to each other and the environment, and how such connection might impact an environmentally fragile place. The results could be a platform for recognizing the impact immigration has on land and people, but also be a step closer to finding a balance between the old and the new.

Migration from the Northern Triangle in Central America – Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador – to the United States and Mexico spiked dramatically in 2014 due to an unprecedented influx of unaccompanied minors and families. In partnership with El Rescate, a non-profit immigrant rights organization based in Los Angeles, our research aims to shed light on the deepening cycle of human rights abuses that migrants face in their countries of origin, transit, and destination (prior to deportation and post-deportation) due to pervasive government negligence that violates international and domestic laws. Through secondary-source gathering, as well as analysis of demographic data from El Rescate, our findings indicate that these abuses become more pronounced as individuals repeat their journey, resulting in circular migration patterns. This signifies a collective failure of policy responses to this humanitarian crisis due responsibility being deflected among all of the involved governments. Our team analyzed the quantitative and qualitative data extrapolated from their Northern Triangle and Mexican clientele by manually digitizing the hand-written intake forms from El Rescate’s legal assistance clinic from 2013 to 2016 though a digital survey form. From our sample size of 1,269 case files we identified key trends in migrant demographics, the forces which compelled them to flee, and the rates of specific types of violence that many experienced. Our research culminates in a call to action for governments and authorities to uphold international and domestic laws to protect Central American migrants fleeing violence, and to process them as asylum seekers.

The Syrian crisis has become the defining humanitarian concern of the early 21st century. With over 400,000 dead and millions displaced, regional and international actors have been overwhelmed by the logistical and political strains of supporting Syrians. Because women and children comprise eighty percent of all refugees and Internally Displaced Persons across Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey, this Task Force elected to focus on the specific needs of this vulnerable population. Our report employs an inter-sectoral approach to identify both short and long-term gaps in women and children's rights and representation, economic opportunities, and their access to healthcare and education in Syria and the four major refugee-hosting countries. Data was collected through a a wide array of sources ranging from government reports to academic articles, the diversity of which enabled the report to look beyond the symptomatic issues facing women and children towards some of the more systemic cultural, political and historical factors which have influenced the conflict and the place of women and children within it. Our report concludes with policy recommendations for short-term relief, as well as the eventual reconstruction of Syria. This report was prepared for the Jackson School's capstone course, and has been evaluated by Ryan Crocker, former U.S Ambassador to Syria, Kuwait, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.

This study provides an economic and cultural comparison between Shanghai and Tokyo as global cities. Shanghai aims to be a city as influential as Tokyo, a city that has been the center of Asia for decades. Yet, is it possible? What are the disparities between the two cities economically, politically and culturally? This research is comprised of two parts. First, archival research is used to describe and contrast the historical development of Tokyo and Shanghai. Second, I compare the economic and cultural development of the two cities over the last two to three decades. Reviewing the literature on global cities and global city rankings, helps me establish a deeper understanding of the global cities hypothesis, which has also been critiqued. Following the global cities literature, I compare metrics of 1) advanced producer services production, 2) economy, 3) international transportation of people and goods, and 4) political and cultural influence. These are the key evaluation criteria based on the global cities hypothesis. Findings indicate that most of the economic indicators for Shanghai show a significant increase over the past three decades, while those of Tokyo have mainly stabilized. The economic disparities between the two cities has significantly decreased. However, Tokyo shows much stronger global influence through cultural communication and political position, in which Shanghai performs unexceptionally. There has been a lack of research and literature in the application of global cities theory in Asian cities. This study provides urban geographers and other social scientists with a comprehensive comparison between the two major Asian cities on economics, culture, and politics, which examines the credibility of the heavily critiqued global cities theory in a broader global community.