STRANGERS ON THE EDGE: HOW ECOLOGY CAN INFORM CHANGE IN STATE SYSTEMS

Abstract

Conceptually speaking, resilience and societal security share much of the same underpinnings when it comes to the conceptualization of change. I would like to apply ecological examples of resilience to this concept of state capacity. In other words, can biological systems provide illustrations and insights into how change may not always be threatening to the system’s sustainability? I argue that such comparisons are in fact valid to make, even though ecological systems and states are seemingly distinct. In subsequent chapters, I will make claims that question the validity of nationalist arguments, gaining insights from socio-ecological systems. This thesis is primarily motivated by claims put forth in Samuel Huntington’s Who Are We?, many of which I seek to refute.