Author profile: Katie Cowan

I’m in my fourth year of a Law and Politics double degree at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. My particular interests in IR are discourse analysis and identity politics, but I enjoy a good discussion about pretty much anything related to the discipline!

What is Wrong with the War on Terror?

Katie Cowan • Feb 10 2008 • Essays

The policies of the Bush Administration and the conduct of the United States and its allies in counteracting the threat of terrorism have received a wealth of criticism, much of which has been aired publicly. This essay focuses on a critique that does not see much light beyond academic literature: the successful construction of a terrorist threat which has legitimised a war in its name.

Linguistic Portrayals of Conflict and the Inaction of the International Community: The Case of Rwanda

Katie Cowan • Feb 10 2008 • Essays

Using theories of cognitive consistency and identity, this essay seeks to understand the impact of a conflict’s portrayal on the decision to intervene. To illustrate, the essay analyses the inaction of the United Nations in the face of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Please Consider Donating

Before you download your free e-book, please consider donating to support open access publishing.

E-IR is an independent non-profit publisher run by an all volunteer team. Your donations allow us to invest in new open access titles and pay our bandwidth bills to ensure we keep our existing titles free to view. Any amount, in any currency, is appreciated. Many thanks!

Donations are voluntary and not required to download the e-book - your link to download is below.