Assessment of Master Thesis – Academic Consultant
Study programme:International Economic Relations Field of study:International and Diplomatic Studies Academic year:2020/2021
Master Thesis Topic:A comparative analysis of calls to boycott the Beijing 2008 Olympics and the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics
Author’s name:Jack Prunty
Ac. Consultant’s Name:doc. Jeremy Alan Garlick, M.A., Ph.D.
Opponent:Fangxing Qin
Criterion Mark
(1–4)
1. Overall objective achievement 1
2. Logical structure 1
3. Using of literature, citations 1
4. Adequacy of methods used 1
5. Depth of analysis 1
6. Self-reliance of author 1
7. Formal requirements: text, graphs, tables 2
8. Language and stylistics 1
Comments and Questions:
The thesis compares calls for boycotts of the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008 and the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014. Theoretically, the project is framed through the lens of social interaction theory. The method is comparative case study plus some discourse analysis. The theory, methods and empirical part of the thesis are well-integrated and thus contribute to a very coherent and insightful piece of research.
The thesis is logically organised, with a clear progression from theory and literature review through to the case studies. The conclusions follow from the analysis and cover all the points considered in the thesis framework, including above all soft power and symbolic communication. The citation is of excellent quality, with a wide range of theoretical and empirical sources deployed in the development of the analysis and argument. The use of methods is very solid, since the comparative case studies deliver an empirical analysis which follows logically from the literature review and theoretical framework outlined in the first half of the thesis. The analysis is rigorous throughout the thesis, demonstrating a considerable depth and breadth of insight concerning the implications of the two case studies.
The language used in the thesis is clear and readable throughout, making the development of the analysis easy to follow. There are some grammatical errors, as well as a tendency in places to use informal
language not suitable for an academic work; but the communicative effect of the writing is of a sufficiently high quality that these shortcomings can be overlooked. The thesis is presented clearly on the whole, but it would have been a good idea to add at least a few figures to illustrate some of the information. The text is also not justified at the right side of the page.
Overall, despite these minor problems with style and formatting, the analysis in the thesis is of a high quality, presenting the reader with a generalisable picture of the issues emanating from the calls for Olympic boycotts in China and Russia. I thereby recommend a grade of ’1’ for the thesis.
Questions for defence: (1) Can you summarise the main similarities and differences between the two case studies in the thesis? (2) What are the main implications of social interactionism theory for international relations? Is there a distinction between social interactionism theory and constructivism (more familiar to IR theorists), or are they similar?
Conclusion: The Master Thesis is recommended for the defence.
Suggested Grade: 1
Date: 05/07/2021 doc. Jeremy Alan Garlick, M.A., Ph.D.
Academic Consultant
