Robert Shiller’s What’s Behind a Rise in Ethnic Nationalism?

Newspaper Analysis: Robert Shiller’s What’s Behind a Rise in Ethnic Nationalism? Maybe the Economy
The story of Exit West provides us with an idea about the effects of globalization on the daily lives of people. Remarkably, such a theme was illustrated around a couple who took a leap of faith to seek better chances of success and survival in life. Although it is a fiction story, such a narrative reflects the ideas and the realities of minorities and individuals who ‘take a leap of faith’ to better their lives against the odds and risks present during migration. Globalization entails certain risks and dangers that primarily affect those in the minority due to their lack of power and position in society. An economics professor at Yale, Robert Shiller, also tackles the relationship of the global economy to globalization and nationalism. Globalization further highlights the discrimination and imbalance present towards immigrants and how they are left with no choice but to prioritize their survival that may end up as a successful endeavor or may even lead to their own demise.
Exit West's story started in a country where any moment of any day can be your end date, and uncertainty is not uncommon. It is a depiction of battling every breathing day to survive while maintaining a sense of normalcy. It is portrayed by characters of a young working man and a rebellious but religion-bound kind of woman. This piece of literature tackled realistic key points, such as race, religion, and nationalism that are relevant to today’s society. The plot also involves a love story between the protagonists, Saeed and Nadia, but their story actually becomes a vessel that will further unfold deep and different perspectives about life, realism, and political twists in their journey together. One of the highlights in Exit West is how the author, Hamid, aimed to eradicate the prejudice, assumptions, and wrong notions towards particular ethnicities. An example of this would be the involvement of the Muslim religion and the migration of the protagonists to a European environment.
Globalization has evolved throughout the years, as many people have been granted access to countries by implementing visas’ issuance. A highlight that continuous efforts to ease mobility across the globe are ongoing. Another positive effect is communication, and it is very much infused in our daily lives, which in turn bridges the insurmountable distance of people worldwide. Also, developing internet access can breach boundaries of discovering, exploring knowledge, among other things. These few key points are shown to identify the consequences or negative aspects, despite the advances of the world. One of the essential aspects of globalization is still left behind, hanging and waiting for action. In one of Shiller’s illustrations, he noted how globalization could affect the rights of minorities, especially those who are merely migrants who have “less power” in influencing social change. Through Hamid’s Exit West, he provided a creative perspective and identified the differences in race and religion, in the current age of globalization that is hopeful of superseding nationality. In the story, migration and religion pivot on connectivity and other ways to be accepted globally. In the travels of Nadia and Saeed, there is a sense of ease in going from one place to another through the magic doors and yet issues of differences in beliefs and practices still come in between the people’s acceptance of each other. Just like restrictions that can be found in the story between Saeed and Nadia's love life due to society rules, this remains as a supporting idea that globalization has a great effect on norms of society and the daily lives of migrants.
In support of the idea that Hamid wrote the story, Exit West contains unsightly pieces of evidence, which were fear and discrimination. In one of the studies of Popescu & Jahamah, researchers in the fields of human rights, literature, cultural studies, and terrorism studies, Hamid’s Exit West became one of the subjects. In their research, it was noted how Hamid had powerfully shown a representation of London’s dark side where the people are being monitored and disturbed by drones, representing an inhumane British State and terrorism. Hamid also symbolically presented the dark side of London by how it is where the declining relationship of the protagonists, Saeed and Nadia, occurs because of their clashing philosophies. In addition to the relationship struggles that the couple face in London, there is also an abundance of violence, discrimination, and exploitation towards the refugees. Examples were how some people in London attack the refugees who just wanted to have a place to stay. Even the government takes part in this discrimina...