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Following postcolonial thought, this thesis argues that colonialism can be reconceptualized as an identity conflict. Consequentially, reconciliation theories concerned with identity creation and societal beliefs can be applied to better understand postcolonial relations. Through a discussion of sociopsychological reconciliation and ontological (in)security, this thesis discusses perceived insecuri
The narrative regarding Sweden and the self-understanding often excludes its colonial past and instead presents a “moral superpower”, deeply connected to the welfare state. While the nation has described itself as exceptional, the Sámi people have struggled for rights, acknowledgement and visibility over a long period of time. Previous research on the subject has repeatedly been studied with a pos
In recent years anti-genderism has increased in popularity, as the populist parties, illiberal governments and conservative groups have begun to implement the discourse into their politics. The discourse can function as a symbolic glue, political tool as well as part of the religious narrative. Anti-genderism can emerge in different parts of the world, however, in the post-Socialist states of Cent
Guatemala is a democratic country in Central America characterized by many social inequalities which limits the quality of democracy in the country. This thesis is based on field research in Monterrico, on a local community in Guatemala, to investigate democratic participation on a local level, from an inclusivity perspective. This topic is investigated in relation to local development processes w
After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, an opportunity arose to study the preceding period of inter-state conflict, shedding light on the processes in the escalation of conflict to war. Previous research of the conflict revealed an ongoing debate between the scholars Marlene Laruelle and Taras Kuzio. With Laruelle contending that the Russian state both facilitates and suppresses Russian nationalist
The last decade has represented a significant time in European Union (EU) energy policy. The mounting consequences of climate change have pushed the EU to the forefront of the clean energy transition. However, challenges such as the Crimean crisis in 2014, the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war in Ukraine have also had implications on priorities in EU energy policy. This study aims to further t
This thesis explores the structure and discursive frames in the rhetoric of the online extreme right network in Finland. Departing from the constraints of identity and ideology, the individual nodes are seen as a part of a network that mobilizes on the basis of shared discourses. Social network analysis is utilized to explore the structure and connections of the extreme right. This is followed by
The Logical Framework Approach is applied in development projects all over the world. The Swedish aid agency Sida also encourages all aid organizations who receives funds from them or their umbrella organization Forum Syd to use the LFA for the improvement of development programs. However, the LFAs applicability in development interventions has been seriously criticized by researchers and by NGOs
This thesis examines why the United States recognised Kosovo’s independence in 2008 while consistently refusing to support Chechen self-determination across two wars and more than a decade of conflict. Both cases involved secessionist movements, significant civilian suffering, and comparable normative claims, yet produced opposite recognition outcomes. This divergence constitutes a central puzzle
This study investigates the role being taken by international civil society organizations in Nigeria, how they have contributed to and their efficacy to upholding human right values. Also, the work AI and HRW have been doing to protect human rights in Nigeria and the different strategies employed by these organizations in protecting human rights. The international civil societies in this study are
The purpose of this thesis is to examine how state biographical narratives can change and how this process might affect a state’s ontological security. Moreover, it looks at whether interstate friendship could alleviate any feelings of anxiety caused by such changes. Using the case of Austria after World War II, the analysis focuses on political elites’ articulations of Austrian state identity alo
On the basis of ethnographic fieldwork, this thesis sheds light on the experiences of urban Syrian refugees in re-establishing livelihoods in Istanbul after displacement. The first part of the thesis identifies social exclusion mechanisms, including lack of access to a stable legal status, education and permission to work legally, as well as extensive discrimination and harassment as constituting
This thesis looks at the Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations and sees how the centre constructs its own identity to align with the discourse of postna¬tional defense, and how it evaluates NATOs peacekeeping operation in Afghani¬stan. Through this, the thesis aims to analyse the hegemonic struggle between the discourses of traditional military structure and the cosmopolitan postnational
Many former colonial powers have been reluctant to return cultural heritages acquired during colonial context for various reasons. The Netherlands is a unique example where it is willing to repatriate cultural heritages acquired in colonial context back to its original country unconditionally. This thesis examines the causes of the Netherlands willingness to repatriate cultural heritages by using
This thesis provides an analysis of the Eurozone‟s crisis management during the European debt crisis from a Neorealist perspective. It assesses the explanatory power of Neorealism for the counter-measures taken in response to the European debt crisis. The main argument is that in times of crisis, the member states of the European Union may fall back to Neorealist behavior, despite any integrating
This thesis is essentially a project in theory- and method-building. It engages the strengths of Vaughan-Williams’ alternative border imaginary under the name of the generalised biopolitical border (GBB) in accounting for the complexity of border phenomena in contemporary global politics. However, it identifies two major shortcomings related to Vaughan-Williams’ application of the GBB to various e
One of the unsolved puzzles in democratization studies today is the prevalence of authoritarian regimes in the Middle East. Previous comparative studies have overlooked the region because it does not contain a single case of successful democratization. Middle Eastern scholars, on the other hand, tend to lack the theoretical tools on what it would take for this area to democratize. The purpose of t
Europe's largest and most excluded minority, the Roma, have been the subject of several policies that have aimed at increasing their integration and equality. In Finland, a country setting itself as among the leaders in Roma rights, this policy is Finland's National Roma Policy (ROMPO). ROMPO2, from 2018 to 2022, was critically evaluated in this thesis to examine how the Finnish Roma are r
The media has considerable power in informing, shaping, or skewing foreign policy debates through salience and framing. While it is quite challenging to make accurate predictions about the future of India’s non-alignment policy, it is feasible to examine perspectives and concerns about India’s policy of non-alignment in the increasingly polarized world stemming from the Russia-Ukraine war. Thus, b
This study investigates how civil society actors contribute to anti-human trafficking efforts in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), China, hereinafter referred to as Hong Kong. Thereby, the direct and indirect roles of NGOs and migrant domestic workers community leaders in such efforts are identified. In addition, differences and similarities between the respective actors’ roles are ex
