Seeking to more profoundly understand the nexus between race and class in Brazil, and comprehend its implications for political consciousness, this thesis centres the question: “How is political...Show moreSeeking to more profoundly understand the nexus between race and class in Brazil, and comprehend its implications for political consciousness, this thesis centres the question: “How is political consciousness of Afro-Brazilian emancipation movements informed by class interests?” In this capacity, class interests are interpreted as racialised consciousness, derived from the neo- Marxist theory of racialisation, a lens that figures prominently in this study. Remaining open to alternative explanations, through exploring discourse of Afro-Brazilian movement Black Coalition for Rights, this study concludes that two forms of consciousness theoretically assumed to be different are both built on similar premises that recognise the role of capitalist structures in processes of racialisation.Show less
Global temperatures are rising as policymakers aim to tackle the climate challenges our world faces today. The European Union plays a leading role in climate politics and the global reduction of...Show moreGlobal temperatures are rising as policymakers aim to tackle the climate challenges our world faces today. The European Union plays a leading role in climate politics and the global reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through one of its key tools, the Emissions Trading System. This thesis examines the impact of EU member states’ industrial composition on implementing the EU ETS in phase 2 through a comparative analysis of the Netherlands and Belgium. An examination of the correlation between national industries and the national implementation of the ETS has thus far remained absent in the existing literature and provides policy insights for future climate politics. An analysis of the relevant policy documents reveals how both countries varied in their implementation of the system. It demonstrates how the more pollutive industrial composition of the Netherlands caused the government to be more responsive to the affected industries’ interests in the allocation process. However, contrary to expectations, the Netherlands was not more lenient the monitoring of the system and was even more strict than Belgium in most areas.Show less
Sexual violence against girls and women in times of conflict is a widespread and devastating human rights violation worldwide. With this issue increasingly recognized as an international security...Show moreSexual violence against girls and women in times of conflict is a widespread and devastating human rights violation worldwide. With this issue increasingly recognized as an international security issue, the international community has begun to take steps to address it. Yet, despite a large number of measures implemented by the United Nations (UN), conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) persists. This thesis explores the UN’s ineffectiveness in combating CRSV. Drawing on a comparative case study of the Iraq war and the South Sudan conflict, this paper seeks to understand how the UN’s legitimacy and resources may be at the root of this ineffectiveness. The results of this research contribute to a better understanding of the complexities of sexual and gender-based violence in different conflict contexts, and provide insight into strategies to strengthen the UN’s capacity to prevent and respond to these violations of human rights.Show less
India's transformation from being a participant in environmental discussions to assuming environmental responsibilities on the global stage has been remarkable. Since endorsing the Paris Agreement,...Show moreIndia's transformation from being a participant in environmental discussions to assuming environmental responsibilities on the global stage has been remarkable. Since endorsing the Paris Agreement, India has exhibited substantial progress in aligning global policies with domestic initiatives. The objective of this thesis is to grasp the determinants behind changes in India's discourse on climate change through an examination of Indian climate politics and textual analysis across different time periods. The research builds on compliance theory and contributes to the study of compliance in climate change discourse in India since the Kyoto Protocol of 1997. The case study presented in this research demonstrates how a shift to a pragmatic diplomatic approach and India’s aspiration to become a globally responsible leader may alter a nation’s behaviour in international environmental negotiations.Show less
The existing academic literature explores the causal relationship between ethnic cleavage and the outbreak of war, with a particular emphasis on repression, resistance, and identity. While scholars...Show moreThe existing academic literature explores the causal relationship between ethnic cleavage and the outbreak of war, with a particular emphasis on repression, resistance, and identity. While scholars recognize the importance of these concepts, they typically examine two distinct areas: the interaction between repression and resistance, and the isolated analysis of identity. This compartmentalized approach overlooks the interplay between these concepts and their combined impact on the path to war. The dissertation addresses this gap by testing the theory of the nexus of repression, resistance, and identity in the case of Kosovo from 1981 to 1998. To explore this relationship, the study integrates data from secondary sources, semi-structured interviews with individuals involved in the activities leading up to the Kosovo War, and archival material.Show less
The values the Liberal International Order (LIO) professes to uphold in theory, such as the promise of equal treatment, are not always lived up to in practice. In fact, it cannot always live up to...Show moreThe values the Liberal International Order (LIO) professes to uphold in theory, such as the promise of equal treatment, are not always lived up to in practice. In fact, it cannot always live up to this promise. The LIO’s social hierarchy prevents non-Western countries from fully acquiring the recognition they believe they are entitled to, leading them to contest the legitimacy of the LIO. For some countries, the emerging multipolar world presents an alternative option to gain international status and recognition. This thesis uses South Africa as a case study to examine how misrecognition in the LIO motivates countries to join BRICS. The results and analysis indicate that the LIO’s inability, but BRIC’s ability, to promise recognition motivated South Africa to join BRIC. Yet, in assessing the available empirical record, and whether the collective body of evidence can support making an inference that the causal relationship existed in the case of South Africa, this thesis concludes that there is only weak confirmatory evidence.Show less
This thesis aims to examine the pace of European Union enlargement towards two Western Balkan states, Montenegro and Serbia, focusing on the influence of political factors. The thesis will start...Show moreThis thesis aims to examine the pace of European Union enlargement towards two Western Balkan states, Montenegro and Serbia, focusing on the influence of political factors. The thesis will start with an introduction section aimed at providing contextual background of EU enlargement and Western Balkan region. Research question of this thesis is: "How political factors influence the pace of EU enlargement towards Montenegro and Serbia?", and will be introduced in the introduction. Theoretical framework will be supported by Sandra Lavenex's theory of EU external governance, where emphasis will be placed on the concepts of cooperation and integration. Furthermore, based on theoretical framework, two hypotheses will be introduced. Methodologically, the study will adopt qualitative methods, primarily employing process tracing techniques through case analysis and comparative case analysis. The literature review will categorize insights collected from the literature in various themes, including political dynamics and geopolitical complexities, challenges confronting democratic governance, identity dynamics and state-nation relations. Results and analysis section will provide analysis and founded results. Ultimately, this research will aim to provide an understanding of the multifaceted dynamics of EU enlargement towards Montenegro and Serbia.Show less
The consistent implementation of debt trap diplomacy by China has become an important instrument in the superpower’s quest for further worldwide dominance and power. This paper examines how the...Show moreThe consistent implementation of debt trap diplomacy by China has become an important instrument in the superpower’s quest for further worldwide dominance and power. This paper examines how the nation’s debt trap diplomacy has helped it consolidate its position within the global order by offering insights gathered from a case study of the small east African country of Djibouti. Due to its helpful marine connections and strategic location at the intersection of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, Djibouti has been a focal point in the field of geopolitics. Building ports, railroads, and military facilities are only a few examples of the infrastructure development projects that have dominated China's relationship with the nation. China's debt trap diplomacy in the region is based on the substantial loans that its government and state-owned banks have provided to fund these projects. The involvement in Djibouti is an example of China’s larger gameplan meant to increase its power and influence in the international system. The eastern power’s use of its economic might to fund infrastructure projects and give easy loans effectively confines small countries like Djibouti within its area of influence. As a result, China's position as a major actor in world events is strengthened, further eroding the conventional power structures set up by Western countries.Show less
Partijafsplitsingen, of legislative party switching, is binnen de politicologie een onderwerp waar veel onderzoek naar is gedaan. Desondanks is de context van Nederlandse gemeenteraden nog niet...Show morePartijafsplitsingen, of legislative party switching, is binnen de politicologie een onderwerp waar veel onderzoek naar is gedaan. Desondanks is de context van Nederlandse gemeenteraden nog niet eerder onderzocht, terwijl het fenomeen in de praktijk steeds vaker waargenomen wordt (Abels, 2018; Ketelaar, 2021). Deze studie beoogt een eerste aanzet te zijn voor meer inzicht in factoren en beweegredenen bij afsplitsingen binnen Nederlandse gemeenteraden. In de theoriesectie wordt allereerst de academische literatuur gecombineerd met de specifieke context van Nederlandse gemeenteraden. Hieruit volgen zes verwachtingen, die vervolgens middels een thematische analyse worden getoetst aan acht semi-gestructureerde kwalitatieve interviews met afgesplitste gemeenteraadsleden. De bevindingen suggereren dat er in bijna alle gevallen sprake is van een conflict: interpersoonlijk, ideologisch, of een combinatie van beide. De mogelijkheid tot herverkiezing noemt een enkeling als belangrijke reden, al moet hierbij een kanttekening worden geplaatst wat betreft de representativiteit van de steekproef. Het aantal voorkeursstemmen speelt voor de meeste participanten een grote rol voor de rechtvaardiging van hun keuze tot afsplitsing. Bijzondere rollen, zoals het fractievoorzitterschap, lijken weinig tot geen effect te hebben op partijveranderingen. Tenslotte laat het thema loyaliteit zien dat raadsleden vooral betrokken zijn bij personen binnen de partij, boven de partij als institutie. Daarbij wordt bij dit thema ook duidelijk hoe ingrijpend en emotioneel de gebeurtenis voor deelnemers kan zijn.Show less
Refugees occupy a unique moral and legal position in our communities. Their relationships with their host states are born out of necessity and coloured by their disenfranchisement, as refugees do...Show moreRefugees occupy a unique moral and legal position in our communities. Their relationships with their host states are born out of necessity and coloured by their disenfranchisement, as refugees do not receive democratic participation rights in the same way citizens do. Given that refugees are not allowed to vote, together with their uniquely vulnerable circumstances and the coercive character of the (immigration) laws they are expected to obey, we might wonder what kind of political obligations, if any, they have. As the literature is focused on the rights of refugees, there is insufficient discussion regarding their duties. I will here investigate the political obligations of refugees by examining whether the four main theories of political obligation, consent, gratitude, natural duty, and fair play, can be applied to refugees. I will then discuss a more limited version of political obligations, based on the fair play account specifically, as I discuss a moral basis from which we may better understand both the rights and duties of refugees. Finally, I will discuss the implications of separating such obligations from participation rights, and what this may entail for other migrants and travelers.Show less
This thesis aims to assess the impact of the European Union's normative power in promoting human rights and democratic norms in Mexico between 2000 and 2015. Manners' (2002) introduction of the...Show moreThis thesis aims to assess the impact of the European Union's normative power in promoting human rights and democratic norms in Mexico between 2000 and 2015. Manners' (2002) introduction of the concept of ‘normative power Europe’ (NPE) has raised increasing interest among scholars, especially those concerned about how the European Union (EU) shapes the world’s conception of what is ‘normal’. Nevertheless, extensive research focuses on the NPE’s ontological conceptualisation and its effectiveness in EU candidate countries, while fewer studies explore the EU’s normative power implications in countries with no possibility of joining the Union. This research addresses this gap by focusing on the EU’s normative power impact in Mexico, a country with no prospect of membership. In 1997, Mexico became the first Latin American country to sign a free trade, political and cooperation agreement with the EU, also known as the Global Agreement. This qualitative study shows that the EU has positively impacted the Mexican norms in democracy and human rights by implementing political conditionality in the Global Agreement. The study's broader implications reflect the EU's growing international role and its effectiveness in promoting its constitutive norms around the world.Show less
This research investigates the continuity of European Union (EU) sanctions against Russia in the aftermath of the 2014 Crimea annexation, highlighting the diversity of member state attitudes...Show moreThis research investigates the continuity of European Union (EU) sanctions against Russia in the aftermath of the 2014 Crimea annexation, highlighting the diversity of member state attitudes towards Russia. The research question that will be answered is: How does the interaction between domestic- and EU-level, within both conciliatory and hardline member states, influence the continuity of EU sanctions against Russia? Putnam's two-level game theory is employed, providing a framework to analyze the interaction between domestic political considerations and international negotiations. This study formulates two hypotheses: Hypothesis 1 posits that dissatisfaction with a larger sanction package among hardline states facilitates agreement in the European Council, and Hypothesis 2 suggests that satisfaction with a larger sanction package among conciliatory states similarly facilitates agreement. A qualitative comparative analysis between Hungary and Poland tests these hypotheses. It utilizes national policy papers, position tracing through secondary literature, and public opinion polls to examine the rationale behind each country's approach, the satisfaction among political leaders, public opinion, and business elites on the EU sanction package against Russia. The analysis finds evidence in support of both hypotheses, demonstrating the ways in which the domestic public can influence negotiations within the European Council, particularly concerning sanctions against Russia.Show less
This thesis examines the influence the BRICS and the EU have on South African foreign policy, specifically between 2010 and 2023. South Africa and the world have witnessed much change during those...Show moreThis thesis examines the influence the BRICS and the EU have on South African foreign policy, specifically between 2010 and 2023. South Africa and the world have witnessed much change during those 13 years, between the several conflicts that erupted involving some BRICS member-states, revolutions in Africa, and the work that led up to the expansion of the BRICS into the BRICS+ format in 2024. Including a discussion on formal and informal IGOs, this study uses a constructivist theoretical framework and discourse analysis to examine South African foreign policy annual reports, BRICS joint statements, EU-AU joint declarations, and EU-South Africa joint declarations. It finds that South Africa’s foreign policy is influenced by the BRICS and the EU through two main pillars of its foreign policy, but in different manners, yet relating to the central theme of the multilateral system, particularly the UN.Show less
