In light of the rise of Evangelicalism in Latin America, and the emergence of conservative neoliberal governments internationally, this work explores the cooperation between the Evangelical mega...Show moreIn light of the rise of Evangelicalism in Latin America, and the emergence of conservative neoliberal governments internationally, this work explores the cooperation between the Evangelical mega-church Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus (IURD) and former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, researching how the IURD supported Bolsonaro’s drug policies with their rhetoric on drugs. By performing a critical discourse analysis on videos and texts published by the church, it argues that the IURD supported these policies by reproducing the moral panic surrounding drugs and positioning itself as an epistemologically reliable institution, therefore rationalising drug criminalisation and the dismantling of harm-reduction policies. This work demonstrates that through language use and presentation of addiction and its “treatment”, the IURD enhanced its governmentality, reinforcing its role in knowledge production, and in the construction of identity and morality. Hereby, this thesis contributes to the literature on the governing role of religious institutions in society and politics, and the effects of a moral framing of social issues.Show less
This essay advances the discussion on immigrant integration by considering its three primary forms : civic, social and cultural, as previously conceived of by David Miller. Each form of integration...Show moreThis essay advances the discussion on immigrant integration by considering its three primary forms : civic, social and cultural, as previously conceived of by David Miller. Each form of integration is defined, as to clarify deliberation on immigrant integration. In order to render general deliberation more profitable, as well as the assessment of government policies on integration, this paper presents an urgent case for the creation of an index which may measure the past, current, and future situations of immigrant integration. All existing indices on integration measure government policies on integration, rather than the actual situation of integration. An estimate of the current situation of immigrant integration and subsequent manner by which to measure the occurrence is undertaken. An analysis of Maghrebian immigrant social integration in France will be utilized as a case study on immigrant integration in western democracies. A defense for the importance of civic and social integration is advanced. The conceptions of integration and prescriptive views that will be made are built upon the adherence to a republican model of democracy, a foundational element of western democracies.Show less
In post-apartheid South Africa, the disparity between constitutionally promised services and actual delivery has led marginalised citizens to protest for their right to human dignity and equality....Show moreIn post-apartheid South Africa, the disparity between constitutionally promised services and actual delivery has led marginalised citizens to protest for their right to human dignity and equality. With this in mind, this thesis explores the impact of public financial management on South Africa's service delivery crisis and examines the role of historical patterns of racialised socioeconomic segregation. Using a mixed methods approach, including a literature review and quantitative analysis, the paper identifies three primary factors hindering access to municipal services: historical (apartheid-era spatial divisions), economic (poverty and municipal boundaries), and political (financial mismanagement and poor governance). For the quantitative analysis, data was derived from the Consolidated General Report on Local Government Audit Outcomes, Poverty Trends in South Africa: An Examination of Absolute Poverty Between 2006 and 2015, and General Household Survey (GHS), all of which are publicly available and published by either Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) or the Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA). Chapter 2 reveals that historically wealthier and whiter provinces continue to enjoy better access to services, while poorer, previously disadvantaged provinces lag behind. Chapter 3 analyses the relationship between public financial management and service delivery, showing that while poor financial practices hinder municipal services, there does not seem to be a strong correlation between clean audits as a proxy for sound financial management and service delivery. However, it appears that historical patterns of racialised socioeconomic segregation play a much more significant role. Consequently, historically poorer provinces continue to suffer from the perpetuation of apartheid-era inequality, thereby hindering their access to key services such as water, sanitation, electricity, and refuse removal. South Africa's entrenched service delivery inequality further infringes on marginalised citizens' constitutional right to dignity and equality.Show less
The position of women in the Japanese workforce has been weak for decades because of discrimination and oppression from legislature, policies, and societal expectations. In the late 1980s, sexual...Show moreThe position of women in the Japanese workforce has been weak for decades because of discrimination and oppression from legislature, policies, and societal expectations. In the late 1980s, sexual harassment was mentioned in the Japanese legislature for the first time, marking a turning point in the treatment of sexual harassment cases. However, because of Japan’s roots in Confucianism and patriarchal society, Japanese people have a hard time letting go of traditional gender roles and overly sexual behaviour toward women. Simultaneously, Western countries such as the United States of America and Canada are popular destinations for the immigration of Japanese citizens, and women overtake the number of men in the total number of Japanese immigrants worldwide. Because of the negatives of gender inequality in Japanese workplaces and the positive outlook on Western countries, this thesis raises the question of how the unequal and oppressive treatment of women in the Japanese workforce affects the economic migration of Japanese women. Do women emigrate from Japan to countries with better gender equality to work in an environment where they are treated rather equally to men?Show less
