In 2017, the documentary film "Landless Moroccans" was released which shed light on the expulsion of the Guich Oudaya tribe from their land in the capital city of Rabat as well as their protest...Show moreIn 2017, the documentary film "Landless Moroccans" was released which shed light on the expulsion of the Guich Oudaya tribe from their land in the capital city of Rabat as well as their protest against this expulsion. This thesis investigates what the film can reveal about political claim-making and state-society struggles in contemporary Morocco. By focusing on how the state is addressed and claims are attempted to be legitimized, it argues that the film produces a good vs. bad dichotomy between the monarchy and the state which uncovers the authoritarian environment within which dissent is voiced in Morocco. This dichotomy reflects a state discourse aimed at diverting state critique from the monarchy to the government and other executive authorities. Applying Pierre Bourdieu's field theory, this research illustrates that the film's reproduction of state discourse is at once a proof for its internalization as well as a strategy to position the protest safely vis-à-vis the regime. The discursively produced dichotomy identified in this thesis can thus give further insights into the ways in which civil society actors may navigate protest in authoritarian settings.Show less
The author sets out to explore the actors, channels, and processes through which the Israeli-Palestinian conflict influences not only the dynamics of international aid to Palestinians, but also the...Show moreThe author sets out to explore the actors, channels, and processes through which the Israeli-Palestinian conflict influences not only the dynamics of international aid to Palestinians, but also the narratives that present, shape, and define the approaches of donors. Bringing together two fields of study that have been treated separately until now, the author historicizes and contextualizes the evolution of a 'conflict-development' nexus and the repercussions of this emerging dynamic on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The methodological approach makes use of a combination of scholarly and primary sources, drawing together the fields of Conflict and Development Studies, Communication for Development, literature on Palestine, and case studies the author became familiar with through her own experience in the field. Moreover, the use of narrative analysis and inquiry is employed to develop and support the argumentation. Hereby, the thesis establishes how aid to Palestinians and the communication of the conflict by donors has become increasingly divorced from realities on the ground.Show less
