There is a constant rise of populism spreading around the world. This can be observed in Latin America, North America and Europe among others. Europe is a continent which has for years stood for...Show moreThere is a constant rise of populism spreading around the world. This can be observed in Latin America, North America and Europe among others. Europe is a continent which has for years stood for democracy, human rights, liberalism and the idea of a common people with a common market and a common history. However, today more than ever before, these ideas are being challenged by the growing trend of right-wing populism. This thesis will therefore explain and assess the following question: “What factors determine the success of right-wing populism?”. The focus, of this thesis, is on two European countries specifically, Italy and Germany, where populist parties have had different success.Show less
This thesis will explain and assess the following question: “What factors determine the success of right-wing populism?”. The focus, of this thesis, is on two European countries specifically, Italy...Show moreThis thesis will explain and assess the following question: “What factors determine the success of right-wing populism?”. The focus, of this thesis, is on two European countries specifically, Italy and Germany, where populist parties have had different success. The thesis will analyse the similarities and differences between the Lega in Italy and the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) in Germany. The relevance of this thesis is to better understand what determines the success of populist parties in Europe and why are some populist parties more successful than others.Show less
This study investigates the existing and remaining challenges in regard to the protection of people with albinism (PWA) in Tanzania. Unfortunately, this is a controversial subject, one which has...Show moreThis study investigates the existing and remaining challenges in regard to the protection of people with albinism (PWA) in Tanzania. Unfortunately, this is a controversial subject, one which has been widely broached in international news and rather less so in the academic literature. In order to conduct this research, a qualitative newspaper and academic peer-reviewed literature analysis has been applied using Tanzania as a case study for albinism in the African continent. Moreover, data will be collected from reports, websites, secondary sources of qualitative nature and primary sources such as interviews of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), especially UTSS, which has played a role in attempting to help people with albinism. Beliefs in witchcraft still remains prevalent in the modern society of Tanzania, and constitute challenges to the protection of PWA. Indeed, this is the first factor that hinders the protection of the human rights of PWA, when researching their stigmatization and the perpetuated violence they suffer. Now going beyond the issue of witchcraft beliefs and other cultural aspects such as the process of othering, this thesis will address other challenges. For instance, poverty can be an incentive for amputation or murder of PWA, as there is an existing black market for buying and selling body parts of PWA. In addition to the aspect of poverty, this thesis will also address the challenge of corruption, and how corruption affects legal prosecutions of the perpetuators. Ultimately, the author will elaborate on notions of human rights, as these are not yet fully endorsed on all levels of analysis, referring to the international sphere, regional and lastly national.Show less
This article uses the Japanese otome game (video games for women) as an example to examine the exoticism during cultural exchanges in this current globalized world. This article mainly argues that,...Show moreThis article uses the Japanese otome game (video games for women) as an example to examine the exoticism during cultural exchanges in this current globalized world. This article mainly argues that, even though we are getting in touch with cultural products such as video games that contain the mixture of global cultures, what attracts most of the people is the ‘exoticism’; which indicates that what seems to erase or blur cultural borders in a globalized world is actually enlarge and emphasize on the cultural differences. By carefully analyzing four otome games that based their stories outside Japan, this article shows how most of the foreign elements are used 'exteriorly' in these Japanese products. The article ends up with an elaboration on similar cases in other cultural aspects, which indicates that the chase of exoticism is rather common all over the world. It is difficult to be certain of whether the cultural gap under globalization is narrower and wider than before, but instead of the convergence, the diversity of cultures is probably more emphasized in the contemporary world.Show less
The year 2020 marked 81 years since the start of the Second World War and Ireland’s declaration to abstain from it. As time continues, we become further and further detached from the events in...Show moreThe year 2020 marked 81 years since the start of the Second World War and Ireland’s declaration to abstain from it. As time continues, we become further and further detached from the events in human past that have so greatly affected the world we live in today, however, the study of history can bring these events closer to the modern human experience. This artificial closeness can be used as a tool to explain how and why historical events occurred as they did and allow us to learn more about not only the world of yesterday but also the world of tomorrow. This thesis will use Ireland’s 1939-1945 policy of neutrality to test neorealism and liberalism to assess what can be learned not only about said theories, but too the history they are applied to. This can hopefully shine more light on how current theories can be applied outside of the modern world.Show less
The people of the Lake Chad Basin area have been suffering under long periods of violence and bad governance. On top of these problems the region has historically had a lower GDP per person than...Show moreThe people of the Lake Chad Basin area have been suffering under long periods of violence and bad governance. On top of these problems the region has historically had a lower GDP per person than the rest of Nigeria, which is linked to a vulnerability to civil war. These issues have received much attention over the years, but little progress has been made in developing the region. State presence is low, with local governments abandoning the basin because of the threat of Boko Haram. This thesis argues that how three institutions, the government, Boko Haram, and the traditional authorities interact with each other is at the core of the lack of progress in breaking the vicious cycle of underdevelopment in the Nigerian part of the Lake Chad Basin. For a while the Nigerian state made little effort to assert its hegemony over the Lake Chad Basin. However, neglect of this area gave space to other groups to assert themselves. Nigeria did not feel the need to assert its control over the region because they were not dependent on that area. The discovery of oil which coincided with Nigerian independence made the federal government less reliant on tax income from the northern state which meant there was little to gain for the federal government in the Lake Chad Basin.Show less
President Trump successfully secured the Republican vote in the US Presidential election of 2016. Donald Trump is notoriously not religious but he is seen as a vehicle to elevate the religious...Show morePresident Trump successfully secured the Republican vote in the US Presidential election of 2016. Donald Trump is notoriously not religious but he is seen as a vehicle to elevate the religious agenda in the political arena. In 2016, Donald Trump run a campaign that engaged with the evangelicals’ desire to restore social and cultural ‘morality’ in the public space and their desire to unwaveringly support Israel. Most of the scholarly debate on Trump’s stance on Israel is angled from a policy perspective, attributing his position to factors such as geopolitics, the influence of Biblical prophecy in American diplomacy, and the increased role of White Christian Nationalism in the political agenda. The research of this thesis will expand on the literature by exploring how Trump’s rhetoric and politics on Israel are used to appeal to his pro-Israel conservative base. The analysis of Trump’s rhetoric and political action using the tool of critical discourse analysis will provide insights between language, ideology, and power. President Trump’s language and political efforts concerning Israel appeal to the Christian evangelical base that makes up most of the Republican Party. Furthermore, Trump has enhanced the role of Christianity in politics, to promote the idea that progressive policies are incompatible with the American identity, and has established America’s relationship with Israel as an inherent value.Show less
There supposedly is a lot of potential in the African economies, though up until now most of these countries have been unable to channel this potential. An example of an industry in which a lot of...Show moreThere supposedly is a lot of potential in the African economies, though up until now most of these countries have been unable to channel this potential. An example of an industry in which a lot of money can be made, is the coffee sector. This sector has been exploited for its bare resources, leaving farmers with very little return for their efforts. Tony Elumelu has devised an economic philosophy; Africapitalism, which presumably mitigates these issues. The effects of this philosophy in combination with Supply Chain Management can be witnessed Good African Coffee ltd. in Uganda. This poses the question of whether this combination can be beneficial to not only this company, but the Ugandan coffee sector in general and if so, maybe even other sectors as well.Show less
The UK Conservative Party transitioned from a party that sought closer relations with the European continent, to a party that sought to leave the EU. This change in policy was caused by a change...Show moreThe UK Conservative Party transitioned from a party that sought closer relations with the European continent, to a party that sought to leave the EU. This change in policy was caused by a change within the dominant faction of the UK Conservative Party. The neoliberal faction of the party was replaced by the nationalist faction within the party over time. This process was sped up by the increasingly nationalist rhetoric of Thatcher, a lack of decisive neoliberal leadership following her premiership, and external electoral pressures such as the rise of UKIP. When Cameron was elected leader of the Conservative Party and sought to return to neoliberalism, the party had already reached a tipping point, and he was forced to grant concessions to rebellious backbench EMPs, further emboldening the nationalist faction. Eventually, the party resorted to holding the 'in-or-out' Brexit referendum that started the departure of the UK from the EU.Show less
This dissertation examines the role youth participation in South Korean politics had on the eventual impeachment of Park Geun-hee. In order to conduct this research properly, the literature on...Show moreThis dissertation examines the role youth participation in South Korean politics had on the eventual impeachment of Park Geun-hee. In order to conduct this research properly, the literature on political participation, political apathy and relative deprivation were studied. Furthermore, this study provides an in-depth analysis on the history of student activism in South Korea since the Korean War which showed the long-lasting history of political participation under younger generations in South Korea. This tradition was further highlighted during the impeachment vigils against president Park Geun-hee, as student protests ignited the investigation into her and her allies. Moreover, this study researched he approval rates of Park Geun-hee during her time as president of South Korea, and looked into the connection between its fluctuation and student movements during her regime. This study shows the strength and long history of student movements in South Korea, as well as emphasizes how the nature of student movements has changed over the last few decades. Finally this study highlights the importance students had in the beginning of Park’s investigation and the start of country wide protests against the former president.Show less
The 2001 war in the Islamic State of Afghanistan has devastated the lives and livelihoods of millions of Afghans, and drew in the international community in the pursuit of establishing a peaceful...Show moreThe 2001 war in the Islamic State of Afghanistan has devastated the lives and livelihoods of millions of Afghans, and drew in the international community in the pursuit of establishing a peaceful Afghanistan. On the 29th of February 2020, the US and the Taliban signed an agreement to bring peace to Afghanistan, the Doha Agreement. While the peace developments remain in uncharted territory, China has been taken on a more prominent role in supporting the peace processes in Afghanistan by facilitating peace talks, fostering regional cooperation through the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA). Then, how is China’s broader engagement in Afghanistan contributing to the peacebuilding processes in Afghanistan? By using a combined approach to peacebuilding, this research reviews China's contribution in the dimensions of jump-starting the national economy, re-establishing the framework of governance, repairing key transportation, communication and utility networks, rebuilding key social infrastructure, assisting local population, demine where applicable and normalise financial borrowing and the Chinese behaviour toward the non-state armed actor, the Taliban. This research concludes that China's involvement does not conclusively contribute to, nor hinder, the peacebuilding efforts. Rather, China’s contributions to the Afghan peace occur largely in the economic sphere, through investment in Afghan infrastructure and the normalisation of financial borrowing, and by posing as a mediator between parties involved in the Afghan conflict, notably the Taliban.Show less
The thesis explores the different opinions of three different EU institutions (The European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union) about the future of the...Show moreThe thesis explores the different opinions of three different EU institutions (The European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union) about the future of the European Stability Mechanism.Show less
This thesis compares two Indonesian cash transfer programs, the Bantuan Langsun Tunai (BLT) and the Program Keluarga Harapan (PKH), in order to find whether conditional or unconditional cash...Show moreThis thesis compares two Indonesian cash transfer programs, the Bantuan Langsun Tunai (BLT) and the Program Keluarga Harapan (PKH), in order to find whether conditional or unconditional cash transfer programs prove more effective in improving the future investments of participants. This is studied by looking at the effect of the program on the education and healthcare of participants, the effect on the expenditures of participants and finally on the labour incentive of participants. The study shows that the conditions applied in the PKH were slightly more effective in increasing future investments of participants, however that the complex implementation of a conditional program and the lacking of an administrative system to support this in Indonesia, prevents the program from reaching an optimal result.Show less
Twelve centuries after his death, the Persian poet Jalal al-Din Rumi has become the best-selling poet in the United States and gathered a massive popularity globally, following the English...Show moreTwelve centuries after his death, the Persian poet Jalal al-Din Rumi has become the best-selling poet in the United States and gathered a massive popularity globally, following the English translations of his works. Today, numerous brands owe their name to Rumi. Although this trend started in the United States, in the Netherlands, too, the iconic figure of Rumi has been commodified. The aim of this thesis is to elaborate on how Rumi's contested identity is being claimed so as to befit brand identities in the Netherands. An in-depth Analysis of two cases within the Netherlands where Rumi's name served as an identity marker for marketing purposes will aid answering the question.Show less
