Far-right has been a traditional debate and conflicting phenomenon since 1945. In this thesis I aim to demonstrate the changes that far-right discourse has undergone during the fourth-wave of far...Show moreFar-right has been a traditional debate and conflicting phenomenon since 1945. In this thesis I aim to demonstrate the changes that far-right discourse has undergone during the fourth-wave of far-right. In this analysis we use as a starting point, ‘the winning formula’ of Kitschelt that mainly indicates how the far-right tends to adopt the economical aspect in their discourse, especially in times of great social despair. In order to demonstrate this change, we are examining in this paper the following cases: the case of Golden Dawn, National Front and UKIP. In these cases, we are examining the political discourse of the parties, the relationship between the discourse and a crisis, to what extent the far-right is a danger to the present political system and lastly, their eurosceptical aspect. By answering these questions, and by proving the strong presence of economy within the far-right’s discourse, we aim to highlight the changes that the far-right has undergone, and how these changes are a path to normalization.Show less
This thesis aims to explore the recent depictions of robots through the close reading of two science fiction works published within the last few years, in order to unveil the shifting,...Show moreThis thesis aims to explore the recent depictions of robots through the close reading of two science fiction works published within the last few years, in order to unveil the shifting, contradictory attitudes society has with regards to the artificial companions which continue to grow increasingly prevalent in our present-day lives. Both literary case studies exhibit the challenges of navigating a balanced hierarchy of power relations between robots and humans, because despite the mental and physical superiority of human replicas, their status as machines means robots are decidedly treated like slaves. Moreover, the thesis aims to demonstrate how both novels raise thought-provoking questions about humans' moral shortcomings in the face of their law-abiding and potentially messianic robot counterparts.Show less
This thesis examines the way in which the novels Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents present inequality based on disability, gender, class, religion and race and critically examines the...Show moreThis thesis examines the way in which the novels Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents present inequality based on disability, gender, class, religion and race and critically examines the intersections between these socioeconomic inequalities. This thesis focuses on the concept of change. Butler utilises science fiction — the genre of change — to critique social inequality on the basis of disability, gender, class, religion and race by founding Earthseed — the religion of change. Intersectionality is a tool, or lens, that aids in achieving change.Show less
In this thesis the Dementor from the Harry Potter series is studied as a monster within the framework of monster theory. The Dementor is read as a symbol for depression.
Sometimes, legislative anomalies codify societal discrimination based on the mass psyche, consequently marginalizing the very communities legislators serve. This thesis explores the intersection of...Show moreSometimes, legislative anomalies codify societal discrimination based on the mass psyche, consequently marginalizing the very communities legislators serve. This thesis explores the intersection of sex work and welfare systems by using the lens of exclusionary legal diktats to demonstrate how the ensuing ambiguity of laws contort the lives of sex workers in the geography of my research - Sweden and the Netherlands. I conclude my study with specific recommendations based on academic research and the lived experiences of sex workers in the geographical area of my study.Show less
The world’s biggest nickel producer and owner of the largest nickel reserve, Indonesia, has banned the export of its nickel ore two years ahead of schedule in 2020. This action prompted the...Show moreThe world’s biggest nickel producer and owner of the largest nickel reserve, Indonesia, has banned the export of its nickel ore two years ahead of schedule in 2020. This action prompted the European Union to file a complaint at the World Trade Organization in November 2019. Two years later, the Panel has ruled in favor of the European Union. Specifically, Indonesia’s export prohibition and domestic processing requirement on nickel ore were deemed inconsistent with the prohibition of export prohibitions and restrictions under the purview of Article XI:1 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Instead of backing down, Indonesia has now appealed the Panel Report to the Appellate Body. This thesis draws from International Compliance Theory and combines the management approach and enforcement approach. Through descriptive qualitative analysis utilizing primary and secondary resources, it aims to investigate the reasons behind Indonesia's non-compliance. Indonesia’s appeal and persistent downstreaming efforts are deeply rooted in its ambition to reach high-income status by 2045, thus shedding light on the political-economic significance of the nickel sector. Lack of clarity on exemptions regarding export restrictions and inactive Appellate Body further provides an opportunity to prolong non-compliance with WTO Ruling.Show less
The rise of right-wing populism has received much attention in academic literature. However, most of the research on right-wing populism focuses on what drives the electoral success of these...Show moreThe rise of right-wing populism has received much attention in academic literature. However, most of the research on right-wing populism focuses on what drives the electoral success of these parties. Less light has been shed on factors that mitigate voting on right-wing populist parties, although there are indicators that the welfare state can play a key role here. Therefore, this thesis investigates the relationship between welfare state generosity and right-wing populist vote share. Using a Tobit analysis, this thesis analyses 91 elections in 16 countries over the period 1997-2018. The results of this model indicate that a generous welfare state can weaken the positive effect of trade globalization on electoral support for right-wing populist parties.Show less
The Occupy movement remains one of the defining aspects of political life in the early 2010s as a global social movement attempting to address the concerns of post-2008 politics. Drawing...Show moreThe Occupy movement remains one of the defining aspects of political life in the early 2010s as a global social movement attempting to address the concerns of post-2008 politics. Drawing inspiration from preceding movements and inspiring movements to come, its insistence on not articulating concrete demands as well as its dependence on pre-figurative politics was met simultaneously with amazement by activists and confusion by those attempting to grasp the movement. Through its global diffusion, beginning with Occupy Wall Street in New York and spreading all over the world, Occupy became a global phenomenon, entering the realm of international relations, with individual movements acting as agents that influence local and international politics, and the overall movement serving as connector between local actors on a global scale. Social movement theory often models mobilisation as happening either directly, through contact with activists, or indirectly, through equivalences in structure, demographic, or culture to other activists. The mobilisation and global diffusion of the Occupy movement however challenged both of these models, with local movements often self-mobilising and demonstrating a high level of heterogeneity in demographic make-up, social position, or movement culture. This thesis sets out to address this challenge by analysing the narratives put forward by Occupy movements as movement-building relays which aid the self-mobilisation of new activists. It argues that the common element between movements, as well as the potential for its global diffusion through self-mobilisation is not to be found in the narratives’ content, but rather in their structural aspects serving as movement-building relays. For this, 27 documents published by local Occupy movements were analysed in a structural-narratological approach. The thesis identifies relevant movement-building relays in the temporal, spatial, actantial, and social structures of the Occupy Wall Street narrative and traces their diffusion to the narratives of other local movements within the Occupy movement. Through this analysis, the thesis offers a novel approach to the study of contemporary global social movements whose diffusion is more often based on self-mobilisation and who demonstrate high levels of heterogeneity. Through the study of the Occupy movement, it thus seeks to provide a framework for which contemporary global social movements can be understood better.Show less
Climate change, environmental regulation, and the transition to renewable energy sources have a significant impact on the private and professional lives of workers in all parts of the world. In the...Show moreClimate change, environmental regulation, and the transition to renewable energy sources have a significant impact on the private and professional lives of workers in all parts of the world. In the absence of international law, multinational corporations (MNCs) are often relocating production to countries with insufficient social and environmental legislation, for the sake of profit maximalisation. Global union federations (GUFs) have started negotiating global framework agreements (GFAs) with MNC management to ensure the social rights of MNC employees in countries with inadequate legislation. As environmental strategies of MNCs are increasingly affecting employees, GFAs have been portrayed as a platform for union involvement in environmental issues. This thesis has investigated the potential of the inclusion of environmental issues in the GFA between the MNC Safran and IndustriALL Global Union. The results indicated that while the environmental clauses of the GFA had little concrete impact, the benefits of the inclusion are two-fold. Firstly, the creation of transnational social dialogue on the topic increased worker involvement on the MNC!s environmental strategy. Secondly, the GFA created conflict resolution for potential future labour conflict on environmental issues.Show less
A Gaze into the Past explores the evolution of Laura Mulvey's influential theory of the male gaze from its cinematic origins to its expansion into broader societal contexts, offering fresh...Show moreA Gaze into the Past explores the evolution of Laura Mulvey's influential theory of the male gaze from its cinematic origins to its expansion into broader societal contexts, offering fresh perspectives on gender, sexuality, and societal hierarchies. Marlieke van der Veer researches through two case studies of collections of erotic art in Pompeii, namely the Lupanar and the House of Vettii, the application of the gaze theory to Roman society, focusing on the second half of the first century CE. The analysis reveals that the dominant Roman gaze was aiming at the masculinity a Roman man was expected to embody, instead of gender itself. Therefore, the Roman male gaze was specified as the masculine gaze. This gaze revolved for a large part around the active versus passive roles in sexual intercourse. The study also explored a female gaze, presenting the idealized image of the "femina bona" in contrast to the antagonist, the prostitute, with women finding subtle ways of resistance. Additionally, she introduces the intersectional gaze, inspired by Kimberlé Crenshaw's modern intersectionality framework, demonstrating how intersecting features of gender, sexuality, age, and class shaped one's position in the In-group or Out-group and highlighting moments of power for marginalized groups. In conclusion, this research offers a comprehensive understanding of how the gaze theory can be applied beyond its cinematic origins, shedding light on the complexities of societal dynamics in Roman Antiquity and potentially other historical periods.Show less
Is the term ‘hallucination’ as it is used within the context of generative AI merely a metaphor? An investigation how hallucinations arise in the human perceptual system and in modern generative AI
