The research will carry out a multidisciplinary socio-economic approach to the phenomenon of 'State Capitalism' in Brazil. The term is an expression that designates the mechanism of a political...Show moreThe research will carry out a multidisciplinary socio-economic approach to the phenomenon of 'State Capitalism' in Brazil. The term is an expression that designates the mechanism of a political-economic nature that manifests itself in the relations established between the State, through its public agents and high-level politicians, and large private economic actors (or business groups). It is about Brazilian-style capitalism, with the term crony capitalism as a correspondent, a phenomenon that has been the object of interdisciplinary studies, notably in the areas of Political Sciences, Economics and Law. In this context, the main gaps and bottlenecks that favor or stimulate the use of state- owned companies and banks as institutional channels for shady negotiations, which involve the exchange of favors and distribution of privileges, engendered between the ruling political class and, preponderantly, large private capital, will be object of deep analysis. Such insidious relations may culminate in reverse income transfer, loss of economic efficiency due to misallocation of scarce economic resources, constitution of oligopolies and market reserves, misalignment with the State's social policy projects, and increase in opportunity costs. The patrimonialist and personalist culture underlying the economic and social relations in Brazil has as a probable historical element the model of colonization and extractive exploitation imposed by the Portuguese colonizers, through the formation of the first government structures and the bureaucratic institutional design conceived by the colonizers in their exploratory enterprise. In addition to the historical and cultural value of understanding the phenomenon of 'capitalism of ties' existing in Brazil, as a legacy of the model of exploitation established in this country, its relevant economic and social impacts on public management and Brazilian politics are highlighted. With greater importance, the issues related to governance in state-owned companies and their effects on the political and economic spheres, which constantly lead to the destabilization and weakening of the republican state system, with impacts on representative democracy itself and on the implementation of state policies in the medium and long term. Direct effects can thus be observed in the level of trust of citizens in their public managers and political representatives, undermined by the personalistic and patrimonialist management of large companies and state-owned banks, by the opacity in the process of accountability to society in relation to the investment policies of these companies and by the promiscuous relationships that often permeate the negotiations between these companies, the ruling political class and its support base.Show less
To what extent and in what way does the Quinceañera tradition serve as a platform for negotiating and challenging traditional representations of women's attire and appearance among second...Show moreTo what extent and in what way does the Quinceañera tradition serve as a platform for negotiating and challenging traditional representations of women's attire and appearance among second-generation Mexican-American youth in San Diego, U.S.?Show less
This thesis analyses the massive sterilization campaigns as a public policy of family planning and its impact on the essential rights of citizens during the government of Alberto Fujimori in Peru....Show moreThis thesis analyses the massive sterilization campaigns as a public policy of family planning and its impact on the essential rights of citizens during the government of Alberto Fujimori in Peru. Chapter 1 points to the fact that forced sterilizations as a violation of human rights in Peru is part of a wider phenomenon observed in other contexts. Similarly, this thesis organizes the discussion around central elements of human rights relevant to the specific case of productive rights. The analysis is structured from a demographic perspective, considering the relationship between poverty and birth rate and patient rights. Empirical analysis focuses on the perception of upper-middle-class youth in Lima about the relationship between poverty and birth control policies.Show less
Climate change has presented a threat during the last decade, as ecological systems are unstable and cannot regulate themselves anymore. In current times, the world is connected more than ever...Show moreClimate change has presented a threat during the last decade, as ecological systems are unstable and cannot regulate themselves anymore. In current times, the world is connected more than ever especially in regards to agricultural production such as banana production. In that way, for consumers, it is essential to be aware of their role as buyer and consumer and the impact their behaviour may have on nature and society. Especially, with the pressuring foreign demand for bananas which increased in the past years substantially. They must also understand how this impacts the sustainability of the banana production and its environmental consequences on the labour conditions of banana workers. In that way, this thesis will explore the Fairtrade banana production in Ecuadorian province of El Oro, by putting the fairness in Fairtrade into question. Additionally, small farmers from the Global South are responsible for at best 70 percent of the global food supply production, while at the same time they depend on the trade of their agricultural products as a source of income. Precisely, the province El Oro represents one of the three principal export-producers in the nation, containing the highest number of producers, and by being involved with Fairtrade International, this makes the El Oro banana production an intriguing case study.Show less
Durante los últimos diez años, el fenómeno del ‘body count’o los llamados falsos positivos de Colombia se ha convertido en un objeto de análisis relevante dentro de los ámbitos jurídicos,...Show moreDurante los últimos diez años, el fenómeno del ‘body count’o los llamados falsos positivos de Colombia se ha convertido en un objeto de análisis relevante dentro de los ámbitos jurídicos, académicos y periodísticos ya que hace parte de uno de los episodios más oscuros de la historia reciente en América Latina y en una de las prácticas de violencia estatal que aún hoy se trata de esclarecer. Esta investigación tiene como objetivo identificar los factores que permiten caracterizar el fenómeno de los falsos positivos como una práctica de terrorismo de Estado, haciendo énfasis en las medidas y estrategias de contrainsurgencia adoptadas desde el Estado colombiano para que estos hechos tuvieran lugar. A pesar de la considerable cantidad de producción investigativa sobre el fenómeno, una proporción importante de los análisis se aborda desde un carácter prevalentemente jurídico. Esta tesis, por lo tanto, analiza la práctica de los falsos positivos desde una mirada interdisciplinaria que integra perspectivas sociológicas, históricas y jurídicas.Show less
This thesis examines the role of social media in the Paro Nacional movement in Colombia in 2019-2020. Through a study of relevant literature, news articles, and a quantitative and qualitative...Show moreThis thesis examines the role of social media in the Paro Nacional movement in Colombia in 2019-2020. Through a study of relevant literature, news articles, and a quantitative and qualitative investigation of social media use, this analysis of social movement structures and the Paro Nacional movement leads to the identification of three functions of social media.Show less
Esta investigación utiliza un modelo de medición de la Capacidad de Estado alternativo a los comúnmente usados, la capacidad de hacer cumplir los marcos regulatorios. El enfoque del tema es la...Show moreEsta investigación utiliza un modelo de medición de la Capacidad de Estado alternativo a los comúnmente usados, la capacidad de hacer cumplir los marcos regulatorios. El enfoque del tema es la medición de la Capacidad de Estado de la República Dominicana, aplicando un modelo, fruto de la reelaboración del trabajo de Queiroz Cunha, Pereira y de Ávila Gomide (2017), al Sector Eléctrico del estado caribeño desde su privatización y capitalización en la década de los 1990. Según el modelo considerado, los aspectos que serán medidos son la Especialización, la Autonomía, y la Cohesión de las instituciones reguladoras del sector. La Especialización es la preparación y la capacidad de los miembros y funcionarios de las instituciones, que tienen que ser elegidos por ser competentes; la Autonomía es la posibilidad de las instituciones de tomar e implementar decisiones en su campo sin la influencia de los gobiernos o de los otros actores; y la Cohesión es la capacidad de las instituciones para evitar redundancias y contradicciones.Show less
Costa Rica has set ambitious goals regarding climate issues. It strives to be carbon neutral in 2021, and aims to completely decarbonize their economy by 2050. The state of the transport and...Show moreCosta Rica has set ambitious goals regarding climate issues. It strives to be carbon neutral in 2021, and aims to completely decarbonize their economy by 2050. The state of the transport and infrastructure in Costa Rica are therefore a thorn in the side for both civil society and policymakers. In light of the issues in this sector the government has formulated several policies with the goal to transform the transport sector, creating a clean, efficient and safe system of transport and infrastructure. Some of these policies will be discussed in this thesis, namely the Plan de Descarbonización 2018-2050, the Plan Integral de Movilidad Urbana Sostenible, and the Plan Nacional de Transporte 2011-2035. The focus of this thesis will be on the mechanisms behind these policies. As such, some key questions that will be addressed are: how is the policymaking process designed? Who are the actors in this process? What institutions are involved and how is coordination shaped? Where lie the biggest challenges in the implementation of these policies? As it currently is, the transport sector suffers from high degrees of fragmentation, with many institutions involved and no clear leadership. It is a very interesting subject for study, as these mechanisms are the foundations on which the implementation of the policy builds. Without proper understanding of the interactions and challenges that one is faced with in this sector, effective implementation of the policies, and therefore the reaching of the climate goals becomes less feasible. . The facilitation of the implementation of the plans through institutional transformation is argued to be the absolute priority for the achievement of the goals and objectives as proposed in the policies that will be discussed in this thesis. The expectation is that the Costa Rican public administration for the transport sector will require a comprehensive reform, and as it stands it lacks the capacity to push for such reform. In the first chapter of this thesis the conceptual and theoretical basis for the analysis of the transport sector will be laid. Here the concepts of the public policy process in Latin America, Neo-institutionalism, and Public-Private Partnerships will be discussed and put into perspective of how they can be used to analyse the Costa Rican transport and infrastructure sector. The second chapter will offer the contextualization of the topic of study. The chapter is organised chronologically and starts with the economic crisis of the 1980s in Costa Rica. The chapter then continues to address the state reform during the 1980s and 1990s, followed by the developments of the past twenty years. It concludes with a brief overview of the current situation and policies in the transport and infrastructure sector. The third and final chapter’s focus will be the analysis of the policies discussed using the concepts as discussed in the first chapter, looking into the mechanisms behind these policies and the actors involved in the process. The chapter starts with an analysis of the policy process, followed by an analysis of the role and functioning of the institutions involved. The chapter concludes with a discussion on the use of public-private partnerships and the challenges the public administration if faced with regarding coordination between the sectors.Show less
Since 2010, Brazil has been receiving an increase in the numbers of refugees. It is presumed that the protagonist in assisting the integration of refugees are the NGOs and not the state. NGOs are...Show moreSince 2010, Brazil has been receiving an increase in the numbers of refugees. It is presumed that the protagonist in assisting the integration of refugees are the NGOs and not the state. NGOs are known for providing aid, social services and advocacy for groups and minorities that are marginalized. Currently, there are approximately 100 NGOs supporting and representing refugees in Brazil; it is the largest refugee support network in Latin America. This study seeks to answer the question with respect to which measures have NGOs adopted to assist the integration and non-discrimination of refugees in the Brazilian labor market and whether such measures reach beyond NGOs role as a support structure by replacing the role of the state and its responsibility to provide refugees of their (human) rights. To answer this research question, eight NGOs and three professionals in the area were interviewed during a field research that took place between July and November 2020. The research shows that the NGOs have taken two categories of measures as a means to address both the refugees, and the host society and private sector with the purpose of enhancing the effect and reachability of their role in the integration and non-discrimination of refugees in the Brazilian labor market. This research found that the NGOs and the public intuitions have a vast network in respect of refugees; however, it can also vary between states. It further found that there are two different opinions among the NGOs regarding their relationship with the state.Show less
