This research discusses whether male authors sexually objectify their female characters in comparison to female authors. This was done by analysing two classic and two contemporary fiction novels...Show moreThis research discusses whether male authors sexually objectify their female characters in comparison to female authors. This was done by analysing two classic and two contemporary fiction novels each by male and female American authors. These novels were chosen because of their similarities and because they feature a male protagonist who narrates the story. The novels were analysed for phrases used to describe the female characters appearance and these descriptions were compared to the novels of the opposite gender to check for any sexual objectification. The results revealed that male authors were more likely to sexually objectify their female characters in comparison to female authors. However, due to the size of this research, more research must be done to understand the scale and nuances of this.Show less
Most scholars agree that the Japanese amphibious strategy is fundamentally flawed by the lack of cooperation between the Japanese Self Defense Forces’ (JSDF) ground and maritime branches, as well...Show moreMost scholars agree that the Japanese amphibious strategy is fundamentally flawed by the lack of cooperation between the Japanese Self Defense Forces’ (JSDF) ground and maritime branches, as well as the latter’s lack of dedicated amphibious capabilities. However, while the struggles of the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) have been extensively documented in papers and interviews by academics, retired JGSDF and United States Marine Corps (USMC) officers, research on its Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) counterpart has lagged behind. The JMSDF’s amphibious warfare unit, counterintuitively or perhaps fittingly called the Mine Warfare Force (MWF), is only mentioned contextually, and portrayed as an inadequate JMSDF counterpart to the JGSDF’s marines. Yet, the archipelago nation, standing as the greatest obstacle to China's seaward expansion, cannot afford to possess ineffective amphibious forces. Whether it is from the perspective of containing, deterring, or fighting the People's Liberation Army (PLA), for Japan, the ability to quickly deploy and sustain forces on its islands is essential. Why was arguably the most professional Navy in Asia unable to develop an effective amphibious counterpart for Japan's naval infantry? By conducting a comprehensive analysis of Japanese naval literature from official and quasi-official sources, this thesis aims to demonstrate that, contrary to common wisdom, neither Japan's pacifist nature nor a preconceived lack of JMSDF interest in amphibious capabilities shaped this result. Instead, the deeper reasons for this failure must be sought in intra- and inter-organizational politics within the JSDF. To prove this point, the thesis will analyze the MWF's evolution from its inception to the present day, focusing on three transformational moments that occurred in the periods of 2011 to 2013, 2014 to 2017, and 2018 to 2023.Show less
Subnational climate diplomacy is a concept that has been gaining attention in the field of International Relations in recent years. It refers to the way in which state and local governments are...Show moreSubnational climate diplomacy is a concept that has been gaining attention in the field of International Relations in recent years. It refers to the way in which state and local governments are increasingly taking part in international negotiations and cooperation to advance global climate objectives. This signifies a sizable shift in the traditional approach to state-to-state diplomacy. However, the value of subnational climate diplomacy to the global fight against climate change is currently almost exclusively measured in terms of clearly quantifiable outputs, which largely overlooks its less directly quantifiable contributions and broader social, economic and political impacts. Therefore, this thesis analyzes how subnational climate diplomacy can contribute to transformative change through more indirect impacts. The indirect impacts that are measured are ‘rescaling’ and ‘entrenchment,’ based on the frameworks developed by authors van der Ven, Bernstein and Hoffmann (2017) and Setzer (2017). These two concepts serve to guide the analysis undertaken in this thesis, which aims to answer the following research question: How can subnational climate diplomacy contribute to transformative change through rescaling and entrenchment? To answer this question, the thesis includes a detailed case study of the international climate agenda of the U.S. state of California. The analysis of California's international climate agenda shows how the state’s subnational climate diplomacy is contributing to a rescaling of climate governance. By establishing international linkages along both the vertical and the horizontal axis, California is triggering a rescaling of climate governance on the subnational, national and international/supranational level. Additionally, California’s subnational climate diplomacy is fostering entrenchment by generating effects in climate governance that are durable and difficult to reverse. Overall, this study emphasizes that subnational climate diplomacy can contribute to transformative change in global climate governance, not only through producing directly quantifiable emission reductions, but also through rescaling climate governance and entrenching durable change.Show less
The world has witnessed many years of advocacy and attempts to improve the lives of menstruating women. This was done by trying to address access to sanitary products and facilities, as well as a...Show moreThe world has witnessed many years of advocacy and attempts to improve the lives of menstruating women. This was done by trying to address access to sanitary products and facilities, as well as a non-material threat – the menstrual stigma. Kenya is no exception to this, and in fact, it has been considered at the forefront of menstrual awareness campaigns in the Global South with its ‘free pads for schoolgirls’ policy and menstrual health management agenda. Yet in the context of all that, 2019 was shaken by a girl committing suicide after feeling the shame of leaking in school, and 2023 began with a “scandal” of a Kenyan senator who was sent home for wearing blood-stained pants. These medialized events and many others happening in the private lives of ordinary people highlight that the menstrual stigma is still very present and powerful. For this reason, this research attempted to find out how women in Kenya talk about menstruation in a private, family context in ways that influence the cultural knowledge and understanding of young women, and how these young women engage with this information to reinforce or change perceptions. It was found that there is still considerable silence and stigma surrounding the transmission of period-related knowledge, which reproduces menstrual stigma among young women. Nonetheless, the younger generation is influenced by their own experience, current campaigns, and social media to become more open and approachable parents in the future.Show less
Research master thesis | Middle Eastern Studies (research) (MA)
open access
This study seeks to account for the atrocious violence perpetrated by the Assad regime in response to the Syrian uprising that erupted in 2011. Academic scholarship, media reports, and public...Show moreThis study seeks to account for the atrocious violence perpetrated by the Assad regime in response to the Syrian uprising that erupted in 2011. Academic scholarship, media reports, and public opinion tend to understand the state’s violence against its civilians as a resort to exceptional means under exceptional circumstances. This study, in contrast, contends that atrocious violence constitutes a well-established practice, core to this regime’s modus operandi. The study’s objective is to substantiate, illustrate, and critically assess the proposition that atrocious violence perpetrated by the Assad regime is best understood not as a series of incidental exceptional ‘events’ but as a core practice, consisting of a set of sub-practices. The thesis analyzes a selection of primary and secondary sources in answering the research question ‘How to account for the Assad regime’s atrociously violent response to the popular uprising in 2011?’. Primary sources include leaked government documents, legal testimonies, speeches, and memoirs, operationalized with the help of the praxeology research method and a single case-study design. The massacre in Houla in 2012 serves as a primary case study, a narrative anchor from which to assess the strength of the proposition that the regime’s response to the 2011 popular uprising is best understood as the manifestation of a long-standing practice of atrocious state violence sustained by a set of subpractices that effectively make it virtuous across time and space. Specifically, the study identifies the sub-practices of legalizing atrocious violence, narrativizing reality, and consolidating the perpetrator elite.Show less
The number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Honduras has increased more than eight-fold over the past decade, yet assistance from governmental and non-governmental organizations has been...Show moreThe number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Honduras has increased more than eight-fold over the past decade, yet assistance from governmental and non-governmental organizations has been lacking. By contrast, Colombia’s internal displacement crisis has been handled much more comprehensively through numerous IDP support projects. The present thesis investigates whether these Colombian IDP support projects could also be implemented in Honduras to alleviate the crisis there. Specifically, two such projects were used as case studies, with their applicability to the Honduran context being assessed using Williams and Dzhekova’s (2014) Framework for evaluating transferability and applicability of policy initiatives. The analysis found that while many elements of Colombian IDP support projects are transferable to Honduras, the country faces certain challenges to a larger extent than Colombia, affecting project transferability negatively. These challenges include the comparatively weak institutionalization of indigenous administrations, higher corruption and potential for instability in political institutions, lower levels of education and community strength among IDPs, and fewer skilled staff in local state institutions. This thesis thus recommends adaptation of the project elements affected by these challenges to increase the chances of success for IDP support projects in Honduras.Show less
This essay seeks to justify the thesis that illusionism collapses into either realism or eliminativism, depending on the way illusionists interpret the illusory appearances. The first, and most...Show moreThis essay seeks to justify the thesis that illusionism collapses into either realism or eliminativism, depending on the way illusionists interpret the illusory appearances. The first, and most natural interpretation states that the appearances at issue are phenomenal. However, if we take it that phenomenal appearances cannot themselves be objects of illusions (as NARG suggests), we must conclude that the illusionist position 'crumbles' into realism. The alternative is to opt for an epistemic reading. Although it proves to be more difficult, I argue that a strong case can be made for it. The downside, though, is that an epistemic reading would abolish the distinction between illusionism and eliminativism. The result: the former would dissolve into the latter.Show less
In recent years, Automated Influence, understood as “the use of artificial intelligence to collect, integrate and analyse people’s data, and to deliver targeted interventions based on this analysis...Show moreIn recent years, Automated Influence, understood as “the use of artificial intelligence to collect, integrate and analyse people’s data, and to deliver targeted interventions based on this analysis, intended to shape their behaviour” (familiarly referred to as ‘algorithms’) has stirred up many debates among the public, as well as within academia (Benn & Lazar 2022, 127). While much of the discussion has focused primarily on issues of privacy in the light of Big Data, this thesis seeks to analyze how Automated Influence impacts the deliberative, discursive, and fundamentally social space on which society depends on, in particular for collective decision-making/politics. I argue that Automated Influence deployed on social media platforms violates people’s fundamental interest in social agency, which is defined as the ability of a person to act and reflect on her own motives all the while taking part in the fundamentally social process of forming, defending, and adapting the reasons according to which she acts. Moreover, it undermines people’s autonomy and social trust, which both serve as preconditions for their exercise social agency. After reviewing contemporary EU regulation seeking to address some of the problematic aspects related to Automated Influence, I explain why there cannot be a purely top-down approach to mitigating the harms emanating from Automated Influence, which results in my conclusion that only through educating people about its potential harms could mitigate the problem in the long run.Show less
