The energy sector’s role in addressing climate change is undeniable. Accounting for over 73.2% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, the transition will require the engagement of all...Show moreThe energy sector’s role in addressing climate change is undeniable. Accounting for over 73.2% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, the transition will require the engagement of all stakeholders, from citizens to industry leaders. Trade-offs in terms of sustainable development, energy equity and energy security have led to increased calls for the grounding of policy in principles of justice to ensure a societally benefitial transition for all. However, the issue is complexified by the notion that reduced inequalities with regards to one principle of justice can aggreative inequalities within other justice principles. Thus, there is a need to evaluate energy transition policy from a comprehensive justice perspective. This study conducts qualitiative content analysis of Swedish national energy policies and climate action plans in the time period 2018-2024 from a comprehensive energy justice lens. It furthers the literature on energy justice by investigating to what extent Swedish national energy transition policy advances comprehensive energy justice. Building on pervious research the comprehensive energy justice framework encompasses principles of procedural justice, distributional justice, recognition justice and restorative justice. Contrary to the theoretical expectation, the findings show that comprehensive energy justice has not been advanced in the investigated time period.Show less
Irrigation is essential for agricultural crop transformation. In line with this, the African Union created the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme to ambitiously ensure greater...Show moreIrrigation is essential for agricultural crop transformation. In line with this, the African Union created the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Programme to ambitiously ensure greater food self-sufficiency through water management or irrigation governance. Although current literature acknowledges the causal significance of governance for irrigation schemes’ effectiveness, little scholarly work measures effectiveness as equitable irrigation access across East and Southern Africa. Thus, in this study, the influence of irrigation governance in determining the presence of equitable irrigation across Tanzania as a country located in East and Southern Africa is deductively investigated. Drawing from critical commons scholarship on irrigation schemes, irrigation governance modes, and institutions within irrigation governance alongside farmers’ collective participation, this study focuses on irrigation scheme associations’ collective participation and local state irrigation authorities' legitimisation. It’s fundamentally hypothesised that irrigation governance is a determinant of equitable irrigation access through irrigation scheme associations’ collective participation and local state irrigation authorities’ legitimisation across Tanzania. Results from this study’s deductive theory-testing process tracing reveal that though irrigation scheme associations and the National Irrigation Commission alongside the Ministry of Water and Irrigation are central within Tanzania’s irrigation schemes, petition advocacy is absent as an avenue of collective participation. Therefore, future, inductive theory-building process tracing is needed to comparatively ascertain the causal mechanism underlying irrigation governance and equitable irrigation within Tanzania and beyond.Show less
This study examines the language used in RTLM broadcasts during the Rwandan Genocide, conducting sentiment analysis with the Python tool VADER to explore the role of propaganda in disseminating...Show moreThis study examines the language used in RTLM broadcasts during the Rwandan Genocide, conducting sentiment analysis with the Python tool VADER to explore the role of propaganda in disseminating hate speech. The research investigates the changing rhetoric and discourse targeted towards the Tutsi ethnic minority, seeking to understand the role of language in intensifying ethnic polarization. By decoding the destabilizing effects of the broadcast language, the research aims to answer the research question: "How did the use of language towards the Tutsi minority group in the RTLM broadcasts change throughout the Rwandan genocide?" The findings contribute to understanding the powerful influence of propaganda on intergroup relations and the perpetuation of genocidal sentiments.Show less
The informal economy is ever-present in developing countries. It is present in any worker and small business out of the state’s regulatory environment. Moreover, high poverty rates are also present...Show moreThe informal economy is ever-present in developing countries. It is present in any worker and small business out of the state’s regulatory environment. Moreover, high poverty rates are also present in such developing countries. Therefore, finding a way to address the informal economy to see whether poverty can be reduced is paramount. Thus, this thesis will explore the research question of: What state interventions to the informal economy can affect the countries’ poverty rates across different levels of economic development? For this purpose, this research will explore two state interventions: those facilitating business formalization and those providing social protection. By analyzing over 100 countries and conducting a multiple linear regression, this research has found a statistical effect of state interventions on the countries’ poverty rates. The findings show that state interventions can affect the poverty rates of developing countries. However, such an effect is contingent on matters such as the level of corruption and government effectiveness. Thus, these findings pave the way for future focus on how the countries’ institutional environment must be addressed when looking into how to target the informal economy to reduce poverty.Show less
This thesis examines the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on transatlantic relations through a neoclassical realist perspective. It tests the hypothesis that the sustained conflict would...Show moreThis thesis examines the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on transatlantic relations through a neoclassical realist perspective. It tests the hypothesis that the sustained conflict would foster nationalist and regionalist sentiment, leading to continued divergence in the transatlantic alliance. The paper does this by employing a holistic grading method to analyze nationalist and European regionalist rhetoric in speeches from key Western leaders, specifically French President Emmanuel Macron, American President Joe Biden, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Contrary to initial expectations, the findings indicate that nationalist and European regionalist sentiments have not significantly increased among these leaders. Consequently, the US-EU relationship remains on a convergent path, suggesting resilience in the liberal international order.Show less
This paper analyses the strategic evolution of France and India in response to the intensification of Sino-American great power competition. The theoretical foundation is that the world order...Show moreThis paper analyses the strategic evolution of France and India in response to the intensification of Sino-American great power competition. The theoretical foundation is that the world order transitioned to multiplexity. A multiplex world order is defined by interaction capacity, which is a state’s capability to move ideas, goods, people, money, and armed forces across the system. A key observation is that emerging powers can more easily assume leadership positions in a multiplex world than during polarity. The case study of France and India demonstrates that both states recognise a changing world order. As an established middle power, France is concerned about a changing order. India, on the other hand, views it as a chance to gain power and influence. Both focus on diplomacy and capacity-building measures in their relationships with others, especially other middle powers. Additionally, both reject balancing and bandwagoning while instead building strategic autonomy. The study underscores how multiplexity empowers middle powers to strengthen their autonomy and actively shape global dynamics amid great power competition, contributing to a deeper understanding of contemporary international relations.Show less
