This thesis analyzes security policies by the Calderon administration to determine how they were used to increase the political legitimacy of the Calderon administration after the 2006 legitimacy...Show moreThis thesis analyzes security policies by the Calderon administration to determine how they were used to increase the political legitimacy of the Calderon administration after the 2006 legitimacy crisis.Show less
International cultural relations connect a countries’ foreign policy agenda and their cultural achievements in a unique way. Therefore, this thesis compares the Austrian and the Dutch approach to...Show moreInternational cultural relations connect a countries’ foreign policy agenda and their cultural achievements in a unique way. Therefore, this thesis compares the Austrian and the Dutch approach to international cultural relations and explores the influence of its soft power projection in the international political arena. It studies the setup, the methods and the resources of the Austrian Cultural Fora and the Dutch embassies. By analysing the cultural diplomacy frameworks, this dissertation explains the incentives of the two countries to invest in cultural policies abroad. The diplomatic activities present national values and promote a politically and economically beneficial Image of the Netherlands and Austria abroad. Despite the aim to establish a coherent approach, the diplomats adapt cultural diplomacy to the political and societal circumstances in the host country to achieve both economic benefits and international cooperation. This research analyses semi-structured interviews with elites working in the field of international cultural relations at the Austrian and the Dutch Ministry for Foreign Affairs as primary sources and supports the findings with secondary literature. The thesis demonstrates that the methods and the institutions of Austrian and Dutch international cultural policy depend on the countries’ history and their foreign policy objectives.Show less
Inspired by social movements emerging across the globe such as the Occupy Movement in the United States, this master thesis investigates the influence they have on youth political socialization....Show moreInspired by social movements emerging across the globe such as the Occupy Movement in the United States, this master thesis investigates the influence they have on youth political socialization. Keeping in mind the context of western democracies and the privileged easy access to digital media and social networks, this dissertation investigates the effects of the different aspects of new social movements on youth and to what extend this can influence their participation in the political life. The literature review will go over the following topics composing the theoretical framework of this work: the civil society and public participation in western democracies on a broad level, social movement theory, the role of new social media and digital platforms in politics, and finally an overview of the literature on youth’s political participation. In order to investigate the incentives pushing younger demographics to engage in social movements such as the ones previously listed, this thesis will ask the following research question: how technology-enabled youth engage in new social movements? In attempt to answer this question, I argue that (1) new social movements are mainly structured and organized through digital platforms, using social networks to mobilize more people, and (2) young citizens in western democracies use the internet and digital platforms as an information tool and feel disconnected from the traditional political actors. This thesis will be simply structures: the first chapter will consist of an introduction of the issue addressed here. The second chapter will encompass the literature review, going over the existing literature on the framework mentioned before and the limitations it presents. The third chapter will analyse the effects of civic engagement on youth and will be followed by a case study on Occupy Wall Street, examining the role of youth and technology in that movement. The last chapter will consist of the conclusion.Show less
American superhero films have become a more popular genre in the film industry after September 11. The narrative structure has largely been the same since the start of comic books in the 1930’s;...Show moreAmerican superhero films have become a more popular genre in the film industry after September 11. The narrative structure has largely been the same since the start of comic books in the 1930’s; there is a bad guy who causes trouble, countered by a hero to save the day. The film industries basing themselves on comics serves entertainment purposes, but can they also be seen as something more politically relevant? American foreign policies have focused on the ‘war on terror’ after the September 11 terrorist attacks and an ‘us’ versus ‘them’ rhetoric has been more present ever since. The ‘axis of evil’ speeches of former president Bush jr. have been televised globally, and this mantra of ‘outsiders are enemies’ is continuously echoed in the current “from now on it will be America first” tactics of president Trump (and many more politicians worldwide). A binary division is not new in the history of mankind, especially when one examines the colonialism and imperialism of the West of past centuries. Its aftermath still has dire consequences for minorities, and it is relevant to examine whether popular culture reflects and comments on this. This thesis will analyse whether and to what extent certain policy trends and historical events are mimicked or reprimanded in the characters and narratives of box office hits of the Marvel and DC superhero films. This thesis will discuss the narratives of superhero films and their portrayal of characters with a relationship parallel to some of the American (foreign) policies of the past decades. It is important to consider to what extent government propaganda is reflected in this form of popular culture that both have a global reach and possibly extensive effects. In short, to what extent do the films reflect the fear of the ‘other’ and portray the gap between ‘us’ (heroes) and ‘the other’ (villains), and can we elucidate a tangible change in the these processes in the 2001-now timeframe?Show less
China recently revised its history textbook, such that the duration of the Second Sino-Japanese war has now been expanded from 8 years to 14 years, and this change has led to wide criticism,...Show moreChina recently revised its history textbook, such that the duration of the Second Sino-Japanese war has now been expanded from 8 years to 14 years, and this change has led to wide criticism, especially from Japan and Taiwan. Historical conflicts have always played an important role in shaping Chinese relations with Japan and Taiwan, as they cannot reach a common understanding about their shared historical memory.Regarding the Second Sino-Japanese War, each of the three sides have provided different depictions in their history textbooks. This thesis only focuses on the differences between Taiwan and Mainland China. Based on the findings above, the differences in the depictions of this war are mainly caused by the distinctive political interests and ideologies of the two sides. Furthermore, since this thesis also compares the history textbooks published on one side across time, between the 1980s and 2017, there also exist changes in a country’s political interests and ideology across time that also affect the textbooks.Show less
Blockchain technology is an innovative, new and fast growing industry, with most countries around the world uncertain on what to do with blockchain and how to react. Previous research on blockchain...Show moreBlockchain technology is an innovative, new and fast growing industry, with most countries around the world uncertain on what to do with blockchain and how to react. Previous research on blockchain has mainly focussed on bitcoin and cryptocurrency, this paper goes beyond just cryptocurrencies while also looking at the ‘why’ question to try and explain the different early responses towards blockchain by different countries. It starts with an explanation on what blockchain is and what cryptocurrencies are, it then focusses on the responses that countries took with regard to blockchain. The main goal of this paper is to categorize countries around the world on their early responses towards blockchain technology and then investigate what could explain these early responses towards blockchain technology by different countries. Economic, political and cultural variables are included to investigate a possible answer to the early responses towards blockchain.Show less
Since the conflict in Syria started in 2011, an estimated 400,000 Syrians have lost their lives. The international community has failed to prevent crimes against humanity in the Syrian context and...Show moreSince the conflict in Syria started in 2011, an estimated 400,000 Syrians have lost their lives. The international community has failed to prevent crimes against humanity in the Syrian context and has been highly criticised for its inaction and incapacity. In this thesis, the source of this inaction will be investigated. Syria has manifested a divided United Nations Security Council (UNSC), unable to unilaterally act under the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) banner. Those in favour of R2P increasingly face opposition from non-western powers. Russia has persistently opposed R2P action and advocates for a new form of R2P, the Responsibility While Protecting (RWP). The application of R2P in Libya can be identified as the reason for this shifting discourse of R2P. This thesis will argue the application of R2P in Libya led to a negative discursive shift of R2P, especially in relation to the military aspect of R2P. The focus will be on the Russian role in this shifting discourse since Russia holds a veto power in the UNSC, making it a key player in international politics. The Russian influence will be investigated through analysing two Russian UNSC speeches relating to R2P: one speech in the Libyan context, the other in the Syrian context. The speeches have been selected after thoroughly analysing all UNSC speeches dedicated to R2P. The two speeches have been chosen to analyse for they best reflect the shifting Russian discourse on R2P. A critical discourse analysis of these two key speeches demonstrate Russia’s position in the debate is indicative of a shift in the overall discourse on R2P, from relatively accepting to critical, moving into the direction of RWP. It is thus concluded that the R2P concept, in its current form, is in decline.Show less
