Kosovo declared independence in 2008 and then started a process of re-imagining its national identity. But how do you produce an identity that will be inclusive and multi-ethnic in a post-conflict...Show moreKosovo declared independence in 2008 and then started a process of re-imagining its national identity. But how do you produce an identity that will be inclusive and multi-ethnic in a post-conflict society, where a fight for one’s ethnic identity equals a fight for personal rights and values? This thesis acknowledges the power of education in social reconstruction and, through a critical discourse analysis of Kosovo’s educational reforms after 2008, uncovers the negatives and positives of the discourse utilized in education. Therefore, this thesis contributes to ongoing research on the construction of the multi-ethnic identity. Additionally, this thesis confirms the hypothesis surrounding the fluidity of identities, the manipulation of discourse and the role of education in changing the perceptions of the young and subsequently future of the nation.Show less
The South China Sea became in a short time-span quickly heavy militarized. American and Chinese warships are increasingly active in these contested waters. While the G.W. Bush administration...Show moreThe South China Sea became in a short time-span quickly heavy militarized. American and Chinese warships are increasingly active in these contested waters. While the G.W. Bush administration focused militarily mostly on the Middle East, Obama re-shifted with the ‘pivot to Asia’ significant military attention to East Asia. This study aims to clarify to what extent Obama legitimized the military component in the pivot through securitization, as proposed by the Copenhagen School. Therefore, several American and Chinese policy documents and speeches are analyzed. The results indicate that, contrary to what the administration claimed, military policies were predominant in the pivot and ‘extraordinary measures’ compared to pre-existing policies. Furthermore, the Obama administration securitized Chinese policies regarding the South China Sea by portraying them as threatening U.S. security, and thus exceptional measures are required. In successfully securitizing the issue, the administration constructed a reality in which Beijing would have to respond, perceiving Washington uplifting the issue to a ‘top security issue’ as credible.Show less