Public diplomacy is a relatively new tool in foreign relations and the United States was late to the table when it came to using it. This thesis aims to investigate the public diplomacy tools...Show morePublic diplomacy is a relatively new tool in foreign relations and the United States was late to the table when it came to using it. This thesis aims to investigate the public diplomacy tools deployed by the Bush administration during the War on Terror. Through performing a critical discourse analysis and focussing on Afghanistan and Iraq specifically, it answers the questions: What were the core objectives for the Bush Administration to start and continue the War on Terror? How were tools of public diplomacy deployed to reach these objectives? And which values were the most prevalent in this? It was found that the core objectives for the War on Terror were self-defense and the protection and promotion of human rights. In order to reach these objectives, the Bush administration used speeches and educational programs as a tool to spread their message abroad. Moreover, the values that drove the public diplomacy campaign were democracy and freedom, which have both been at the core of American society for centuries. Further research on the topic should focus on the reception of the tools by the Arab population and determine the effectiveness of public diplomacy by the Bush administration.Show less
This thesis will look at the issue of feminism in Russia. It will answer the question of how the works of Russian artists, such as Victoria Lomasko, contribute to Russian feminism, particularly in...Show moreThis thesis will look at the issue of feminism in Russia. It will answer the question of how the works of Russian artists, such as Victoria Lomasko, contribute to Russian feminism, particularly in a modern global context. This will be done in order to give a broader perspective of feminist theory, which so far is focused largely on western research and experiences. This creates an interesting point of study, as it can be seen as important for the development of feminist theory, but also to gain a wider understanding of Russian society. The thesis will seek to enlarge knowledge of both these objectives and as such by researching the Russian case it will try to gain insights on a more global applicability of the currently existing feminist theory. The case of Victoria Lomasko was chosen because her artwork shows the opinions of an individual but at the same time, because she portrays others, it also gives an indication of happenings in wider society. In order to answer the research question, a selection of Lomasko’s work will be analysed in order to gain a better understanding of the current atmosphere around feminism and gender issues in Russia. Alongside this, other material such as interviews will be used for the sake of gaining more insights than would be possible when looking just at her art. The issues on the basis of which these sources will be examined will be that of intersectionality and the exposure that feminism as a movement and idea receives. Through these two lenses, the thesis will show some of the similarities and differences between existing feminist theories and the Russian experience.Show less
With a fast changing climate, it is important that the biggest economies are involved in altering climate change. China is the second largest economy and the biggest emitter of green house gasses,...Show moreWith a fast changing climate, it is important that the biggest economies are involved in altering climate change. China is the second largest economy and the biggest emitter of green house gasses, and therefor of utter importance in the fight against climate change. But the question is, is China indeed taking its responsibility?Show less
Since the end of the 20th century, Brazil has emerged as a global power in the international community. It expanded its regional and global influence in its own way. To achieve its foreign policy...Show moreSince the end of the 20th century, Brazil has emerged as a global power in the international community. It expanded its regional and global influence in its own way. To achieve its foreign policy goals, Brazil employs a strategy which can be traced back to 1907 and which has been used increasingly in the 21st century: health diplomacy. This thesis analyses how health diplomacy is incorporated in foreign policies of the Brazilian government in the 21st century. Moreover, it analyses how the Brazilian government uses health diplomacy by embedding the concepts of soft power and cosmopolitanism. The analysis assesses South-South Cooperation and four health issues: controlling tobacco consumption, fighting HIV/AIDS, fighting tuberculosis and preventing dengue. The goal of this analysis is to demonstrate how the Brazilian government uses health diplomacy as a foreign policy instrument to achieve its main goal: to become and be recognized as a global player.Show less
This thesis examines how the Korean state uses and distorts the memories of Colonial Korea in order to construct a national narrative of a victimized nation that was oppressed by the Japanese...Show moreThis thesis examines how the Korean state uses and distorts the memories of Colonial Korea in order to construct a national narrative of a victimized nation that was oppressed by the Japanese Empire and of a nation that engaged in a unified resistance against the Japanese Empire. This thesis argues that this national narrative is partially built upon ‘distorted’ colonial memories, as this narrative does not discuss the deep collaboration that occurred between the Japanese Empire and the Colonial Korean citizens. This thesis shall also argue that when one examines this case through the lens of the IR theory of constructivism and Takeo Hymans’ ‘politics of memory’ theory that this narrative is built with strong political motives that show the underlined political agenda that exists within the national identity building process. This thesis shall then show that these political motives are to distort or draw attention away from the involvement of the large number of Koreans that volunteered for the Japanese Imperial army and their actions to further Japanese imperialism within other parts of the Japanese Empire. It shall also highlight how the involvement of high-profile collaborators, such as Park Chung-Hee and Lt. General Hong Sa-ik, further distorts this narrative presented by the Korean state. Ultimately this thesis addresses the distortion that exists within the Korean-Japanese relations’ dichotomy and proposes that the only way for a meaningful dialogue between these two countries to exist is for both nations to acknowledge and discuss the distortions caused within their national narratives.Show less
