There has been a surge in ethnic conflicts in recent decades, coinciding with a rise in foreign development aid targeted at post-conflict reconstruction in the affected states. While extant...Show moreThere has been a surge in ethnic conflicts in recent decades, coinciding with a rise in foreign development aid targeted at post-conflict reconstruction in the affected states. While extant literature highlights contradictions in the desired outcomes of foreign aid in recipient states, fewer studies address these outcomes in post-ethnic conflict contexts. This project addresses this gap, focusing on Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), and argues that foreign development aid plays a crucial role in sustaining peace through its capacity to bolster democracy and stimulate economic growth, thereby mitigating ethnic tensions and fostering cooperation. Since the end of the Bosnian War in 1995, the three ethnic factions continue to co-exist within BiH, and the country is today on the path to European Union membership, making it an interesting case to study regarding the evaluation of foreign development aid’s contributions in sustaining the peace there. However, the findings of this study yield ambiguous results, shedding light on the complexities of aid's impact in such contexts. While foreign development aid has prevented another war, ethnic and political tensions still linger. The broader implications of this study inform the future of conflict prevention, peacebuilding, and foreign development aid implementation strategies.Show less
What are the implications of recognising ethnic groups and granting them specific rights for peace? This thesis examines the ongoing debate on ethnic recognition, highlighting that while it can...Show moreWhat are the implications of recognising ethnic groups and granting them specific rights for peace? This thesis examines the ongoing debate on ethnic recognition, highlighting that while it can address minority exclusion and foster trust, it may also institutionalise ethnic cleavages and promote antagonism. To assess its effects across different institutional and political contexts, the study further focuses on ethnic party bans as crucial institutions that complicate the relationship between ethnic recognition and peace. It is argued that these bans promote political inclusion of minority groups in situations where the state has implemented ethnic recognition, and prevent the politicisation of ethnicity where the state does recognise ethnic groups. Additionally, it introduces an improved operationalization of ethnic recognition, assessing its implementation across various governance domains in constitutions and peace agreements. Using panel data and Difference-in-Differences models, the study finds that ethnic recognition generally promotes peace, particularly in countries with ethnic party bans. However, it also reveals that ethnic recognition can undermine peace in the short term, increasing political violence in countries without prior ethnic conflicts.Show less
In this thesis, I examine the effects of migration on national identity in the context of borders through an interpretive political auto-ethnography, as a person born into a Turkish family in...Show moreIn this thesis, I examine the effects of migration on national identity in the context of borders through an interpretive political auto-ethnography, as a person born into a Turkish family in Istanbul and a migrant to the Netherlands. I explore how my Turkish national identity has been (de/ re)constructed throughout my experiences In and Out of Borders. I draw on what Matthew Longo explores in his book The Politics of Borders as the thick description of borders: Borders from the Outside and Borders for the Inside; while bridging it to Julia Kristeva’s concept of Stranger in her book Strangers to Ourselves to explore how migration affected my national identity. Furthermore, I bring elements from psychoanalysis and education, as well as deepening the research by incorporating the stories of five people with whom I discussed how they experience the same phenomenon I analyze in this paper. By conducting relational interviews, I gather their views on topics such as migration, identity, education, and memories of upbringing within the context of Turkish national identity and migration to the Netherlands. I further discuss the use of interpretive methods in political science and emphasize the importance of sharing individual stories.Show less
