This thesis investigates the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) response to Kais Saied's 2021 Coup d'État and the consequent backdrop of Tunisia's decade-long struggle for a democratic system....Show moreThis thesis investigates the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) response to Kais Saied's 2021 Coup d'État and the consequent backdrop of Tunisia's decade-long struggle for a democratic system. After presenting the historical and sociological roots of the UGTT, its role in the aftermath of the Arab Spring in Tunisia, and its participation in civil society and the democratisation process, it presents the recent events from 2021 until today. Employing a classoriented and social movement-based approach, this research dwells into the UGTT nature looking at both internal and external bondages. Hence, by analyzing a different array of sources, this thesis aims to fill a gap both in terms of time, being a recent event which is still unfolding, and of theory, believing that a theoretical framework both based on social movements and workers' theory could benefit the present literature. Furthermore, the research considers whether the actions of the UGTT signify a lost decade of seemingly successful democratization, or if the contemporary situation represents merely a temporary setback in Tunisia's pursuit of democracy, perhaps even an ulterior push in that direction. Finally, this thesis highlights the UGTT's role in Tunisia as a model for understanding global labour union involvement in political transformations.Show less
This research examines the conflict against extractivist development in Ecuador, emphasising the resistance of civil society over the past few decades. It explores into the formation of counter...Show moreThis research examines the conflict against extractivist development in Ecuador, emphasising the resistance of civil society over the past few decades. It explores into the formation of counter-hegemonic resistance and its entwinement with decolonial praxis within the Ecuadorian context. This study claims that this resistance advocates for a reimagined concept of development that demands decolonial and epistemological efforts. Through a localized analysis of this developmental paradigm, it investigates the emancipatory nature of these environmental struggles, hypothesizing that they challenge not only the dominant developmental model but also the very concept of development itself.Show less
This thesis is a functional analysis of the role that International Civil Society has played in working within Colombia to locally facilitate the implementation of the 2016 Peace Accords Agreement.
By taking the Gülen Movement and Turkish regime as a case study, the aim of the thesis is to expose the developments in the state-society relationship, to seek why is the Turkish regime becoming...Show moreBy taking the Gülen Movement and Turkish regime as a case study, the aim of the thesis is to expose the developments in the state-society relationship, to seek why is the Turkish regime becoming increasingly authoritarian by examining international and domestic threats, and whether the Gülen movement is formally transformed into a scapegoat to give a rationale for government’s actions. An answer to the proposed research question: “What are the motivations of the Turkish government for targeting the Gülen Movement since 2012, and is this a strategy to shift away the focus from rising authoritarianism in Turkey?” is provided by confirming the hypothesis of the government scapegoating the Gülen movement to consolidate power and to shift the focus from its growing authoritarianism.Show less
This thesis examines the utilization behaviour of Sina Weibo by environmental NGOs within China. Within this thesis, qualitative research is being performed in relation to the utilzation of the...Show moreThis thesis examines the utilization behaviour of Sina Weibo by environmental NGOs within China. Within this thesis, qualitative research is being performed in relation to the utilzation of the different communicative aspects of Sina Weibo by several contemporary Chinese environmental NGOs. This is done through the emperical analysis of micro-blogposts. In addition, these results are furthermore examined within the context of China's specific socio-poltical environment and in relation to their associated dynamics.Show less
In the last decade, Pro-Kremlin youth organizations became highly present in Russia’s socio-political environment. These organizations and especially the Young Guard of United Russia are seen as...Show moreIn the last decade, Pro-Kremlin youth organizations became highly present in Russia’s socio-political environment. These organizations and especially the Young Guard of United Russia are seen as the breeding grounds for Russia’s new leaders. The purpose of this thesis is to give the reader a better understanding of the factors that drive young Russians to participate in pro-Kremlin youth organizations.Show less
The term civil society started to gain worldwide prominence as a political force during the widespread collapse of authoritarianism in the mid-1970s and 1980s. With this extensive demise of...Show moreThe term civil society started to gain worldwide prominence as a political force during the widespread collapse of authoritarianism in the mid-1970s and 1980s. With this extensive demise of dictatorships across the globe, Burma became an increasingly isolated regime in the wake of mass democratisation. This thesis will analyse civil society within Burma in a holistic manner, utilising three distinct levels of analysis. The theoretical framework will introduce conceptualisations of civil society in the context of varying political regimes such as authoritarianism and democracy, introducing prominent theories postulated by Antonio Gramsci and Alexis de Tocqueville. The general political history of Burma will be dissected through the lens of civil society, in order to examine the environment within which civil society organisations were forced to develop. Lastly, specific case studies on three civil society organisations operating during or as a result of heightened public discontent, specifically during the 1988 and 2007 uprisings, will determine whether civil society in Burma was forced to develop a Gramscian frame or a Tocquevillean frame.Show less
Somalia and (South) Sudan belong to the most troubled countries in the world. All three of them are classified within the bottom 20% of the UNDP’s Human Development Index. Similarly, they have...Show moreSomalia and (South) Sudan belong to the most troubled countries in the world. All three of them are classified within the bottom 20% of the UNDP’s Human Development Index. Similarly, they have consistently been ranked in the top-5 of the Fragile States Index. Unsurprisingly, the contemporary history of Somalia and Sudan is characterized by chronic insecurity because of recurring civil wars between ethnic, tribal or clan-based groups and their governments. Therefore, the vast majority of international involvement in the Horn of Africa during the last twenty years has been directed at these countries. However, despite this ample attention, the deployed international military forces have thus far been unable to re-establish secure environments and rebuild state structures. Focusing on five distinct military interventions from 1990 to roughly 2010, this inquiry aims to measure the qualitative and quantitative contributions of Security Sector/System Reform (SSR) to the restoration of the state’s monopoly on the legitimate use of force. To this end, it addresses e.g. the progress made within Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) programs. This inquiry then attempts to assess the legitimacy of the post-conflict state reconstruction effort by looking at e.g. the empowerment of civil society representatives and the progress made within community confidence-building measures. In doing so, this inquiry adopts Paul D. Miller’s concept of ‘armed state building’ as a theoretical framework. It therewith argues that – despite a growing number of criticisms – liberal institution-building has since the end of the Cold War remained the prevailing paradigm of state reconstruction efforts. Based on a reading of relevant literature, this inquiry contends that group identities in Somalia and Sudan have become interwoven with relative deprivation between them. The result have been enduring crises of citizenship and legitimacy in the state which continue to feed narratives that help to mobilize groups for violence. This inquiry finds that SSR has managed to increase the capacities of security and justice institutions, albeit in a vacuum. Analyses indicate how the (re)-established state institutions overall have been rather a-contextual, a-historic and frequently paralleled more capable, indigenous mechanisms. Simultaneously, the problems within the state’s legitimacy domain illustrate the complex environments, wherein international military forces e.g. were hampered by their cooperation with problematic local partners. This points to limitations within the military spheres of influence that affect soldiers’ ability to address the ‘root causes’ of conflict. This, in turn, leads to questions of how SSR should otherwise be treated within their activities, and how these armed state building efforts could best be complemented.Show less
Environmental pollution is one of the most pressing challenges, the People´s Republic of China (PRC) is currently facing. That is not merely because air and water pollution in the PRC pose a direct...Show moreEnvironmental pollution is one of the most pressing challenges, the People´s Republic of China (PRC) is currently facing. That is not merely because air and water pollution in the PRC pose a direct threat to the health of its about 1.5 billion citizens, but also due to its potential to result in serious political and economic consequences, such as disrupted urbanization, social unrest and political instability. Recognizing the urgency to act, a growing number of Chinese citizens have begun to engage in environmental activism on a public, individual and organizational level, resulting in the development of a non-governmental sphere. This increasing environmental activism can be seen as a breeding ground for further socio-political change, and possibly the emergence of a civil society. The ‘Western’ academic literature often describes a correlation between the development of a civil society and democratization (cf. Hsu 2010: 263). However, such traditional liberal conceptualizations should be applied to the case of the PRC with caution. My thesis aims to find an appropriate framework to evaluate, to what extent the non-governmental sphere in the PRC can be regarded as a civil society. To do so, my thesis is going to answer the following research question: “How does environmental engagement impact the development of a Chinese civil society?”. My thesis is structured in such a manner that the following chapter (2) provides a literature review of the key concepts for analysis, covering environmental pollution, environmental engagement, and civil society. Moreover, I discuss relevant theoretical frameworks, and conceptualizations. The ensuing chapter (3) is divided into three sub-chapters. The first section, evaluates three examples of environmental participation in the PRC, which depict environmental engagement on three possible levels, namely the organizational, the public and the individual. The chosen selection of examples allows for a comprehensive overview of popular ways to engage in environmental activism in the PRC and sheds light on opportunities, and difficulties faced by the societal sector. The second section discusses the findings of the previous section, and examines what insights the case studies give into the nature of an emerging civil society in the PRC. The third section examines to what extent the societal sector of the PRC can be regarded as a civil society. The final chapter (4) presents conclusions drawn from the theory, and the case studies, assessing the impact of political participation on the emergence of a civil society. To obtain information for the sections of research and analysis, I am going to employ a variety of methods. The second chapter, discussing theoretical concepts, is mainly based on information drawn from the review of secondary sources. At times, also, primary sources were studied to support claims of the secondary literature. For the third chapter, analyzing case studies, discussing the findings, and assessing the nature of civil society in the PRC, both primary and secondary sources were reviewed. Used literature included primarily books and other academic publications, such as journal articles, and news items. A limitation to my research is that the thesis only uses English-language sources. Hence, it is essential to acknowledge that I have based my argumentation in this thesis on non-Chinese or translated documents. Therefore, the analytical section will pay regard to this limitation and seek to compensate this weakness with a critical analysis of the literature.Show less
As a reaction to the poor handling by the Japanese government of the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, the Fukushima Children Network was established whose main goal it is to...Show moreAs a reaction to the poor handling by the Japanese government of the aftermath of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, the Fukushima Children Network was established whose main goal it is to prevent children from being irradiated by radioactive materials. With the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant disaster, mother's would yet again take up their motherhood and use in such a way that they are supposedly the expert concerning their children's well being. This research will analyze the activities of the Fukushima Children Network in relation to the concept of civil society in Japan as coined by Jurgen Habermas. The main research question will be: What is the effect of Fukushima Children Network's actions in the public sphere? More specifically, did their actions lead to a growing awareness of the dangers, such as radioactive contamination, that the use of nuclear energy brings about? Starting with only a few people and setting out their course of action, they gained notoriety throughout the country. Also having inspired other members of the public to take action on their own, it can be argued that they have come quite far within the public sphere.Show less
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
open access
German migrants have a reputation of creating a blooming associational life in their places of settlement. Therefore, a better understanding of German migrant life might be acquired if we better...Show moreGerman migrants have a reputation of creating a blooming associational life in their places of settlement. Therefore, a better understanding of German migrant life might be acquired if we better understand the associational life of these migrants. This thesis tries to provide a functionalist account of German associational life abroad based on case studies of the sailors homes and German schools in the German colonies of Antwerp and Rotterdam in the early twentieth century. Though it is often assumed that nationalist considerations and pressures from sending states are decisive in shaping the functionality of migrant organizations, I argue that the economic, moral and class related interests of the local environment provide a more elucidating picture of the functioning of the researched migrant organizations.Show less
