Jordan is undoubtedly a highly resilient state. Many scholars have claimed that Jordan constitutes a “hybrid system of governance” combining features of both democracy and autocracy. The main...Show moreJordan is undoubtedly a highly resilient state. Many scholars have claimed that Jordan constitutes a “hybrid system of governance” combining features of both democracy and autocracy. The main debates on the field are increasingly revolving around the persistence of its political stability. The current thesis explores the persistence of the Jordanian monarchy since the onset of its political liberalization in 1989 and demonstrates that the regime in Jordan employed several regime survival strategies, based on legitimation, co-optation and repression in order to ensure its longevity. To better illustrate the current argument, the research that follows attempts a theory testing, based on these three key theories which - with the support of both primary and secondary sources - try to explain the puzzle of monarchical regime endurance in Jordan.Show less
Environmental issues are becoming increasingly pressuring, and in the Middle Eastern context, formal politics and legal regulations have been insufficient to achieve significant improvements for...Show moreEnvironmental issues are becoming increasingly pressuring, and in the Middle Eastern context, formal politics and legal regulations have been insufficient to achieve significant improvements for environmental protection. Civil society organisations such as a NGOs are thus crucial actors in this context. Since they work on a voluntary basis and aim to persuade and mobilise the population, their success depends heavily on the attitudes and beliefs of their audience. Therefore, this thesis discusses the potential of Green Islam for environmental NGOs in Jordan by identifying important aspects that are particular to faith-based environmental activism and applying them to the context of Jordan. It finds that faith-based environmental activism can be helpful for framing, as it renders the issues more relatable to the audience, and provides the organisations with legitimacy derived from a religious discourse. Furthermore, faith-based environmentalism anchors environmental values more deeply on an individual level, which, it is argued, creates stronger incentives for action. Therefore, given the strong presence of Islam in the Jordanian political and societal discourse, the thesis concludes that Green Islam can be valuable for environmental activism in Jordan.Show less
This thesis looks at the case of Jordan and argues that corporatisation and privatisation efforts lead to improved success in economic efficiency, environmental sustainability, and social equity...Show moreThis thesis looks at the case of Jordan and argues that corporatisation and privatisation efforts lead to improved success in economic efficiency, environmental sustainability, and social equity for water management when sufficient regulatory capabilities exist. The success of water privatisation is disputed, both politically and academically. So far, evidence is inconclusive. This thesis develops an analytical framework for examining how privatisation may contribute to success in water management. Jordan is running dry, both financially and in terms of water. Given these circumstances, efficient water management is important. Jordan aims to solve its problems by involving the private sector. In applying the framework to Jordan, this work both establishes the validity of the framework and simultaneously shows that involving the private sector can be an appropriate approach for Jordan to tackle its water management issues. This insight has concrete policy implications: smaller scale private partnerships may be more appropriate than larger projects where less regulatory capacity exists. Even as they may have less impact, they can improve efficiency and are easier and less controversial to implement.Show less
In the north-east of Jordan lies the badia, a harsh and barren landscape that can be divided in the basalt uplands of the harra and the gravel plains of the hamad. Although the area seems...Show moreIn the north-east of Jordan lies the badia, a harsh and barren landscape that can be divided in the basalt uplands of the harra and the gravel plains of the hamad. Although the area seems uninviting, it holds a wealth of archaeological remains. The Landscapes of Survival project is one of the several research projects that studies these remains, and focusses on the pastoralist archaeology of the Safaitic time period in the Jebel Qurma region. A large part of the archaeological record at Jebel Qurma is made up of rock engravings. Part of these rock engravings contains depictions of weaponry. This thesis aims to shed light on the relationship between these weapons and the people that once carved them using iconographic research, literary sources, ethnographic accounts and epigraphic evidence. The broad main question “what can the depictions of weapons on the rock art of Jebel Qurma tell about the people that once lived here?” will be answered using sub-questions that aim to classify weapon types, look at weapon trade networks, identify patterns in weapon usage, and place data acquired at Jebel Qurma in a regional and ethnographic framework.Show less
