The stability of the country and maintaining public order and harmony have been among the top priorities of the government of the small city-state of Singapore, ever since its independence in 1965....Show moreThe stability of the country and maintaining public order and harmony have been among the top priorities of the government of the small city-state of Singapore, ever since its independence in 1965. The People’s Action Party (PAP), which has been in constant rule for over 65 years, has sought to maintain their hegemony and “protect the country” by actively limiting citizens' influence over politics and policies, mainly through the development of legal frameworks repressing dissent across different parts of society. By using theories on contentious politics, state repression, and the political opportunity structure, as well as a qualitative content analysis of Singapore’s laws on dissent, this thesis addresses the following research question: What are the strategies employed by the Singaporean government to repress and prevent dissent, and how do these strategies impact the political opportunity structure for contentious politics? Summarizing the findings, this thesis concludes that the state has built an extensive framework of restrictive laws covering all forms of society, rather than explicitly focusing on certain aspects, which has caused opportunities for dissenting citizens to employ methods of contentious political action to achieve their aims of influencing state policies to be exceptionally limited.Show less
This thesis examines the role of social media in the Paro Nacional movement in Colombia in 2019-2020. Through a study of relevant literature, news articles, and a quantitative and qualitative...Show moreThis thesis examines the role of social media in the Paro Nacional movement in Colombia in 2019-2020. Through a study of relevant literature, news articles, and a quantitative and qualitative investigation of social media use, this analysis of social movement structures and the Paro Nacional movement leads to the identification of three functions of social media.Show less
In the beginning of the 1990s, China witnessed the arrival of the internet. The internet allowed ordinary citizens to contribute to the production of media content by sharing news and opinions with...Show moreIn the beginning of the 1990s, China witnessed the arrival of the internet. The internet allowed ordinary citizens to contribute to the production of media content by sharing news and opinions with each other. The computer-mediated communication (CMC) technology provided a new medium of interaction for citizens and allowed them to mobilise more quickly and more efficiently. Since then, the notion of collective action took on new dimensions. New forms and practices of collective action started to appear on the internet in China. One of such practices is the Human Flesh Search Engine (HFSE). It is a public search for people driven by a massive collaboration of internet users. The participants share a common goal of revealing the truth and punishing targets of the search accused or suspected of wrongdoing. This thesis analyses the role of the internet in relation to social activism and collective action in China by answering the following research question: How does the CMC, that the internet facilitates, reflect the formation of collective action in China? To answer this question, I examined the CMC in the context of the HFSE phenomenon. I analysed two notable cases of the HFSE, namely, the South China tiger scandal (2007) and the search for “Liaoning Girl” (2008). Both cases demonstrated similar patterns in terms of formation of collective action and the following search for the target. The collective action in the context of the HFSE had an actual impact on the outcomes of these cases. The CMC provides a new medium of communication, which in turn facilitates the formation of collective action.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
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Ghana experiences difficulties with the current accumulation and circulation of waste. The most prevalent forms of waste are considered to be e-waste and solid household waste, specifically plastic...Show moreGhana experiences difficulties with the current accumulation and circulation of waste. The most prevalent forms of waste are considered to be e-waste and solid household waste, specifically plastic. Closing the Loop (CtL) is a Dutch non profit oriented company which collects mobile phones in Ghana to subsequently be shipped to Antwerp for efficient recycling of precious metals. Globally, the resources of the precious metals are in a state of decline. CtL current operations in Ghana are proving to be ineffective; because of this they want to attain more knowledge through ethnographic research in order to improve their strategy of collecting old mobile phones. With this research I hope to expand their knowledge. In this research, the concepts of sustainable waste management and cultural style will be discussed. By doing this I will aim at explaining the relationship between cultural styles and waste management practices. The concept of collective action will also be taken into account. Relating this to cultural style I hope to offer CtL insight in how they might inspire collective action with their strategy by focussing on improving asset-ownership. I will compare a formal waste management system with an informal waste management system on the local-level, with a focus on plastic waste. I will argue that rural and cosmopolitan cultural styles play an important part in how waste management is practiced (Ferguson, 1999). With this I will show that not considering the performative competence and enactment of cultural stylistic expression can result in waste management policies not being adopted. The data that is gathered with this research is based on a multi-sited ethnography in the village of Tongo and the provincial capital Bolgatanga, in the Upper-East region of Ghana. Main interest for conducting research were the operations of the formal waste management system of Zoomlion and the difference in stylistic expression between management and workers; and, the informal waste management system of The Saanema Movement and how they try to inspire community wide engagement.Show less
