Right-wing extremism in much of the Western world looks far different than it did even a decade ago. Extremists are getting younger, and radicalization is an increasingly online process. According...Show moreRight-wing extremism in much of the Western world looks far different than it did even a decade ago. Extremists are getting younger, and radicalization is an increasingly online process. According to most contemporary theories of radicalization, personal and political grievances are critical foundations for this process. Despite this, research into the forms these grievances take, especially in this new cohort of younger, more online extremists is rare. This study seeks to address this research gap by asking the question: What kinds of personal and political grievances are most likely to push young people to get involved with right-wing extremist groups online? It answers by performing a process of content analysis on messages sent between users of six large right-wing extremist group chats on the popular instant messaging platform Discord between early 2017 and early 2020 with the goal of identifying individual grievances and larger common themes in this cohort of extremists. Out of an initial dataset of 308,207 messages, over three hundred discrete examples were identified and further classified into 35 different thematic subcategories. Two clusters of especially prevalent interrelated grievances were also identified which tended to appear together, signaling the possibility that more similar clusters exist and reaffirming existing theories about the role of grievances in right-wing extremist radicalization pathways.Show less
The thesis deals with the political discourse surrounding the 2016 EU-Turkey Agreement on Migration in the European Parliament (EP). By analysing parliamentary debates, it examines how different...Show moreThe thesis deals with the political discourse surrounding the 2016 EU-Turkey Agreement on Migration in the European Parliament (EP). By analysing parliamentary debates, it examines how different political groups in the EP discuss this topic. Through directed content analysis, the analysis looks into five different factors encompassing security, normative, economic, cultural and diplomatic aspects. The thesis highlights that parties’ discourses on the EU-Turkey deal are shaped along different cleavages, including left-and right, GAL and TAN, pro and against European integration, as well as the geographical dimension.Show less
The purpose of this study was to determine whether the sustainable mobility transition in The Hague, The Netherlands is fair by analyzing the transition from a mobility justice perspective....Show moreThe purpose of this study was to determine whether the sustainable mobility transition in The Hague, The Netherlands is fair by analyzing the transition from a mobility justice perspective. Sustainable mobility systems are being implemented in cities all over the world, and it is essential to ensure that these transitions are just, amending existing injustices and preventing future ones. Utilizing deductive content analysis, five key policy documents from The Hague’s municipality were examined on mobility justice considerations. The theoretical framework combined five nested approaches constituting mobility justice (distributive justice, justice as recognition, procedural justice, restorative justice, and epistemic justice). The analysis revealed a high prevalence of distributive justice in the documents, alongside the generalization of residents by the municipality hindering the realization of justice as recognition and a knowledge production focused on technological advancements limiting epistemic justice considerations. Furthermore, the results allowed for further insights into the interlinkage between the five-justice dimensions, highlighting their inherent reliance on one another to realize mobility justice, with justice as recognition playing a central role and epistemic justice constituting the scope of the mobility transition discourse.Show less
This study looks into how the Islamic State (IS) recruits both men and women by using genderspecific narratives in its online magazine Dabiq. The study focuses on the themes of the narratives and...Show moreThis study looks into how the Islamic State (IS) recruits both men and women by using genderspecific narratives in its online magazine Dabiq. The study focuses on the themes of the narratives and frequency of specific words used by IS to appeal to various gender identities by performing a content and discourse analysis of 15 Dabiq magazines. The research shows that IS targets men and women using several gender-specific narratives. The most common topics among men are violent ones, emphasising martyrdom and violence in particular. Women, on the other hand, tend to focus more on social and personal issues, with a particular focus on motherhood. The data also shows that IS uses several gender narratives to appeal to both men and women. The prevailing narrative for men reinforces traditional masculine norms by focusing on ideas of bravery, protection and heroism. Contrarily the dominant narrative for women centres on stereotypes of motherhood and caregiving, which are consistent with traditional conceptions of the roles and obligations of women. According to these findings, IS customises its recruitment techniques to consider men's and women's distinct motivations and objectives, relying on gender-specific narratives to engage people in their particular gender identities. The study clarifies the part played by gender in online radicalisation and emphasises the significance of taking gender dynamics into account in counterterrorism efforts.Show less
Bilateral relations between the United States and China have increasingly soured since President Donald Trump assumed office in 2017. A key reason is that China’s growing power has made it a threat...Show moreBilateral relations between the United States and China have increasingly soured since President Donald Trump assumed office in 2017. A key reason is that China’s growing power has made it a threat to U.S. hegemony and the U.S. is more proactively seeking to contain China than ever before. While China’s threat can be examined from various theoretical angles, such as realism, few studies have looked at it from the perspective of the U.S. media. This is an important avenue for research as perceptions influence international relations and the media plays an important role in shaping such perceptions. Conversely, the media reflects tendencies in politics and society. Using content analysis, the portrayal of the China threat in the news coverage of the Wall Street Journal is examined between 2016 and 2018. The debate on the China threat has mostly consisted of three categories, namely military, economic, and political. The thesis adds a new category to be used in content analysis, namely world order.Show less
