Master thesis | Crisis and Security Management (MSc)
open access
In two cases of the decision to deploy military forces, Bosnia and Uruzgan, the role of the Dutch intelligence culture in the decision-making process and the role Dutch strategic culture within the...Show moreIn two cases of the decision to deploy military forces, Bosnia and Uruzgan, the role of the Dutch intelligence culture in the decision-making process and the role Dutch strategic culture within the Dutch Intelligence culture is researched.Show less
Master thesis | Crisis and Security Management (MSc)
open access
This thesis investigates the effectiveness of the legal accountability mechanisms that govern the marketization of intelligence agencies. The current scholarly debate focuses primarily on...Show moreThis thesis investigates the effectiveness of the legal accountability mechanisms that govern the marketization of intelligence agencies. The current scholarly debate focuses primarily on accountability issues related to privatization of military functions, failing to provide a similar discussion of the conduct of private intelligence actors. Within this research, four types of legal accountability mechanisms are identified: international law, extended jurisdiction of national law, public law values and contractual law, and soft law. Subsequently, three case studies, to which one or more of these mechanisms apply, are evaluated regarding the effectiveness of the legal accountability mechanism or mechanisms in place. The findings show that there are four reasons why legal accountability mechanisms fail to properly hold Private Intelligence Companies and their employees to account. First, there is no clear and legally binding definition of the ground rules of privatization. Second, there is legal asymmetry between the government and the private sector. Third, political interference in legal processes problematizes the establishment of accountability. And lastly, there is a clear reluctance to enforce laws in place that should contribute to good behavior.Show less
War videogames support and reproduce neo-imperialist rhetoric and world views. Videogames, due to their interactive nature, differ from any other cultural product and allow the consumer (player) to...Show moreWar videogames support and reproduce neo-imperialist rhetoric and world views. Videogames, due to their interactive nature, differ from any other cultural product and allow the consumer (player) to actively participate in the embedded narratives present in any game. In the following thesis, interviews with members of the military have been carried out and five videogames have been considered in the analysis (America’s Army: Proving Grounds, Airman Challenge, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Battlefield 3 and Arma 3). Through a Gramscian approach, benefiting from concepts such as hegemony and persuasion and the understanding of ideas as material forces, and the use of audiovisual methods, the research has explored the role of absence and impossibility in the reproduction of hegemonic worldviews in war videogames.Show less
The theme of this thesis is the 2008 Russian military reforms which have been the most significant reforms since the fall of the Soviet-Union. The results of the reforms were mixed but successful...Show moreThe theme of this thesis is the 2008 Russian military reforms which have been the most significant reforms since the fall of the Soviet-Union. The results of the reforms were mixed but successful in comparison with earlier attempts. To find a possible explanation for some of the negative outcomes this thesis asks the following research question; To what extent does the dysfunctional, kleptocratic and corrupt system provide the explanation for the shortcomings of the Russian reforms of its military in 2008? The research question will be answered from a socio-cultural angle, and can perhaps provide an explanation for the dysfunctionality, kleptocratic and corrupt system that negatively affected the 2008 reforms. Based on the analysis in this thesis, it can be concluded the Russian military is plagued by a variety of problems that are socio-cultural in nature. This thesis demonstrates that aspects such as corruption, the legacy of the Soviet mentality, organizational culture and the negative public perception fuel the dysfunctionality of the Russian military and thus are related to the shortcomings of its reforms.Show less
The debate on the EU and the various aspects of its enlargement process is a topic which has been viewed through various approaches; however no specific theory is capable of encompassing and...Show moreThe debate on the EU and the various aspects of its enlargement process is a topic which has been viewed through various approaches; however no specific theory is capable of encompassing and explaining the EU, its behavior, position, actions and role in the international political scene in the entirety of its complexity. In this regard Kenneth Waltz stated that “If we gather more and more data and establish more and more associations, however, we will not finally find that we know something” (Waltz, 2010, p.4). Therefore, continuously piling up new data does not contribute to our understanding and it brings us to finding new approaches and methods. In this sense, this research tries to paint a clearer and wider picture of the EU and its process through some of the core/basic principles of realism. Namely the process of EU enlargement is influenced by numerous factors; this thesis however, is focused specifically on the concept of threat perception as an important external factor which influences decisions in regards to EU enlargement. Stephen Walt, through his Threat Perception Theory (TPT), has not only provided a systematic way to introduce the concept of threat perception in the overarching theory of realism, but has also through the 4 categories, provided us with a tool to determine the concrete evaluation of a threat. In this thesis, that evaluation is applied to the example of Russia and how it is perceived from the EU standpoint. Walt has defined these four categories in such a way that they are not only applicable to the evaluation of threat that comes from certain actors (states), but they also provide room for analyzing specific aspects of their policies. This thesis utilizes this applicability of Walt’s TPT and uses it to also analyze the threat coming from Russian natural gas/energy politics. Due to the fact that threat, as a wider concept, is irrefutably connected to the concepts of survival and power, this thesis will also tackle the topic through the prism of these two primary concepts of realism. When it comes to power it will more notably focus on the works of Tom Casier (2018) and the notions of positive and negative compulsory power. Where this research deviates from the (often dogmatic) principles of the realist theories is the claim that states are the unitary actors on the international scene. This thesis views, and proves, that the EU is a sui generis actor capable of creating and achieving its foreign policy goals. Thus the aforementioned concepts which are generally attributed to states in realist theories, in this research are applied to the European Union.Show less
In this thesis, I have taken a look at military conscription in South-Korea and how the system intersects with and is influenced by gender and citizenship. To do so, I have used the Korean military...Show moreIn this thesis, I have taken a look at military conscription in South-Korea and how the system intersects with and is influenced by gender and citizenship. To do so, I have used the Korean military variety show 'Real men' as a case study, analyzing this show and the way in which it portrays both masculinity and gender roles. I argue that military conscription in Korea is a system deeply shaped by concepts of hyper masculinity and socially constructed gender in relation to citizenship. At the same time, conscription amplifies these concepts and processes of gender creation, and thus works as an intermediary and magnifier of hyper masculinity and gendered citizenship within Korean society.Show less
Using Okinawa as a case study, this thesis focuses on how U.S. military bases have spread American culture and values in East Asia during and after the Cold War. Due to how the U.S. military...Show moreUsing Okinawa as a case study, this thesis focuses on how U.S. military bases have spread American culture and values in East Asia during and after the Cold War. Due to how the U.S. military institution forms the context within which cultural transfer takes place between the host community and the military community, the main question posed is whether or not (American) culture may in this case be depoliticised.Show less
In the recent years there has been a discussion on the mechanisms of democratization and the European Union’s contribution to this process. Furthermore it has been studied how military-regimes,...Show moreIn the recent years there has been a discussion on the mechanisms of democratization and the European Union’s contribution to this process. Furthermore it has been studied how military-regimes, have had an impact on the stability of a new young democracy. However, it has not explained, to what extent the European Union can contribute to prevent an authoritarian reversal and tackle the challenges that young democracies with a military legacy have to face. This thesis seeks to analyze whether the European Union has prevented the risk of an authoritarian reversal in post-military regimes. This project aims to bridge theories on democratization of military regimes with theories on how organizations such as the European Union, contribute to the prevention of an authoritarian reversal. In order to answer the research question, the case of Myanmar from 2011 until 2015 has been analyzed. The analysis of the democratization in Myanmar showed that all the policies of the EU have not specifically tackled the challenges which have been caused by Myanmar’s military legacy. In order to effectively contribute to a more successful consolidation of a democracy, the external agent should focus more on the context, in which the country is democratizing.Show less
