At present, the study of disinformation remains relatively confined to personality-oriented and technologically deterministic approaches in the context of white nationalist populism or Trump...Show moreAt present, the study of disinformation remains relatively confined to personality-oriented and technologically deterministic approaches in the context of white nationalist populism or Trump cronyism. Guided by Actor-Network Theory’s translation process, this thesis builds on ethnographically grounded and comparative research on disinformation producers in the Philippines as it looks at the two most recent presidential elections in 2016 and 2022. Drawing from netnographic observations across social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Twitter, as well as published media interviews, I propose that disinformation networks under Rodrigo Duterte and Bongbong Marcos proved deeply complex, hierarchic and exploitative. The empirical material illustrates how different actors came together under one voice, mobilising a network of entities to promote each presidential candidate’s election. By making visible the organisational relations and labour arrangments underpinning political disinformation campaigns, as well as the mechanisms of control exercised over them, the following paper aims to deepen an understanding of these harmful networks in order to prevent their future occurrence.Show less
This study seeks to explore the linkages between organised crime and environmental change in the Amazon region, specifically zooming in on the Brazilian Amazonas. This study focuses on two aspects...Show moreThis study seeks to explore the linkages between organised crime and environmental change in the Amazon region, specifically zooming in on the Brazilian Amazonas. This study focuses on two aspects of this relationship. First, the relationship between state-making and crime, in particular the Brazilian state and crime, to show how ‘organised crime’ emerges as an important constituent of state-making rather than as an anomaly to it. To understand how organized crime and environmental change tie together, the analysis of state-making and governance in the Amazon region is needed. Thereafter, a systematic approach will be adopted to answer this question of the relationship between organised crime and environmental change, breaking the findings down into four categories of, Type, Method, Location, and Consequence. In the thesis, I examine how each of these shapes the relationship between organised crime and environmental change in the Amazon.Show less
After a brutal war, ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) lost its significant territorial areas. How to deal with the organization’s members returning back to their home countries, has been...Show moreAfter a brutal war, ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) lost its significant territorial areas. How to deal with the organization’s members returning back to their home countries, has been subject to heated debate. By focusing specifically on the role of the organization’s female members this paper explores the differences in the judicial approaches to the returning ISIS-women, through a case study analysis of Norway and Sweden. By discussing the differences in the expansion of national terror legislation, its implementation in relation to the women of ISIS, and the possible contributing factors to the different approaches, this paper answers the following research question: how do Norway and Sweden differ in their judicial approach to the Norwegian and Swedish women of ISIS returning back home between 2012-2022? Moreover, what are the main contributing factors leading to the differences in the approaches? The paper argues that Norway is more punitive towards returning women than Sweden. This is due to Norway’s legislation on terrorism participation, which allows for prosecution without classifying which actions count as participation. Furthermore, the paper argues that this differs from Sweden’s legislation on participation, which requires evidence of grave terrorist crimes committed in order to prosecute. This, the paper demonstrates, results in Sweden lacking the legal framework to prosecute its female nationals returning from ISIS. Lastly, the paper explores possible factors contributing to the different judicial approaches and highlights the Swedish legislative council, the effect of recent terrorist attacks, and loud critics as the most significant. Through the use of the case study, this paper contributes to knowledge on the implications domestic judicial differences can have in combatting transnational threats like terrorism.Show less
This thesis uses explaining-outcome process tracing to analyse why the Islamic Republic of Iran failed to build a long-standing proxy ally among the Shiite and Hazara groups of Afghanistan as it...Show moreThis thesis uses explaining-outcome process tracing to analyse why the Islamic Republic of Iran failed to build a long-standing proxy ally among the Shiite and Hazara groups of Afghanistan as it did in other countries during the 1980s and 1990s.Show less
Tangible explanations for structural changes in terrorism over time are missing. Furthermore, attempting to explain such changes as ideological is problematic in that it reinforces a tautology,...Show moreTangible explanations for structural changes in terrorism over time are missing. Furthermore, attempting to explain such changes as ideological is problematic in that it reinforces a tautology, considering that terrorism itself is often conceptualised as inherently ideological. Problematising the notion of ideology in the definition of terrorism and the typology of changes in terrorism, therefore, offers an exit from such continuous circular reasoning that focuses on ideology. A tangible change in terrorism is that from pack terrorism, i.e. group terrorism, to lone wolf terrorism. Three rival explanations potentially account for this change. An ideological explanation that focuses on the capability of ideology to spark violence, as well as a contextual explanation that argues that changes in the living environments of perpetrators lead to changes in the characteristics of terrorism, cannot stand firm when taken to the test. Meanwhile, a processual explanation according to which terrorist and counterterrorist forces continuously exploit the other side’s disadvantage does. Ultimately, changes in terrorism can be conceptualised using the analogy of a cat-and-mouse game in which learning and adaptation processes on the side of terrorists and counterterrorist forces likewise cause terrorism to change structurally.Show less
This thesis seeks to address the academic debate surrounding the intervention of state actors in foreign information spaces, as this discourse lacks a coherent framework, allowing researchers to...Show moreThis thesis seeks to address the academic debate surrounding the intervention of state actors in foreign information spaces, as this discourse lacks a coherent framework, allowing researchers to identify, compare, categorize and hence explain acts of Information Intervention (II). To initiate a solution for this problem, this thesis aimed to create a typology of common contemporary types of covert and semi-covert state IIs beyond the means subsumed by the soft power and public diplomacy concepts. This process was facilitated by Kluge’s (2000) framework for the empirically grounded construction of types and an empirical research process, which was based on the identification of sources by employing keyword configurations and the search engines Google/Google Scholar. Given the scope of this project and the public unavailability of certain II practices, it was not possible to cover all acts of II for the given typology. Rather, the goal of this thesis was to guide future research in the field of Information Interventions, by providing a notion of the dynamics in the given field, on which future research can be built on. Therefore, while the typology presented in this thesis cannot be determined as universal, it made the first step towards the establishment of such framework, allowing researchers to systematically analyze IIs.Show less
Through the case study of the NPFL in Liberia, this thesis explains why some rebel groups are able to transform to a successful political organization after conflict, and others are unable to do so.
This study examines the variations in the security outlooks of the Baltic States – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – toward the European Union’s quest for strategic autonomy. For decades, the...Show moreThis study examines the variations in the security outlooks of the Baltic States – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania – toward the European Union’s quest for strategic autonomy. For decades, the concept of ‘strategic autonomy’ has remained ambiguous and ill-defined despite waves of discussions amongst leaders and academics alike. In an increasingly multipolar world and a considerably evolving security landscape in Northeastern Europe in light of the war in Ukraine, a renewed interest in the topic has emerged. Nevertheless, as in previous waves of discussion, the focus is primarily directed at the major powers. This study aims to shed light on the divergence of interpretation to be found among three small states; countries often finding themselves treated as one homogenous region with the same security concerns and objectives. By conducting eight interviews with current government officials, as well as analyzing government documents, the study answers two questions: How do the Baltic states view the concept of strategic autonomy? and What differences can be identified in their understanding of the concept? The research finds that strategic autonomy is viewed as a process rather than a fixed goal. Despite increasing support for the implementation of EU security initiatives, worries about NATO decoupling, duplication, and potential discrimination of strategic partners, especially the United States, remain significant. Most notably yet, the Baltic State’s interpretation and importance of the concept do, in fact, vary. This study highlights the challenges in achieving a unified interpretation of strategic autonomy both within the contexts of the EU and between global strategic partners. In the face of shifting geopolitical realities, discerning the misunderstandings among the Baltic nations is a crucial step in bridging differences and addressing the practical implications across national borders.Show less
