Research master thesis | Middle Eastern Studies (research) (MA)
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This thesis is engaged in the challenge that non-state actors pose for the international order in a context of human rights violations. For that, it focuses on how these actors influence...Show moreThis thesis is engaged in the challenge that non-state actors pose for the international order in a context of human rights violations. For that, it focuses on how these actors influence international politics, mainly through their role on implementing human rights norms, taking as a study case the Western Sahara pursuit of self-determination. The international and transnational solidarity network are to be seen as advocacy networks, and their actions, history, and role on implementing human rights norms will be analyzed. The domestic dimension of this advocacy will be explored through an initiative emerged from the Dutch society – the Polisario Komitee. The transnational dimension, in its turn, will be analyzed through the European Coordinating Conference of Support to the Sahrawi People (EUCOCO). The work will shed light on how these initiatives operate, in order to analyze if they prove to be effective in promoting the change they are committed to – as well as what are the elements that influence negatively in their advocacy. For that, the methodological approach includes a combination of primary archival sources, interviews, and literature on human rights, International Relations, and advocacy networks.Show less
Besides strong physical presence in Israeli society, the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) symbolic presence in society is even more pervasive through constant transmission of its prominent values,...Show moreBesides strong physical presence in Israeli society, the Israel Defense Forces' (IDF) symbolic presence in society is even more pervasive through constant transmission of its prominent values, embodied by the concept of strategic culture. This paper analyses the process of cultural transmission, performed by the IDF, within the framework of militarized socialization. Arguably, the process of militarized socialization underwent a shift from the use of military education as the main vehicle for socialization, to the use of religion as a vehicle for socialization and as an identity marker of the Israeli military as a whole. The gradual return of religion to the ranks may have important implications for the development of Israeli society, as well as for the course of the prolonged Israeli-Palestinian conflict in terms of decreased chances of rapprochement between the two parties.Show less
Arab women are often portrayed as in need of saving from the conditions they live in. This narrative takes away the possibility of these women to be agents of change in their own lives. This thesis...Show moreArab women are often portrayed as in need of saving from the conditions they live in. This narrative takes away the possibility of these women to be agents of change in their own lives. This thesis aims to explore how Saudi women push back against societal norms in literary fiction. Specifically, it investigates how Saudi female fictional characters employ different forms of agency in physical and online public spaces compared to private and women-only spaces. The close reading of segments of two fictional literary works was used to showcase how female protagonists employ different understandings of agency. These examples were then linked to real-life examples to demonstrate that fiction is strongly rooted in reality. What became clear is that there is a multiplicity of ways for Saudi women to employ agency to resist and reshape the established order and practices, and different spaces within Saudi society offer different opportunities for employing agency. Moreover, there are different types of agency employed by different types of Saudi women. Thus, Saudi women can be agents of change within Saudi society and their own lives.Show less
This thesis aims to look into the effects of the 2001 American intervention - both military and humanitarian - in Afghanistan on Afghan women. More precisely, it will analyze the effects of the...Show moreThis thesis aims to look into the effects of the 2001 American intervention - both military and humanitarian - in Afghanistan on Afghan women. More precisely, it will analyze the effects of the discourse around women used by the United States to justify their invasion on the agency of local women.Show less
This research will examine the main debates about the reforms of the New Family Code in Morocco that was issued in 2004 by King Mohammed VI. The main political parties were composed of modernists,...Show moreThis research will examine the main debates about the reforms of the New Family Code in Morocco that was issued in 2004 by King Mohammed VI. The main political parties were composed of modernists, conservatives and reformists who engaged in such discussions. The disagreement between modernists and conservatives led to the interference of the monarch, who formed a commission responsible for implementing the reforms. Feminist efforts and contributions will also be outlined to examine whether the reforms will ensure women’s participation in the public sphere and promote gender equality. Although the Family Code received several positive reactions, it still has many loopholes upon closer examination; however, the public opinion of Moroccans varies greatly as many remain unaware of these loopholes.Show less
This thesis aims to discuss how the contemporary movements are the result of a history of tense relations between the region, its mainly Amazigh inhabitants and the Makhzen as well as paying...Show moreThis thesis aims to discuss how the contemporary movements are the result of a history of tense relations between the region, its mainly Amazigh inhabitants and the Makhzen as well as paying attention to how protesters communicate their contention. It can be argued that the economic issues in this region also developed with identity politics and regional contention at its heart. In order to analyze this, it is essential to explore the history of the Rif in a larger context, highlighting not only incidents between Berbers and the Makhzen, but also sentiments regarding one another. A historical overview will provide the frame in which to discuss marginalisation of the region and how this is perceived by Riffians. Lastly, the issue of Riffian-Amazigh identity will be discussed through a study of protest images, including different elements of identity and contentionShow less
This thesis analyses the uses of nature in the creation of an Israeli national image. It traces the uses of nature from early Zionist thinking through to the modern day. It exIt examines how nature...Show moreThis thesis analyses the uses of nature in the creation of an Israeli national image. It traces the uses of nature from early Zionist thinking through to the modern day. It exIt examines how nature was used as a tool to create a nation, to claim land from Palestinians and how it has been used as a dividing factor between Ashkenazim and Mizrahim, through the kibbutz and ma'abara. Films and music are analysed in order to assess how these ideas and discourses have lasted through until the modern dayShow less
The Cedar Revolution in Lebanon in 2005 was a successful example of a non-violent movement, putting an end to three decades of Syrian rule. In the uprising, public space was used in novel ways....Show moreThe Cedar Revolution in Lebanon in 2005 was a successful example of a non-violent movement, putting an end to three decades of Syrian rule. In the uprising, public space was used in novel ways. This thesis argues that this use of public space was of significant importance to reach the goal of ousting the Syrian troops. Due to the significant pre-conditions in Lebanon, which has a weak overarching national identity absence of successful reconciliation processes since the civil war, meeting in public space was essential for overcoming differences and unite around a common cause. Through using the Cedar Revolution as a case study, the thesis is aiming to illustrate how public space has been underplayed in the non-violent movement literature.Show less
During the Egyptian Revolution in 2011, protesters and dissident behaviour were severely condemned by agents of the state. Among the protesters were women who were subjugated to gender-specific...Show moreDuring the Egyptian Revolution in 2011, protesters and dissident behaviour were severely condemned by agents of the state. Among the protesters were women who were subjugated to gender-specific violence to the criticism of many Egyptians. As awareness of misconduct towards women grew during the Egyptian revolution, it can be argued that the revolution also instigated a shift in thinking about the role of women in Egyptian society, since it opened up a new space for women to express themselves in the process of self-definition. Therefore, I will argue that a gendered analysis of the revolution will help us understand resistance better while interrogating the gender-dynamics in revolutionary Egypt. Hence, I will investigate how the revolution contributed to a shift in the construction of gender roles for women in Egypt. The research problem is understanding how the previously assigned gender roles, framed by nationalist ideologies, played a role in the way women were treated during the public protests. In order to answer this question, I will focus on Egypt under Mubarak and under the SCAF who reigned until 2012. Secondly, I will investigate the role of the state, its patriarchal character and its adherence to a security regime. Thirdly, I will analyse how women protesters were changing the status quo by their acts of protest and how it provoked a different way of thinking about women. The latter, has been aided by female graffiti artists too who used their graffiti as a way of 'speaking back'. This will be contextualised by an analysis of a selection of graffiti made by women during the Egyptian Revolution.Show less
This thesis explores urban dynamics in Morocco. Specifically, it examines whether the geographies of urban population displacement and poverty concentration in Casablanca have changed due to slum...Show moreThis thesis explores urban dynamics in Morocco. Specifically, it examines whether the geographies of urban population displacement and poverty concentration in Casablanca have changed due to slum eradication since the implementation of the Cities Without Slums Programme in 2004, and if so, how. Moreover, it explores the different political and socioeconomic consequences of this displacement for slum-dwellers. My contribution to the field is an exhaustive search of displacement patterns throughout the Casablanca prefecture and the creation of a dichotomy of soft vs. hard displacement, which differentiates extents of displacement in the region. The theoretical framework that guides the research is a combination of Henri Lefebvre’s theory of the production of space and an analysis of the neoliberal forces at work. This is done through an analysis of Moroccan news media and official policy documents published by different Moroccan state departments that discuss operations of resettlement and rehousing. The research concludes that slum dwellers have indeed been displaced from different areas of Casablanca since the launch of the programme. In some cases, they have been displaced to the periphery, this is to say, to the different provinces and prefectures adjacent to Casablanca. However, in other cases, displacement has taken place within the same area. These different degrees of displacement have had ambiguous political and socioeconomic effects on the affected populations.Show less
