This thesis discusses if and how the participation of women in the American labor force during World War II influenced how women were perceived by society after the war. Did their image change or...Show moreThis thesis discusses if and how the participation of women in the American labor force during World War II influenced how women were perceived by society after the war. Did their image change or remain the same? Also the influence of corporate and government propaganda are taken into account.Show less
The migration of European Jewish intellectuals into the United States of America can be seen as one of the most important cultural events in the 20th century history of the United States of America...Show moreThe migration of European Jewish intellectuals into the United States of America can be seen as one of the most important cultural events in the 20th century history of the United States of America. Several well-known German and Hungarian physicists arrived in America during this period of time. European nuclear scientists were much more productive under the conditions they encountered in the United States than they would have been if they had stayed in their home countries. In addition, the economic wealth of the USA enabled both American and expatriate scientists to make their wildest dreams come true, because money was not an issue and the best laboratories and technologies of that time were available to them. Although many of these European physicists stayed in England for a short period of time, eventually they fled into the USA. Besides having great ambitions, the expansion of American study in physics, the flexible educational structure and the more energetic recruitment systems in the United States attracted them.Show less
This thesis finds that the rise of cable television and the increase of social media usage need to be taken into account when understanding the increase of mass polarisation between 1992 and 2016...Show moreThis thesis finds that the rise of cable television and the increase of social media usage need to be taken into account when understanding the increase of mass polarisation between 1992 and 2016 in the United States. The thesis is divided into three chapters. The first chapter establishes that mass polarisation took place in the United States between 1992 and 2016. In the second chapter, attention is devoted to the rise of cable networks in the television landscape and its connection to the rise of mass polarisation. The third chapter focusses on the role of social media usage in the increase of mass polarisation in the United States between 1992 and 2016.Show less
This research elaborates on how the stark contrast between US involvement in the invasion and occupation of East Timor and the emergence of human rights legislation during the Ford presidency can...Show moreThis research elaborates on how the stark contrast between US involvement in the invasion and occupation of East Timor and the emergence of human rights legislation during the Ford presidency can be understood and explained. The contradiction between American values and American actions during the Nixon and Ford presidencies is often explained to be created by the superiority of Cold War interests, inter alia by political scientists Clair Apodaca and Michael Goodhart. This research does not serve to prove these authors completely wrong. However, it elaborates on the matter in a more inclusive manner by showing that the complexity behind the contradiction in policy reaches further than mere Cold War interest.Show less
This Thesis´ analysis includes both private actors such as society groups and actors related to the US state, and it identifies how the interplay of these actors and their different interests...Show moreThis Thesis´ analysis includes both private actors such as society groups and actors related to the US state, and it identifies how the interplay of these actors and their different interests contributed to the rise of anticommunism in the Hollywood film industry. In doing so, this thesis explores how a combination of actors and factors contributed to the intensification of anticommunism in Hollywood after the Second World War. As a result, it argues that anticommunism in Hollywood did not originate from solely state or private actors with consistent interests, it emerged from an interplay of state and private actors with different interests and ideas.Show less
Is the game America's Army a valid representation of the US military and functions as a successful recruitment device in the cyber age? In order to answer those questions, this paper will analyse...Show moreIs the game America's Army a valid representation of the US military and functions as a successful recruitment device in the cyber age? In order to answer those questions, this paper will analyse the game America's Army in detail. Whether the game is a valid representation of the US military will be depicted with the help of a set of sub-questions that are related to the ethical side of the new recruitment device. Valid in this scenario undermines that the use of violent games as a strategic deployment to attract people to the military is in todays cyber age not a new phenomenon and one that does not harm the youth. In order to measure the validity of the game, however, a section about the effects of the Teen-rating the game received will further shed light on the ethical critiques some scholars put forward. A teen rating in video games allows the army to attract players to the game from an age of 13 onwards and thus expose young players to the world of war. In the end this paper aims to answer the question whether one can then still talk about a valid representation or whether the army officials put forth the wrong set of analysis and would have been better off with creating more of a commercialised game that has a standardised age limit of at least 18 years. Furthermore, this paper will measure success with the help of the intentions the game producers had while creating the game. There are two key intentions that will be closely taken into account while answering this question. Firstly, reaching a young audience with the help of the Teen rating and secondly informing the public about the military. In order to measure the success here, this paper will analyse statistics about the amount of downloads the game received. An analysis of how the game effectively informs the public about the military will be conducted to further understand the dynamics of the new recruitment device. Comparison and components of analysis of other commercialised video games that are deemed to be the most popular ones in the video game industry will then further establish whether the army managed to create a game that fulfils the standards that effectively lead to a big audience of players.Show less
The theme of the present study is Carter's human-rights policy toward the Soviet Union. Consisting of three parts, each analyzing a distinct historical period starting from 1969 up to 1978 (the...Show moreThe theme of the present study is Carter's human-rights policy toward the Soviet Union. Consisting of three parts, each analyzing a distinct historical period starting from 1969 up to 1978 (the Nixon-Ford Administration, the 1976 presidential election, year, and the Carter Administration) the study supports the following thesis statement:statement: being primarily a domestic political tool, Carter’s human-rights policy did not succeed in changing the human rights situation in the U.S.S.R. considerably, but rather complicated the U.S.A.-U.S.S.R. relations, by touching the raw nerve of the Soviets.Show less
This thesis finds that to a certain extent, social media news consumption has contributed to mass political polarisation in the United States between 2006 and 2016. The thesis is divided into four...Show moreThis thesis finds that to a certain extent, social media news consumption has contributed to mass political polarisation in the United States between 2006 and 2016. The thesis is divided into four chapters to come to this conclusion. In the first chapter, multiple forms of political polarisation are scrutinised by means of a model. Secondly, literature on the topic is put in relation and context with each other. In the third chapter, attention is devoted to polarising mechanisms of Facebook and Twitter. In the last chapter, other possible causes of mass polarisation in the United States are related to social media news consumption as a cause.Show less
The aim of this thesis is to investigate the role the 1973 oil embargo, imposed by OAPEC on a number of states, among them the United States, as retaliation for being supportive of Israel during...Show moreThe aim of this thesis is to investigate the role the 1973 oil embargo, imposed by OAPEC on a number of states, among them the United States, as retaliation for being supportive of Israel during the Yom Kippur War, played in the bettering of diplomatic relations between Egypt and the United States. The oil embargo imposed on the United States, which can be seen as a crucial component of the Yom Kippur War, set in motion a mechanism which, as will be argued in this thesis, was of fundamental importance for the process of diplomatic convergence. The negative consequences of the embargo forced Washington to make the peace negotiations between Egypt and Israel one of its key foreign policy objectives in order to get the embargo lifted. It was during the process of negotiations between Egypt and Israel, with Washington functioning as diplomatic intermediator, that the foundations for rapprochement were established.Show less
During the Iraq War the American government used Private Military Companies (PMCs) to a great extent, and in doing so they inserted a previously largely unknown force into a volatile post-conflict...Show moreDuring the Iraq War the American government used Private Military Companies (PMCs) to a great extent, and in doing so they inserted a previously largely unknown force into a volatile post-conflict situation without knowledge of the possible repercussions. This is especially of concern since PMCs have received a negative reputation for their involvement in Iraq, due to several scandals including prisoner abuse and war profiteering. When considering that the post-invasion mission of the United States was that of state building, it has to be examined if PMCs have affected state building. State building is thought to be one of the most important issues of our time-weak or failed states pose a threat to the international order and their neighbouring countries. This thesis examines how PMCs affected state building efforts in Iraq to provide future policy planners with more extensive knowledge of the possible ramifications of the use of PMCs. This is achieved through an analysis of factors contributing to state building, and an in-depth analysis of trust and legitimacy, as well as the effect that PMCs had upon them in Iraq. Based on these findings, recommendations for a more sustainable use of PMCs are made.Show less
