This paper aims to analyse the democratic potential of the internet and the ways in which the Russian pro-government disinformation campaign is used to limit this potential by conducting...Show moreThis paper aims to analyse the democratic potential of the internet and the ways in which the Russian pro-government disinformation campaign is used to limit this potential by conducting exploratory research on Russia as a single case study. Firstly, Russia’s disinformation campaign is analysed on its own. Secondly, the paper causally connects this disinformation campaign to the internet’s potential to consolidate democracy, primarily as a new free medium for information. In doing so, the paper makes use of two theories, inoculation theory and network theory, as underlying mechanisms for its analysis. It is argued that a negative relation can be observed between the internet’s potential to consolidate democratic developments through free and truthful information and Russia’s disinformation campaign. As this paper remains primarily theoretical in its analysis, further research is advised to determine how this relation has manifested in Russian society and what practical implications can be observed.Show less
This thesis is about the study of the impact of responses from (civil) society, the economic market and the national political sphere on the success of cross-border joint ventures in China. Through...Show moreThis thesis is about the study of the impact of responses from (civil) society, the economic market and the national political sphere on the success of cross-border joint ventures in China. Through this study, it will be established that responses from the aforementioned sectors do indeed impact the realization of cross-border joint ventures in China. The origin and role of these responses in facilitating international corporate interaction will also be assessed. Because of the lack of research on cross-border Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) in China, literature has been selected from a variety of perspectives and disciplines. The societal responses have been grouped in three different foci through which the research has been done: (1) external risks inherent to joint ventures and M&A in general, that in the context of the Chinese market are extra compromising; (2) the controlling practices and narrative of the economic nationalist agenda of the Chinese government; (3) (media) discourses and practices that code the consumption of foreign products and/or services through the lens of consumer nationalism. Leading from these foci and the establishment of the existence of an impact, the research question has been tackled from different angles through e.g. case studies, sub-questions and a counterargument. The intended purpose of this enquiry is to contribute to an underdeveloped research field and also aid practitioners’ understanding of Chinese M&A so they can better anticipate and design their cross-border joint ventures in China.Show less
Even though the Weinstein scandal and the #metoo movement opened the debate about feminism across societies, it seemed that the debate did not happen in Japan. After doing some research, one can...Show moreEven though the Weinstein scandal and the #metoo movement opened the debate about feminism across societies, it seemed that the debate did not happen in Japan. After doing some research, one can see that mass media in Japan do not echo any feminist ideas. Throughout the years, the mass media have neglected feminist debates and even generated negative discourse on feminism. However, if one looks into more alternative media sources, it becomes obvious that the feminist debate is actually well established in Japan. There are media sources such as feminist journals that open discussions on topics like gender roles and sexual liberation. Feminist publications have existed in Japan since the beginning of the 20th century. However, as those journals challenge Japanese societal norms, they are categorized as niche media with quite a small readership. On the other hand, manga is another type of alternative media with a large readership that highlights a feminist debate. Within manga literature, there are specific genres that target a female readership from teenagers (shoujo) to adults (josei). I argue that among manga, shoujo and josei manga genres are the most read outlets of feminist ideas within Japanese media.Show less
This thesis aims to answer the research question: what influences countries in their response to the alleged human rights abuse of the Uyghur ethnic minority in China? In order to answer this, the...Show moreThis thesis aims to answer the research question: what influences countries in their response to the alleged human rights abuse of the Uyghur ethnic minority in China? In order to answer this, the concept of human rights in international relations, as well as the three main theories of international relations are projected on two case studies of international reactions to China’s alleged human rights abuse of the Uyghur ethnic minority in the Xinjiang autonomous region: Turkey and the European Union.Show less
This thesis outlines the dynamics of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its importance for sustainable development in the region of Latin America. Two state-owned oil and gas companies,...Show moreThis thesis outlines the dynamics of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and its importance for sustainable development in the region of Latin America. Two state-owned oil and gas companies, Petrobras in Brazil and Pemex in Mexico, are analyzed throughout the paper. These case studies establish that CSR is embedded in the contemporary socio-cultural structures of a country. Political practices of corruption in both cases hinder the positive impact the companies’ CSR agendas could potentially have on sustainable development. A final section concludes that the lack of enabling environments and strong governments hinders a potential positive link between CSR initiatives and sustainable development in Mexico and Brazil. Therefore, pressing issues of poverty, inequality and environmental degradation cannot be tackled by implementing CSR in its current form.Show less
The prime purpose of this paper is examining the varieties of Orientalist discourse in major Hollywood war movies which simultaneous depict Afghanistan and show favour towards US foreign policy. In...Show moreThe prime purpose of this paper is examining the varieties of Orientalist discourse in major Hollywood war movies which simultaneous depict Afghanistan and show favour towards US foreign policy. In order to draw a conclusion, the methodological framework was set using Orientalist themes from the work of Edward Said as a way of examining the discourse within the sample movies. The first movie examined is Rambo: First Blood III, set during the close of the Cold War. To have variety across the movies’ political landscapes and times, the second examined was the award-winning Zero Dark Thirty, set in the post-9/11 era. The last movie, Lone Survivor, however, was picked in order to challenge my main hypothesis – it is a US war movie depicting brotherhood between the two sides. My main conclusion was that the motive throughout all three movies was the Orientalist mindscape being exploited for military justification of the US wars abroad. Be it supporting or demonising the other, it always had a favourable outcome for US foreign policy rather than being critical of it. Seen from the point of view of art reflecting reality, it serves as a model showcasing how Orientalist discourse can be exploited, thus motivating military operations in the Orient. This in turn amplifies conflict and creates false symbolic imprints on audiences attracted to the genre.Show less
In recent years, China’s rise has had profound effects on a global scale as well as on individual states. There is an academic debate whether this rise is peaceful and possibly mutual beneficial or...Show moreIn recent years, China’s rise has had profound effects on a global scale as well as on individual states. There is an academic debate whether this rise is peaceful and possibly mutual beneficial or that it is a threat, economically speaking as well as political. This thesis aims to determine to what extent Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) affects the economic sovereignty of Laos. In this context, economic sovereignty is defined as the power and capability of a national government to decisions make independent of the interests of other governments. Using quantitative and qualitative research and various case studies, research has been conducted to examine the effects of Chinese FDI on the economic sovereignty of Laos in the last five years including current times. The results indicate a strong correlation between Chinese economic activity in Laos and the deepening of economic dependency on China as well as a decay of economic sovereignty for Laos due to significant debt accumulation.Show less
Looking at the possibility of violence in local manifestations of global protest movements can help predict the likelihood of violence occurring during new instances of protest. Looing at Occupy...Show moreLooking at the possibility of violence in local manifestations of global protest movements can help predict the likelihood of violence occurring during new instances of protest. Looing at Occupy Wall Street and the Global Justice movement and their local chapters in New York, London and Hamburg has led to several insights. Despite the disconnect between conflict and violence, the underlying logic of using violence as a repertoire of contention becomes evident. The time available for both the preparation of the protest and the response from the authorities do play a role in determining the degree of violence. Spontaneous protests, such as Occupy Wall Street in New York and London only were met with attention, and later violence, when their primary goal of public deliberation became evident. The violence was coupled with attempts at eviction. In case of Global Justice Movement protests as a response to the G20 summits in London and Hamburg, the activists had a longer time to prepare, which gave the authorities to prepare a response. Moreover, the protesters only had a limited time available and had to utilise that time to make their demands known. It appears, therefor, that the temporality of a protest is a significant factor in the likelihood of violence.Show less
This thesis examines the impact of the rebel victory and negotiated settlement in post-war Rwanda and Burundi, respectively, on conflict recurrence. Often referred to as twin countries due to the...Show moreThis thesis examines the impact of the rebel victory and negotiated settlement in post-war Rwanda and Burundi, respectively, on conflict recurrence. Often referred to as twin countries due to the wide array of shared features; they are similar in terms of demography, ethnic composition, geography and post-colonial political structures. While both emerged from comparable instances of civil war containing elements of genocidal violence, Rwanda’s conflict ended by a rebel victory, whereas Burundi’s civil war resulted in a negotiated settlement. Therefore, how has the rebel victory vis-á-vis the negotiated settlement contributed to preventing civil war recurrence in post-conflict Rwanda and Burundi, respectively? Connecting concepts of multiple sovereignty and institutions with Collier’s model of breaking the conflict trap, this thesis argues that the rebel victory in Rwanda has contributed to preventing civil war recurrence through economic development, whereas Burundi’s negotiated settlement was more effective in resolving the grievances underlying conflict.Show less
Due to the neglect of linguistics proper to address the social component in linguistics, and sociolinguistics extensive focus on language variation and change during the 1970s, Critical Discourse...Show moreDue to the neglect of linguistics proper to address the social component in linguistics, and sociolinguistics extensive focus on language variation and change during the 1970s, Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) emerged as an approach focusing on the relations between discourse and society, and how these are reproduced through text and music. As language is a powerful tool for identity construction, and its nature of being redefined within specific contexts, allows for CDA to observe how identities are constructed within discourses. Hence, by using Critical Discourse Analysis as an approach to analyzing music excerpts, this research will argue that the album Sobrevivendo no Inferno, by the Brazilian rap group Racionais MCs, uses specific structural and stylistic religious features as a semantic tool for Afro-Brazilian identity reconstruction. After presenting the Brazilian context of inequality and marginalization of peripheries, this research will apply the three stage model of analysis presented by Fairclough (1984): description, interpretation, and explanation of text. Although the primary focus of CDA has been on analyses of texts containing discourses produced by controlling groups, this research will apply the CDA approach to analyze discourse of resistance against dominating groups.Show less
The German energy transition (Energiewende) is fuelled by a distrust towards nuclear power, foreign energy dependency and climate change. This paper assesses the media representation of the German...Show moreThe German energy transition (Energiewende) is fuelled by a distrust towards nuclear power, foreign energy dependency and climate change. This paper assesses the media representation of the German Energiewende, especially how the use of framing and narrative could influence public opinion on the matter. The analysis which aids to this goal is foucauldian discourse analysis.Show less
Afghanistan has been a place of importance for the US in particular since 2001 when the US invaded the country after the start of the war on terror. The US involvement however has not only had an...Show moreAfghanistan has been a place of importance for the US in particular since 2001 when the US invaded the country after the start of the war on terror. The US involvement however has not only had an impact on the country itself, but also affected the geopolitics of the region. Specifically, with regards to Afghanistan's neighbours of China, Iran, and on the India-Pakistan dynamic. This paper explores these relationships and concludes that despite their differences in regional goals, all countries involved benefit from a stable Afghanistan.Show less
