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The covid-19 pandemic has left an irreversible impact of an immense magnitude on the world. Over six million people have died after contracting the virus, and millions more are grieving and living with the aftermath of a loss of a family member. In Europe, countries have chosen different ways to tackle and curb the spread of the virus with varying degree of success, In order to save lives, complia
The way in which the Mughal rulers Akbar and Aurangzeb are commonly represented perpetuates a misleading and occasionally dangerous depiction. Akbar is described as a liberal and tolerant leader, whose only goal was to bring eternal peace to Hindus and Muslims. Aurangzeb on the other hand is characterized as a dogmatic and fiercly conservative Muslim whose main objective was the subjugation and ha
This thesis unpacks the similarities and dissimilarities between Connecting Europe and Asia – Building blocks for an EU Strategy from 2018 and the Global Gateway from 2021, two Joint Communications from the European Commission and the EEAS on connectivity. The comparison shows that the Global Gateway has followed up on the suggestions for change or creation from the 2018 strategy. It shows that th
This study aims to investigate a potential convergence between the Green and Liberal parties of Europe regarding cultural issues of the GAL-TAN-scale, such as the environmental issue in particular. The focus on this issue is inspired by the increased debate and focus on the issue in relation to the 2019 European Parliament elections and by the theory of issue entrepreneuring strategies of the Gree
This thesis seeks to investigate how the EU member states react to the occurrence of an internal crisis within the EU. More specifically, how a European identity gets either strengthened or weakened by experiencing challenges. When addressing a European identity, this thesis works with the term of “belonging”, an attachment to something greater when defining the concept of European identity. Throu
This study investigates the relationship between political trust and income inequality in 29 European countries, using Easton’s (1975) trust-as-evaluation approach. The theoretical basis consists of Easton (1975) and Rothstein’s (2011)Low Trust-Corruption-Inequality trap theory. Political trust is operationalized through, trust in parliament, legal system, and police, whilst economic inequality i
The today decentralised Swedish school system is argued to be within a crisis. Furthermore the debate on re-centralisation of the school system is active. The school principals, as central actors for their units, are part of a bureaucratic and hierarchical chain of command controlled by both the state and municipalities. Hence, this paper focuses on what steering difficulties school principals exp
Democratic backsliding is becoming a bigger trend around the globe. This study examines how democratic backsliding has transpired in two post-Soviet countries, Poland and Estonia. This study has been conducted with the help of the comparative case study method where the time frame has been demarcated from the year the countries joined the European Union (2004) to present year. The theory democrati
The postmaterialism thesis put forth by Ronald Inglehart stipulates a relationship between wealth and non-physical values. Among these values is the protection of the environment, meaning that wealthier populations should more readily prioritise measures that further this goal. The postmaterialism theory has been a matter of contention, however, and there’s substantial critique against it. One of
This study analyses the relationship between the vision for education in Uganda through indigenous NGOs, the state of Uganda, and the United Nations. Investigation of whether they are consensual or constitute a discrepancy and what consequences that indicate, is also investigated. The material consists of the vision statement for education from 58 indigenous NGOs, the state document Uganda Vision
In 1989, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The convention, whose purpose is to ensure and protect children’s rights globally, was later ratified by Sweden 1990. Thereby, the country committed itself to legally follow the articles of the convention. By conducting a descriptive case study analysis of the CRC, this text aims to invest
The relationship between the European Union (EU) and China distinguishes itself by its unique nature and place in world affairs. The two distinctive economic giants have over the past two decades developed a structured relationship centred around trade and major economic interests. Growing in both intensity and complexity, EU-China engagements have over the years produced evidence to suggest for t
The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the discussion on the relation between memory and security in how Holocaust remembrance discourse affect the construction of security in Israel. By utilizing Norman Fairclough’s method of textual and discursive practice it analyzes speeches held by Israeli heads of state at the opening ceremony of Holocaust Remembrance Day between the years 2014-2021.
Global liberal democracy is turning in on itself, both in terms of quality and quantity. Although instead of imploding due to a coup d’état, incremental erosion of democracy is the new norm. This is more commonly known as democratic backsliding and scholarly agreement points to polarization as an underlying cause. Since 2016 the U.S. democratic quality has significantly dropped, whilst polarizatio
The influence of non-state actors on EU policies is increasing. At the same time, a new player has emerged in the world political arena: private military and security companies (PMSC). Therefore, questions could be raised about what it would imply if policies, advancing global security, are based on corporate interests. This case study aims to understand how the structural power of PMSC in EU secu
Despite Sweden's relatively high figures on living standards several extensive welfare challenges remain such as mental illness, youth unemployment and increased income inequality. Municipalities charged as the extended arm of the welfare state, have over the past 10 years initiated social investments to address these issues. Örebro municipality is described to be one of the municipalities in
This study examines whether the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) exercise collaborative leadership in the European Union's (EU) external climate security policy. While the academic debate acknowledges that both actors are very engaged in addressing external climate-related security risks, it does not answer whether they exercise a leadership role. Theoretical
Statues and monuments from previous centuries have gotten new political relevance as they have become targets of demonstrations and iconoclasm during Black Lives Matter protests throughout 2020. The aim of this paper is to examine how visibility is produced by the display of the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol, England (1895) in two different forums; the public and the museum. The forum of the
The aim of this thesis is to test too what degree two realist theories, defensive realism and offensive realism, can explain Russia's decision to invade Georgia in 2008. This has been done through taking four hypothetical explanations and testing to what degree these are consistent with empirical evidence. These explanations are based on the theories views on state behavior and interstate conf
This thesis sheds light on the complexities of climate change discourse by applying Foucauldian discourse analysis to the Canadian 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan. Through a six-step analysis process, the thesis intends to investigate the effects of discourse on the understanding of climate change and the consequences of constituting knowledge through discourse. The six-step process addresses discur
