The relationship between Turkey and the EU is one that stands out as specifically unique due to a decades-long controversy about what constitutes European identity in relation to Turkey’s bid for EU membership. This long-standing debate about Turkey regards an identity based on two differing concepts of Modern Europe and Europe where Modern Europe is seen as the ‘inclusive’ and Europe is viewed as

Swedish citizens of African descent, also known as afro Swedes, is a minority exceptionally exposed to different forms of racism, hate crimes and discrimination in society. From a perspective inspired by Helen Ingram and Anne Schneider's theory on the social construction of target populations, the construction of Afro Swedes in policy is evaluated in this paper. A thorough examination of the p

This study aims to examine how systemic factors shape the capabilities of a normative actor to project its power through the discourse. By looking into the statements of EU delegations related to shrinking civic space this study will identify patterns and variations in the EU discourse depending on the level of repression in the third country. We will claim that in the countries where civic space

This thesis examines the fundamental problem of expert knowledge and science in democracies. It does so by a critical discourse analysis of the case about tramway in Lund and the question it searches to answer is how the group “experts” were constructed. To answer this question a division of theories regarding the question of expert knowledge and science in democracies are used. The theories could

In recent years, people using public space in ways that are seen as problematic has been a recurring topic of public debate – for example about begging EU-migrants and marginalized youth causing unrest in shopping malls. This study sets out to understand how government responds to in such cases. By analyzing interviews with social workers, policy documents and secondary reports about efforts to ma

Over the past few years the EU has seen a surge in reports showing that analogical products of dual quality are being sold in different parts of the Union. An East – West divide has been noticed in the way that products of identical branding and packaging are of poorer quality in the Central and Eastern European shops, but not in the Western ones. The aim of the research is to investigate if the l

Bearing a child and giving birth are often considered as a life-changing event in the life of a woman and her family, a source of joy and fulfillment. But in spite of the progress achieved in the last century, every two minutes one woman still dies from pregnancy or childbirth related causes (WHO 2018). All too often, becoming a mother can be associated with pain, suffering and even distress, disa

In 2017 the Swedish government takes the decision that conscription will be reactivated after eight years of sleep. Major system changes like this need time to find their path so they are able to produce. Therefore, several questions are raised ahead of the reactivation of the conscription. This study answers to the question why the conscription was taken back in service. The answer and driving fo

This research paper aims to investigate, develop and evaluate how threat constructions are framed. This is done by combining securitization theory, framing and Lennart Hellspong’s method of analysis. These three all aim to investigate how frames can be deconstructed in order to better understand how they were made in the first place. By combining the three, they provide a better explanation for ho

The purpose of this essay has been to analyse to what extent the Swedish Armed Forces is a learning organisation based on experiences concerning Defence medicine and the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLT) in Afghanistan. Strengths and weaknesses are highlighted. The ambition has been to increase the overall understanding of the organisation in light of learning organisational structure

The main effort and purpose of this essay is to explain to what extent the Swedish army officers basic education relates to the demands of war. The study further aims to describe how the Swedish officers' basic education has evolved since the ending of the Cold War. The study develops its own theory, based on three other scientifically accepted theories, in order to analyze the scientific ques

Research on trade unions ability to influence EU policies has mainly addressed the issues trade unions faces internally such as cultural, linguistic and ideological differences. This thesis extends the research on trade unions ability to influence EU policies by analysing what external factors that has to be present if trade unions shall be able to prevent liberalisation in the context of the Euro

According to the Euro-barometer conducted by European Parliament in 2016, 57% of Young People in Europe have the perception of being excluded from the society in their country of residence (EPRS, 2016). With rising of anti-immigrants sentiments across the globe and increasing discourse on failed integration, one of the most affected groups are young migrants (MUCF, 2016). Differently from existing

Recent developments on the African continent have indicated the emergence of a comprehensive security framework that has been developed to address the many security issues currently threatening peace and stability. A central pillar in this new framework has been the prominent role played by Regional Economic Communities (RECs) that have increasingly adopted peace and security goals as part of thei

During the last decade Sweden has seen rising immigration of vulnerable EEA/EU citizens. In many cases these individuals live in homelessness and difficult social conditions. In desperate situations municipalities can provide support. However, the level of support that is provided for EEA/EU citizens varies greatly between municipalities. This study examines if there’s a positive correlation betwe

This thesis studies three ideas represented in the political work Rukhnama written by Türkmenbaşy, the former totalitarian dictator of Turkmenistan. Using the theories of Anderson in Imagined communities, with the method of descriptive idea analysis, it comes to the conclusion that the work represents a heavily authoritarian ideology with its basis in a family structure. The family structure is pa

It has been reported from one field observation in Belgium that great tits can use conifer needles to extract larvae from bark crevices in trees. In a laboratory experiment I tested if great tits could use tools to extract mealworms in a similar way as in the field observation. I tested two different types of tools, sticks and hooks, in trials where the birds could extract a mealworm from a transp

The following essay sets out to explain why the US has chosen to stay neutral in the conflict between its two allies, Turkey and Syrian Kurdistan, indirectly siding with Turkey as opposed to Syrian Kurdistan, given their power-discrepancies. Theories within alliance theory, and primarily Stephen M. Walt, point to reputation, the probability of allied support, level of institutionalization and non-

The question of what kind of actor the European Union is has been much debated since its formation. One of the policy areas where the union has been taking on a prominent role is the environmental. The EU uses environmental policy to form its international identity in the lack of a common military force. Not only does it impose ambitious environmental targets within its borders, but also through v

Using discourse analysis as a theoretical and methodical point of departure, this paper strives towards analyzing the ways in which the Swedish tax on air travel is being made understandable. Through examining how this is done on two occasions in contemporary Swedish politics, it further aims to capture how the arguments in favor of a tax have developed and changed over time. Drawing on Maarten H