Myth. Although the word is part of every-day life, it is more often than not used as synonymous to an amusing tale, or, worse yet, a lie. This thesis explores another, perhaps deeper, aspect of myth ? myth as a shaper of desires and a definer of society. The main active component in this function is a covert power, here named the naturalising power. It's strength lies in its ability to make ap

In this thesis I discuss how the western conception of reason is an aspect of power. I consider the western comprehension of rationality to be a masculine and ethnocentric understanding, though by itself acclaimed to be universal. My purpose with this thesis is to analyze how this western and masculine conceptualisation of reason follows a gramscian structure of power, which makes it reproduce its

What every theory of democracy has in common is a reference to ?a people? who are, in one way or another, collectively self-governing. Given that, surprisingly little attention has been paid to the so called boundary problem of democratic theory, or, in other words, the question of who should be included in the democratic community. Lately, the historically given boundaries have been questioned in

Abstract 1985 tog Michail Gorbatjov över makten i Sovjetunionen, och en ny omskakande period tog vid. Gorbatjovs reformer, glasnost (öppenhet) och perestrojka (omdaning), blev början till slutet för sovjetstaten genom de oerhörda följdverkningar de fick för landet: det kommunistiska Sovjetunionen, bestående av 15 delrepubliker, blev till ett land, Ryssland, med en demokratisk författning. Vi har

In what way has the ethnic housing segregation changed from the 1970´s until today and has the politics concerning these matters dealt with the ethnic segregation as a phenomenon that occur due to free choices of ethnic groups or as a stigmatization and marginalization of ethnic groups? To be able to find out what actual changes there are to be seen in the political measures regarding the ethnic h

Inom demokratiforskningen har forskare länge pekat på ekonomisk utvecklings positiva effekter i demokratiprocesser. Dock finns ett antal länder som avviker från den modellen, exempelvis Singapore. Landet har gått från utvecklingsland till modernt industriland på 50 år, dock ges inte befolkningen grundläggande fri- och rättigheter såsom yttrandefrihet. Utifrån teorin att det med ekonomisk utve

Vårt undersökta problem är brytningen när en kvinna inträder i en mansdominerad organisation och vi har därför valt att studera svensk polis. Syftet är att studera vad som förändras, hur det förändras och de kausala mekanismerna bakom förändringen. Vi har utifrån ett kultur-, och genusperspektiv intervjuat poliser av båda könen för att få en inblick i hur de upplever förändringar inom organisatio

Natten mellan den 19 och 20 mars 2003 inledde koalitionstrupper Operation Iraqi Freedom. Detta var slutet på det som kom att gå till historien som Irakkrisen. 30 år tidigare formulerade Graham Allison en teori, i form av tre modeller, för att förklara utrikespolitiskt agerande utifrån Kubakrisen. Vi har prövat huruvida Allisons teori fortfarande kan förklara utrikespolitiskt agerande genom att pr

As a reaction to the failing decolonization process in West Papua, Indonesia, in the 1960s, a domestic movement was created that demanded their right to an independent nation. In the decades to come, a transnational solidarity network responded to, and developed around, the West Papuan resistance. This essay takes its departure in the West Papuan solidarity network, a concept referring to differe

This thesis has the purpose of developing a normative theoretical framework based on different political philosophers and scientists view on deliberative democratic theory, discourse ethics and a modified norm of citizenship. This framework is supposed to contain the ideal communicative situation for people seeking asylum. Hence, the thesis argues that political influence is best practised through

Abstract In this theory-testing case study I will analyze and discuss the Gulf War which took place in the Middle East in 1990-1991 and has become an important topic for discussion among IR scholars in the post-Cold War era. The events that led up to the Gulf War, as well as the war itself, will be analyzed from two different perspectives; Realism and Liberalism. Within these differing theoretica

Abstract Sweden is a country with good reputation when it comes to questions about equality. The definition of equality is not always explicit though. The aim of this thesis is to examine what Swedish equality is and what it should be. By studying descriptions of equality and discrimination in the political programs of the parties of the Swedish parliament from the sixties until today, I exam

Since the 1980's economic policies has become an important issue in municipalities and more resources are put into projects that are intended to have a positive influence on the local economic growth. From a theoretical perspective of regime theory and a model of local political economy, concerning the strategies chosen by the actors involved designed by Jon Pierre, the discussion points to th

This essay develops a theory for the explanation of the diffrences in succes of Radical Right Populist Parties in Western Europe. In order to create a succesfull radical right populist movement and thus a succesfull radical right populist party, three elements are needed; ?demand?, ?supply? amd ?mobilisation?. Because the creation of a radical right populist movement is different than the creatio

Vi redogör för psykologiska förklaringar till hur identiteter påverkar gruppers benägenhet att sluta sig samman under yttre hot. Vad vi intresserar oss för är vad detta har fått för resultat i väpnade konflikter. Många bedömare menar att de väpnade konflikterna efter det kalla krigets slut uppvisar en aldrig tidigare grymhet människor emellan. Hur är denna möjlig? Med resonemangen om gruppidentit

Den 11 september 2001 förändrades världen. USA var inte längre skyddat av stora hav utan var nu sårbart för anfall. En ny värld krävde nya krig och de gamla doktrinerna för rättfärdigande av krigföring och nationalstatens suveränitet sattes ur spel i sökandet efter terrorister. Efter att Talibanregimen var störtad i Afghanistan var det största hotet mot USA säkerhet och världens fred diktaturen i

Abstract The European union experience sometimes difficulties in advancing its work due to the member states? different ambitions and interests. The budget is one common tool that the member states can use in order to implement different policies according to their preferences. A large share of the budget is presently tied up in the CAP, the common agricultural policy. This share could be spent i

Sedan det kalla krigets slut har en förändring i konflikters karaktär ägt rum, från mellanstatliga till inomstatliga, varav alltfler idag beskrivs som "etniska". Arend Lijpharts teori om "consociational democracy" ger en lösningsmodell för att skapa och behålla en stabil demokrati i ett pluralistiskt samhälle. Han identifierar fyra grundläggande element för teorins tillämpning:

This paper is a study of a European citizenship in relation to two different perspectives on citizenship ? universalism and pluralism - from a gender perspective. We discuss a universal citizenship with equal rights and a pluralistic citizenship with different rights (groupdifferentiated rights), in relation to women within the European Union. First, we try to decide whether the European citizens

In this essay we try to find explanations as to why Denmark went to war, to-gether with the United States and other nations, against Iraq. We have exam-ined several factors which we believe to be the most important for Denmark`s decision to go to war. In particular, we have looked at Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and his belief system, Denmark`s recent domestic policies especially the immig