Browsing by Subject "Poststructuralism"
Now showing items 1-4 of 4
-
(2021)Historically, Latvia has held a marginal position within the political geography of Europe. Yet, with the restoration of the state and in moving away from the Soviet Union, Latvia reorientated its national identity towards Europe and the West. In doing so, the European Union (EU) was one of the main foreign policy objectives. In the accession process to the EU, Latvia underwent a process of Europeanization, with changes at the domestic level and was placed in an inferior position to the EU. Since 2004, Latvia has further integrated into the EU, yet different geopolitical events have also created tensions between Latvia and the EU. Considering these developments, this thesis explores how Latvia has discursively constructed its national identity in relation to the EU over the last ten years. The theoretical framework of poststructuralism assumes that national identity is discursively and relationally constructed in a complex relationship to the Other. Adding to this, the concept of liminality which refers to the in-between space between the Self/Other is utilised. Through poststructuralism, foreign policy draws on national identity constructions and national identity is constructed through foreign policy. Therefore, in order to analyse Latvia’s national identity in relation to the EU, the thesis will examine the discussions on EU related topics within the annual foreign policy debate held in the Latvian parliament of the Saeima from 2011 to 2021. In examining the empirical material, the thesis utilizes Lene Hansen’s methodology of poststructuralist discourse analysis and approach of deconstructing articulations of differentiation within relational identity. In conducting the poststructuralist discourse analysis, three main findings of Latvia’s national identity construction in relation to the EU are identified. Firstly, Latvia’s national identity is on an equal level with the EU, but as shaped through its national context. Secondly, the Latvian Self is placed in an inferior position to the EU, as Latvia remains within the liminal space and becoming fully European is unreachable. Thirdly, the Latvian Self is superior to the EU, as Latvia goes beyond and against the positionings of the EU. These results indicate the historical continuity of Latvia’s liminality and how marginal actors contribute to their own ambiguous position. Latvia’s contemporary national identity is articulated as being ‘Europe but not quite Europe’, as the Self is constructed to the Other through shades of differentiation. Latvia reinforces its own liminal identity as the EU continues to define what it means to be ‘European’.
-
(2021)Historically, Latvia has held a marginal position within the political geography of Europe. Yet, with the restoration of the state and in moving away from the Soviet Union, Latvia reorientated its national identity towards Europe and the West. In doing so, the European Union (EU) was one of the main foreign policy objectives. In the accession process to the EU, Latvia underwent a process of Europeanization, with changes at the domestic level and was placed in an inferior position to the EU. Since 2004, Latvia has further integrated into the EU, yet different geopolitical events have also created tensions between Latvia and the EU. Considering these developments, this thesis explores how Latvia has discursively constructed its national identity in relation to the EU over the last ten years. The theoretical framework of poststructuralism assumes that national identity is discursively and relationally constructed in a complex relationship to the Other. Adding to this, the concept of liminality which refers to the in-between space between the Self/Other is utilised. Through poststructuralism, foreign policy draws on national identity constructions and national identity is constructed through foreign policy. Therefore, in order to analyse Latvia’s national identity in relation to the EU, the thesis will examine the discussions on EU related topics within the annual foreign policy debate held in the Latvian parliament of the Saeima from 2011 to 2021. In examining the empirical material, the thesis utilizes Lene Hansen’s methodology of poststructuralist discourse analysis and approach of deconstructing articulations of differentiation within relational identity. In conducting the poststructuralist discourse analysis, three main findings of Latvia’s national identity construction in relation to the EU are identified. Firstly, Latvia’s national identity is on an equal level with the EU, but as shaped through its national context. Secondly, the Latvian Self is placed in an inferior position to the EU, as Latvia remains within the liminal space and becoming fully European is unreachable. Thirdly, the Latvian Self is superior to the EU, as Latvia goes beyond and against the positionings of the EU. These results indicate the historical continuity of Latvia’s liminality and how marginal actors contribute to their own ambiguous position. Latvia’s contemporary national identity is articulated as being ‘Europe but not quite Europe’, as the Self is constructed to the Other through shades of differentiation. Latvia reinforces its own liminal identity as the EU continues to define what it means to be ‘European’.
-
(2018)The purpose of this thesis is to examine the Cyprus conflict, the role of United Nations (UN) in the conflict resolution and the gender perspective adopted by the UN in the peace process. The interest for this study arises from the extensive role of the UN on the island and from the fact that the peace negotiations failed again, after decades of mediation, in July 2017. The research question of the thesis is divided into two parts. The first research question is: “How could the observations of Security Council and Secretary-General on the Cyprus question be illuminated?” and the second question is: “What could be the implications of these observations for the resolution of the conflict?” The theoretical framework of the thesis builds on Feminist International Relations and Feminist Security Studies. More specifically, this thesis focuses on Poststructuralist Feminism, which examines language, discourses and power relations embedded in language. Drawing from these approaches, central to this thesis is the concept of hegemonic masculinity. It refers to practices that legitimize the position of the hegemonic group in the society and enforces the subordination of other groups. The concept has been formulated into four analytical tools that are used in the analysis. They are the Greek citizen-warrior model, the patriarchal Judeo-Christian model, the honour/patronage model and the Protestant bourgeois-rationalist model of masculinity. The data of this thesis consists of the reports of the Secretary-General and Resolutions of the Security Council from May 2015 to July 2017. The analysis is conducted through a qualitative content analysis. As results, this thesis proposes that the observations of the UN can be illuminated mostly through the bourgeois-rationalist model of masculinity. Some observations can be highlighted with the citizen-warrior model. Some hints of the patriarchal Judeo-Christian and the honour/patronage model are also present in the data. The analysis suggests that the gender perspective of the UN in Cyprus is limited by nature. It is a mix of bourgeois-rationalist egalitarian values and patriarchal values from the other masculinity models. The peace process imposed by the UN is argued for with rationality and is technical by nature. The actions encouraged by the UN on the island focus on technical aspects of the peace process but they lack in building trust between the communities. The actions of the UN on the island are also argued for with traditional security values such as hard security and survival and hints of superiority and paternalism. The results suggest that power relations exist in the UN that result in gender hierarchies. This implies that the peace process and peacekeeping operation of the United Nations in Cyprus lacks a genuine gender perspective. The lack of genuine gender perspective has negative effects on the peace process, its chances of succeeding and a solution to be found and implemented successfully. Women have not been equally included in the peace negotiations and this sets limits to the possibilities of the peace process resulting in a successful solution.
-
(2018)The purpose of this thesis is to examine the Cyprus conflict, the role of United Nations (UN) in the conflict resolution and the gender perspective adopted by the UN in the peace process. The interest for this study arises from the extensive role of the UN on the island and from the fact that the peace negotiations failed again, after decades of mediation, in July 2017. The research question of the thesis is divided into two parts. The first research question is: “How could the observations of Security Council and Secretary-General on the Cyprus question be illuminated?” and the second question is: “What could be the implications of these observations for the resolution of the conflict?” The theoretical framework of the thesis builds on Feminist International Relations and Feminist Security Studies. More specifically, this thesis focuses on Poststructuralist Feminism, which examines language, discourses and power relations embedded in language. Drawing from these approaches, central to this thesis is the concept of hegemonic masculinity. It refers to practices that legitimize the position of the hegemonic group in the society and enforces the subordination of other groups. The concept has been formulated into four analytical tools that are used in the analysis. They are the Greek citizen-warrior model, the patriarchal Judeo-Christian model, the honour/patronage model and the Protestant bourgeois-rationalist model of masculinity. The data of this thesis consists of the reports of the Secretary-General and Resolutions of the Security Council from May 2015 to July 2017. The analysis is conducted through a qualitative content analysis. As results, this thesis proposes that the observations of the UN can be illuminated mostly through the bourgeois-rationalist model of masculinity. Some observations can be highlighted with the citizen-warrior model. Some hints of the patriarchal Judeo-Christian and the honour/patronage model are also present in the data. The analysis suggests that the gender perspective of the UN in Cyprus is limited by nature. It is a mix of bourgeois-rationalist egalitarian values and patriarchal values from the other masculinity models. The peace process imposed by the UN is argued for with rationality and is technical by nature. The actions encouraged by the UN on the island focus on technical aspects of the peace process but they lack in building trust between the communities. The actions of the UN on the island are also argued for with traditional security values such as hard security and survival and hints of superiority and paternalism. The results suggest that power relations exist in the UN that result in gender hierarchies. This implies that the peace process and peacekeeping operation of the United Nations in Cyprus lacks a genuine gender perspective. The lack of genuine gender perspective has negative effects on the peace process, its chances of succeeding and a solution to be found and implemented successfully. Women have not been equally included in the peace negotiations and this sets limits to the possibilities of the peace process resulting in a successful solution.
Now showing items 1-4 of 4