Browsing by study line "Globaali kehitystutkimus"

Respecting cultural diversity is crucial in multicultural societies, especially given rising xenophobia and racism in Finland. This growing anti-immigrant sentiment emphasizes the importance of this research, highlighting the need for politically and academically inclusive discussions on multiculturalism and racism. This research addresses Eurocentric narratives supporting a Western-centric view, often reinforcing biases, and marginalizing other perspectives. Correcting these one-sided stories in an educational context can foster a more inclusive understanding of global history. This dissertation aims to evaluate how fifth- and sixth-grade history textbooks in Finland represent Global South regions and countries, focusing on development-related themes. The study examines Eurocentrism in these textbooks by analysing language and discourse through cultural and decolonial studies, using the World System History approach for a broader context. The aim is to offer suggestions for improving the representation of Global South countries, promoting a more inclusive and balanced historical narrative. The methodological framework combines historical inquiry, cultural studies, and decolonial studies with content and discourse analysis to examine how Global South countries are portrayed and how historical roots and power dynamics influence these narratives. The study finds that Finnish history textbooks for fifth and sixth grades include references to the Global South, covering regions like China, India, the Middle East, and South America. This inclusion provides a broader perspective on world history, challenging some Eurocentric narratives. The textbooks suggest that early civilizations were interconnected by focusing on ancient trade routes and cultural exchanges, illustrating that different parts of the world have been connected throughout history, culminating in the Modern Ages and unprecedented globalization. This promotes a more inclusive understanding of historical development, even though some Eurocentric elements remain, as the focus still tends to highlight Western perspectives and achievements. However, a significant gap exists in the representation of African history, with textbooks primarily focusing on ancient Egypt and the transatlantic slave trade, overlooking other crucial aspects of Africa's past. This lack of representation has implications for understanding global history and can reinforce Eurocentric perspectives. By omitting critical parts of African history, these textbooks miss an opportunity to present a more balanced view, contributing to broader issues like racism in Finland. To address these shortcomings, more inclusive approaches that decolonize the mind from Eurocentric biases are needed. This involves integrating a wider range of historical narratives and emphasizing the contributions of diverse cultures, allowing for a more equitable and comprehensive portrayal of global history.

Despite active Indigenous movement in the country, Ecuadorian governments have continued to exploit natural resources with increasing speed legitimising extractivism as a means to social development. Indigenous women are gradually taking leadership positions in the predominantly male-dominant Indigenous movement in Ecuador, and Amazonian Indigenous women have strengthened ties with other groups as well. The research questions of this thesis participate in the post-developmentalist discussion on extractivism and alternatives, resistance and finding solidarities to fight against subordination and destruction of territories, knowledge, culture, bodies and life. Drawing from feminist political ecology’s critical decolonial and intersectional feminist perspective, the thesis analyses, what “truths” the Ecuadorian state is creating about development, Indigenous peoples and their territories, and what the possible implications to Amazonian Indigenous women are. It is also interested in what strategies Indigenous women use to resist the extractive policies justified with those “truths”, and what kind of spaces of resistance they are creating. By doing this, the thesis tries to answer, how Ecuador’s extractive policies affect eco-cultural pluralism in Ecuadorian Amazonia. The main method for analysis is a Foucauldian strand of critical discourse analysis, complemented with elements of qualitative content analysis. The primary data collected for this thesis consists of government development plans and official communication, as well as of a report, statements and social media publications by Indigenous organisations and collectives. In Ecuadorian governmental discourses further expansion of extractivism(s) is still justified with economic and social development, especially in the areas of impact. What is new in the governmental discourses is the wide dismissal of Indigenous peoples’ existence and conceptualisations of “good living”. Dismissing topics, such as Indigenous peoples’ rights to their territories, and discrediting Indigenous knowledge suggests that citizen participation and eco-cultural pluralism are supported only as far as they do not threaten the development of strategic sectors of the state. Amazonian Indigenous women resist extractivism with multiple strategies. They are building solidarities by establishing alliances with ecofeminist groups, international environmental NGOs and human rights organisations. By tying their ethno-territorial demands into global climate and social justice discourses Indigenous women are opening a shared space able to mobilise larger crowds for their cause. Thus, while making visible the embodied impacts of patriarchal extractivism, Indigenous women are also simultaneously decolonising feminism. Although hegemonic government discourses embrace nationalist imaginaries and identities related to extractivisms, the resistance of Amazonian Indigenous women may cultivate common ground of understanding with the rest of the Ecuadorian society and international community.

This master's thesis is an empirical case study of Mahahual, Quintana Roo. With tourism ranking as the second-largest contributor to Mexico's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), this research seeks to unravel the nuanced dynamics surrounding the sector's substantial water consumption, tourism governance, and water governance. The study argues that by not acknowledging the tourist sector's dependency on and the massive use of water resources in water governance, Mexico creates and supports water extractivism. In this sense, water is used as a natural resource to create economic benefits from tourism. At the same time, tourism-related harms, both social and environmental, are seen as unintended consequences of tourism as an economic activity, causing unequal access to water as a resource and heightening local resistance.

South Africa as a country has been portrayed as an exception when it comes to protecting LGBT rights in Africa. In previous research on South Africa, sexuality, gender and race have been found to be crucial components of oppressive structures. However, the discursive practices and sedimented orders governing queerness, a substructure of normative sexuality and gender, have not been thoroughly examined. In this thesis it was questioned, how queerness has been made governable in South Africa through time. An additional centre of interest was to examine, how an influential non-profit organisation Gender DynamiX has recently tried to these orders. The thesis contributes to the efforts of queering development. Informed by intersectional feminism, Africana womanism, queer theory, post-colonialism, as well as Critical Discourse Analysis and Qualitative Content Analysis, the orders of discourse governing South queerness, as well as Gender DynamiX’s dominant discursive practices to change these orders, were analysed. The material analysed in the thesis consisted mainly of academic literature, and publications that the organisation has produced independently or in co-operation with other actors It was found that the historically moulded orders of discourse governing the field of South African queerness, a discursive substructure addressing deviance from the hegemonic South African system of normative sexuality and gender, is being produced and reproduced in contemporary South African society. These discriminatory orders of discourse have been made to support the colonial enterprise, the white apartheid state, and more recently black and religious identity politics. Thus, various actors have discriminatorily used queerness in a utilitarian manner to demarcate a line between us and them, between natural and unnatural, godly and ungodly, and more contemporarily the ones who tolerate and ones to be tolerated. However, it was found that these orders of discourse have been under transformation since the end of apartheid and the birth of the democratic nation. The discursive practices of gay and lesbian activists were crucial in changing these orders of queerness, and there has been some success in institutionalising and popularising the rights of sexual minorities. However, the issue of trans and gender non-conforming rights remains largely neglected in these moderately changed orders of queerness. Additionally, in the case study it was found that Gender DynamiX has pursued to affect these orders of discourse with an attuned and innovative discursive practice. More concretely, it has pursued to present especially racialised queers as active knowing subjects in different ways. This innovative discursive practice has the potential in dismantling the racialised hierarchical system of orders of normative sexuality and gender and the utilitarian orders that govern queerness in South Africa. More research on the development of Gender Dynamix’s discursive practice and the orders of queerness in South Africa would be beneficial to conduct.

This master’s thesis aims to examine the structural barriers that hinder women's participation in peacebuilding processes in Mozambique. The research falls under an umbrella theme of Women, Peace, and Security. The main research question of the study is: “What are the main structural barriers for women’s participation in peacebuilding processes in Mozambique?” The research is based on qualitative methodology, the research data includes an analysis of the expert interviews and the National Action Plan of Mozambique for Women, Peace, and Security. The study uses semi-structured theme-oriented expert interviews to gather data from various entities, including international organization representatives, policy officers, and civil society organizations. The theoretical framework is based on theories of critical feminist peace research and structural intersectionality. The particular purpose is to recognize the societal structures that function as barriers by generating inequalities and power relations between genders and thereby hindering women’s participation in peacebuilding processes. Furthermore, the purpose is to recognize the interconnections of these societal structures and how they affect women’s participation. The focus is on socio-cultural, educational, political, economic, and implementational factors. The study reveals that patriarchal structures, gender-based violence, and dominant gender roles limit women's agency and contribute to their limited participation. Lack of education negatively impacts women's confidence to participate in public initiatives and decision-making and their access to information and rights. Economic barriers, such as limited access to resources and loss of livelihoods, further marginalize women in peacebuilding efforts through the effects of survival priorities and double burden. Political dimensions highlight persistent obstacles women face in decision-making processes, highlighting the need for inclusive governance institutions and addressing recognition of women’s agency. Women are emphasized as agents of change, working in the informal sector of society and focusing on community-level peacebuilding. However, these actions are not transferred to formal activities, in which women remain excluded. The National Action Plan for Women, Peace, and Security (NAP-WPS) is a vital framework, but its’ implementation faces challenges such as lack of political will, transparency, resource allocation, and inclusivity. In Mozambique, women are often overlooked or undervalued in peacebuilding processes. Gender-sensitive methods are crucial to addressing structural barriers to women's participation. Intersecting dimensions of socio-cultural norms, educational and economic inequalities, political obstacles, and implementing issues must be addressed to create an environment that allows women to fully participate, contribute, and take the lead in establishing a peaceful and inclusive society. The research has important implications for Mozambique and globally, emphasizing the importance of grassroots initiatives and rethinking established systems. The topic is important for better understanding the links between peacebuilding and women's participation and related social problems and to allow for a broader discussion on the complex roots of issues such as poverty, patriarchal norms, and power relations.