Furthered as one of the core values behind neoliberal ideas, freedom becomes a contested site in contemporary critiques of neoliberalism. As one of the leading scholars on–and critics of–neoliberalism, Wendy Brown argues that neoliberal rationality undermines the prospect of democracy, as well as freedom. By using a contextualizing and reconstructive method, this study analyzes multiple works of B

The EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy was created to stabilize the EU’s Neighbourhood, fuel the EU’s geopolitical crisis management ambitions, and strengthen European values abroad. In the recent debate, however, it was criticized as ineffective or destabilizing. While specific regions and mission types were previously researched, a comprehensive analysis of all EU crisis management operatio

Space activity is rapidly developing, increasing globally in public and private sectors, and subject to competition amongst dominant spacefaring actors. Global space governance is discordant with the contemporary environment motivating international efforts to develop it. Since 2021 the European Union (EU) is intensively developing space policy and strategies. This dissertation contributes to stud

This thesis analyses how migrant sex workers are conceptualised and regulated by the Danish state. Through content analysis, guided by Carol Bacchi’s ‘What’s the problem represented to be?’ approach, this thesis examines how migrant sex workers are constructed as a ‘problem’ through their situatedness in different and intersecting policy fields. The flow of migrant sex workers is recognised within

This thesis investigates the evolving political attitudes and behaviours toward democracy among young Kenyans, examining whether they are becoming increasingly apathetic toward democracy or are evolving innovative democratic behaviours. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combines quantitative data from Afrobarometer surveys with qualitative interviews with Kenyan youths conducted during

This thesis investigates how the problem of plastic pollution is represented within the environmental policies of the European Union and the United States. By adopting and utilizing Bacchi’s ‘What's The Problem Represented To Be’ approach, the research explores the specific aspects of plastic pollution that are problematized by these policies. The study applies issue framing and environmental

Improvements in machinability by alloying of the workpiece often adversely impact the end user properties of a material. For example, the common use of non-metallic inclusions can lead to improved tool life during turning or milling, but often adversely affects weldability, corrosion, and wear resistance. A cutting tool material meets kilometers of workpiece material during a machining operation.

Background: There was a global epidemic of methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI) and/or methylisothiazolinone (MI) contact allergy from 2009 to 2015. In response, the Thai Ministry of Public Health regulated the use of MCI/MI in cosmetics. Objective: To survey the presence of MCI/MI and MI alone, as labelled on cosmetics sold on the Thai market, before and after the ministerial directive. Methods: The

Background: Associations between subjective sleep quality and stage-specific heart rate (HR) may have important clinical relevance when aiming to optimize sleep and overall health. The majority of previously studies have been performed during short periods under laboratory-based conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of subjective sleep quality with heart rate during

Objective: Secundum atrial septal defect (ASD II) is a common congenital heart defect, and interatrial communications among preterm children is even more common. The objective of this study was to calculate the incidence of ASD II in children, with assessment to gestational age at birth. Further, to assess maternal, prenatal and postnatal risk factors associated with ASD II among children of diffe

Linguistic Archaeology provides students with an accessible introduction to the field of linguistic archaeology, both as theoretical framework and methodological toolkit, for understanding the conceptual foundations and practical considerations involved in reconstructing the prehistory of language. The book introduces the field's expansion out of traditional approaches to focus more on the interpl

The 21st century has witnessed a revival of authoritarian and populist leaders, a new wave that has fundamentally changed the political landscape, earning it the title: The Age of the Strongman. This evolving style of leadership has been driven by “angry white men”, notably strengthening masculinity as a symbol of political authority. However, in recent years, the strongman archetype has met a ris

This thesis investigates the economic engagements of China and the European Union in the East African Community, focusing specifically on Kenya and Uganda. The study aims to compare how China’s and the EU’s investments in infrastructure projects influence the region and whether these actions can be perceived as attempts to establish dependency relationships. Using a mixed-method approach, combinin

The island of Bougainville has sought secession from their overlord Papua New Guinea for decades now, and it has been one long journey till today. The aim of this essay is to map out this journey from 1975 when Papua New Guinea got its independence from Australia, to 2020, one year after the independence referendum in Bougainville. This is done with the help of process tracing, a method that speci

This thesis investigates the rhetoric of populist leaders during the Covid-19 pandemic. By examining statements from three different presidents, Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro, Mexico´s Andrés Manuel López Obrador, and Nicaragua´s Daniel Ortega and explores whether they used rhetoric that downplayed the threat of COVID-19. Through a qualitative content analysis, the rhetoric of these presidents is ex

As a result of social distancing during the Covid–19 pandemic the digital realm has been subject to an increasing amount of content where women are emphasizing their roles as wives, ‘homemakers’, and mothers, widening the online community of the ‘momosphere’. This paper examines how a particular subcategory of the momosphere perpetuates a particular vision of female gender on the social media plat

Fifty-five years have passed since Lijphart’s introduction of the consociational model of democracy, which uses elite cooperation to manage conflict in divided societies. Through a comparative case study of the application of consociationalism in the classic cases of Belgium and Switzerland with a focus on the key characteristics of grand coalition, segmental autonomy, and public passivity, the mo