Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Small state studies'

Corruption is defined as the abuse of public office for private gain. Often, corruption has devastating consequences, the two main consequences of which are economic and social. Unfortunately corruption exists most in developing countries, where people already live under hard economical and social conditions. The Pacific Islands are a region where corruption is a problem. Some countries are doing better than others, some have improved and some have got worse. But almost all of the Pacific island countries have faced cups or riots, breakdown of law and order as a consequence of corruption. The region is unique and characterized by ecological and cultural diversity, colonization, tribes, a human history rich in epic ritual, travel, narrative, and innovation. This thesis has examined one small Pacific Island country, Vanuatu which is a typical example of an island country in the region. 76 % of the people lives on 83 different islands and have little contact with the central island and its public and political administration. The purpose was to examine why corruption exists in the region with the help of different corruption theories. The result was that many Islands in the Pacific have been colonised and have had very little time to build up a stable public and political administration. Results also showed that the islands have a strong tribal tradition and people lives isolated on islands far away from the “real political life”, there is also a culture which accepts e.g. bribery and the general attitude is that parliamentarians should look after their original tribe rather than the entire country.

Abstract

For a long time Iceland, the Nordic and the EFTA countries had a skeptical attitude against the EU, even if their economic interests was in favour to join EU. The study use rationalist’s approaches to explain the willingness of these states movement to the European integrate. This thesis seeks to analyze the Icelandic way to the EU membership application, by describing earlier Nordic and EFTA member states reorientations to the EU membership. The similar experiences from Sweden, Finland and Norway compare the Icelandic case. The used method is qualitative studies of literature and the main material is overarching policy documents from the government of Iceland.

To conclude the study, all countries experience security, political and economic difficulties to join an integration system. After the serious damages from the global financial crisis 2008, Iceland expected higher economic benefits. Iceland understood, it could for the future secure its economical interests by joining the EU. Iceland became less stubborn toward EU and one effect of this kindness was to act rational by launching out its eagerly awaited EU membership application.

Keywords: EU, EFTA, Iceland, enlargement, European policy, Global financial crisis

At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 5: Manuscript. Paper 6: Manuscript.

This thesis describes separate studies of high-energy Rydberg and ion-pair states in small molecules using resonant multi-photon ionisation spectroscopy.

* OODR/REMPI study of ungerade Rydberg states in O₂

The energy region between 75000 and 99900 cm^-1 of O₂ has been studied using optical-optical double resonance (OODR) with resonance enhanced multi-photon ionisation (REMPI). Three-photon excitation via single rotational levels of the b(¹Σ⁺_g ) valence state was used to study np (n=3–10) and nf (n=4–9) Rydberg states converging on O₂⁺X(²Π_1/2,g) and X(²Π_3/2,g). The excitation pathway picks out non-predissociated states that are singlet in the (Λ,S) coupling scheme – suitable for np states for n ≥8, or are linear combinations of equal weight of singlet and triplet-spin states in the (Ω,ω) coupling scheme which was found to be suitable for nf states for all values of n.

* OTR/RI study of Rydberg and ion-pair states in I₂

Optical triple resonance (OTR) together with resonance ionisation (RI) has been used to study the ungerade manifold of molecular iodine between 57000 and 73000 cm^-1 via the E 0_g⁺(³P₂) ion-pair state. Two 6s Rydberg states with 0 +u symmetry based on excited states of the ion core have been observed.

During this study we also observed electric-field-induced mixing of nearly isoenergetic rovibrational levels of the E0_gP⁺(³P₂) and D0u+(³P₂) ion-pair states. Detectable mixing with an applied field of 1kV/cm occurs over a range of energy level separations of ≤0.3 cm^-1.

* (2+1)and (3+1) REMPI study of pyrrole (C₄H₅N) The two- and three-photon REMPI spectra of Rydberg states of pyrrole (C₄H₅N) have been recorded using circularly and linearly polarised light. The spectra were compared to the single-photon absorption spectrum of pyrrole and a similar study of furan (C₄H₄O). Although the ionisation spectra of pyrrole were considerably weaker than corresponding furan spectra, a strong propensity for excitation of d series with two photons and p and f series with three photons was observed for both molecules. The totally symmetric nd-Rydberg series associated with the first ionisation energy, [A₂]nd;A₁, was identified from n=3 to n=15 and extrapolated to obtain IE1.

During the Cold War, Norway was a member of NATO, Sweden was neutral but depended on Western support in the event of a crisis, while Finland's foreign policy priority was to win and retain the Soviet Union's confidence. The purpose of the thesis is to study whether the three small states' different foreign policy choices had consequences for the ways in which the Soviet Union and the USA were depicted in school textbooks for history, geography, and social sciences in the period 1930 to 2004. To this end, a theory derived from small states' strategies to maintain their independence was applied to textbook production.

The study demonstrates that there was a link between small state foreign policy and textbooks' accounts of the USA and Soviet Union. Swedish and Norwegian textbooks portray international conflicts from a legalistic perspective, taking the part of small states exposed to superpower aggression such as Vietnam and Afghanistan. In Finnish textbooks, however, an interest in defending small state's rights yielded to the need to demonstrate their goodwill towards the Soviet Union, which was described in far less critical terms than in Swedish and Norwegian textbooks. In time, in the name of neutrality, depictions of the USA also became increasingly uncritical.

All three Nordic states had government authorities charged with inspecting and approving school textbooks. Foreign policy's chief influence on textbooks was not effected by direct oversight, however; instead, it was established indirectly by means of the social climate, which determined what was considered politically correct in the three countries, and it was to this that the textbooks' authors adapted their work.

Textbooks are often said to be conservative and slow to change, but the thesis shows that in parts they were politically sensitive, rapidly adapting to changes in what society held to be politically correct.

Pacific Small Island States (PSIS) are in the precarious position as some of the first jurisdictions to grapple with the current and forecasted effects of climate change, such as forced migrations and loss of culture. Yet, islanders' viewpoints are neither often fully understood nor heeded by those at the international decision making levels. Therefore, how and to what extent are PSIS successfully preparing for climate change?

This completed study used a mixed methods approach that examines nissology — how islanders view and understand themselves — and its relationship with successful (discussed and defined within the study) adaptation planning. The study also used a mixed methods approach to juxtapose the findings of the nissological and success analyses with a second research question: an in-depth study and analysis of regional and global policymaking entities, and the degrees to which they may influence islanders' preparation for climate change.

The study examined 18 PSIS and their Climate Change Adaptation Plans (CCAPs) and then interviewed PSIS' representatives at their respective Missions to the United Nations in New York City to evaluate how PSIS view and foresee current and future policies regarding climate change at the global, regional, and local levels. Then, fieldwork was performed within the United States Territories in the Pacific: American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands to obtain on-the-ground information regarding implementation of plans, policies, and projects.

The study attempted to address two specific gaps in the literature via the triangulation of methods and data: the relationship between an island-centric viewpoint of CCAPs and successful climate change as well as how policymaking in the Pacific at the local, regional, and global levels either assisted or hindered successful climate change adaptation policy.

The results suggested answers to these two key questions as well as several unexpected or emergent findings. Regarding the two principal research questions, PSIS that crafted their CCAPs in a more nissological or island-centric manner were indicative of states that were foreseen to be more successful in adapting to current and future climate change effects. Next, PSIS that were part of AOSIS, the various regional associations, and those PSIS that had complete sovereignty (independent) were indicative of those PSIS expressing greater overall success at preparing for climate change than those PSIS not meeting these criteria. However, not all PSIS had the opportunity to become members of AOSIS or certain regional organizations for various reasons.

Finally, a policy document was created at the end of the study to illustrate some of the best practices based upon this study's findings. Immediately preceding the policy document are other emergent findings indicative of future areas of research and exploration within the realms of nissology, regional associations and partnerships, and successful climate change adaptation.

Abstract

Essay in political science, C-level, by Bo-Josef Eriksson, spring semester 2007

Tutor: Susan Marton

”Universal morality - does it exist? - A case study of small states foreign policy”

The purpose of this essay is to examine how well does realism stand of against idealism when the focus of the study is on small states foreign policy? The essay takes it’s starting point at the debate between the two theories of international relations (IR). Realism is the theory that has had the most impact on the study of IR since the second world war. Idealism has been it’s greatest opponent and the debate is still active even up til this day.

My case study of Danmarks foreign aid policy constitutes a worst critical case scenario for realism and therfore my assumptions were that idealism would be the theory that could explain the core-elements of the Danish foregin aid. Core-elements is the caracteristic of the different theory’s and the core-elements of idealism is the oposite of those of realism. The actual examination-material is the policy documnts of Danida. Danida stands for; Danish International Development Assistance, and it’s an department under the Danish ministry of foreign affairs.

The answer to if Danida’s foreign aid policy is based on realistic or idealisti core-elements is that it is based on idealistic core-elements. So to answer the purpose realism didn’t stand that well of when the focus were on a small states foreign policy. The limitations of my study lies in the fact that it’s an qualitative research which means that you may have som problem with generalisations so to be able to say something about all small states there will have to be more research done in this particular area.

During the spring 2007 Estonia and Russia collided in the biggest international conflict among themselves since the break up of the Soviet Union. The conflict concerned about the issue of Estonia’s removal of a soviet bronze statue from central Tallinn to a garden of honour, due to Estonia thought that the statue represented oppression. Chaos developed in Tallinn with disturbances and plunder. The relations between Estonia and Russia became very strained, as Russia considered the movement of the statue wrong. This thesis has examined how the two parties have handled this international conflict through measure how international they are from an official perspective. An examination has been made to see how well the two nations follow the official perspective in a real case. To be able to measure internationalism, a model by Kjell Goldmann has been used, where the idealistic internationalist should follow a certain pat-tern; outward-looking, universalism, coexistence-orientated, moderate. The re-sult showed that Estonia follows the idealistic international pattern owing to a well developed cooperation and membership in international organizations. While Russia ended up in the opposite side, the non internationalist pattern, due to difficulties with cooperation and too much inward looking approach towards the own country.

Våren 2007 hamnade Estland och Ryssland i den största internationella konflikten sinsemellan sedan sönderfallet av Sovjetunionen. Konflikten handlade om att Estland flyttade en sovjetisk bronsstaty från centrala Tal-linn till en krigskyrkogård, då man tyckte att den symboliserade förtryck. I Tallinn blev det ett kaos med oroligheter och plundring som följd. Relatio-nerna mellan Estland och Ryssland blev mycket ansträngda, då Ryssland an-såg att det var fel av Estland att flytta statyn. Denna uppsats har undersökt hur de båda parterna hanterade denna internationella konflikt genom att först mäta hur internationella de var utifrån ett officiellt perspektiv. För att sedan studera om de handlade i en internationell konflikt utifrån den offici-ella bilden. För att kunna mäta internationalism har en modell av Kjell Goldmann använts, där den idealistiske internationalisten skall vara enligt följande mönster; utåtsträvande, universell, samarbetsorienterad och mode-rat. Resultatet visade att Estland följer det idealistiska internationella mönst-ret tack vare ett mycket utvecklat samarbete och medlemskap i olika inter-nationella organisationer. Medan Ryssland hamnade på motsatt icke idealis-tisk internationalistisk sida på grund av svårigheter för internationella sam-arbeten och för mycket inåtsträvan till det egna landet.