In this theoretical study, I apply a historiographical approach to examine the development of the Anthropocene as a concept and its use across disciplines and through time. Using a synthesis of the literature of the Anthropocene, I uncover eight “hidden” narratives that are embedded within its discourse, and further link these to European humanist thought and the creation of subject and Other. I use these narratives to inform my intersectional analysis, wherein subjects are formed through the interplay between identity construction, symbolic representations, and social structures. These levels provide a framework with which to examine subject formation, with a special focus on the dimensions of coloniality, class, gender, and race within the discourse of the Anthropocene. By applying an intersectional perspective, I discuss who the subjects of the Anthropocene are presented as and how they are created. Finally, I apply posthuman perspectives to discuss how and why subject formation must be made more complex. I argue that subject formation in the Anthropocene must better adhere to relationalities between humans – as well as between humans and the more-than- human world – if we are to effectively envision alternative trajectories away from the current ecological and social crises that define this time of environmental change.  The main contributions of this study are thus: (1) a review and synthesis of literature on the Anthropocene, (2) an identification of eight narratives that are embedded in the discourse surrounding the term, and (3) an analysis that applies intersectional and posthuman perspectives to subject formation within the discourse of the Anthropocene.

This study addresses the decolonial program of the French party Les Indigènes de la République (PIR). By means of contemporary concepts of Coloniality, Decoloniality and decolonial resistance as theoretical framework and a qualitative content analysis as method for this study thirty articles of PIR authors that have been published from 2016 to 2018 are analysed in regard to the party’s particular understanding of racial inequality in French society, its conception of a decolonial society and its’ strategy for systemic change. The study asserts, how the PIR identifies a continuity of colonial ideology in the form of white universalism and supremacy as the source of racism in contemporary France and how it envisages an alternative, decolonial society based on multiversalism, cultural multiplicity and the refusal of hegemonic attitudes of one identity group towards another. Although the PIR is open for decolonial alliances the analysis shows, that the party insists on a primary non-white identity of its decolonial movement. The research concludes, that practical steps have to be taken in order to reach the PIR’s objective of a decolonial society.

This research seeks to explore the origins and values of participatory action research, as well as its role in transforming possibilities to knowledge production and shaping equal relationships between research participants. Drawing from the theoretical frameworks of intersectionality and decoloniality and with a focus on the experience of the asylum interview, the research seeks to explore the ways that those epistemological paradigms intertwine with participatory research to deconstruct the dichotomy between researcher and research subject (expert/community) and re-balance the power differentials embedded within academia, canonical knowledge production and traditional research methodologies, to initiate change.On one hand, the research documents the tangible difficulties and practical obstacles that young researchers may come across when employing participatory and inclusive approaches to research, discussing with honesty and self-reflectivity the limitations and shortcomings of this effort. More importantly though, it provides the space and framework for a young woman who navigated the European asylum system, to voice, without mediation and within academia, her narrative and lived experience, and discuss ways towards fairer and more humane asylum systems. As such, it is also a testament to what PAR can offer when conducted with respect and reference to its ontological and epistemological origins, within universities that can sustain it.

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[pt] O presente trabalho tem por objetivo compreender a perpetuação do discurso dos saberes ocidentais na margem do mundo, através da criminologia positivista, com a tradução de Lombroso feita por Nina Rodrigues, expoente no país da Escola Positivista. A partir da revisão bibliográfica buscou-se compreender, sob a perspectiva da colonialidade do saber e do ser, a invasão e colonização da América como fenômeno criador da segregação racial, constituindo-se nas primeiras demarcações da raça como conhecemos. Com essa ideia de construção do outro, Lombroso partiu dos estudos científicos para explicar o controle repressivo das sociedades centrais. A criminologia positivista partiu da ideia de degeneração dos indivíduos e na inferioridade biológica para explicar as razões da criminalização. Levando-se em conta a técnica do centro do mundo, os países latino-americanos importaram os estudos de criminologia para a margem, fortalecendo a relação de dependência centro-margem. No Brasil, as elites precisavam criar mecanismos ideológico-políticos para a manutenção no poder após a abolição da escravidão e instauração da república. A questão racial foi o ponto central nesse projeto racista confirmado pelos estudos de Nina Rodrigues, dividindo as raças, posicionando o problema do negro e o mestiço como fatores preocupantes para o futuro do país. A personificação do outro criminalizável influenciou a formação sócio-política brasileira, de maneira que o sistema penal é o responsável pela perpetuação de privilégios e vantagens históricas usufruídas pelos descendentes dos europeus. A continuidade do pensamento sobre o outro criminalizável demonstra o quantum de positivismo criminológico ainda possuímos. / [en] The presente work aims to understand the perpetuation of the discourse of western knowledge on the world, through positivista criminology, with the translation of Lombroso made by Nina Rodrigues, exponente in the country of the Positivist School. From the literature review, we sought to understand, from the perspective of the coloniality of knowledge and being, the invasion and colonization of America as a phenomenon that created racial segregation, constituting the first demarcations of race as we know it. With this idea of building the other, Lombroso started from scientific studies to explain the repressive control of central societies. Positivist criminology started from the ideia of degeneration of individuals and biological inferiority to explain the reasons for criminalization. Taking into account the technique of the center of the world, Latin American countries imported criminology studies to the margins, strenthening the center-margin dependency relationship. In Brazil, the elites needed to create ideological-political mechanisms to mantain power after the abolition of slavery and the establishment of the republic. The racial issue was the central point in this racista project confirmed by the studies of Nina Rodrigues, dividing the races, positioning the black problem and the mestizo as worrying factors for the future of the country. The personification of the criminalizable other influenced the Brazilian sócio-political formation, so that the penal system is responsible for the perpetuation of privileges and historical advantages enjoyed by the descendants of Europeans. The continuity of thinking about the criminalizable other demonstrates the quantum of criminological positivismo we still have.

Handlingsplanen för Agenda 2030 är ett viktigt dokument eftersom det lägger fram visionen för Sveriges framtida arbete med hållbar utveckling. Sverige vill visa omvärlden att tillväxt och välfärd är fullt möjliga samtidigt som vi värnar om miljön. Som Regeringskansliet (2018) betonar flera gånger så är det viktigt att balans råder mellan de olika aspekterna för hållbarhet (Regeringskansliet, 2018). Den här insikten återspeglar sig tydligt i handlingsplanens text. Däremot finns det samtidigt mycket som pekar på att den ekonomiska aspekten av hållbarhet prioriteras framför ekologiska och sociala aspekter.  Syftet bakom uppsatsen var att undersöka hur tillväxt värderas i förhållande till de andra aspekterna av hållbar utveckling. Samtidigt vill undersökningen belysa hur Sverige ser på sin roll i implementeringen av Agenda 2030 globalt, samt hur den svenska modellen för hållbarhet värderas. För att svara på de frågor som ställts har handlingsplanen för Agenda 2030 analyserats med hjälp av metoden tematisk analys. Resultatet från analysen har sedan granskats genom det teoretiska ramverket baserat på politisk ekologi och ekologisk modernisering. I studien framkom det att de tre aspekterna av hållbarhet ofta förekommer tillsammans, men att det maskerar en obalans i värderingarna. Studien visade också att Sverige har ambitionen att bli ett världsledande land när det kommer till hållbarhet och på vis ska föregå med gott exempel. / The policy for Agenda 2030 is an important document because it sets the course for Sweden's work with sustainable development. Sweden is clear with their intention of showing the world that it is possible to achieve economic growth, prosperity and care for the environment simultaneously. According to Regeringskansliet (2018) it is important to recognize that there is balance between the different aspects of sustainability. However, there are a lot of signs that point towards the economic aspect being prioritized rather than the social and ecological aspects.  The main purpose behind this essay is to examine how economic growth is valued in comparison to the other aspects of sustainable development. It is also important to examine how Sweden views itself when it comes to implementing Agenda 2030 globally, and how the Swedish model for sustainable development is valued. In order to answer the questions set forth in this essay the policy document for Agenda 2030 was analyzed with the help of a method called thematic analysis. The results then came under further analysis with the help of a theoretical framework based upon political ecology and ecological modernization. The results indicated that the three main aspects of sustainable development were often mentioned together, however this tended to cover up an imbalance in how the aspects were valued. The study also showed that Sweden has the ambition to become one of the world's leading countries when it comes to sustainable development. This in turn should inspire other countries to follow in Sweden’s footsteps.

Like many former colonised countries, Haiti has been plagued by insecurity and conflicts caused by internal and external influences as well as natural disasters. In 1804, after a protracted conflict between slaves and French colonialists, Haiti became the first black country to gain its independence through a revolution. Today, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, ranking 153rd on the Human Development Index and a significant number of humanitarian organisations are present on the island aspiring at improving the standard of living of the population. The following study examines how the relationships of power emerging through the relationship between humanitarian and local leaders affect their perceptions of each other and identified the emotions emerging from these perceptions. The perceptions identified are the coloniality of power, corruption and distrust, the occurrence of conspiracy theories and the obstacles encountered in the implementation of a relief-development continuum model envisioned by general humanitarian policies. These perceptions create tensions between the humanitarian and local leaders, contributing to fuelling negative emotions such as regret, sadness, sense of failure, disappointment and anger. Negative emotions in this study affect the collaboration between humanitarians and local leaders, diminishing the positive influences and impact of humanitarian action on the well-being of the Haitian population. One of the components to increase these positive influences of humanitarian action is to lessen the asymmetricality of power between humanitarian and local leaders through the adoption of a Cultural Competence model by humanitarians.

This essay attempts to discuss the decolonial memorialscape in Germany and Sierra Leone, bringing into focus the few existing examples. Coming from the visual arts, my wish is to bring art-practice into the communication for development feld. This means allowing associations, emotions and subjective observations to be part of the research on memorial-cultures, understanding images and layout as integral parts of a political-aesthetic thesis. The examples from Germany and Sierra Leone are not only understood in their national frameworks, but rather in their un/common coloniality. The essay explores at frst the material world of colonial-critical memorials, an undertaking that I deemed to be achievable in view of the limited number of memorials both countries have. The research feld is still very complex and therefore the essay itself is a condensed and fragmented frst step along peripheral paths. Listening to voices from Freetown as well as observing activities around a memorial in the German city of Bremen helped me gain an enlarged understanding of memorials. Communication aspects and performative approaches surrounding a sculptural form are able to give memorials living and discursive dimensions. The hypothesis that memorials could be helpful for the decolonialization of colonizing – as well as colonized - societies could not be fully answered as the examples described all have their weaknesses. If immaterial, sometimes ephemeral forms like writings, theatre, activism and spiritual ceremonies are included in the memorialscape, the answer is clearly positive, even though the majority in Germany would not be reached by these actions. In contrast to Germany, in Sierra Leone I found a millieux de mémoire (Pierre Nora) which might not be that active in the defnition of Aleida Assmann, but which, with the empowering impacts of the West African concept of Sankofa, is able to create creole realms of memory. Besides the image of the path along the fragmented, multilingual Dékolonεlízashɔn process, different bodies of water became powerful imaginations for decolonial memorials, connecting different times and places. The element of water itself is a palimpsest and at the same time an unchanging Mahnmal. A Mahnmal which is absent from the collective memory (Maurice Halbwachs) in Germany and can therefore be perceived as a void – unlike in the collective memory-culture of The Black Atlantic (Paul Gilroy). With reference to the examples described and analyzed, proposals are included and put forward for discussion.

La langue est en partie responsable de la perpétuation de la violence sexuelle. Alors que la théorie féministe semble l'alliée naturelle de cette étude, la relation binaire mise au premier plan dans la théorie féministe du traumatisme - en renommant la victime de viol en survivante de viol, par exemple - a gardé son oppression plus ou moins intacte. Mon approche est de m'éloigner du cadre strict de la théorie féministe pour comprendre pleinement la violence sexuelle et sa place dans l'histoire ainsi que son impact sur une femme qui a vécu le crime. En m'appuyant sur les théories de la (dé)colonisation pour analyser les récits de viol, je trouve des parallèles dans les deux actes d'oppression ainsi que dans les modes d'émancipation. Le potentiel ici est d'établir une nouvelle méthodologie qui permettra de recadrer l'analyse littéraire et de décoloniser la politique, la langue et la pédagogie du «monde réel» du viol, c'est-à-dire de montrer l'impact de la suppression, de l'ignorance ou de la négligence du viol comme problème sociopolitique central et structurel. Le corpus de cette thèse se compose de quatre récits littéraires, dont deux sont (semi)-autobiographiques: Cereus Blooms at Night, par Shani Mootoo; Memories of the Future, par Siri Hustvedt; The Apology, par Eve Ensler; et, In My Own Moccasins: A Memoir of Resilience, par Helen Knott. / Language is partially to blame for the perpetuation of sexual violence. While feminist theory would seem the natural ally to this study, the binary relationship foregrounded in feminist trauma theory—in renaming the rape victim as rape survivor, for example—has been kept her oppression more or less intact. My approach is to move away from the strict framework of feminist theory so as to fully understand sexual violence and its place in history as well as its impact on a woman who has experience the crime. In drawing upon theories of (de)colonization to analyze rape narratives, I find parallels in both oppressive acts as well is in modes of emancipation. The potential here is to establish a new methodology that will enable to reframe literary analysis, and to decolonize the “real-world” politics, language, and pedagogy of rape, that is, to show the impact of deleting, overlooking or neglecting rape as a central, structural sociopolitical problem. The Corpus of this dissertation consists of four literary narratives, two of which are (semi)-autobiographical: Cereus Blooms at Night, by Shani Mootoo; Memories of the Future, by Siri Hustvedt; The Apology, by Eve Ensler; and, In My Own Moccasins: A Memoir of Resilience, by Helen Knott.

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