A conceptual framework, 'accountable bureaucratic capacity' is utilised to investigate the ability of local government to institutionalise collaborative urban upgrading measures in partnership with civil society organisations. The main argument is that the latter cannot contribute to sustainable development, democratisation or to protect citizens' rights in low-income neighbourhood without accountable representation from their side, a reciprocal and active representation from the citizens concerned, and an accountable public sector. The capacity of urban governance and the extent to which participatory initiatives can exploit the potential within existing structures and systems are examined. This examination allows an evaluation of how far a participatory project rated as 'good-practice' can enhance citizens' awareness of opportunities, political participation and local government performance, while building collaborative and institutionalised planning capacity. The research concludes that the sustainability of urban upgrading depends on the form of citizens' participation and the management styles of cities. Successful participation during an upgrading project may have 'transformative' potential to encourage citizens' political participation. If the citizens are not active, even though they reject the government's development agenda, or have to depend on 'informal' networks to provide their needs, they may be characterised as 'free-riders', who withdraw from urban governance and its collaborative decision-making processes. Legal recognition of squatter settlements is the first step required to institutionalise upgrading policies, particularly for indigenous or customary groups trying to survive in a world characterised by increasing interdependence and escalating threats to local ties. However, although this recognition strengthens a group's ability to negotiate and interact with non-group members, it may also have detrimental effects if it is not supported by additional legislation. Local government needs institutional reform and a strategic capacity-building programme to forge partnerships and the joint responsibility of the public and private sectors, as well as of civil society.

We study three topics on corruption that are of particular relevance to sub-Saharan Africa. Firstly, we address the question of why corruption is such an endemic problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Is it policy driven or "destiny"? We analyse indices of perceived corruption and test several theories regarding the causes of corruption. We find strong support for two arguments: Countries with a British heritage are perceived to be less corrupt, while those with a common law system are perceived to be more corrupt. We find weaker support for four further arguments: Countries with good quality institutions and a greater proportion of women in the labour force are perceived as less corrupt. Countries with greater natural resource abundance and with greater trade openness are perceived to be more corrupt. Secondly, we look at the supply side of bribery. Within the public procurement process, we study how a firm's uncertainty regarding the official's corruptibility and rival firms' costs influences the magnitude of the bribe it offers. Due to the illegal nature of bribery, we also explicitly consider different punishment mechanisms for corrupt firms. We find that secrecy leads to lower bribe levels, and that bribery can be completely deterred by either appropriate fixed fines or by firms being fined punitive damages. Thirdly, we investigate whether more corrupt governments receive less aid. We develop a theoretical framework that treats corruption as a tax on aid. Although we are unable to empirically test this model, we use it to motivate our empirical analysis of aid receipts using data on sub-Saharan Africa. We find a negative correlation between a country's perceived level of corruption and its aid receipts. However, we find no causal effect of perceived corruption on aid receipts. We revisit the results of an influential paper in the literature and find that their result of no evidence that countries perceived as more corrupt receive less aid is not robust to a sample of sub-Saharan African countries, although we find no evidence of a causal effect. We find no evidence that the impact of perceived corruption on aid receipts differs across sectors.

This thesis seeks to assess the relevance of existing theories about the origins of nationalism and investigate more specifically the claim that nationalism is rooted in ethnicity. It does so by examining the cases of Eritrea and Somaliland, which proclaimed their independence in May 1991 after seceding from the states to which they were formerly united. Having explained in the introduction why International Relations needs to take a closer look at the causes of nationalism, the second chapter proceeds to review some of the main theories about the origins of nationalism. It retraces the history of the primordialist-modernist debate, discusses the main contentions of the ethnonationalist approach and presents some of the factors singled-out by recent scholarship as propitious for the emergence of nationalism. Given that most of the theories about the origins of nationalism presented in chapter two centre on Europe, chapter three surveys the literature on the rise of nationalism in Africa i_n order to determine whether any additional factors need to be considered before analysing Eritrea and Somaliland. Chapter three also includes a discussion of the anthropological literature on ethnicity in Africa and questions the ethnonationalist claim that ethnic groups are pre-modern. Using as a framework the factors identified previously, chapter four offers a historical account of the emergence of nationalism in Eritrea. Chapter five does the same for the case of Somaliland. As the analysis provided in chapters four and five illustrate, the claim that nationalism and secession have ethnic roots is not empirically substantiated by the cases of Eritrea and Somaliland. The thesis concludes by discussing the practical implications of these fmdings with regard to the right of secession and proposals for boundary adjustment in Africa. It also highlights the ways International Relations may contribute to our understanding of the causes of nationalism.

Demonstrou-se nesta tese a potencialidade da ressonância magnética nuclear no domínio do tempo (RMN-DT) para medir a temperatura de sementes oleaginosas isoladas e inseridas em solos. Os métodos desenvolvidos baseiam-se na correlação entre o tempo de relaxação do óleo das sementes com a temperatura. As medidas com o tempo de relaxação transversal, T2, foram realizadas com a sequência Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) e as medidas de relaxação T*, com a sequência de pulsos Precessão Livre em Onda Contínua (CP-CWFP). Tanto o T2 quanto o T* apresentaram uma correlação exponencial crescente com a temperatura, utilizando espectrômetros de bancada. Com a medida do decaimento da temperatura de sementes e solos, previamente aquecidos a 70°C, em um banho térmico a 23°C, pode-se calcular a difusividade térmica de sementes e sementes em solos, obtendo valores similares aos obtidos com métodos padrões. Para ímãs com homogeneidade muito baixa, com gradientes de campo magnético maiores do que 1 T/m (ímãs de campos opostos, Unilateral e Halback) somente a sequência CPMG pode ser usada. A sequência CP-CWFP não gerou um sinal de onda contínua, necessário para a medida de T*. No ímã unilateral a correlação exponencial entre o decaimento do sinal CPMG e temperatura foi decrescente devido ao efeito da difusão molecular na refocalização dos ecos. Com isso a RMN unilateral, que detecta o sinal da amostra fora do sensor de RMN (ímã e sonda) tem potencial para análise da temperatura e difusividade térmica em campo. A grande vantagem da RMN sobre os métodos de termometria baseado em termômetros de mercúrio, termopares, termistores, etc., é que é um método que não precisa danificar as sementes para inserção do agente sensível à temperatura. Além disso, a RMN pode ser usada para medir a temperatura da semente, mesmo quando esta está sob uma camada de vários centímetros de solos, o que não ocorre com o sensor de Infravermelho, por exemplo. / The potential of time domain nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-NMR) to measure the temperature of isolated oilseeds and oilseeds inserted into soil was demonstrated in this thesis. The methods were based on the correlation between relaxation time of the oilseeds with temperature. The measurement with the transverse relaxation time, T2, was performed with the Carr - Purcell - Meiboom - Gill (CPMG) pulse sequence. The measurement of decay T*, was performed with the Continuous Wave Free Precession (CP- CWFP) pulse sequence. Both the T2 as T* showed an exponentially correlation with temperature using bench top spectrometers. With the measurement of the temperature decay of seeds and soils, previously heated to 70°C and placed in a bath at 23°C, was used to calculate the thermal diffusivity of seeds and seeds in soil. The results were similar to those obtained with standard methods. For the magnets with very low homogeneity, with strong magnetic field gradients 1 T/m (Opposite field, Unilateral and Halback magnets) only the CPMG pulse sequence could be used. The CP-CWFP sequence do not generated a continuous wave signal, necessary for the measurement of T*. The unilateral magnet shows an upward-sloping exponential curve between the decay of the CPMG signal and temperature due to the effect of molecular diffusion, in refocusing echoes. Therefore, the unilateral NMR, which detects the signal from the sample outside the NMR sensor (magnet and probe), has the potential to analyze the temperature and thermal diffusivity in the field. The big advantage of NMR over thermometry methods based on mercury thermometers, thermocouples, thermistors, etc., is that it is a method that does not need to damage the seeds for insertion of the sensor. In addition, NMR can be used to measure the seed temperature, even when it is under a layer of several centimeters of soil, which does not occur with the infrared sensor, for example.

This thesis contributes originally to pentecostal historiography through bringing a pre-eminent figure in early British Pentecostalism into the limelight showing how Pentecostalism in Belgian Congo was pioneered by him alongside local agency. Together they furthered its development in the southeastern Katanga and Kasai provinces. Central to W.F.P. Burton’s contradictory and complex personality was a passionate desire to see the emancipation of humankind from the spiritual powers of darkness believing only Spirit-empowered local agency would enduringly prove effective. This thesis unevenly portrays Burton’s Congolese years by parsing biographical landmarks alongside his persistent attempts to co-labour with local agency. Burton’s ambitions might have been circumscribed by his birth into a notable family. Burton though, lived with a faith which believed for Spirit intervention in church communities converting lives, bringing physical healing and transforming regions. In the maelstrom following Congolese Independence, Burton’s belief in his own brand of indigenisation made him an outlier even among Pentecostals. This thesis argues such pentecostal faith engendered an idealism which frustratingly conflicted with those not sharing it in the way he understood and pursued it. It thus serves Pentecostals (holding a similar faith) and historians by clarifying his ideals and revealing the reasons for his frustrations.

The thesis analyses commitment to the EAC customs union protocol. In contrast to previous studies, this research compares state preferences at the negotiation stage with their adherence to each provision in the protocol during the transposition, enforcement and application stages of the protocol. Based on data from fifty semi-structured interviews plus secondary sources, the analysis reveals that partner states are more successful at adhering to the customs related- than trade related provisions in the protocol. Drawing on enforcement, management and constructivist approaches in integration literature, the research identifies three factors that explain inadequate commitment by partner states: the weakness of the EAC secretariat’s monitoring and sanctioning system, strategic preferences of partner states to protect domestic business interests, and overlapping membership to multiple regional arrangements with different rules which affects adequate interpretation and compliance with the protocol. The findings call for more attention to the concept of ‘completeness’ of transposition and show that a disaggregated level of analysis that takes the preferences of partner states at the negotiation stage into consideration better accounts for the inadequate commitment to regional directives. The findings call for larger multi-sectoral case studies and include assessment of the design of regional arrangements.

The architectural analysis of archaeologically known royal palaces in Egyptological studies has shown that ancient Egyptian royal palaces with similar setting might have served similar function. The differences recognizable in the few royal structures known from the Middle Kingdom onwards must reflect differences in the conception that was at the basis of their construction and the activities performed within each site. Such architectural variety corresponds to the complexity of the terminology associated with Egyptian palaces. There are at least five terms for “palace” that have been identified in the Egyptian vocabulary - 'h, pr-'3, pr-nswt, h_nw and stp-s3 – the exact meaning of the majority of which needs to be specified. The present lexicographical study aims to understand what each word would have been for by analyzing its use in different contexts: private titles, official inscriptions or literary texts. The final attempt of this work is to identify a possible correspondence between such terminology and the surviving structures. As an example of a possible application of the lexicographical study to the archaeological evidence, the word ‘h, referring in texts to a royal structure with ritual function, might be related to palaces with a tripartite and axial ordering comparable with temples.

This work studies Christian-Muslim relations in Ghana with special reference to the role of traditional Akan culture. It identifies and examines religious and cultural practices of the Akan people of Ghana that continue to exert strong influence on the people in the wake of the upsurge of Christianity and Islam. These practices have not only succeeded in moulding and shaping both Christianity and Islam into unique entities as found in Ghana but also toning down the ancient rivalries that have existed between them. It is concluded that Christian-Muslim exchanges go beyond theological and historical discussions. They, more importantly, include religious and socio-political practicalities and issues which are found in this work to not only have far-reaching implications for the formulation of images and attitudes of the other religious tradition but also foster effectual and meaningful Christian-Muslim encounters. It is in the context of cultural and, in fact, holistic understanding of Christian-Muslim engagements that the commonalities of the two great religious traditions could be celebrated and the differences inherent in them be deeply appreciated as an asset and not a liability.

Hip hop is part of a global economy of music, images and signs. In Tanzania, since political and economic liberalisation in the 1990s, local musical forms which appropriate the practice of rapping have become popular. Rapping has become a widespread practice which has produced musical stars as well as unrecorded ‘underground’ rappers. This study explores the aesthetic, performative and ideological commonalities and differences between these two forms of rapping. Situated at the intersection of debates about masculinity, youth and globalisation, this study will contribute to ongoing debates about new forms of identity and sociality created by rappers. It explores both appropriation from the transnational circulation of styles and signs as well as local orders of meaning rappers use to fashion themselves. While recognising the difficult social and economic conditions under which young people in Dar es Salaam live, I view rapping as productive and highlight the creativity, inventiveness and ingenuity of rappers.

This thesis examines the disclosure practices of State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and the impact of reform programmes in the SOE sector on such practices. The study stems from evidence of poor performance of SOEs attributed to the dearth of information disclosure, hence, the introduction of reform programmes to address these problems. Based on multiple case design with data gathered from three large SOEs and key policy makers in the SOE sector of Ghana, the findings show that the disclosure relationships, objectives, and media are generally the same across all SOEs. There are however some notable variations from the both within-case and cross-case analyses, with respect to the generic sections, volume and disclosure types in their respective annual reports. There are also differences in relation to the processes of producing their disclosure media. With regards to the impact of reform programmes, the study found both sector-wide and industry specific reform programmes, driven and underpinned by institutional forces and tenets of agency theory. These programmes have among other things, increased the numbers of disclosure media, stakeholders or principals that SOEs must disclose to, expanded the nature of disclosure (managerial, program, procedures, and financial) and types of disclosure relationships (diagonal).