Sweden has a long history of non-belligerency and neutrality in world affairs. However, with the political landscape changing across the world Sweden may have made it possible to break this trend by joining the NATO organization.  Following an analysis of Sweden’s actions towards NATO in two fields. The first being the institutional theory which organizations like NATO represents, the other being the direct participation and collaboration Sweden has made in NATO operations and organizations. The conclusion was reached that Sweden has made concessions towards and approached the organization in both fields yet currently remains a non-member. The potential future outcome is tied to the sociopolitical perspectives within liberalism, realism and ultimately path dependency.

The thesis focuses on the contemporary CSDP missions of the European Union from the point of view of critical literatures on imperialism, state-building and capacity-building. State-building and capacity-building gradually became dominant approaches towards weak and failing states which are associated with the exercise of power and influence in the critical literature, e.g. in David Chandler on whose argument this thesis draws on. The thesis develops Chandler's argument by means of analysis of intervention practices in the selected cases.

In 1993, Sweden instituted the Sámi Parliament (Sámediggi) as a state agency with the main purpose of representing the indigenous Sámi people externally, as well as monitoring internal cultural affairs, governed by a popularly elected assembly. In the absence of official statistics on the Sámi population, or any formally recognized approaches to define who should count as Sámi, one of the challenging tasks was to create an accurate register of all those who would be eligible to take part in the elections. The idea was to design an electoral roll that would be normatively neutral and have no other functions beyond its core function of being a list of eligible voters, a concept that had already been put in use during the previous initiations of the Sámi Parliaments in Norway and Finland. Previous research from similar contexts, most prominently Norway, shows that electoral rolls of this sort might be attributed other functions by indigenous populations, especially in the absence of other formal devices that can be used to confirm their indigenous identity. It appears that the electoral roll might, under certain circumstances, assume an important and far-reaching role in indigenous institution building. In Sweden, however, similar research is missing. In this study, I examine perceptions within the indigenous Sámi community regarding the central functions of the electoral roll using a constructivist, discourse-theoretic approach. A systematic mapping out of the discourse surrounding the electoral roll, as reflected in public records from within the political sphere of the Sámi Parliament and relevant accounts in Sámi media, reveals that the electoral roll is attributed functions by the Sámi population that go far beyond its original, formalistic design. The act of formally defining a people, regardless of the limitations of the purpose, can seemingly cause unintended and far-reaching consequences, especially when the people itself does not control the definition. The analysis shows a fundamental conflict regarding the competing functions of the electoral roll as both an instrument of representation and a mechanism of identity validation. This influences the power structures between the Sámi people and the Swedish state as well as within the people itself, and affects the ability of the Sámi Parliament to gain legitimacy as an indigenous institution and instrument of self-determination.

The main question in this research project is whether regional integration promotes the rule of law in ASEAN. The thesis has adopted a functional, rather than conceptual, approach to understanding the rule of law and its development in regional integration. While the approach reflects an instrumentalist function of the rule of law, the study provides a holistic and interdisciplinary approach taking account of the legal, insitutional, and political processes in the state, the region, and international relations to show the motivations and interests of member states in adopting a peculiar type of regional arrangement. The research project has taken the European Union for comparison, not as a model in the strict sense, to identify the development of legal and institutional processes that build the foundation of the rule of law and the factors that drive the evolution of state-like constitutionalism. Common legal tradition of the rule of law, leadership role of key member states, and regional institution building ??? are the main processes in the development of the rule of law in the EU and are either lacking, different, or weak in the context of ASEAN. However, an evolving form of the rule of law exists in ASEAN. The rule of law in ASEAN integration is designed to provide a stable and coherent framework for interstate relations among member states and to achieve effective implementation of the member states??? economic commitments. ASEAN has adopted an instrumentalist conception of the rule of law and one based on ???thin??? constitutionalism, as reflected in the ASEAN Charter. The features of the rule of law in ASEAN are ??? state-controlled, limited, evolutionary and resting on soft legal regime. ASEAN has chosen a different path at regional integration and globalization has offered new techniques of the rule of law. Regionalism in ASEAN remains statist in character and the ASEAN Way is still entrenched. There are significant developments towards adopting a broader basis of regional cooperation and opportunities for developing the rule of law in ASEAN. To broaden the function of the rule of law in regional integration, as a mechanism of accountability and as a form or restraint, ASEAN needs to adopt initiatives aimed at expanding political participation and respect for human rights. The European Union offer points of learning for ASEAN in achieving a broader function for the rule of law in ASEAN integration.

No description available.

The emergence of the African Union (AU) is seen as an effort to reposition Africa for the challenges of contemporary global realpolitik and, in particular, it provides a road map towards the attainment of a political union. The institutional architecture of the AU, modelled after the European Union (EU), indicates an intention on the part of the architects of the AU to endow the organisation with supranational attributes. However, none of its institutions has as yet started to exercise supranational powers. It is against this background that this thesis explores the feasibility of transforming the AU from a mere intergovernmental organisation into a supranational entity. In the course of the investigation, it was found that a major obstacle to realising this is the absence of shared democratic norms and standards, a consequence of the unconditional membership ideology of the AU. This thesis argues that the starting point of closer integration in Africa should be the cultivation and adoption of shared norms and values. To address this, the study proposes that the AU design an institutional mechanism for regulating its membership. Using the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) as a case study, this study shows that it is possible to establish a regulatory regime based on strict adherence to shared fundamental norms and values. A major recommendation is the transformation of the APRM into a legally binding instrument for setting continental democratic standards, assessing whether member states fulfil these standards and ultimately determining which member states are qualified, based on objective standards, to be part of a democratic AU. / Thesis (LLD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Public Law / unrestricted

No description available.

Le contexte contemporain est marqué dans la sphère politique par la multiplication des paliers de régulation. Une nouvelle structure de gestion des affaires publiques a émergé, caractérisée par la superposition, ou plutôt l’enchevêtrement, des institutions nationales, des entités infra-étatiques et des organisations supranationales (à caractère régional et international). L’État, tout en conservant un rôle privilégié, ne détient plus le monopole de la production de politiques ; la sphère nationale n’est plus le seul locus de la vie politique. De telles dynamiques de changement n’ont pas laissé inchangés les contours de la citoyenneté, élément central de la régulation du politique. Les années 90 ont ainsi vu émerger une prolifération d’analyses concernant la dimension de plus en plus post/trans/supra-nationale, voire globale, de la citoyenneté ; selon ces travaux, le locus de la citoyenneté est de moins en moins national et de plus en plus supranational. La thèse cherche à dépasser cette problématique du locus à partir d’une conception multiple et dynamique de la citoyenneté ; celle-ci est considérée comme une construction dont les contours mouvants évoluent dans le temps et l’espace. Les individus ne sont pas citoyens « par nature » ; ils le deviennent à travers un processus de « citoyennisation », au fur et à mesure que des entités politiques se constituent et se consolident. Les structures institutionnelles et les politiques publiques progressivement mises en place au sein des entités politiques supranationales créent des liens de citoyenneté avec les individus, et la nature de ces liens se transforme au fur et à mesure que les structures institutionnelles et politiques changent. C’est une analyse contextualisée de ces processus de « citoyennisation » en cours au niveau supranational que propose la thèse. Dans cette perspective, elle s’interroge sur la signification des développements récents qui ont marqué l’Union européenne et l’Organisation des Nations Unies pour la construction d’une citoyenneté supranationale. Piliers importants de la structure de régulation multi-niveaux caractérisant la sphère politique contemporaine, ces deux entités se sont ces dernières années engagées dans un processus de réformes institutionnelles profondes. En s’appuyant notamment sur les concepts de « régime de citoyenneté » et de « gouvernance » et un cadre théorique institutionnaliste, la thèse propose une analyse de l’impact des changements institutionnels en cours au sein des Nations Unies et de l’Union européenne en termes de citoyennisation. / The contemporary political sphere is characterized by an increase in the number of regulation levels. A new structure has been emerging, defined by the overlay of national institutions, sub-state entities and supranational (regional and international) organizations. The State, while remaining in a privileged position, no longer monopolizes the production of policies; the national area is not the sole locus of political life anymore. Such dynamics of change have affected the design of citizenship, central element of politics. The 1990s have seen a proliferation of studies regarding post/trans/supra-national, or global, citizenship; according to those analyses, the locus of citizenship is less and less national and more and more supranational. From a multiple and dynamic understanding of citizenship, the dissertation proposes to move beyond the locus issue. Citizenship is here conceived as a dynamic construction, whose moving outlines evolve through time and space. Individuals are not citizens « by nature »; they become citizens through a « citizenization » process, as political entities are built and consolidate. Institutional structures and public policies set up within supranational political entities create citizenship links with individuals, and those links evolve as institutional structures and policies are changing. The dissertation presents a contextualized analysis of the « citizenization » processes in progress at the supranational level. In this regards, it questions the meaning of the recent developments that affected the European Union and the United Nations for supranational citizenship-building. Important pillars of the multilevel governing structure characterizing the current political sphere, both entities have been engaged for the last years in profound institutional reform processes. Relying notably on the concepts of « citizenship regime » and « governance » and an institutionalist theoretical framework, the dissertation proposes an analysis of the impact of the institutional changes in progress within the European Union and the United Nations in citizenization terms.

Le contexte contemporain est marqué dans la sphère politique par la multiplication des paliers de régulation. Une nouvelle structure de gestion des affaires publiques a émergé, caractérisée par la superposition, ou plutôt l’enchevêtrement, des institutions nationales, des entités infra-étatiques et des organisations supranationales (à caractère régional et international). L’État, tout en conservant un rôle privilégié, ne détient plus le monopole de la production de politiques ; la sphère nationale n’est plus le seul locus de la vie politique. De telles dynamiques de changement n’ont pas laissé inchangés les contours de la citoyenneté, élément central de la régulation du politique. Les années 90 ont ainsi vu émerger une prolifération d’analyses concernant la dimension de plus en plus post/trans/supra-nationale, voire globale, de la citoyenneté ; selon ces travaux, le locus de la citoyenneté est de moins en moins national et de plus en plus supranational. La thèse cherche à dépasser cette problématique du locus à partir d’une conception multiple et dynamique de la citoyenneté ; celle-ci est considérée comme une construction dont les contours mouvants évoluent dans le temps et l’espace. Les individus ne sont pas citoyens « par nature » ; ils le deviennent à travers un processus de « citoyennisation », au fur et à mesure que des entités politiques se constituent et se consolident. Les structures institutionnelles et les politiques publiques progressivement mises en place au sein des entités politiques supranationales créent des liens de citoyenneté avec les individus, et la nature de ces liens se transforme au fur et à mesure que les structures institutionnelles et politiques changent. C’est une analyse contextualisée de ces processus de « citoyennisation » en cours au niveau supranational que propose la thèse. Dans cette perspective, elle s’interroge sur la signification des développements récents qui ont marqué l’Union européenne et l’Organisation des Nations Unies pour la construction d’une citoyenneté supranationale. Piliers importants de la structure de régulation multi-niveaux caractérisant la sphère politique contemporaine, ces deux entités se sont ces dernières années engagées dans un processus de réformes institutionnelles profondes. En s’appuyant notamment sur les concepts de « régime de citoyenneté » et de « gouvernance » et un cadre théorique institutionnaliste, la thèse propose une analyse de l’impact des changements institutionnels en cours au sein des Nations Unies et de l’Union européenne en termes de citoyennisation. / The contemporary political sphere is characterized by an increase in the number of regulation levels. A new structure has been emerging, defined by the overlay of national institutions, sub-state entities and supranational (regional and international) organizations. The State, while remaining in a privileged position, no longer monopolizes the production of policies; the national area is not the sole locus of political life anymore. Such dynamics of change have affected the design of citizenship, central element of politics. The 1990s have seen a proliferation of studies regarding post/trans/supra-national, or global, citizenship; according to those analyses, the locus of citizenship is less and less national and more and more supranational. From a multiple and dynamic understanding of citizenship, the dissertation proposes to move beyond the locus issue. Citizenship is here conceived as a dynamic construction, whose moving outlines evolve through time and space. Individuals are not citizens « by nature »; they become citizens through a « citizenization » process, as political entities are built and consolidate. Institutional structures and public policies set up within supranational political entities create citizenship links with individuals, and those links evolve as institutional structures and policies are changing. The dissertation presents a contextualized analysis of the « citizenization » processes in progress at the supranational level. In this regards, it questions the meaning of the recent developments that affected the European Union and the United Nations for supranational citizenship-building. Important pillars of the multilevel governing structure characterizing the current political sphere, both entities have been engaged for the last years in profound institutional reform processes. Relying notably on the concepts of « citizenship regime » and « governance » and an institutionalist theoretical framework, the dissertation proposes an analysis of the impact of the institutional changes in progress within the European Union and the United Nations in citizenization terms.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-03T18:33:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Robson_Quinello.pdf: 2050383 bytes, checksum: 7903668378dee5cb7851cf3a27a13555 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-06-14 / This study has for objective to analyze the Six Sigma Process of Institutionalization in an automotive company located in Grande ABC - S??o Paulo state and to present a research instrument that assists measurement of the institutionality of this program. Recent research demonstrates that the practicality of the contemporaries Quality movements is not always effectively applied in the organizations, showing that rational aspects not only would be on the legitimation of these strategical choices. To understand the mechanisms of legitimation of such practice could minimize the efforts technicians and human beings demanded in the implantation of new technologies. In the last few years, theoretical projects have been considered that assist the interpretation of the organizational phenomena, between them the quality programs, through the Institutional Theory. However, the majority of these studies is based on the vision of sociologists, scientists politicians and economists who have contributed much for the development of the theory. The contribution of this work is to offer another vision: of the administrator, inserting new perspectives in the speech of the theoretical construction of this movement. The object of this analysis - the Six Sigma Program is a relatively new model for the automobile, therefore is of interest for those who investigate the new organizational paradigms. This way, due to low the frequency of national and international academic works that tested the institutionalization process of quality programs under the optics of the new-institutionalist school, it was looked to delineate a questionnaire contend variable-key of the stages that would take the legitimation of the program. Giving sustentation to the results of this quantitative phase, we opted to the contribution two other qualitative instruments: a focus group and some individual interviews, generating a triangulation method. The results pointed out that professed models are not always effectively practiced in the organizations, suggesting gaps between institutional and practical act of day-by-day. Through the analysis of the triangulation it can be evidenced that the Six Sigma program, in this organization, surpassed the stage of habitualization, but it was not sedimented. This intermediate phase is called objetification or half-institutional stage. The applied instruments of research have revealed good to the study and can contribute, since duly is suitable, for the institutionalization process analysis of other institutional programs. The cycle of this research, as well as the proper Institutional Theory, is not locked in. It only extends itself instigating new academic contributions in the field of organizational studies. / Este trabalho tem por objetivo analisar o Processo de Institucionaliza????o do Seis Sigma em uma empresa do setor automotivo localizada no Grande ABC - Estado de S??o Paulo e apresentar um instrumento de pesquisa que auxilie a mensura????o da institucionalidade do programa. Pesquisas recentes demonstram que as pr??ticas dos movimentos contempor??neos da Qualidade nem sempre s??o efetivamente aplicadas nas organiza????es, mostrando que aspectos n??o apenas racionais estariam ligados ?? legitima????o destas escolhas estrat??gicas. Entender os mecanismos de legitima????o de tais pr??ticas poderia minimizar os esfor??os t??cnicos e humanos exigidos na implanta????o de novas tecnologias. Nos ??ltimos anos foram propostos esquemas te??ricos que auxiliaram a interpreta????o dos fen??menos organizacionais, entre eles os programas de qualidade, atrav??s da Teoria Institucional. Entretanto, a maioria destes estudos est?? baseada na vis??o de soci??logos, de cientistas pol??ticos e de economistas que muito contribu??ram para o desenvolvimento da teoria. A colabora????o deste trabalho est?? em oferecer uma outra vis??o - a do administrador, inserindo no debate da constru????o te??rica deste movimento, novas perspectivas. O objeto desta an??lise - o Programa Seis Sigma ?? um modelo relativamente novo para as automobil??sticas, portanto de interesse para ??queles que investigam novos paradigmas organizacionais. Para tanto, devido a baixa freq????ncia de trabalhos acad??micos nacionais e internacionais que testassem o processo de institucionaliza????o de programas da qualidade sob a ??tica da escola neo-institucionalista, procurou-se delinear um question??rio contendo as vari??veis-chave das etapas que levariam a legitima????o do programa. Dando sustenta????o aos resultados desta fase quantitativa, optou-se pela conjuga????o de outros dois instrumentos qualitativos: um grupo de foco e algumas entrevistas individuais, gerando uma triangula????o metodol??gica. Os resultados apontaram que modelos professados nem sempre s??o efetivamente praticados nas organiza????es, sugerindo distanciamento entre discursos institucionais e pr??ticas do dia-a-dia. Atrav??s da an??lise da triangula????o metodol??gica pode-se constatar que o programa Seis Sigma, nesta organiza????o, superou a etapa de habitualiza????o, mas n??o se sedimentou. Esta fase intermedi??ria ?? denominada objetifica????o ou etapa semi-institucional. Os instrumentos de pesquisa aplicados mostraram-se adequados ao estudo e podem contribuir, deste que devidamente adaptados, para a an??lise do processo de institucionaliza????o de outros programas institucionais. O ciclo desta pesquisa, assim como a pr??pria Teoria Institucional, n??o se encerra. Ele apenas se amplia instigando novas contribui????es acad??micas no campo dos estudos organizacionais.