China’s civil nuclear power programme is a sensitive topic which has seldom been researched by social or political scientists inside or outside of China. In the past, public participation activities in relation to nuclear power issues in China were rare. However, in 2005, when the central government decided to promote civil nuclear development and build 40 more nuclear reactors within the next 20 years, the public started to become aware of the potential environmental risks that might be caused by nuclear power sites. Based on six months of ethnographic fieldwork conducted between 2007-2008, this thesis represents the first in-depth study of local people’s ways of participation concerning a potential inland nuclear power project in China. It provides rich empirical materials to illustrate local people’s differing perceptions of nuclear power and its risks. The thesis reviews developments in the sociological theorisation of ‘risk’ and, by bringing this body of literature into dialogue with the empirical case study, explores its possibilities and limitations as a means of understanding the social construction of risk in contemporary China. In exploring the social, cultural and political context of risk construction, it illustrates how political power and social status influence local people’s participation in nuclear power issues. It also demonstrates that citizens’ growing environmental risk awareness helps to create space within which they can make their voices heard and, simultaneously, that generating open spaces for people to express their opinions helps to shape their awareness of environmental risk. The central conclusion of the analysis is that, in the context of Chinese society political power, by which I mean policy makers’ ideology and all levels of governments, plays a particularly crucial role in the definition, management and governance of nuclear risk.

This study investigated the role of different leadership styles within Iran and how such leadership changes influenced Iranian foreign policy. The study utilized event-data analysis of Iranian history and current events and discussed the role of realist and idealist to the development of Iran into the regional power it is today as well as how Western relations played a role in developing Iranian foreign policy, particularly with regard to its nuclear development. The main body of the study drew from the dynamics within Iran, its relations with the West, relations with Israel, and relations with other foreign powers. The event-data analysis also took into account the political and socioeconomic stability and conditions within Iran as it would readily influence the foreign policy-making within the nation. The first part of the study analyzed Iranian society under the Shah and the under the revolutionary guidance of the Ayatollah Khomeini; the second part analyzed the post-Khomeini period in Iran. In addition to reviewing the role of different revolutionary leadership styles within Iran, this study considers the role that Iranian-Western relations have played in Iranian policy-making. Further, this study considers the tumultuous role that nuclear development has had in Iran's foreign relations. Findings showed that there is a relationship between Western presence in the Middle East and growing aggression by Iranian leadership. Moreover, the study demonstrates that the role of revolutionary leadership styles is critical in accessing the manner in which foreign policy decisions are made. The study found that the role of Islam in Iranian politics has brought much contention but found that in the post-Khomeini years, it has not been the central reason for policy decisions. Recommendations were made for the continued study of the role of nuclear development in Iranian-Western relations as this study was able to find some evidence of it having some level of relevance. Additionally, recommendations were made that additional research be conducted with regard to the role of Islam in shaping Iranian foreign policy in the Post-Khomeini era.

Nuclear weapons are considered to be the most destructive military weapons in the modem era. The combination of extensive destruction and the fact that nuclear missiles cannot be stopped makes nuclear weapons a major game changer in international security. When a country manages to weaponize nuclear material and is also able to make a delivery system the balance of power in the region is shifted. The roots of deterrence theory and modem balance of power theory are based on nuclear weapons capabilities between countries. In Southwest Asia, nuclear proliferation is common and has an important influence on the balance of power in the region. The combination of a turbulent history and a threatening environment are suitable for countries to try and develop nuclear weapons in order to overcome a security dilemma. This paper will attempt to demonstrate that nuclear proliferation in Southwest Asia is used as a deterrent against neighboring enemies and not a means to achieve regional dominance. This paper will illustrate this phenomenon through three case studies- Israel, Pakistan, and Iran. Each case will look at the historical evolution, political development, and military/security condition of each country and how each has influenced the decision of its leaders to commit to nuclear proliferation.

O presente artigo tem como objeto de estudo a política nuclear norte-coreana e analisa as suas origens e motivações históricas. O programa nuclear começou a ser desenvolvido na década de 1950 e evoluiu paulatinamente ao longo das três gerações do regime Kim (Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un). A compreensão do que está por trás da política nuclear pressupõe o estudo das relações regionais que compõem as dinâmicas do Nordeste Asiático e envolvem os interesses, não apenas das duas Coreias, mas também da China, da Rússia, do Japão e dos Estados Unidos. A percepção das assimetrias regionais, bem como concepções acerca da política externa pós-revolucionária, contribuem para o entendimento da racionalidade da política nuclear da Coreia do Norte. A partir da revisão bibliográfica pertinente ao tema e da análise histórica do desenvolvimento nuclear norte-coreano, concluiu-se que a política nuclear é trabalhada como recurso de dissuasão e é elemento fundamental da estratégia de sobrevivência nacional. / The purpose of this article is to study the North Korean nuclear policy, analyzing its origins and historical motivations. The development of the nuclear program began in the 1950s and evolved gradually over the three generations of the Kim regime (Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un). Understanding what lies behind the nuclear policy presupposes studying the regional relations that create the dynamics of Northeast Asia and engulf not only the interests of the two Koreas but also of China, Russia, Japan and the United States. The perception of regional asymmetries, as well as conceptions related to post-revolutionary foreign policy, contribute to the comprehension of the rationality behind North Korea's nuclear policy. Through the literature review of the relevant bibliography and the historical analysis of North Korean nuclear development, it was concluded that the nuclear policy is conducted to provide deterrence and represents a fundamental component of the national survival strategy.

O presente artigo tem como objeto de estudo a política nuclear norte-coreana e analisa as suas origens e motivações históricas. O programa nuclear começou a ser desenvolvido na década de 1950 e evoluiu paulatinamente ao longo das três gerações do regime Kim (Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un). A compreensão do que está por trás da política nuclear pressupõe o estudo das relações regionais que compõem as dinâmicas do Nordeste Asiático e envolvem os interesses, não apenas das duas Coreias, mas também da China, da Rússia, do Japão e dos Estados Unidos. A percepção das assimetrias regionais, bem como concepções acerca da política externa pós-revolucionária, contribuem para o entendimento da racionalidade da política nuclear da Coreia do Norte. A partir da revisão bibliográfica pertinente ao tema e da análise histórica do desenvolvimento nuclear norte-coreano, concluiu-se que a política nuclear é trabalhada como recurso de dissuasão e é elemento fundamental da estratégia de sobrevivência nacional. / The purpose of this article is to study the North Korean nuclear policy, analyzing its origins and historical motivations. The development of the nuclear program began in the 1950s and evolved gradually over the three generations of the Kim regime (Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un). Understanding what lies behind the nuclear policy presupposes studying the regional relations that create the dynamics of Northeast Asia and engulf not only the interests of the two Koreas but also of China, Russia, Japan and the United States. The perception of regional asymmetries, as well as conceptions related to post-revolutionary foreign policy, contribute to the comprehension of the rationality behind North Korea's nuclear policy. Through the literature review of the relevant bibliography and the historical analysis of North Korean nuclear development, it was concluded that the nuclear policy is conducted to provide deterrence and represents a fundamental component of the national survival strategy.

O presente artigo tem como objeto de estudo a política nuclear norte-coreana e analisa as suas origens e motivações históricas. O programa nuclear começou a ser desenvolvido na década de 1950 e evoluiu paulatinamente ao longo das três gerações do regime Kim (Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un). A compreensão do que está por trás da política nuclear pressupõe o estudo das relações regionais que compõem as dinâmicas do Nordeste Asiático e envolvem os interesses, não apenas das duas Coreias, mas também da China, da Rússia, do Japão e dos Estados Unidos. A percepção das assimetrias regionais, bem como concepções acerca da política externa pós-revolucionária, contribuem para o entendimento da racionalidade da política nuclear da Coreia do Norte. A partir da revisão bibliográfica pertinente ao tema e da análise histórica do desenvolvimento nuclear norte-coreano, concluiu-se que a política nuclear é trabalhada como recurso de dissuasão e é elemento fundamental da estratégia de sobrevivência nacional. / The purpose of this article is to study the North Korean nuclear policy, analyzing its origins and historical motivations. The development of the nuclear program began in the 1950s and evolved gradually over the three generations of the Kim regime (Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un). Understanding what lies behind the nuclear policy presupposes studying the regional relations that create the dynamics of Northeast Asia and engulf not only the interests of the two Koreas but also of China, Russia, Japan and the United States. The perception of regional asymmetries, as well as conceptions related to post-revolutionary foreign policy, contribute to the comprehension of the rationality behind North Korea's nuclear policy. Through the literature review of the relevant bibliography and the historical analysis of North Korean nuclear development, it was concluded that the nuclear policy is conducted to provide deterrence and represents a fundamental component of the national survival strategy.