The purpose of this paper is to examine and to analyze the arguments about a possible Swedish law against the veil. I have therefore highlighted how notions about the veil creates and reproduces power-structures and meaning-systems. I structured the arguments in a pro et contra schedule and then analyzed them by using a theoretical framework consisting post-colonial feminism, orientalism, multi-culture and intersectionality together with research produced by Joan Wallach Scott (2010), Pia Karlsson Minganti (2007) and Anne Sofie Roald (2003). The results of the study shows that the people who either argue for or against a veil-law agree that the veil is an oppression of women and that it must be resisted. To be objective in the discussion of the veil seems to be impossible and the women it affects deprived voice. A piece of cloth has never been as controversial as the veil and the question is whether it is possible to reach consensus on its symbolism, the arguments that I analyzed contradicts it.

Theatre is a location of cultures, the reflection of our daily lives, the present moment we are living. This thesis focuses on studying performances of the Hakka Contemporary Theatre created by female directors (Hakka and Non-Hakka) in Taiwan to observe how they combine western modern theatre forms with Hakka traditional and cultural elements and further transformed the specifics of Hakka culture on stage and represented various images of Hakka women. Through applying theories in relation to diaspora discourse, the hybridity of post-colonialism and postcolonial feminism and theatre study as the foundation of academic research, I attempted to critically examine the hybrid forms and development of the Hakka Contemporary Theatre to explore in depth the meaning of Hakka culture represented in theatre. In this thesis, I firstly offer performance analysis and draw on hybridity discourse and feminism in relation to post-colonial study to discuss three elements: the interaction and negotiated relationship between Hakka women (including female directors and the Hakka actresses), Hakka culture, and modern theatre forms. Furthermore, as part of my research, I critically reflect upon a practical performance project I have undertaken to illustrate how Hakka culture could be presented as subject and be constructed as the subjectivity of the Hakka ethnic group in post-colonial Taiwan. I hope that this thesis may encourage more Taiwanese to appreciate the value of Hakka culture and offer Taiwanese theatrical practitioners a practice of critical hybridity in associating ethnic and cultural issues of Taiwan in the future.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD (Education) / Globally, women face a number of challenges as they pursue career paths to become academic leaders. This study aims to comprehend the rarity of black women vice-chancellors inside South African public universities by exploring their lived experiences as academic leaders. The study examines family backgrounds, educational experiences, previous career paths, and patriarchal obstacles as factors that affected them. The study explores how these women navigated both, their way into leadership positions and the practices inside universities. The study further probes how such women in academia have embraced the intersection of identity in relation to race, gender, age, and to a lesser extent, class. Since these women have experienced inequalities in a political context, this study used feminist theories to explore the post-colonial feminism framework, which supported the study's purpose. These female pathfinders are powerful role models, and role-modelling is a form of education that is available to all people across all walks of life. The research design followed the epistemological position assumed in the biographical approach. Semi-structured interviews and documents were used as research tools for data collection. The thematic results revealed that the participants' shared trait of middle class, professional backgrounds played a major role in their professional ascension. Furthermore, these participants formed a cohort of black women vice-chancellors that broke the proverbial glass ceiling, ending over 300 years of white, male-dominated academic leadership and practice. The common thread in these rare stories is achievement against all odds, which inspires the next generation of women leaders.

My dissertation is a critical ethnography of grassroots feminist agencies and immigrant organizations involved in the governance of gender violence in Toronto, Ontario. Along with examining the agencies operating on the outskirts of the law, I also observe the organizations that contract directly with the provincial government to counsel abusers prosecuted through the city’s specialized domestic violence courts. Drawing on the methodological and theoretical insights of socio-legal studies, postcolonial feminism, and governmentality scholarship, my research explores the governance of domestic violence through the community. Specifically, I examine how the voluntary sector performs the state’s work of prosecuting domestic violence, punishing offenders and building citizens. My research reveals the significant influence that community organizations exert on the prosecution of gender violence and in defining the conditions of punishment for offenders. Through court observation of Toronto’s domestic violence plea court, I show how grassroots administrative workers transform into hybrids of the prosecutor and defense within governance networks. In addition, based on interviews with service providers delivering counseling to offenders, I document how non-profit organizational habits add distinctive flavors to the administration of punishment, materializing in governing regimes that emphasize care in some contexts and discipline in others. Finally, I also explore the dual constructions of immigrant counselors as both the experts and the “others” to the nation with regards to gender violence. In contrast to assumptions of ignorance amongst the immigrant “other” in the liberal imaginary, my findings indicate that the notion of women’s empowerment is nothing new or unfamiliar within Toronto’s diasporic communities; several of the immigrant anti-violence experts involved in this research credit their politicization and training “back home” as foundational to their involvement in feminist and the anti-violence movement. These findings challenge liberal assumptions of the East as a space devoid of the cultural material of women’s empowerment, which form the backbone of Western performances of modernity.

My dissertation is a critical ethnography of grassroots feminist agencies and immigrant organizations involved in the governance of gender violence in Toronto, Ontario. Along with examining the agencies operating on the outskirts of the law, I also observe the organizations that contract directly with the provincial government to counsel abusers prosecuted through the city’s specialized domestic violence courts. Drawing on the methodological and theoretical insights of socio-legal studies, postcolonial feminism, and governmentality scholarship, my research explores the governance of domestic violence through the community. Specifically, I examine how the voluntary sector performs the state’s work of prosecuting domestic violence, punishing offenders and building citizens. My research reveals the significant influence that community organizations exert on the prosecution of gender violence and in defining the conditions of punishment for offenders. Through court observation of Toronto’s domestic violence plea court, I show how grassroots administrative workers transform into hybrids of the prosecutor and defense within governance networks. In addition, based on interviews with service providers delivering counseling to offenders, I document how non-profit organizational habits add distinctive flavors to the administration of punishment, materializing in governing regimes that emphasize care in some contexts and discipline in others. Finally, I also explore the dual constructions of immigrant counselors as both the experts and the “others” to the nation with regards to gender violence. In contrast to assumptions of ignorance amongst the immigrant “other” in the liberal imaginary, my findings indicate that the notion of women’s empowerment is nothing new or unfamiliar within Toronto’s diasporic communities; several of the immigrant anti-violence experts involved in this research credit their politicization and training “back home” as foundational to their involvement in feminist and the anti-violence movement. These findings challenge liberal assumptions of the East as a space devoid of the cultural material of women’s empowerment, which form the backbone of Western performances of modernity.

This doctoral thesis examines how Sami women were represented in Swedish and Sami press during the years 1966, 1986 and 2006. Moreover, it problematises how the image of "the Sami woman" was constructed and represented in the press, in relation to the (re)production of normality and deviance, with special attention to the concepts of ethnicity and gender. The thesis adopts a theoretical framework informed by post-colonial theory and intersectional analysis, and the empirical study was approached through critical discourse analysis. Concepts such as orientalism, intersectionality, and strategic essentialism are central to the study, and the thesis includes discussions on ethics, reflexivity, knowledge and power as well as scrutinizing the hegemonic Western perspective in connection to Sami related research. As the main source materials, the Sami magazine Samefolket, and the Vilhelmina Sami press clippings archive were used. In addition to the articles, some of the women who appeared in the newspapers and magazines were interviewed, providing a valuable complement to the printed source materials. The study shows that Sami women were represented in a stereotypical manner in both Samefolket and in the Swedish press, with clear connections to the image of the Sami as it was formulated in the Swedish Sami policy during the 20th century. The balance between Sami and Swedish ethnicity was given increased attention over time, and women approached the theme by expressing themselves through various forms of art such as literature, film, photography or other extroverted activities. The importance of Sami women for the Sami ethno-political mobilisation appears to be more significant than has previously been noted, however women act from artistic platforms aswell as the traditional political arenas. As the dominant Swedish society, including members of the media, generally hold a low level of knowledge about Sami societies the discussion on Sami society, history and culture is kept at a rudimentary level. As a consequence, opportunities for in-depth discussions that represent the Sami from heterogeneous and alternative perspectives are limited. / <p>20160120: författaren har numera efternamnet Drugge. /ME</p>

AbstractThis final essay in religious studies at Malmö Lärarutbildningen (Teacher’s education) is a minor field study (MFS) carried out in Ghana about Trokosi. Trokosi is a tradition, system and practice where young girls are given to village shrine priests as sexual and domestic slaves, or "wives of the gods", in compensation for offenses allegedly committed by a member of the girl's family. My main research question has been: What are the thoughts of the victims as well as the rescuers of Trokosi thoughts about the Trokosi tradition, system and practice? The thesis is based on a minor field study, observations and interviews. I observed the work at International Needs Network Ghana (INNG) and their work with Trokosi mainly focusing on the International Needs Vocational Training Centre (INVTC). At INVTC former Trokosi get the opportunity of becoming independence and self-sufficient - ke te pam tem eng. In this essay I have interviewed two opponents to Trokosi, in this essay called the rescuers, as well as one victim of Trokosi. In my interviews, the only person who criticized the theory and the religion behind Trokosi was the victim, a person who was born into this belief system. INNG’s critics are not about the theory behind Trokosi but how it is practised. Applying of feminist perspective this thesis focuses religious and cultural practices, in this case Trokosi, as a part of a larger system that is limiting women’s lives. In addition, post colonial theory may contribute to the analysis of “third world women’s own struggle and aspiration for independence. There are different views and perspectives on Trokosi and despite Ghana’s constitution and other documents that forbid this type of practice it is still vital. This indicates that there are more factors to consider. For instance overall patriarchal structures and post colonial experiences. Information and education is essential for the transformation of Trokosi in order to favour women’s right especially in the fields of human- and women’s rights.

A seguinte Dissertação de Mestrado é o resultado de uma etnografia em campo, dentro do Mestrado em Desenvolvimento Rural. A pesquisa centra-se no Movimento das Mulheres Camponesas (MMC) e na Farmacinha Comunitária do vale da Solidão (Maquiné, RS), espaço onde as mulheres se reúnem para elaborar remédios com plantas medicinais. Esta Farmacinha surgiu em 1991, sendo a precursora de mais de 70 experiências similares. Esta dissertação tem como objetivo analisar, sob a ótica da teoria pós-colonial e da pós-modernidade, qual é o modelo de desenvolvimento que estas mulheres propões e constroem, frente a lógica do discurso desenvolvimentista institucional. Para este fim o trabalho divide-se em três partes. A primeira analisa os diferentes discursos de desenvolvimento a respeito da mulher e do rural, para tratar na segunda parte sobre o próprio MMC e seu discurso feminista e de desenvolvimento, percebido aqui como uma forma de resistência e de revindicação da importância do 'papel da mulher' e da 'luta pela vida'. A terceira e última parte do trabalho analisa as práticas concretas e cotidianas da Farmacinha da Solidão, cujas atividades vêm sendo acompanhadas desde 2012. Se bem estas atividades referem-se em grande parte à elaboração de remédios com plantas medicinais, a perspectiva aqui adotada faz com que percebamos a Farmacinha como um lugar onde o cotidiano e o pessoal tornam-se políticos e enfrentam o modelo, que pretende-se hegemônico, de desenvolvimento. / The following Master' s thesis is the result of an ethnography in the field, within the Masters in Rural Development. The research focuses on de “Movimento das Mulheres Camponesas” (Movement of the Peasant Women, MMC), and the “Farmacinha Comunitária” from the valley of Solidão (Maquiné, RS), space where women come together to develop drugs with medicinal plants. This “Farmacinha” appeared in 1991, being the precursor of more than 7 similar experiences. This thesis aims to analyze, from the perspective of post-colonial theory and post-modernism, which is the development model that these women proposes and built, compared to the logic of the institutional development discourse. To this end, the thesis is divides into three parts. The first one analyzes the different discourses about development about women and rural, and explores in the second one the MMC itself ans its feminist and development discourse, perceived here as a form of resistance and a claim of the importance of 'women's role' and the 'struggle for life'. The third and final part analyzes the practical and everyday practices of the “Farmacinha” from Solidão, whose activities have been followed since 2012. Although these activities relate largely to the development of drugs with medicinal plants , the perspective adopted here makes we realize the “Farmacinha” as a place where the everyday and the personal become politics and face the model, which aims to be hegemonic, of development. / El siguiente trabajo es el resultado de una etnografía en campo, dentro de la Maestría en Desarrollo Rural. La investigación se centra en el Movimiento de las Mujeres Campesinas (MMC) y en la Farmacinha Comunitaria del valle de la Solidão, (Maquiné, RS), espacio donde las mujeres se reúnen para elaborar remedios con plantas medicinales. Esta Farmacinha surgió en 1991, siendo precursora de más de 70 experiencias similares. Esta disertación tiene como objetivo analizar, bajo la óptica de la teoría pos-colonial y de la pos-modernidad, cuál es el modelo de desarrollo que estas mujeres proponen y construyen frente a la lógica del discurso desarrollista institucional. Para este fin el trabajo se divide en tres partes. La primera analiza los diferentes discursos del desarrollo con respecto a la mujer y la medio rural, para tratar en la segunda parte sobre el propio MMC y su discurso feminista y de desarrollo, percibido aquí como una forma de resistencia y de reivindicación de la importancia del 'papel de la mujer' y la 'lucha por la vida'. La tercera y última parte del trabajo parte analiza la práctica concreta y cotidiana de la Farmacinha de la Solidão, cuyas actividades acompaño desde 2012. Si bien estas actividades se refieren en gran parte a la elaboración de remedios con plantas medicinales, la perspectiva aquí adoptada hace que percibamos la Farmacinha como un lugar donde lo cotidiano y lo personal se tornan políticos y enfrentan el modelo, que se pretende hegemónico, de desarrollo.

A seguinte Dissertação de Mestrado é o resultado de uma etnografia em campo, dentro do Mestrado em Desenvolvimento Rural. A pesquisa centra-se no Movimento das Mulheres Camponesas (MMC) e na Farmacinha Comunitária do vale da Solidão (Maquiné, RS), espaço onde as mulheres se reúnem para elaborar remédios com plantas medicinais. Esta Farmacinha surgiu em 1991, sendo a precursora de mais de 70 experiências similares. Esta dissertação tem como objetivo analisar, sob a ótica da teoria pós-colonial e da pós-modernidade, qual é o modelo de desenvolvimento que estas mulheres propões e constroem, frente a lógica do discurso desenvolvimentista institucional. Para este fim o trabalho divide-se em três partes. A primeira analisa os diferentes discursos de desenvolvimento a respeito da mulher e do rural, para tratar na segunda parte sobre o próprio MMC e seu discurso feminista e de desenvolvimento, percebido aqui como uma forma de resistência e de revindicação da importância do 'papel da mulher' e da 'luta pela vida'. A terceira e última parte do trabalho analisa as práticas concretas e cotidianas da Farmacinha da Solidão, cujas atividades vêm sendo acompanhadas desde 2012. Se bem estas atividades referem-se em grande parte à elaboração de remédios com plantas medicinais, a perspectiva aqui adotada faz com que percebamos a Farmacinha como um lugar onde o cotidiano e o pessoal tornam-se políticos e enfrentam o modelo, que pretende-se hegemônico, de desenvolvimento. / The following Master' s thesis is the result of an ethnography in the field, within the Masters in Rural Development. The research focuses on de “Movimento das Mulheres Camponesas” (Movement of the Peasant Women, MMC), and the “Farmacinha Comunitária” from the valley of Solidão (Maquiné, RS), space where women come together to develop drugs with medicinal plants. This “Farmacinha” appeared in 1991, being the precursor of more than 7 similar experiences. This thesis aims to analyze, from the perspective of post-colonial theory and post-modernism, which is the development model that these women proposes and built, compared to the logic of the institutional development discourse. To this end, the thesis is divides into three parts. The first one analyzes the different discourses about development about women and rural, and explores in the second one the MMC itself ans its feminist and development discourse, perceived here as a form of resistance and a claim of the importance of 'women's role' and the 'struggle for life'. The third and final part analyzes the practical and everyday practices of the “Farmacinha” from Solidão, whose activities have been followed since 2012. Although these activities relate largely to the development of drugs with medicinal plants , the perspective adopted here makes we realize the “Farmacinha” as a place where the everyday and the personal become politics and face the model, which aims to be hegemonic, of development. / El siguiente trabajo es el resultado de una etnografía en campo, dentro de la Maestría en Desarrollo Rural. La investigación se centra en el Movimiento de las Mujeres Campesinas (MMC) y en la Farmacinha Comunitaria del valle de la Solidão, (Maquiné, RS), espacio donde las mujeres se reúnen para elaborar remedios con plantas medicinales. Esta Farmacinha surgió en 1991, siendo precursora de más de 70 experiencias similares. Esta disertación tiene como objetivo analizar, bajo la óptica de la teoría pos-colonial y de la pos-modernidad, cuál es el modelo de desarrollo que estas mujeres proponen y construyen frente a la lógica del discurso desarrollista institucional. Para este fin el trabajo se divide en tres partes. La primera analiza los diferentes discursos del desarrollo con respecto a la mujer y la medio rural, para tratar en la segunda parte sobre el propio MMC y su discurso feminista y de desarrollo, percibido aquí como una forma de resistencia y de reivindicación de la importancia del 'papel de la mujer' y la 'lucha por la vida'. La tercera y última parte del trabajo parte analiza la práctica concreta y cotidiana de la Farmacinha de la Solidão, cuyas actividades acompaño desde 2012. Si bien estas actividades se refieren en gran parte a la elaboración de remedios con plantas medicinales, la perspectiva aquí adoptada hace que percibamos la Farmacinha como un lugar donde lo cotidiano y lo personal se tornan políticos y enfrentan el modelo, que se pretende hegemónico, de desarrollo.

A seguinte Dissertação de Mestrado é o resultado de uma etnografia em campo, dentro do Mestrado em Desenvolvimento Rural. A pesquisa centra-se no Movimento das Mulheres Camponesas (MMC) e na Farmacinha Comunitária do vale da Solidão (Maquiné, RS), espaço onde as mulheres se reúnem para elaborar remédios com plantas medicinais. Esta Farmacinha surgiu em 1991, sendo a precursora de mais de 70 experiências similares. Esta dissertação tem como objetivo analisar, sob a ótica da teoria pós-colonial e da pós-modernidade, qual é o modelo de desenvolvimento que estas mulheres propões e constroem, frente a lógica do discurso desenvolvimentista institucional. Para este fim o trabalho divide-se em três partes. A primeira analisa os diferentes discursos de desenvolvimento a respeito da mulher e do rural, para tratar na segunda parte sobre o próprio MMC e seu discurso feminista e de desenvolvimento, percebido aqui como uma forma de resistência e de revindicação da importância do 'papel da mulher' e da 'luta pela vida'. A terceira e última parte do trabalho analisa as práticas concretas e cotidianas da Farmacinha da Solidão, cujas atividades vêm sendo acompanhadas desde 2012. Se bem estas atividades referem-se em grande parte à elaboração de remédios com plantas medicinais, a perspectiva aqui adotada faz com que percebamos a Farmacinha como um lugar onde o cotidiano e o pessoal tornam-se políticos e enfrentam o modelo, que pretende-se hegemônico, de desenvolvimento. / The following Master' s thesis is the result of an ethnography in the field, within the Masters in Rural Development. The research focuses on de “Movimento das Mulheres Camponesas” (Movement of the Peasant Women, MMC), and the “Farmacinha Comunitária” from the valley of Solidão (Maquiné, RS), space where women come together to develop drugs with medicinal plants. This “Farmacinha” appeared in 1991, being the precursor of more than 7 similar experiences. This thesis aims to analyze, from the perspective of post-colonial theory and post-modernism, which is the development model that these women proposes and built, compared to the logic of the institutional development discourse. To this end, the thesis is divides into three parts. The first one analyzes the different discourses about development about women and rural, and explores in the second one the MMC itself ans its feminist and development discourse, perceived here as a form of resistance and a claim of the importance of 'women's role' and the 'struggle for life'. The third and final part analyzes the practical and everyday practices of the “Farmacinha” from Solidão, whose activities have been followed since 2012. Although these activities relate largely to the development of drugs with medicinal plants , the perspective adopted here makes we realize the “Farmacinha” as a place where the everyday and the personal become politics and face the model, which aims to be hegemonic, of development. / El siguiente trabajo es el resultado de una etnografía en campo, dentro de la Maestría en Desarrollo Rural. La investigación se centra en el Movimiento de las Mujeres Campesinas (MMC) y en la Farmacinha Comunitaria del valle de la Solidão, (Maquiné, RS), espacio donde las mujeres se reúnen para elaborar remedios con plantas medicinales. Esta Farmacinha surgió en 1991, siendo precursora de más de 70 experiencias similares. Esta disertación tiene como objetivo analizar, bajo la óptica de la teoría pos-colonial y de la pos-modernidad, cuál es el modelo de desarrollo que estas mujeres proponen y construyen frente a la lógica del discurso desarrollista institucional. Para este fin el trabajo se divide en tres partes. La primera analiza los diferentes discursos del desarrollo con respecto a la mujer y la medio rural, para tratar en la segunda parte sobre el propio MMC y su discurso feminista y de desarrollo, percibido aquí como una forma de resistencia y de reivindicación de la importancia del 'papel de la mujer' y la 'lucha por la vida'. La tercera y última parte del trabajo parte analiza la práctica concreta y cotidiana de la Farmacinha de la Solidão, cuyas actividades acompaño desde 2012. Si bien estas actividades se refieren en gran parte a la elaboración de remedios con plantas medicinales, la perspectiva aquí adoptada hace que percibamos la Farmacinha como un lugar donde lo cotidiano y lo personal se tornan políticos y enfrentan el modelo, que se pretende hegemónico, de desarrollo.