The purpose of this thesis is to analyze how a Breitbart News Network text represented Muslim and Syrian refugees in the weeks leading up to the 2016 United States presidential election. Using a methodological framework based on Norman Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis, the analysis seeks to reveal the linguistic semiotic choices made by the text producer in the representation of Muslim and Syrian refugees and to explain how these semiotic choices were used to achieve their effect. By revealing these linguistic semiotic choices, the beliefs, attitudes, and ideologies that are present in the text─ but not necessarily easily seen─ can be brought out into the open. Once out in the open, they can be critically questioned, contested,  and they can be examined to find out how their beliefs, attitudes, and ideologies can be understood to have destructive consequences on the audience and the groups of people they represent.

The purpose of the current sequential mixed-methods study is to bring further knowledge to the field of psychology of religion concerning the role of religion for Assyrians/Syrians in Sweden. Guiding the current study are theories concerning enculturation, acculturation, ego-identity, ritualization and communitas. The central research question is: What role does religiosity have for Assyrians/Syrians in Sweden, concerning the development of ego-identity and the practice of ritualization, within a process of enculturation and acculturation? The quantitative phase of the sequential mixed-methods study uses a sample of 244 participants that were part of a previously conducted study. Descriptive statistics, comparing means, correlations, t-tests, and ANOVA are applied to analyze the data retrieved from the questionnaires. The qualitative phase uses a sample of 12 informants collected by a purposive and snowball sampling technique. The methods of data collection are semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews. The data collected are analyzed by qualitative content analysis. The results of the quantitative phase show that there is no statistically significant relationship between religiosity and self-perception of ethnicity or self- perception of being a part of the Swedish society. The results, however, show several significant correlations and differences between males and females as well as between generations. Among others, the results show a medium, positive correlation between self-perception of being Assyrian/Syrian and degrees of using the language Suryoyo with friends and family, where a greater degree of self-perception as Assyrian/Syrian is associated with a greater frequency in using the language Suryoyo with friends and family. The results show that there is a negative, medium correlation between perceived discrimination and the perception of being a part of the Swedish society as well as the perceptions concerning the degree that Swedes perceive the participants as being a part of the Swedish society where greater degrees of perceived discrimination are associated with lesser degrees of perception of being a part of the Swedish society. The results show that there is a statistically significant difference between the age groups concerning Mass attendance as well as the degree of self-perception of being religious/spiritual. The results show a statistically significant difference between males and females concerning Mass attendance, frequency of fasting, and self-perception as religious/spiritual; where females have a higher mean score than males on all measures. The results of the data analysis in the qualitative phase indicate that religiosity helps the individual to create and maintain a feeling of being a unique and separate individual either by providing a context for the individual’s identity or by being an object from which the informant differentiates. Religiosity provides the individual with the means of learning his or her first culture. The analysis identifies language to be an important component of ego-identity, enculturation, and acculturation. Discrimination, whether within the group Assyrian/Syrian or from outside the group, is seen as an involuntarily differentiation where the informant experiences attempts by others to differentiate him- or herself from the Swedish population. Indications of ritual components and certain life stages are highlighted among the informants. The implications of the study are discussed. / Syftet med följande sekventiella mixed-methods studie är att bidra med ytterligare kunskap till det religionspsykologiska fältet angående religionens betydelse för assyrier/syrianer i Sverige. Studien vägleds av teorier om ackulturation, enkulturation, ego-identitet, ritualisering och communitas. Den centrala forskningsfrågan lyder: Vilken roll har religiositet för assyrier/syrianer i Sverige i en process av enkulturation och ackulturation? Den kvantitativa fasen i studien använder sig av ett urval av 244 deltagare från en tidigare genomförd studie. Deskriptiv statistik, jämförelse av medelvärde, korrelation, t-test och ANOVA används för att analysera data i den kvantitativa fasen. Den kvalitativa fasen i studien använder sig av ett urval av tolv deltagare. Deltagarna rekryteras genom ändamålsenlig insamling och snöbollsinsamling. Deltagarna intervjuas med semi-strukturerade intervjuer och en fokusgruppintervju. Insamlat material från intervjuerna analyseras med kvalitativa innehållsanalys. Resultat från den kvantitativa fasen visar att det inte fanns ett statistiskt signifikant samband mellan religiositet, självbild etnicitet och självbild av att vara en del av det svenska samhället. Den kvantitativa fasen visar statistiska signifikanta förhållanden mellan självbild etnicitet och grad av suryoyoanvändning där större grad av självbild etnicitet är associerat med större grad av suryoyoanvändning. Ett statistiskt negativt samband visar sig mellan upplevd diskriminering och självbilden av att vara en del av det svenska samhället där större grad av upplevd diskriminering är associerat med mindre grad av självbild av att vara en del av det svenska samhället. En statistiskt signifikant relation hittas mellan åldersgrupper angående grad av deltagande i gudstjänster och självbild av att vara religiös eller andlig. En statistisk signifikant relation hittas även mellan kvinnor och män angående att delta i gudstjänster, frekvens av att fasta och självbild av att vara religiös eller andlig. Kvinnor visar sig ha ett högre medelvärde än män på dessa mått. Resultat från den kvalitativa fasen indikerar att religiositet hjälper individen att skapa och bibehålla en känsla av att vara en unik och separat individ antingen genom att erbjuda en kontext för individens identitet eller genom att vara ett objekt som individen kan differentiera sig ifrån. Religiositet förser individen med medel att lära sig sin första kultur. Den kvalitativa analysen visar även att språk är en viktig komponent av ego-identitet, enkulturation och ackulturation. Diskriminering ses som en ofrivillig differentiering av individen från den svenska befolkningen. Rituella komponenter och utvecklingsstadier identifieras bland deltagarna i den kvalitativa fasen. Studiens inverkan diskuteras. Föräldrarna rekommenderas även att sträva efter en mångfaldig uppväxt som dels inkluderar assyrisk/syrianska, dels svenska traditioner. Föräldrar bör även sträva efter att introducera sitt modersmål för barnen i syfte att premiera flerspråkighet. Flerspråkighet underlättar integration i kulturer. Föräldrar bör också stödja sina barns erfarenheter som etniska minoriteter, t.ex. diskriminering, fördomar, men även barnets vilja att vistas och integreras i det svenska samhället. Institutioner, t.ex. den svenska skolan och den syrisk ortodoxa kyrkan, bör underlätta individens integration i dess etniska och svenska traditioner. Utbildningsmässigt innebär detta att erbjuda språkkurser is individens modersmål, eller första språk. Det svenska språket bör läras ut tillsammans med svenskar för att undvika en åtskillnad. Skolor måste vara öppna för möjligheten att individer kan identifiera sig utifrån etniciteter i jämförelse med nationaliteter.

The purpose of this essay is to describe the perception of four medieval Syriac Christians Chroniclers, i.e. Pseudo-Dionysios of Tel-Mahre, Mikhael Rabbo, the anonymous Chronicler of The Chronicle of the year 1234 and BarcEbroyo, on the emergence of Islam with regard to religion, economic and social issues in the region of Syria and Iraq, here called Aramea, where Syriac speaking communities lived. The period of the study covers the time from the Prophet Muhammad to the end of the Umayyad dynasty.   Early passages in Syriac documents give positive accounts about the Prophet Muhammad, Abu Bakr, cUmar ibn al-Khattab and Mucawiya. And indeed, the Syriac speaking community received the coming of the Arabs as a liberation from the Byzantines´ yoke, i.e. persecution and humiliation. When the Arabs conquered the region, they made a dhimmi-deal with subjugated Christians, i.e. ahl al-dhimma “people of covenant”, and gave them protection in exchange for jizya, the protection tax. Indeed, they achieved some independence, had their own civil laws, and the Syriac church ruled very freely.   But the presence of the Muslim Arabs transformed the region in terms of religion, language, demographic and political circumstances. The jizya became a heavy burden and some Caliphs treated Christians unfairly.  The Arabs showed superiority and a political power over all subjugated.   Within this change there began also a cultural interaction between the Muslims and the Christians. The Church was challenged, the Syriac language was repressed, and the Church fathers had to act to protect their communities. First, documentation of historical events of the region became a very important and central issue. Second, the chronicles were authored in order to present a disparity between Islam and Christianity to indicate distinction in religion and moral laws. Third, the Syriac church was challenged and had to act by forbidding marriage with Muslims by constituting Church Law, as many Christians chose to convert to Islam because of interactions, heavy taxes and unfair treatment.

The purpose of this research paper is to examine how Syrian refugees are visually represented in two of the largest newspapers in Sweden: Dagens Nyheter (Today’s news) and Svenska Dagbladet (The Swedish daily paper). Their choice of images on the Syrian refugee crisis will be analysed, to see what sort of message they send by using those specific images. The reason for this study is because previous studies have implied that the media has an important role in crafting national perceptions of refugees. Therefore, it is intriguing to analyse the images the newspapers published during the fall of 2015 to see how Syrian refugees were represented during that most active and chaotic period in Sweden and if the visual representation of Syrian refugees can influence cultures of hostility in Sweden. The study has been linked with previous studies research of visual representations of refugees (us and them, identifiable victim effect) and the severe consequences it can lead to (dehumanization, moral panic) if used improperly, and three main theories that will be the foundation to custom and analyse the images (agenda setting, framing and representation theory). These were all applied and used when operating the method (quantitative content analysis) to collect information and data and also later when analysing and discussing the results. The result of the study showed that the newspapers images did not only focus on negative aspects of events and stories surrounding Syrian refugees. Dagens Nyheter and Svenska Dagbladet did not publish many negative images, but after the results, it is discovered that they are following that specific path on some aspects and that can be the start of a pattern that will be used more often in the future. While it is established that hostile and unwelcoming attitudes in the West have risen, the question remains how far its been developed in Sweden and how long it will be until the Swedish media promotes it as well. Key words: Syrian Refugee Crisis, Visual representation, Framing, Agenda setting and Stereotypes

This paper examines the broader relationship between the United States and Russia since the end of the Cold War. In recent years, relations between the U.S. and Russia have seriously deteriorated. This thesis lists the four most important contributing factors: ineffective reforms of the 1990s, NATO’s continued expansion, escalation in Ukraine, and the failure to jointly address the Syrian conflict. It argues that one major consequence of the strained relationship is a stronger Russia-China partnership. If Washington continues to ignore Russia’s security and economic interests, relations are likely to further decline, harming U.S. objectives in the long term. In order to improve relations, this thesis recommends that the U.S. transform its existing NATO policy, reverse sanctions, and reorient U.S. foreign policy to focus less on Russia’s non-democratic system of government and more on geopolitical issues, such as coordinating measures with Moscow to stabilize Syria.

Currently, over 65 million people around the world have been forced from their homes; among them are nearly 21 million refugees. Thus, the discussion of refugees and refugee camps on a global scale is ever more salient given the recent heightened attention to the global crises. This thesis uses an interdisciplinary Science, Technology, and Society (STS) approach to analyze the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) policies, refugee camps, and their implication in the greater society.

Pour faire face à la mondialisation, les pays se trouvent obligés de se réunir, au moins économiquement, dans certaines formes de partenariats. Ainsi, l’UE et ses voisins sud-méditerranéens ont établi de nouveaux cadres de coopération économique fondés sur la plus grande zone de libre-échange au monde. Pour répondre aux nouvelles préoccupations, la douane syrienne se trouvera obligée d’adopter une nouvelle politique douanière en écartant toute politique protectionniste. L’instauration progressive de la zone de libre-échange euro-syrienne permettra la libre circulation des marchandises, des services et des capitaux. Ainsi, les obstacles tarifaires et non tarifaires aux échanges devront être éliminés. Pour faciliter la mise en place de la zone de libre-échange, il sera indispensable d’assurer un nouvel encadrement en matière de règles d'origine, de certification, de protection des droits de propriété intellectuelle, industrielle et de concurrence. Dans cette perspective, la Syrie et l’UE seront invitées, pour assurer le bon fonctionnement de la future zone libre-échange, à réaliser un rapprochement législatif, réglementaire et procédural. L’objectif de cette recherche est de déterminer les traits d’un système douanier syrien apte à servir les objectifs annoncés dans le cadre du partenariat euro-syrien. / In order to deal with globalization, countries today are forced to unite themselves, at least economically, by establishing many forms of partnership. The European Union and some southern and Mediterranean countries have established new forms of economic cooperation based on the largest free trade zone in the world. Confronted with these new concerns, the Syrian Customs Services will be forced to adopt new policies by abandoning their protectionist tendencies.The progressively establishing a free trade zone between Syria and EU will make for more free flow of goods, services and capital. Thus, the tariff obstacles as well as some other non-tariff obstacles will have to be eliminated. To facilitate the establishment of the free trade zone, it will be indispensable to assure a new legal framework, such as rules of origins, certification, protection of intellectual property, industrial as well as competition rights. In this perspective, Syria and the European Union will be invited to ensure the proper functioning of the future free trade zone, and to provide for legislative, regulatory, and procedural harmonization. The purpose of this study is to determine the features of the Syrian customs system capable of serving the above-mentioned objectives of the Euro-Syrian partnership.

Après l’assassinat de Rafic Hariri le 14 février 2005 et le retrait syrien du Liban (avril 2005), son fils, Sa‘d, essaya de fédérer un public politique mobilisé contre la Syrie, le Hezbollah et l’Iran. Ce travail fait l’hypothèse de l’échec de Sa‘d Hariri de mobiliser dans la durée les différents composantes du champ politique tripolitain. Pourquoi Hariri et le Futur ne réussirent-ils pas à mobiliser le potentiel politique fortement opposé au régime syrien abondant au nord-Liban ? Répondant à cette question, la thèse utilise la notion de John Dewey (1859-1952) d’un public politique, un collectif d’individus réunis dans l’action politique à travers la perception d'avoir des intérêts communs. La thèse commence en 1967 et s’arrête en 2011, avec une postface sur les dynamiques après 2011. Elle se divise en trois parties. La première analyse la vague de mobilisation à Tripoli entre 1967 et 1985. La deuxième partie étudie la déstructuration du sunnisme politique et l’essor du salafisme durant la Pax Syriana entre 1985 et 2005. La troisième partie se penche sur la tentative de Sa‘d Hariri de créer un public politique, ainsi sur que la compétition qu’ont représentée les salafistes à son leadership, après 2005. La thèse vise à montrer que le projet politique de Sa‘d Hariri était susceptible d’échouer, en raison de trois obstacles structurels. Premièrement, les obstacles bureaucratiques syriens ou la gouvernementalité syrienne du sunnisme à Tripoli. Deuxièmement, l’essoufflement du nationalisme arabe après le milieu des années 1980 et le fait que les leaders sunnites manquent souvent d’une cause militante, pour laquelle leurs partisans seraient disposés à risquer leur vie. Troisièmement, la présence du Salafisme comme un contre-public transnational et religieux. / After the assassination of Rafiq Hariri (14 February 2005) and the Syrian withdrawal from Lebanon (April 2005), Hariri’s son, Sa‘d, attempted to federate a national Sunni political public mobilised against Syria, Hizbullah, and Iran. The study argues that Hariri failed to mobilize the different components of Tripoli’s political field over time. Why were Hariri and Future not successful in mobilising the anti-Syrian potential in North Lebanon? Attempting to answer this question, the study uses the notion of a political public elaborated by John Dewey (1859-1952). A public is a collective of individuals united in political action through a perception of common interests. The dissertation begins in 1967 and ends in 2011, with a Post-Script on the dynamics after 2011. It is divided in three parts. The first analyses the local dynamics in Tripoli between 1967 and 1985. The second part dissects the decomposition of Tripoli’s political field and the rise of Salafism during the period of pax syriana in Tripoli (1985-2005). The third part investigates Hariri’s attempt to create a political public and the competition from Tripoli’s Salafis, after 2005. The main argument is that three types of obstacles made Hariri’s public very likely to fail. The first was the Syrian bureaucratic obstacles, in other words, Syrian prior governmentality of Sunnism in Tripoli in the 1976-2005 period. The second obstacle was Arab nationalism’s loss of impetus after the mid-1980s and the fact that Sunni leaders often lacked a militant cause, for which followers were willing to risk their lives. The third obstacle was the presence of Salafism as a transnational, religious counter-public.

Este estudo trata da mobilidade dos imigrantes sírios, libaneses e descendentes pela cidade de São Paulo. Ao chegarem ao município, a partir do final do século XIX, eles se dirigiram para a rua 25 de Março e adjacências, onde, a princípio, moravam e trabalhavam. À medida que progrediam e com a entrada de mais imigrantes da etnia, iniciou-se uma dispersão para outras áreas da cidade, o que não significou uma saída da 25 de Março e entorno. Esse movimento ocorreu, principalmente, em direção aos bairros do Paraíso, Vila Mariana, Brás e Ipiranga. Para compreender esta dinâmica, fundamentou-se a análise na história de São Paulo e da imigração síria e libanesa, nos conceitos de identidade, cotidiano, memória e no estudo do constante processo de mudanças e permanências ocorridas. Além da pesquisa bibliográfica e documental, realizou-se uma pesquisa participativa que incluiu o levantamento do comércio e das instituições culturais na área da 25 de Março e do Brás; das residências da família Jafet, no Ipiranga; e dos equipamentos culturais, no Paraíso e Vila Mariana. Também foram feitas dezessete entrevistas de história oral temática. A perspectiva de análise utilizada e a realização de uma ampla pesquisa de campo deram uma característica inovadora ao estudo e permitiram a compreensão dos caminhos trilhados pela etnia em São Paulo. / This study deals with the Lebanese, Syrian and descendants mobility through São Paulo city. When they arrived in the town, since the ending of XIX century, they went to rua 25 de Março and adjacencies, where, at first, they lived and worked. As they progressed and with more immigrants entrance, a dispersion to others areas of the city began, what doesnt mean an exit of 25 de Março and vicinity. This movement took place, mainly, in direction to Paraíso, Vila Mariana, Brás and Ipiranga districts. In order to understand this dynamics, the analysis was embased in São Paulo and Syrian and Lebanese immigration history, in identity, quotidian, memory concepts and in the study of the continuous changes and permanences process. Besides the bibliographical and documental survey, a participative research was done, which included an inventory of the commerce and cultural institutions in 25 de Março and Brás areas, of the Jafets family residences in Ipiranga and of the cultural establishments in Paraíso and Vila Mariana. There were also done seventeen interviews of thematic oral history. The analysis point of view and the large research that was done gave an innovating feature to this study and lead to a comprehension of the walked path by the ethnic group in São Paulo.

Sverige blir alltmer mångkulturellt. I dagens samhälle finns det många individer och grupper av olika härkomst. Detta har lett till många diskussioner kring integration samt konflikter mellan olika folkgrupper. Vad kan dessa konflikter mellan de olika folkgrupperna innebära för individernas identitetsskapande? Och hur kan vissa av dessa individers identitet och livsvillkor formas under en integrationsprocess? Denna antologi kommer att behandla identitet ur ett etnicitetsperspektiv. Det kommer att omfatta fyra olika delar som berör ämnet etnicitet med en rad olika fält. Två av dessa delar kommer att beröra ämnet konflikt varav den ena fokuserar på serber och bosniernas förhållande under och efter krigstiden under 1990-talet. Den andra kommer att beröra assyriernas och syrianernas brokiga förflutna med fokus på konflikt, assimilation och hur det formar dem idag. De två övriga delarna i antologin kommer att beröra ämnet integration varav den första kommer att fokusera på integration ur ett grannskapsperspektiv Den sista delen kommer att undersöka utlandsstudenter och deras situation i Sverige.