With a starting point in the Together: Building a Shared Community strategy (T:BUC) published in 2013 by the Government of Northern Ireland’s Executive Office, this study examines two of the strategy’s Key Priorities: Our Shared Community and Our Safe Community, in order to analyze contemporary peacebuilding efforts carried out by the Northern Irish government. The study is guided by the research question: Why might the strategic aims such as removing all interface barriers by 2023 in the T:BUC fail in their attempts to build peace? To answer this question, the thesis takes a qualitative methodological approach relying on both primary and secondary data and Carol Bacchi’s method of ‘What’s the Problem Represented to Be’ approach to poststructural policy analysis. This methodological approach is accompanied by Audra Mitchell’s theoretical framework of plural world-building. The study finds that the T:BUC strategy problematizes the interface barriers in Belfast, the usage of symbols such as flags, as well as the division of communities within Northern Ireland - all concepts that in this thesis are argued as important ‘threatworks’ and ‘world-building’ means of the conflicting communities in order to avoid violence. The thesis concludes that by interfering with these types of world-building means, the Northern Irish government risks inducing ‘radical violence’ to these ethno-national groups and perhaps provoking escalating violence amongst them.

This study aims to examine how the city of Stockholm represents the problem with housing shortages for young adults in their policies for housing supply. How the problem is represented has an impact on which measures are implemented to combat the housing shortage in the municipality. Drawing on Carol Bacchi’s “what’s the problem represented to be” framework the analysis in the study seeks to enlighten the implicit assumptions and underlying reasons for the housing supply strategy. The result of the study showed that two main representations of the problem can be detected. The first one is related to the municipalities’ limited conditions for building houses that match the needs of young adults. The other representation of the problem is related to the young adults as an economically weak group who have difficulties buying a home that matches their needs.

One consequence of climate change more frequently discussed is its’ impact on climate-induced migration. This is especially relevant for low-lying atoll islands in the Pacific, where the impacts on migration are anticipated to be of great extent. As Kiribati is a country which is highly affected by climate change and a place where climate-induced migration is expected,Kiribatiand a possible recipient countryof its migrants, New Zealand, havebeen chosenfor analysis.Grounded in poststructural thoughtit is argued that the way we represent “problems”in policy hasramifications for which policy proposalsare considered and how the migrant is constructed as a subject. This study thusconducts a comparative analysis of problem representations of climate-induced migration in Kiribati’s and New Zealand’s national policies. The policies of these countries are analyzed using thediscourse analytical framework“What’s the problem represented to be?”(WPR)whereasthe theoretical underpinningof this study is grounded inpoststructuralism and postcolonialism, specifically the creation of the “other”. Furthermore, earlier writings about representations of climate-induced migration are used as a basisfor analysis. The findings of the study suggest that climate-induced migration is representedboth as a challenge and as an adaption strategy, where transnational climate-induced migration mainly is depicted as a strategy for increased resiliencewhereas internal migration is portrayed as challenging.I argue that the way climate-induced migration is represented both replicates colonial tendencies and the creation of the “other”, while also reflecting a dominant neoliberal agenda.

I dagens samhälle är miljöproblem ett faktum som blivit svårt för mänskligheten att förneka. Dagens miljöpolitiska diskurser handlar främst om vilka miljöproblem som är de verkliga problemen och vad som anses vara lösningen på dessa. Tidigare forskning har studerat diskurser inom miljöpolitiken och hur dessa har förändrats över tid. Denna uppsats studerar hur idéerna om relationen mellan människa och miljö har förändrats över tid i FN:s beslut om miljöstrategier och kommer begränsa sig till tidsperioden mellan åren 1972 till 2015. Uppsatsen använder Carol Bacchis ”What’s the problem represented to be-ansats” för att analysera problem, normer och orsaker som sedan används för att besvara uppsatsens forskningsfrågor om eventuella förändringar i idéerna om relationen mellan människa och miljö. Resultaten visar en förändring i idéerna om relationen mellan människa och miljö i FN:s dokument rörande tre områden, miljö som problem i relation till människan, normativa uppfattningar om miljöns värde samt staters rättigheter till sin miljö. I diskussionsdelen kommer det även fram andra intressanta observationer som att globala samarbeten problematiseras som ett miljöproblem och att globaliseringen har utvecklats tillsammans med diskursen om miljöproblemen. Denna uppsats bidrar till ett nytt teoretiskt ramverk för att undersöka diskurser om miljöproblem genom sin kombination av statsvetenskaplig teori och miljöetiska perspektiv.

Climate change, as well as posited solutions, is arguably an increasing political problem and therefore relevant to study for the political scientist. Solutions may entail problems in themselves.Finnish ecologist Pentti Linkola has argued that humankinds’ only hope of survival is reducing the population greatly by large-scale, state-organized killings, and further dismantling of what has grown fundamental to many modern societies, such as democracy or private economic freedom.What happens to human rights if such a proposal is realized? In this thesis, Linkolas’ arguments are put against scholars believing that human rights are fundamental and inviolable parts of being human. The aim is to unveil the underlying ideas of Linkola, and analyze how his argumentation dismisses human rights. A broader aim is to see if these ideas can be connected to the ideology of ecofacism as it manifests today.This thesis answers two research questions:- In what way does Pentti Linkolas’ argumentation in Can life prevail? (2009) contradict an idea of human rights as given?- What may the underlying ideas behind this contradiction be?Results show that arguments of Linkola not only dismisses, but deem ideas of human rights dangerous for human survival.

This study provides a feminist critical examination of the proposal to add a language and civic knowledge requirement for citizenship acquisition and the ideas of belonging that are constructed within the proposal. The analysis has been made with Carol Bacchi’s ‘What’s the problem represented to be’-approach to policy analysis, examining what is represented as the ‘problem’ in the proposal, which assumptions and presuppositions that underlie this representation of the ‘problem’, what is silenced or unproblematized in this representation of the problem, an the potential effects that this representation of the problem can have. The analysis shows how the ‘problem’ in the proposal for language and civic knowledge requirements is represented as a ‘lack of knowledge and participation’ that’s been made possible due to a ‘lack of demands’. Further, the representation of the ‘problem’ constituting the ‘solution’ of the proposed requirements is individualized and the expected exclusionary effects of the proposal unproblematized. Finally, I argue that the representations of the ‘problem’ construct ideas of belonging which are predominantly about assessment of eligibility to be allowed entry into the ‘collectivity’ of Swedish citizenship.

Topics concerning gender mainstreaming are highly debated throughout political sciences. Studies imply that gender mainstreaming is implemented in an era of New Public Management which, according to different sources, takes away from the politics of gender equality. Due to the nature of the NPM framework, efficiency and productivity reduce gender mainstreaming to a technicality, rather than actually questioning the underlying structures of gender inequalities. In light of NPMs shortcomings in this aspect, a growing number of studies examine the possibilities Public Value Management has to offer. This framework articulates public value as the most important aspect of public administration. This study performs a policy analysis of the Swedish Migration Agency and examine how the agency deals with gender mainstreaming in terms of implementing a NPM and/or PVM oriented approach. The analysis in this paper is based on Carol Bacchi’s theoretical framework “What’s the problem represented to be?”, which helps isolate causes of the agency's problems regarding gender mainstreaming. Results of the analysis show an unwillingness to conform solely to factors such as efficiency and productivity, but controversially, the agency also heavily relies on the principles of the NPM framework. Conclusions can be made that the structural architecture of the agency prevents a full adoption of the PVM framework. / Statsvetenskapliga institutionen, Umeå Universitet

Purpose – of this study was to explore the institutional contextual factors that influence the organizational operations and their choice of talent management strategy with specific focus on inclusive talent management. The study is based on a case study of the Region Dalarna. The choice of case study was motivated by the ignorance of the contextual consideration of public sector organizations, within the talent management discourse. The researchers of this paper believe that the main findings contribute to the research field. Delimitations – of this study has been set to a single case study of Region Dalarna, a public sector organization where the healthcare operation within the organization and the employees within the HR department have been chosen as representative factors for the organizational perspective, along with the policy documents.       Design/methodology/approach – of this paper is a mixed-method approach, specifically when it comes to data collection and analysis. The secondary data, including organizational documents were analyzed with the WPR method and served as a foundation for collection of the primary data. In turn, the primary data was collected with the help of the dialogical interviews and analyzed through thematic analysis technique. Also, the theoretical framework in this research was based on already existing literature in the field. Findings – the organization’s operations and its choice of talent management strategy are influenced by multiple external and internal parties on macro, meso and micro levels. Some of them are politicians, board members, third parties and employees themselves. In addition, the researchers identified a shared perception of talent within the organization and factors that influence it. Also, the authors were able to track already implemented inclusive TM strategies within the organization’s operations as well as identify the challenges that prevent the further adoption of this approach. Practical implications – this paper can serve as a framework for other organizations in order to identify the influencing factors that impact their performance. The insights of this paper address the further development of Dalarna Region, which makes it valuable for the local community. Originality/value – the use of mixed methods in the data collection and analysis enabled researchers to confirm their findings as well as to identify the potential conflicts in the organizational context.

Studiens syfte är undersöka om det finns tendenser till dissonans mellan den svenska feministiska utrikespolitiken och handelspolitiken. Detta genom att analysera hur problem framställs i Regeringens skrivelse om feministisk utrikespolitik samt Sveriges export- och investeringsstrategi med hjälp av Carol Bacchis diskursanalytiska ”What’s the problem represented to be”-metod. Resultatet visar att det finns tecken på dissonans. Den feministiska utrikespolitiken har ett brett perspektiv på feminism med fokus på rättigheter, representation, säkerhet, normer och strukturer samt kvinnors tillgång till och deltagande på arbetsmarknaden. Detta perspektiv ska genomsyra all utrikespolitik. Export- och investeringsstrategins dominerande fokus är svensk tillväxt. Strategin berör också hållbar utveckling och jämställdhet, men då i första hand som ett medel för tillväxt. Jämställdhet i exportstrategin innebär främst att kvinnor deltar på arbetsmarknaden.

Policies are often seen as a response to existing issues, wheras in this study polices are understood as a productive process, that not only addresses a pre-existing problem, but that construct the problem through how it is represented in the policy (Bacchi, Eveline, 2010: 18). Based on this, the study examines how gender inequality is represented in a number of policies and reports from the UN Development Programme, UNDP, published between 2018 and 2021.UNDP is one of the largest entities within the international development world, and its policies has the potential to impact millions of people around the world. By asking what is the problem represented to be? (WPR) it is possible to uncover underlying assumptions on which the understanding that produces the problem of gender inequality, rests. The effects of these assumptions, implicit understandings of a problem, come to determine what is being done about it. Many policies addressing gender inequality attempt to identify how actions can be taken with less negative effect on the targeted group, mainly women, instead of asking how the policies themselves are connected to reproducing the problem (Bacchi et al. 2010: 120).   This study finds that the underlying premises of how gender inequality is represented by UNDP results in proposed actions that risk conflating women and gender, while promoting activities that at large aim to include women into existing structures, rather than being a driver for examining underlying causes of gender inequality.