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Diss. Stockholm : Stockholms universitet, 2004.

No description available.

No description available.

A main purpose of the thesis is to demonstrate and explain to what extend do media influence foreign policy of a state. Foreign policy is always under internal and external influences and media are considered to be one of those external influences that shape it. Agenda setting theory forms the theoretical frame for this thesis because it takes into consideration not just direct media-government relations but the public as well that inside of this relation serves as some sort of mediator. Besides this theory and the CNN effect as its main 'extension' identifiable victim effect and third person effect as important elements in the process of influence will be introduced as well as influence of visualization. When word 'media' is mentioned in this case it implies to television and newspapers' (both printed and online versions) messages and their influences (not just verbal but the visual ones as well). Examples and case studies in this case focus mostly on the US foreign policy due to its influential role, fact that the US is still the country with the most superlatives inside of international arena and the size, influence and role-model identity of its big media companies (for ex. CNN).

In order to take account of the radical change in South Africa's international and continental environment, I have divided this thesis under two headings; policy towards colonial Africa (broadly, the period 1910 - 1959) and secondly, policy towards independent Africa (1960 - ). The division is by no means an absolute one. South Africa first began to feel the pressures of decolonization soon after the end of the Second World War. These took a variety of forms; for example, India's attacks on South Africa's racial policy and the United Nations' refusal to countenance the incorporation of South West Africa into the Union. They were echoed internally by growing militancy on the part of the African National Congress in the 1950's. Similarly after 1960, by which time most of the countries of Africa had achieved independence, the remnants of colonialism remained important to South African foreign policy. Firstly, the continuing existence of the Portuguese empire has carried the colonial order into the 1970's. Secondly, the former colonial powers have continued to exercise considerable influence on their ex-colonies. In particular, France's neo-colonial hold on many of her former colonies has assumed special importance in the context of South African initiatives towards francophone Africa.

This thesis examines Russia's foreign policy within a comparative historical framework and theorizes that Russian foreign policy while briefly deviating from its historical pattern following the collapse of the Soviet Union, has realigned its current trajectories with its more traditional foreign policy strategies. This correction is largely consistent with Soviet notions of great power status and is rooted in a desire to secure its own national interests and achieve geopolitical objectives. This thesis is divided into six chapters. For context, chapter one provides an historical overview of the traditional challenges faced by the Russian state, many of which remain today. Chapter two examines several core theories of foreign policy, providing a theoretical foundation from which the following chapters will routinely reference. Chapter three offers an historical synopsis of three discrete periods of Russian foreign policy and hypothesizes that the modern Russian state implements its foreign policy within a Defensive realist framework consistent with that of the former Soviet Union. Chapter four demonstrates how periods one and three are similar and fit within a consistent theoretical framework while concurrently demonstrating that period two was a temporal anomaly in the Russian approach to foreign policy. Chapter five addresses the implications associated with the continuation of Defensive realist foreign policy actions conducted by the Russian state. Finally, chapter six revisits the central theme of the work and contends that based on all demonstrated evidence the foreign policy of Russia today is in fact consistent with its historical patterns of behavior. / Master of Arts / This thesis examines Russia's foreign policy across three distinct periods of time and theorizes that Russian foreign policy while briefly deviating from its historical pattern following the collapse of the Soviet Union, has realigned its current trajectories with its more traditional foreign policy strategies. This correction is largely consistent with Soviet notions of great power status and is rooted in a desire to secure its own national interests and achieve geopolitical objectives. This thesis compares the Soviet Union's foreign policy strategy throughout its intervention in Afghanistan from 1979 - 1989, the Russian Federation's objectives prior to, and immediately following the collapse of the Soviet Union from 1989 - 1993, and modern Russia's objectives in Syria from 2015 to the present. Russia's modern foreign policy shares many parallels with that of the former Soviet Union and should be considered a return to, rather than a divergence from its traditional approach to international relations. The main goal of this thesis is to determine, "What is Russia's modern Foreign Policy strategy and how has it changed over time?" This thesis compares each period by focusing primarily on the Russian state's actions and its leaders' perceptions regarding threats to their regional and global objectives throughout each period.

This paper examines U.S. political and social discourse on the 2014 Gaza-Israel conflict and attempts to better understand U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, specifically on Israel. By examining official U.S. government documents, media articles, and pop culture platforms, this project identifies dominant narratives within the United States on Israel and the Palestinian territories. The complicated notions of identity that were discursively expressed within the United States on the 2014 Gaza-Israel conflict are deconstructed and discussed to further the academic discussion on U.S. relations in the Middle East. / Master of Arts / This paper examines U.S. political and social discourse on the 2014 Gaza-Israel conflict and attempts to better understand U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, specifically on Israel. By examining official U.S. government documents, media articles, and pop culture platforms, this project identifies dominant narratives within the United States on Israel and the Palestinian territories. The complicated notions of identity that were discursively expressed within the United States on the 2014 Gaza-Israel conflict are deconstructed and discussed to further the academic discussion on U.S. relations in the Middle East.

Thesis (M. A. (International Politics)) --University of Limpopo, 2017 / Many Western and Central African countries were colonised by France from the early 17th century until the early 1960s. However, Africa has continued to be the private hunting ground for France in the post-independence period. This is because France still needs African resources, particularly its oil. In fact, Africa holds a strategic position for French foreign policy. Therefore, when France gave independence to its African colonies, it did not really mean it was completely disengaging from Africa. In essence, a package was imposed on Francophone African countries which tied them to the revitalised African states to preserve French colonial status. Moreover, France‟s heavy involvement in African countries has earned it a perception of being a police officer of the continent. Within this premise, due to protracted conflicts in French African countries, Francophone Africans bank their hope on France to assist in offering just and lasting solutions to the complex challenges facing their countries. This should be understood within the context that France maintained a significant colonial empire in the continent for almost a century and a half. Nevertheless, France attempts to uphold hegemonic foothold in Francophone Africa through political, economic and cultural connections while the security of Africans is threatened. With this in mind, this study critiques the French foreign policy towards Africa and it uses Ivory Coast and Central African Republic as case studies. These two countries are chosen given their recent conflicts and their assistance in critiquing the French position in African complex challenges. This study also adopted the use of document review and interviews to generate data.

The 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq was a foreign policy action that violated international law, was based on false premises, and came to represent a clear and costly political disaster for the United States and Iraq. Why then, did none of the top policymakers responsible for the decision to invade face meaningful consequences – be they professional consequences, or legal ones? Why too have so many of the media figures who helped sell this war to the American public remained in their prestigious positions, with massive platforms to influence the American people? This paper argues that the above groups, referred to as the foreign policy elite or foreign policy establishment, are granted a general impunity for their actions. It seeks to explain this condition of elite impunity, and how it operates, through Robert Putnam’s theory of “elite integration.” It also examines the role of congressional marginalization and public disengagement in enabling the foreign policy elite to escape accountability. The subsequent chapters offer case studies of how each of these factors has helped advance and preserve the careers of two prominent members of the foreign policy elite, Elliott Abrams and Henry Kissinger. Finally, the conclusion explores further questions on the matter of elite impunity, and offers some basic steps towards creating a more accountable foreign policy elite.