China's futures market has undergone a significant structural change. It was a 'vertical silo' and now it is being developed into a 'horizontal' structure with Chinese characteristics. Such a change involves a series of changes in institutional arrangement. If researching the phenomenon when it was settled, the observation and, consequently, the conclusion would likely to see it was the state that had led the change. However, participated and observed through the change, this thesis is going to argue that the grassroots heroes, the practitioners from a marginalized sub-sector, have contributed significantly. The state is powerful and dominant whereas the regional exchanges leveraged their resources to corral the state and shape the institutional field. The focus of organizational and management studies can be roughly categorized as three dimensions: how changes occur within organizations, how the institutional environment shapes organizations and how organizations influence the sociocultural context within which they operate (Parsons, 1956). In the recent decades, organizational studies have made significant progress in the first two but little in the third (Barley, 2010). Research should progress in the third dimension regardless of the untidy and unaesthetic nature of the reality, as organizations have influenced the sociocultural context substantially. The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the third dimension by arguing that institutional bricolage characterizes the process by which individuals and organizations change institutions to fulfil their purposes, be it changing the institutions, building a market or protesting the constraints imposed upon them. Institutional bricolage is the strategy, mentality and philosophy for grassroots heroes who have no political power but are still ambitious to have their voices heard and hence influence the change from the lower strata. The ideas in this paper are informed by the experience of China's futures market, where the researcher participated as a strategy manager for about a year. The organization in question is a regional exchange that previously had no place in China's official market structure and became legitimized as the outcome of a regulatory crackdown. This thesis, therefore, uncovers the underexplored part of China's financial market, the regional exchanges, and sheds light on China's institutional change.

No / This study questions the idea that appropriate mechanisms can be designed to ensure optimum resource use, beneficial collective action and hence to build social capital. I argue here that the school of ‘institutional crafting’ in natural resource management is based on concepts which are inadequately socially informed and which ill-reflect the complexity , diversity and ad hoc nature of institutional formation. Three aspects of institutional bricolage are illustrated here: the multiple identities of the bricoleurs; the frequency of cross-cultural borrowing and of multi-purpose institutions; and the prevalence of arrangements and norms which foster co-operation, respect and non-direct reciprocity over lifecourses. In elaborating the concept of bricolage, I raise questions about whether local institutions are amenable to design, the scope for negotiating the norms which underlie institutional arrangements and the extent to which different institutions may be emancipatory or exclusionary. I conclude that development interventions aimed at institution building should be based on a socially informed analysis of the content and effects of institutional arrangements, rather than on their form alone.

In the rural water scheme projects across sub-Saharan Africa, the participatory Community Based Management model has become the norm. Through initial financing by oustide funders, the goal is for communities to independently take on the financing of the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the improved water schemes, thereby ensuring sustainability and functionality of the pumps. Evidence has been gathering, however that this model, combining ideals of collective action with the logics of commodification, has been frequently failing, one in three hand pumps in Africa are out of function, and communities struggle to meet the financing needs of O&M in infrastructures which perpetuate isolation. This, however, does not lie fully in the fault of the communities, or implementation, but also in theoretical downfalls of the CBM. Looking at a community-based rural project in the Tikar region of Central Cameroon as well, this research reveals the limits of CBM to achieving sustainable water access, as well as reveal new angles and paradigms to pursue.

Small-scale fisheries represent an important sector for Tanzania’s economy and the contribution to the livelihood of people. In Lake Babati, fish stocks are decreasing, mainly because of illegal fishing methods. This study therefore aims at examining how the problems of illegal fishing affect the fishermen, as well as their perceptions of the implemented fish ban. By using semi-structured interviews, a seasonal calendar and a Venn diagram, the data was analysed through a Critical Institutionalist lens. The results show that the fish ban has not improved the situation and that the fisheries co-management in Lake Babati is weakly practiced. Furthermore, the complexity of socially embedded relations constrains the organisation among the fishermen. As a response to the inadequate management, the fishermen suggest other solutions for preventing illegal fishing.

Este artículo explora el proceso de bricolaje institucional que se desarrolla en una comunidad nativa y que conduce a la creación de una comisión de regantes. A partir de una revisión histórica, se identifican las dinámicas de préstamo de arreglos previos, como relaciones familiares o modalidades de reunión, para dar sentido a nuevos marcos institucionales promovidos por proyectos de desarrollo, como el trabajo cooperativo o el pago de una tarifa por el uso del agua. El argumento sostiene que se trata de un proceso de alteración institucional, dado que no conduce a la creación de un nuevo organismo cualitativamente distinto sino que reproduce lógicas y acuerdos previamente establecidos. / This article explores the institutional bricolage process developed in a native community, which derives in the creation of a water user’s association. Based on a historical review, the article identifies the borrowing dynamics from previous arrangements, such as family relationships and meetings, in order to make sense of the new institutional frameworks promoted by development projects, such as cooperative work and the payment of a water tariff. The argument proposes that this is a process of institutional alteration, because it does not led to the creation of a qualitatively different organism, but rather it reproduces previously stablished logics and agreements.

Many attempts have been made to eradicate female genital mutilation over the past decades, yet the sustained practice continues to be a risk for women’s health and agency. In Kenya, an intervention with increasing proliferation is the alternative rites of passage. The approach has existed for some time, however little and highly contextual research has been produced around it. This thesis examines the general characteristics of an alternative rite of passage by combining primary and secondary data. Interviews were conducted with Kenyan professionals working with alternative rites of passage, as well as a systematic literature review. The findings demonstrate the balance between individual agency and social structure among the different actors usually included in the approach. In both instances, the notion of power is presented through the many perceived costs and benefits of female genital mutilation. Rather than focusing solely on the girls at risk of being cut, the alternative rite of passage is a pursuit to reframe the role of culture in targeted communities. Alternative rites of passage are often a systematic and longer process defined by communication, based on rational choice, external influences, and community validation. This thesis serves as an introduction to understanding the present alternative rites of passage in Kenya. By expanding the knowledge of an approach still at an early stage, it is possible for future research to study its effectiveness and long-term consequences on girls at risk of female genital mutilation.

Diese Arbeit zeigt die Reproduktion ungleicher Risikolandschaften von Überschwemmungen auf. Die fortschreitende Urbanisierung in den Küstenregionen der Welt ist mit zahlreichen unterschiedlichen Risiken verbunden, denen sozio-ökonomisch benachteiligte Gruppen in besonderem Grad ausgesetzt sind. Dennoch ist Wissen über soziale Dynamiken, die solch ungleichen Risikolandschaften zugrunde liegen, gegenwärtig begrenzt. Das Densu Delta, ein dynamisch urbanisierendes Feuchtgebiet westlich von Accra, dient hier als Fallstudie, die anhand von qualitativen Daten mit Methoden der Humangeographie untersucht wird. Die übergeordnete Forschungsfrage lautet: Was sind die Beziehungen und Dynamiken, die die Verteilung von Überschwemmungsrisiken gestalten, und wie verfestigen sich diese in den gegenwärtig stark ungleichen Mustern von Überschwemmungsrisiken rund um das Densu Delta? Das Konzept ‚Risikolandschaften‘ (‚riskscape‘) wird hier mit Sichtweisen des kritischen Institutionalismus und der Argumentation verbunden, um Prozesse zu analysieren, die eine ungleiche Verteilung von Vulnerabilität und Anpassungskapazität bedingen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen erstens, dass institutionelle und bio-physische Dynamiken eine vielfältige Landschaft von Vulnerabilität erzeugen. Zweitens wird Anpassungskapazität von dynamischen Autoritätsverhältnissen geprägt. Drittens erweitern Unterschiede in Policy-Argumenten auf verschiedenen Ebenen und in unterschiedlichen Sektoren die Implementierungslücke in der Anpassung an Überschwemmungen. Die Arbeit leistet einen Beitrag zur bestehenden Forschung, indem die Rollen von Schlüsselakteuren und von unsichtbaren Praktiken und Institutionen in der (Re-) Produktion von ungleichen Risikolandschaften betont werden. Diese werden hier am Beispiel von Überschwemmungen im Densu Delta in Accra aufgezeigt. Skalenübergreifende Interaktionen in Risikolandschaften und deren praktische Implikationen für die Minimierung von Überschwemmungsrisiken bedürfen der weiteren Forschung. / The thesis shows how uneven landscapes of urban flood risk are (re)produced. Coastal urbanisation comes with multiple risks, to which the poor are particularly exposed. Social dynamics underlying uneven riskscapes are however poorly understood. The Densu delta in Accra, a dynamically urbanising wetland, is analysed as a case based on qualitative data with methods from human geography. The overall research question is: What are the relations and dynamics that shape the distribution of flood risks, and how are they materialised in the currently highly uneven patterns of flood risk around the Densu delta? The concept of ‘riskscape’ is applied through lenses of critical institutionalism and argumentation to analyse the processes behind uneven distribution of vulnerability and adaptive capacity. Findings are that firstly, institutional and bio-physical dynamics produce a diverse landscape of vulnerability. Secondly, dynamics of authority shape adaptive capacity. Thirdly, disparities in policy arguments widen implementation gaps in adaptation to flooding. The research contributes to the existing literature in highlighting the role of actors and underlying practices and institutions in shaping multiple uneven riskscapes. In the present research the reproduction of uneven riskscapes of flooding is shown for the Densu delta case. Further research ought to look at cross-scale interactions between riskscapes and their practical implications for flood risk reduction.

Les politologues ont récemment commencé à analyser les processus organisationnels et sociaux des guerres civiles. Malgré certains progrès, nous en savons peu sur les trajectoires des insurgés et les processus transperçant le cycle de vie des groupes rebelles. En effet, la plupart des théories négligent la dimension de longue durée des rébellions. Comblant cette lacune, la thèse construit une approche longitudinale des cycles de vie des groupes rebelles. Comment les différentes étapes du cycle de vie d'une organisation rebelle sont-elles liées les unes aux autres? Comment les individus façonnent-ils les organisations rebelles? Comment les individus sont-ils transformés par leur passage au sein de groupes rebelles? Inspiré par la sociologie politique, la thèse soutient que la formation, le maintien et l'héritage des groupes rebelles sont conditionnés par les expériences, mentalités, liens sociaux et compétences des individus composant ces organisations. En retour, la participation au sein des organisations, de sous-unités et à divers rôles transforme les individus, façonnant les dynamiques de guerre et d'après-guerre. La thèse étudie des mécanismes et processus liant les étapes de vie des groupes rebelles, incluant le courtage, le bricolage institutionnel, la légitimation, la trajectoire de vie et la socialisation à vie. L'article I construit une théorie du bricolage dans la formation des groupes rebelles. Dans les milieux hétérogènes, les organisateurs emploient le courtage et le bricolage institutionnel pour renforcer leur capacité opérationnelle. À l’aide de l'analyse des réseaux sociaux et répertoires organisationnels, l’article retrace la formation de la guérilla urbaine du M-19 en Colombie. Les organisateurs de cette guérilla ont recruté des spécialistes de la violence par le courtage et ont réorganisé diverses formes organisationnelles à travers le bricolage institutionnel pour faciliter la coordination interne de l’organisation naissante. L’article II adopte l'approche relationnelle à la légitimité des groupes armés pour étudier la production culturelle et musicale des FARC en Colombie. L'article analyse 258 chansons, des documents internes de la guérilla et des prestations artistiques. L’article démontre que les FARC employaient la production culturelle pour légitimer la hiérarchie interne du groupe et leurs objectifs face aux élites établies et à la population civile. L'article III développe une typologie des trajectoires et des incidences biographiques des ancien.e.s combattant.e.s. L'outil conceptuel permet d’évaluer la position des individus par rapport à la politique, la violence et l'État ainsi que de retracer des dynamiques complexes au sein des trajectoires de vie. Une fois agrégées, les incidences biographiques contribuent à d'importantes dynamiques d'après-guerre. L'article élabore un nouveau programme de recherche portant sur les vies de l’après-guerre civile. L’article IV étudie les processus de socialisation à vie et l’engagement social des ancien.e.s combattant.e.s. L'article emploi une approche biographique pour retracer les trajectoires de 32 ancien.e.s combattant.e.s du M-19. La socialisation au sein des institutions de travail social et d'enseignement, avant le recrutement et pendant la guerre, a conféré aux ancien.e.s combattant.e.s du M-19 des dispositions et des ressources qui, en interaction avec les opportunités post-démobilisation, a façonné leur engagement social. La dissertation offre une vision holistique des cycles de vie des groupes rebelles et étudie des dynamiques liant l’avant, pendant et après guerre. La thèse contribue à notre compréhension des guerres civiles en analysant des processus longitudinaux façonnant les vies des individus, le contenu et la structure des groupes rebelles et les sociétés. / Political scientists recently started to analyse the organizational and social processes of civil wars. Despite progress, we know little about the trajectories of insurgents and the processes that span through the life cycle of rebel groups. In fact, most theories neglect the longue durée dimension of rebellions. Filling this gap, this thesis constructs a longitudinal approach to the life cycle of rebel groups. How are different stages in the life cycle of a rebel organization linked to one another? How do individuals shape rebel organizations? How are individuals transformed by their passage through rebel groups? Inspired by political sociology, the thesis argues that the formation, maintenance and legacy of rebel groups are conditioned by the experiences, mindsets, social ties and skills of individuals composing those organizations. In turn, participation in organizations, subunits and roles transform individuals, shaping wartime and post-war dynamics. The thesis studies mechanisms and processes linking insurgent group life stages, including brokerage, institutional bricolage, legitimation, life trajectory, and lifelong socialization. Article I constructs a theory of bricolage in rebel group formation. In heterogeneous environments, rebel organizers employ brokerage and institutional bricolage to build operational capacity. The article employs social network analysis and the analysis of organizational repertoires to retrace the formation of the M-19 urban guerrilla in Colombia. M-19 organizers recruited violent specialists through brokerage, and reorganized various organizational forms through institutional bricolage to facilitate internal coordination in the nascent organization. Article II employs the relational approach to armed group legitimacy to study cultural and music production within the FARC guerrilla in Colombia. The article analyses 258 songs, guerrilla internal documents, and artistic performances. It shows that FARC’s cultural production was employed to legitimize the group’s internal hierarchy and its goals in relation to established elites and the civilian population. Article III develops a typology of ex-combatant trajectories and biographical outcomes. The conceptual tool can be used to assess the position of individuals in relation to politics, violence and the state and track complex dynamics in life trajectories. When aggregated, biographical outcomes contribute to important post-war dynamics. The article elaborates a new research agenda on civil war afterlives. Article IV investigates lifelong socialization processes and social engagement amongst ex-combatants. The article employs a biographical approach to study the trajectories of 32 M-19 ex-combatants. Socialization in social work and education institutions in pre-recruitment and wartime life stages provided M-19 ex-combatants with dispositions and resources that, in interaction with post-demobilization opportunities, shaped their social engagement. The dissertation provides a holistic view of rebel group life cycles and studies dynamics linking prewar, wartime and post-war stages. The thesis contributes to our understanding of civil wars by analysing longitudinal processes shaping individual lives, the content and structure of rebel groups and societies. / Recientemente politólog@s han empezado a analizar los diferentes procesos organizativos y sociales de las guerras civiles. A pesar de los avances, sabemos poco sobre las trayectorias de los insurgentes y los procesos que comprenden el ciclo de vida de grupos rebeldes. De hecho, la mayoría de las teorías omiten la dimensión a largo plazo. Llenando este vacío, esta tesis desarrolla una teoría longitudinal de ciclos de vida de grupos rebeldes. ¿Cómo se conectan las diferentes etapas del ciclo de vida de una organización rebelde? ¿Cómo los individuos dan forma a las organizaciones rebeldes? ¿Cómo se transforman los individuos durante su participación en grupos rebeldes? Inspirándose en la sociología política, la tesis argumenta que la formación, el mantenimiento y el legado de los grupos rebeldes están condicionados por las experiencias, mentalidades, vínculos sociales y habilidades individuales de sus participantes. Asimismo, su involucramiento en organizaciones, subunidades y roles también transforma los individuos, moldeando así las dinámicas de guerra y posguerra. Esta tesis estudia mecanismos y procesos que relacionan las etapas de vida de los grupos rebeldes, incluyendo la intermediación, el bricolaje institucional, la legitimación, la trayectoria de vida y la socialización vitalicia. El artículo I construye una teoría de bricolaje en la formación de grupos rebeldes. En entornos heterogéneos, los organizadores recurren a la intermediación y el bricolaje institucional para fortalecer su capacidad operativa. Utilizando el análisis de redes sociales y repertorios organizativos, el artículo rastrea la formación de la guerrilla urbana del M-19 en Colombia. Los organizadores del M-19 reclutaron especialistas en violencia a través de la intermediación y reorganizaron varias formas organizativas con el bricolaje institucional para facilitar la coordinación interna de la organización emergente. El artículo II emplea el enfoque relacional de la legitimidad de los grupos armados para estudiar la producción cultural y musical de las FARC en Colombia. El artículo analiza 258 canciones, documentos internos de la guerrilla y actuaciones artísticas. El trabajo demuestra que las FARC empleaban la producción cultural para legitimar la jerarquía interna del grupo y sus objetivos frente a las élites establecidas y la población civil. El artículo III desarrolla una tipología de las trayectorias e implicaciones biográficas de los excombatientes. La herramienta conceptual permite evaluar la posición de los individuos en relación con la política, la violencia y el estado, así como rastrear dinámicas complejas dentro de las trayectorias de vida. Una vez agregadas, las implicaciones biográficas contribuyen a importantes dinámicas posguerra. El artículo establece una nueva agenda de investigación sobre las vidas posguerra civil. El artículo IV estudia los procesos de socialización de por vida y el compromiso social de los excombatientes. El artículo emplea un enfoque biográfico para rastrear las trayectorias de 32 excombatientes del M-19. Socialización en instituciones de trabajo social y educativas, antes del reclutamiento y durante la guerra, proporcionó a los excombatientes del M-19 disposiciones y recursos que, en interacción con las oportunidades posteriores a la desmovilización, influye en su compromiso social. La disertación ofrece una visión holística de los ciclos de vida de grupos rebeldes y explora las dinámicas que atraviesan el pre, durante y posguerra. La tesis contribuye a la comprensión de las guerras civiles analizando los procesos longitudinales que influyen vidas individuales, el contenido y la estructura de grupos rebeldes y sociedades.