The main aim of this thesis is to explore ways in which the discourse of the Russian government legitimises its war in Ukraine. The following Research Question is put forward: What role does the discourse of the Russian government play in their legitimisation of the war in Ukraine? It is done within context of the last four years (2021-2024) with the focus on Vladimir Putin as the embodiment of what the Russian government is. The thesis is placed within the context of postcolonial theory, with focus on the post-Soviet world and application of this theory within it. I have chosen thematic analysis as the method of analysis for this thesis. Doing so allows for extraction of four main themes around which the legitimisation of war revolves. The four main themes being: Ukraine and Russia are brotherly nations; Ukraine is ruled by an illegitimate government; Ukraine is an artificial nation within the ‘historic lands’ of Russia; Ukraine under neo-Nazi leadership is seeking to destroy Russia. Additionally two smaller themes were discovered which further augment the discourse coming from the Russian government. The findings of analysis indicate versatility and contradictions of discourse coming from the Russian government based on differences between found themes, but also its preference for negative approach to legitimisation. Here referring to underlining negative traits or presenting a pejorative image of Ukraine.

In this master’s thesis, which takes the format of an introductory chapter, publishable paper, and conclusion, I examined camp programs for Indigenous youth that are run by Christian organizations in Canada, with the goals of bringing attention to this phenomenon and provoking dialogue on possibilities (or impossibilities) of reconciliation in these contexts. I employed an exploratory case study methodology, using semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and internet-mediated document analysis, to address the following research questions: i) What are the key characteristics of summer camps for Indigenous youth run by Christian organizations in Canada?; ii) To what extent are Indigenous staff members or volunteers and Indigenous cultures included at summer camps for Indigenous youth that are run by Christian organizations in Canada?; and iii) What does or could reconciliation look like in the context of these camps?, and present results and conclusions based on the collected data. This work is particularly timely and significant in light of the work of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2015) and broader work for decolonization and improved relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-03-15T13:33:49Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Luan Rocha de Campos.pdf: 1658173 bytes, checksum: af836889dde68d358b07b65fd4b1b0a2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-15T13:33:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Luan Rocha de Campos.pdf: 1658173 bytes, checksum: af836889dde68d358b07b65fd4b1b0a2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-16 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / Born in the zone of contact between minority and discriminated groups, umbanda will be a religion of constant transformation. Without a definite canon or single doctrinal body, it will be studied by the academy and regarded as a religious phenomenon still in the process of being complete. Concerned with their legitimation, intellectuals from inside the umbanda seek in the process of intellectualization and purification of the elements considered barbarians an alternative way in view of what is accepted in society as a whole. From the postcolonial point of view, therein lies a process of domination typical of a rationalist-European thought, that places the need for intellectualization first, to the detriment of a knowledge that is born out of the interaction of bodies and natures. From this, the umbanda is forced to conform to the epistemic molds of a logic considered as the most evolved. Nowadays, we find in the umbandista environment a movement similar to the federative period, which has from the institutionalization a project of unification and universalization of Umbandist knowledge, without taking into account the locality and historical particularity of each terreiro or family saint. In this sense, it is valid, through postcolonial theory, to reread the history of umbanda to discover among the lines of a still thriving colonial project masked as an initiative in defense of freedom, equality and human alterity, a disguise that hides the stigma of the old European colonies / Nascida na zona de contato entre grupos minoritários e discriminados, a umbanda será uma religião da constante transformação. Sem cânone definido ou corpo doutrinário único, será estudada pela academia e encarada como um fenômeno religioso ainda em vias de se fazer. Preocupados com sua legitimação, intelectuais de dentro da própria umbanda buscam no processo de intelectualização e de purificação dos elementos considerados bárbaros um caminho alternativo em vista de que seja aceita em toda a sociedade. Sob a ótica pós-colonial, nisso reside um processo de dominação típico de um pensamento racionalista-europeu que coloca a necessidade de intelectualização num primeiro plano, em detrimento de um saber que nasce a partir da interação de corpos e naturezas. A partir disso, a umbanda se vê obrigada a se adequar aos moldes epistêmicos de uma lógica tida como a mais evoluída. Atualmente, verificamos no meio umbandista um movimento similar ao período federativo, que tem a partir da institucionalização um projeto de unificação e universalização dos saberes umbandistas, sem levar em consideração a localidade e a particularidade histórica de cada terreiro ou família de santo. Nesse sentido, é válido, por meio da teoria pós-colonial, reler a história da umbanda para encontrarmos nas entre-linhas projetos coloniais ainda vivos, que se mascaram de iniciativas em defesa da liberdade, igualdade e alteridade humana, mas que por detrás carregam o estigma próprio das antigas colônias européias

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Have South African women's lives become happier since the transition to democracy? If they are, could this be linked to gender equality? This is the central question of this study. This study explored a group of women’s subjective experiences of gender equality, by which I mean equality on the basis of gender; and happiness, which refers to women’s life satisfaction and their affective state. It further explores whether gender equality and happiness are linked. The study assumed that everything being equal, endeavours to liberate women from patriarchy and towards gender equality enhance women’s happiness. 1994 ushered in a democratic South Africa and numerous legislative and policy changes were introduced that affect women. Considerable gains have been made at the constitutional and political levels for women’s equality and gender justice. This is reflected in the rankings of South Africa on many different indices. Yet, we see numerous challenges facing women including poverty and gender-based violence. This study examined whether the presence of a range of policies as well as affirmative and protective measures for women have impacted on how they experience their lives. In particular, do they feel that they are happy and do they see happiness as linked to gender equality efforts? Given the research question, this study was grounded within a feminist framework. A mixed methods approach utilising both qualitative and quantitative methods was employed.

This qualitative study explored the potential for decolonizing the secondary English Language Arts classroom. An interdisciplinary approach was used to explore contemporary theories of literary criticism relevant to the study of Aboriginal literature, including an approach through colonial and post-colonial discourse and the growing body of theory and criticism written by North American Aboriginals; to incorporate literary theory and pedagogical knowledge of content into the development of Aboriginal literature units FOR secondary school classrooms; and to incorporate these new interpretive and pedagogical understandings into the practices of two secondary English teachers using North American Aboriginal literature in their classrooms.<p>A document was prepared that explored the interpretive potentials of postcolonial and Aboriginal literary theories and given to the two participating teachers who were able to use this information to develop instructional units for their literature classes. Action research framed the approach used to implement, revise, and evaluate the units of study in the two grade twelve classrooms. <p>The participating teachers found that the critical lenses enabled them to approach Aboriginal literature with more confidence and insight. They also found that their classroom use of Aboriginal literature disclosed the misconceptions their students held concerning Aboriginal peoples. The teachers were frustrated by the systemic racism evident in their classrooms. They were also frustrated by the resistance shown by their teaching peers toward incorporating Aboriginal literature and anti-racist methodologies into their instruction.<p>The findings of this study suggest that more exposure to critical literary theories and minority literatures in the context of teachers pre-service and in-service education may help to decolonize Canadian classrooms.

The aim of this study is to demonstrate how the publication of books in Swedish about Native Americans for children and young people developed and changed between 1890 and 2008. Translations into Swedish of such books from 1860 onwards are commented on. The terms "Native American", "Indian" and "Indigenous" are discussed. Postcolonial theory forms the basis of an examination of the means by which the American Indian peoples were presented with regard to language, identity, and opposition to colonization. The first chapter comprises a summary of Native American history and literature. Chapter Two deals with books about Native Americans in Sweden during the period 1860‒1965, while Chapter Three continues the study of such books from 1966 to 1985. The fourth chapter is devoted entirely to the author Stig Ericson and his books for juveniles, and aims to present an in-depth analysis of Swedish books about Native Americans in the period when he was writing. Chapter Five deals with such books published in Sweden during 1986‒2008.  Widespread publication of traditional books about Native Americans, with confrontation between American Indians and Whites as their major theme, continued until the mid-1960s. Subsequently, there was a shift in narrative perspective in favour of the Native American view, while the books in general became more documentary and ideological in nature. White people were presented as villains; Native Americans became the victims of progress. Post-1985 only a few books of this type were published, and readers turned to other genres.

This qualitative study explored the potential for decolonizing the secondary English Language Arts classroom. An interdisciplinary approach was used to explore contemporary theories of literary criticism relevant to the study of Aboriginal literature, including an approach through colonial and post-colonial discourse and the growing body of theory and criticism written by North American Aboriginals; to incorporate literary theory and pedagogical knowledge of content into the development of Aboriginal literature units FOR secondary school classrooms; and to incorporate these new interpretive and pedagogical understandings into the practices of two secondary English teachers using North American Aboriginal literature in their classrooms.<p>A document was prepared that explored the interpretive potentials of postcolonial and Aboriginal literary theories and given to the two participating teachers who were able to use this information to develop instructional units for their literature classes. Action research framed the approach used to implement, revise, and evaluate the units of study in the two grade twelve classrooms. <p>The participating teachers found that the critical lenses enabled them to approach Aboriginal literature with more confidence and insight. They also found that their classroom use of Aboriginal literature disclosed the misconceptions their students held concerning Aboriginal peoples. The teachers were frustrated by the systemic racism evident in their classrooms. They were also frustrated by the resistance shown by their teaching peers toward incorporating Aboriginal literature and anti-racist methodologies into their instruction.<p>The findings of this study suggest that more exposure to critical literary theories and minority literatures in the context of teachers pre-service and in-service education may help to decolonize Canadian classrooms.

The Middle East saw much social change in recent tumultuous decades. On one hand, some communities embraced Westernness as part of the inevitable path to development and modernization. On the other hand, there were communities that resisted global trends that were mostly dominated by the West. The latter deemed these trends as a threat to native cultures, religious groups, and local traditions. This made the Arab world a ground for constant redefinition of the meaning of identity. Of the countries in the region undergoing a turbulent debate over what constitutes national identity, Lebanon serves as a good example. Ever since its independence, Lebanon was a nation-state with no sense of nationality to unite its people. As some communities saw themselves more francophone than Arab, others felt a close connection to a pan-Arab nation. Arguably, the Lebanese people found themselves amidst a tension between the two poles. Defining one’s identity required a negotiation between the two extremes. Not only did this negotiation demand a thorough investigation of one’s beliefs, social network, and history, but it also necessitated a diligent ‘performance’ of identity. An individual represented her identity by habits and expressions that she associated with that particular identity. The study at hand is an exploration of the relationship between identity and consumption in the Lebanese society. This project applies a unique approach in that it considers the producers’ agency in the construction of identity. Taking television advertising as a site for inquiry, the study explores how commercial advertisers utilize the tension between the local and the non-local to promote the consumption of the advertised products. Through exploring the values that educate advertising producers’ choices in creating text and meaning, this study applies theories of globalization, postcolonial studies, and consumer behavior through which advertisers manifest an ambivalence of identity. Therefore, by taking Lebanon as an example and focusing on advertising, this study contributes to the debates of globalization and the Arab world by invoking questions of producers’ agency in producing identity references through attitudes, behaviors, and social status associated with the featured products. / text

The mental constructions of other places are based on impressions from everything that surrounds us in our everyday life, e.g. pictures, videos, texts and narratives. The tourism industry is especially influential when it comes to creating the image of before “unknown places”. Furthermore, it has a tendency to embellish and idealize people and places located in what is commonly known as the Third World. The mental construction of South Africa, today a rapidly growing tourist country among Western tourists, is especially interesting to investigate given its very long and complex colonial history. The purpose of this paper was to describe and analyze the image of South Africa among a group of Western exchange students who each of them had spent one semester at the Stellenbosch University, situated in the Western Cape in South Africa. This was made through a text analysis which was based on open conversations/interviews with five former students. They were asked to tell about their time in South Africa regarding expectations they had, what they experienced on place and how their image of South Africa altered during time. The analysis was made based on post-colonial theory with the emphasis on Edward Said’s notions Orientalism and imaginary geographies. The analysis was also put in comparison to what other writers researching the similar issues have found. The analysis showed that all students had an imaginary Africa. South Africa’s small town Stellenbosch in its colonial appearance surprised them and wasn’t considered as “the real Africa”. The exotic animals and the locals though, were just as they’d expected them to be – very exotic respectively nice and friendly. The study indicates that the imaginary Africa is deeply rooted and that it takes much reflection to change or influence these imaginaries.

This survey is a theoretical analysis concerning didactics of literature, in which I problematize what Martha C. Nussbaum describes as ”narrative imagination”. By using postcolonial theory, more specific: Gayatri Spivaks essay ”Can the Subaltern Speak?” and her theoretical formula ”a leap into the other’s sea”, I try to answer the following question: Can ”narrative imagination” be understood as a manifistation or concretisation of ”a leap into the other’s sea”? The answer that is given concerning my general question is simply: No. Nussbaums’ reader is far to active, whereas Spivak strongly argues that hearing and/or listening to the subaltern requires a state of self-suspendedness. Nussbaum also shows a great belief in literature as a representation of something truly real, but also as a representation of the Other. Drawing on Spivaks critique of Deleuze and Foucault, I have suggested that representation of this kind should, from a poststructuralistic and Marxist point of view, be seen as a theoretical misstake, for: representation postulates objectiveness or/and transparentness. Finally Nussbaums goals, in terms of cultivating the humanity, has been problematized. Her cosmopolitan and democratic approach is based upon – a form of – universalism and an ambition towards consensus, which – again: from a poststructuralistic perspective – is highly debatable. With this background I have concluded two implications concerning didactics of literature: Firstly, there are plenty of voices not represented by literature, a fact that needs to be considered. Thus, to base a world citizenship, a democracy or an understanding of the Other on works of literature is to restrict ”the world” or ”the Other” to the fictional, literary characters that has been written. Secondly Spivak urges us to reflect on the reader as an interpreter. A total suspension of the self is a naive statement – but she is right to point to the occidental subject as a member and reproducer of postcolonial discourse.