December 19th, 2009
“The strongest man is never strong enough to be always master, unless he transforms his power into right, and obedience into duty.” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1762, 103)
To rule indefinitely, Rousseau suggests three tools: strength, right and duty. These translate smoothly into direct, structural and cultural violence – the topic of this essay. I will first give a definition of violence in general and then explain these sub-terms. This essay will explore the value of these three concepts for defining or understanding violence but eventually stress its value for guiding research.
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December 17th, 2009
“In the political system of today, inequalities in political resources remain, but they tend to be noncumulative. The political system of New Haven, then, is one of dispersed inequalities.”
“[C]ommon interpretations that depict the American or any other market-oriented system as a competition among interest groups are seriously in error for their failure to take account of the distinctive privileged position of businessmen in politics.”
These two quotes stem from the two perspectives looking at the distribution of power in modern democratic states that I chose to compare – pluralism and neopluralism. Why I did not pick elitism is a decision that will require some justification early on. After that, I will outline the two perspectives in some detail and contrast them like required. What will help this comparison is the fact that both quotes actually stem from the same scholar – Robert Dahl (Dahl 1961, 85; Dahl and Lindblom 1976, xxxvi). His change of mind will guide this comparison. Because of his and Charles E. Lindblom’s influential weight in this debate, and surely in this essay, I will work with their definition of power as power over somebody. “A” possesses power over “B” if “A” can make “B” do what “A” wants.
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December 14th, 2009
Tackling this question has been incredibly hard because foreign policy (FP) is torn between International Relations (IR) and a genuine foreign policy analysis. It is a level of analysis problem (Singer 1961) – do we deduce from national structures or from the international system? FP is caught in between domestic and foreign politics. Here, I will choose the bottom-up approach and extrapolate from national conditions, even though this approach has allegedly ‘come to realise its limitations’ (Krieger 1993, 313) and ‘has generally produced little cumulation of knowledge or lasting impact’ (Gideon 1998, 154). I wish to be accurate about FP in this essay (micro-level) and IR theories (macro-level), almost by definition, neglect detail.
According to Webber and Smith (2002) and Brown (2001), I interpret make as formulate, not implement. So “A” might formulate a FP like ‘stronger economic ties to “B”’, but how “A” will actually implement this is another story.
I will consider FP as ‘the strategy of action developed by a state [or non-state actor] with respect to other states or international actors, aimed at achieving specific goals defined in terms of the “national interest”’ (Gregory 2009). The national interest is the ‘territorial integrity of a nation, the preservation of its values and way of life, and the promotion of a nation’s welfare’ (Gregory 2009). Let us then turn to the environment a democratic leadership would find itself in, trying to set up its FP. Read the rest of this entry »
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December 2nd, 2009
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November 28th, 2009
This article may be a little heretic around a Peace Department at a University that is considered Nr 1 for Peace Studies worldwide, but in the name of free thought and fostering debate, let’s write (and read!) it anyway. I have talked to many people in Peace Studies that feel the same way I do and can therefore assure you, I am not the only deserter. So, what is my concern?
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November 10th, 2009
Political participation is a general term that encompasses all political, economic and social decision-making an individual participates in. In this essay, I will concentrate on the most formal form of decision-making: the turnout. I will discuss Mark Franklin’s argument that social strata (social status, wealth and education) only have a minor influence on overall turnout and that the main long-term influence is whether new voters develop a habit of voting or not (Franklin 2004). This essay will offer a fusion of both at the end.
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November 3rd, 2009
In this report I shall give a reflection of my gender day. Firstly, I will give a brief outlook of the day, as to what sessions I attended, secondly, I will outline what I anticipated gender is compared to what I encountered and finally, thirdly, reflect upon the gender roles in general. In this latter part, I will focus on a sociological analysis of gender roles and equality.
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September 25th, 2009
ich han es neus portmone hüt a de uni becho, mitere unicharte drin. jetzt bini endlich student, mann isch das ä büäz gsi. und ebe, das ganze mitem neue portmone isch erstuunlich eifach gloffe.
ich meine s’alte portmone hät mich jetzt über jahre begleited und ich schätzes immerna sehr. villi erinnerige stecked i dem portmone, vill liquidität isch dur das teil dure direkt i mich gflosse. au wenn einigi vilicht glaubed es gsechi alt uus – das isch ja genau grad sin scharm -, es gaht um villmeh als nur um funktion. das teil hät style (de rhyme ghört mir luki). aber ja, es hät es sehr dicks läbe gfüärt und hät nie müäse hungere. vilicht häts amig dänkt: wua, ich mun für mis ässe überhaupt nüt mache. es ischem vilicht fasch chli z’eifach gfalle und es hetti vilicht gern meh useforderige gha.
da isch s’neue portmone ganz andersch. es isch zwar jetzt neu und flashy, aber das wirds auno verlüüre. im moment beiidruckts halt mit allerlei unbekanntem: 3 neui täschli zum charte verstaue, aneme faszinierende rot, eme total neue tragegfühl wo zwüsched komisch und euphorisch liit und es hät e studentecharte drin. aber wie gseit, es muss de alltagstescht bestah. es wird wohl nöd weniger liquid, aber hät sicher weniger gäld drin. s’gröschte gwicht wird wahrschinlich würkli das studichärtli sii. und genau uf das freuimi sehr. das mun s’alte portmone au verstah…
danke fürs läse alts portmone.
Posted in Schwiizerdütsch | 1 Comment »
August 9th, 2009
Wie lange hälst Du es mit Dir selber aus? So ganz ohne Freunde, Internet und Handy? Wie viel Langeweile kannst Du überhaupt ertragen, bevor Du Dich der Ablenkungsindustrie (Unterhaltungsmedien) zuwendest? Ich finde, einiges spräche für die Langeweile.
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July 28th, 2009
Man, vor Allem aber Mann, sollte ja patriotisch sein. Dabei geht es nicht darum, was Patriotismus denn genau ist, sondern einfach, dass man(n) es ist. Und eben weil wir uns darüber keine Gedanken machen, ist der typische Patriot heute ein stumpenrauchender, xenophobischer und rechts-wählender Örgelispieler. Was wäre denn ein moderner Patriot?
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