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The face behind the clusters: A discursive analysis of the Saudi Arabian foreign policy actions from an identity and role conception perspective

Tyrberg, Sofia LU (2016) FKVK02 20161
Department of Political Science
Abstract
The aim of this thesis is to analyze whether the aggressive foreign policy actions recently taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can be understood and explained through political identity theory and role conception theory from a social constructivist theory perspective. This will be done through a discursive analysis method according to Laclau and Mouffe, aiming to identify a discourse of the identity of the state which creates a role conception based on the identified discourse of the state’s identity. This study will examine whether the decision makers perception of the state’s role influences him to act according to this role in his foreign policy. The cases of examination are Saudi Arabian foreign policy actions taken in Bahrein in... (More)
The aim of this thesis is to analyze whether the aggressive foreign policy actions recently taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can be understood and explained through political identity theory and role conception theory from a social constructivist theory perspective. This will be done through a discursive analysis method according to Laclau and Mouffe, aiming to identify a discourse of the identity of the state which creates a role conception based on the identified discourse of the state’s identity. This study will examine whether the decision makers perception of the state’s role influences him to act according to this role in his foreign policy. The cases of examination are Saudi Arabian foreign policy actions taken in Bahrein in 2011 and in Yemen in 2015. The study concludes that the actions indeed can be understood through identity theory and role conception theory, however the role of the state may change as the interests and goals of the decision maker change. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Tyrberg, Sofia LU
supervisor
organization
course
FKVK02 20161
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, political identity theory, role conception theory, discursive analysis, foreign policy, Bahrein, Yemen
language
English
id
8875092
date added to LUP
2016-06-17 12:15:37
date last changed
2016-06-17 12:15:37
@misc{8875092,
  abstract     = {{The aim of this thesis is to analyze whether the aggressive foreign policy actions recently taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can be understood and explained through political identity theory and role conception theory from a social constructivist theory perspective. This will be done through a discursive analysis method according to Laclau and Mouffe, aiming to identify a discourse of the identity of the state which creates a role conception based on the identified discourse of the state’s identity. This study will examine whether the decision makers perception of the state’s role influences him to act according to this role in his foreign policy. The cases of examination are Saudi Arabian foreign policy actions taken in Bahrein in 2011 and in Yemen in 2015. The study concludes that the actions indeed can be understood through identity theory and role conception theory, however the role of the state may change as the interests and goals of the decision maker change.}},
  author       = {{Tyrberg, Sofia}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The face behind the clusters: A discursive analysis of the Saudi Arabian foreign policy actions from an identity and role conception perspective}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}