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Cooperation and Friction: The Sustainable Development Goals as a system of belief within a United Nations specialized agency

Nuckolls, Emily LU (2023) TKAM02 20231
Division of Ethnology
Abstract
Across the world are small local agencies connected to the United Nations. Unlike the larger bureaucratic organs that make up the UN, these smaller specialized agencies do not work to frame the founding ideals of the UN which are decided on at the highest levels within the institution, but to interpret, carry out, and monitor different mandates or programs at the local level. These agencies translate ideas or universals such as promoting human rights into
actions through individuals. My fieldwork, done at one of these specialized UN agencies, the World Maritime University (WMU), provided a chance to observe the efforts of the UN in educating those who go on to translate their founding ideals into action. This thesis treats the WMU mission... (More)
Across the world are small local agencies connected to the United Nations. Unlike the larger bureaucratic organs that make up the UN, these smaller specialized agencies do not work to frame the founding ideals of the UN which are decided on at the highest levels within the institution, but to interpret, carry out, and monitor different mandates or programs at the local level. These agencies translate ideas or universals such as promoting human rights into
actions through individuals. My fieldwork, done at one of these specialized UN agencies, the World Maritime University (WMU), provided a chance to observe the efforts of the UN in educating those who go on to translate their founding ideals into action. This thesis treats the WMU mission statement, capacity building in line with sustainable development, as a system of belief around which the materiality, messaging, and values of the institution are built. I
analyze collected interviews with current and former students, observations of university activities and events, transcripts of speeches by school staff, and impressions of the physical space and objects inside the WMU campus to illustrate the rituals and materiality important to the practice and interpretation of this belief. Through establishing the elements of this
belief I show the strong top-down power structure created by the UN and imposed through the school administration and faculty and will establish how the role of cooperation is a key element to creating legitimacy in this mission for students. By understanding the importance cooperation between individuals plays on belief uptake, I hope to enhance the efforts of programs like the Sustainable Development Goals and similar. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Nuckolls, Emily LU
supervisor
organization
course
TKAM02 20231
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
SDGs, Ritual, Cooperation, United Nations, capacity building, institutional culture
language
English
id
9133735
date added to LUP
2023-08-10 14:24:40
date last changed
2023-08-10 14:24:40
@misc{9133735,
  abstract     = {{Across the world are small local agencies connected to the United Nations. Unlike the larger bureaucratic organs that make up the UN, these smaller specialized agencies do not work to frame the founding ideals of the UN which are decided on at the highest levels within the institution, but to interpret, carry out, and monitor different mandates or programs at the local level. These agencies translate ideas or universals such as promoting human rights into
actions through individuals. My fieldwork, done at one of these specialized UN agencies, the World Maritime University (WMU), provided a chance to observe the efforts of the UN in educating those who go on to translate their founding ideals into action. This thesis treats the WMU mission statement, capacity building in line with sustainable development, as a system of belief around which the materiality, messaging, and values of the institution are built. I
analyze collected interviews with current and former students, observations of university activities and events, transcripts of speeches by school staff, and impressions of the physical space and objects inside the WMU campus to illustrate the rituals and materiality important to the practice and interpretation of this belief. Through establishing the elements of this
belief I show the strong top-down power structure created by the UN and imposed through the school administration and faculty and will establish how the role of cooperation is a key element to creating legitimacy in this mission for students. By understanding the importance cooperation between individuals plays on belief uptake, I hope to enhance the efforts of programs like the Sustainable Development Goals and similar.}},
  author       = {{Nuckolls, Emily}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Cooperation and Friction: The Sustainable Development Goals as a system of belief within a United Nations specialized agency}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}