Norway’s Development Dilemma: Global Power Structures in Western Aid Unveiled Through the WPR (What’s the Problem Represented to be?) Approach
(2025) STVK12 20251Department of Political Science
- Abstract
- Foreign aid and development cooperation have long been a topic of discussion concerning the global division of power, colonial history, and the inability to generate sustainable development. Norway and its aid agency, Norad, are not exempt from this criticism, despite Norway’s image as a humanitarian “idealpolitik” nation with a generous aid budget. How donor countries, such as Norway, view their position in the international arena and how they frame development problems is telling of how power operates within aid discourses and whose interests are ultimately prioritized. This research examines how donor countries like Norway frame development problems through a critical analysis of Norad’s most recent annual report using postcolonialism... (More)
- Foreign aid and development cooperation have long been a topic of discussion concerning the global division of power, colonial history, and the inability to generate sustainable development. Norway and its aid agency, Norad, are not exempt from this criticism, despite Norway’s image as a humanitarian “idealpolitik” nation with a generous aid budget. How donor countries, such as Norway, view their position in the international arena and how they frame development problems is telling of how power operates within aid discourses and whose interests are ultimately prioritized. This research examines how donor countries like Norway frame development problems through a critical analysis of Norad’s most recent annual report using postcolonialism and world-systems theory. Adopting critical theories and the WPR approach demonstrates that Norad’s perceived problem reflects global power structures. The findings show how Norway is not willing to make changes that would challenge its international position of being a powerful country and follows a development plan according to the West-knows-best narrative. How this is demonstrated in the report highlights the misplaced focus of Norwegian development aid and how the aid has been unable to accomplish its intended objectives since the start of foreign aid and cooperation institutions. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9189758
- author
- Skaar, Caroline Ranum LU
- supervisor
-
- Anders Uhlin LU
- organization
- course
- STVK12 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- problem representation, framing, WPR approach, donor accountability, aid efficiency
- language
- English
- additional info
- I wish to express my gratitude to the interviewees who were willing to participate in the preliminary research process of this thesis. Having open conversations with valuable insight from working professionals within this field has contributed greatly to developing this research. The openness and understanding exhibited by all participants have been greatly appreciated because of the critical approach adopted in the research. This has given me great insight to understand how these institutions work and what boundaries they face.
I also wish to thank my supervisor, classmates, and the academic and advisory team at the BIDS programme and the Department of Political Science. Throughout these years, I have learned, experienced, and grown as I have been exploring this field and expanding my interests. I will take the teachings from this programme with me.
Finally, I would like to thank my family for aiding my academic process, reading my papers and supporting me throughout this process. Finding my way throughout this process has been much easier with the support I have received. - id
- 9189758
- date added to LUP
- 2025-08-07 16:28:15
- date last changed
- 2025-08-07 16:28:15
@misc{9189758,
abstract = {{Foreign aid and development cooperation have long been a topic of discussion concerning the global division of power, colonial history, and the inability to generate sustainable development. Norway and its aid agency, Norad, are not exempt from this criticism, despite Norway’s image as a humanitarian “idealpolitik” nation with a generous aid budget. How donor countries, such as Norway, view their position in the international arena and how they frame development problems is telling of how power operates within aid discourses and whose interests are ultimately prioritized. This research examines how donor countries like Norway frame development problems through a critical analysis of Norad’s most recent annual report using postcolonialism and world-systems theory. Adopting critical theories and the WPR approach demonstrates that Norad’s perceived problem reflects global power structures. The findings show how Norway is not willing to make changes that would challenge its international position of being a powerful country and follows a development plan according to the West-knows-best narrative. How this is demonstrated in the report highlights the misplaced focus of Norwegian development aid and how the aid has been unable to accomplish its intended objectives since the start of foreign aid and cooperation institutions.}},
author = {{Skaar, Caroline Ranum}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Norway’s Development Dilemma: Global Power Structures in Western Aid Unveiled Through the WPR (What’s the Problem Represented to be?) Approach}},
year = {{2025}},
}