Comparative Politics Commons^™

Women And Wars: Understanding Women’S Political Empowerment Post- Conflict In France, Lebanon, And Sierra Leone, Alaa S. Sayed

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis attempts to discusses how conflict can be a time of change for women and how conflict can be a crucial aspect for change and improvement. Conflict provides a chance for the women to witness and experience the disruption of gender roles, which was a common practice during wartime, as women were placed in roles that were not officially theirs, according to what society adheres to or ascribes as acceptable roles for women. The conflict is presented as a “window” of opportunity. However, the reality of the situation of this “window” is not uniform across all post-conflict societies; the …

‘Casar Public Lecture: 100 Days Of Trump: America, The Middle East, And Beyond’, The Prince Alwaleed Center For American Studies And Research Casar

Performances, Events, and Presentations

The entire world is literally getting new updates about Trump's internal & external policies almost everyday now....can you imagine that we are still yet to reach 100 days?? USAID cuts, Chinese and Canadian Tariffs, DEI revokes, Gaza War, Ukraine War, the case of Iran, National Economic Emergency in the US, ICE arrests in the US & so much more to discuss.....Trump's policies impact the US as well as everywhere in the world, but what are the repercussions so far?

Speakers: From AUC: Dr. Sean Lee, Assistant Professor, Political Science Department - Amb. Dr.Alaa El-Hadidi , CASAR Adjunct Professor.

The panel …

Locked Gates: Japan’S Immigration Quandary In The Face Of Economic And Demographic Realities, Merna Karam Emara

Theses and Dissertations

This study explores Japan's reluctance to accept labor immigrants in the post-World War II era through the analytical lenses of identity politics and historical institutionalism. It examines how Japan’s national identity, emphasizing ethnic homogeneity and cultural preservation, has shaped restrictive immigration policies despite its economic need. Historical institutionalism provides a framework for understanding the persistence of these policies, which are rooted in the institutional legacies of Japan's post-war reconstruction. The research investigates the interplay between identity-based motivations and the institutional structures that constrain policy changes, highlighting how these dynamics have led to the exclusion of foreign labor despite the country’s …

Casar Public Lecture: Will Trump End The Ukraine War?, The Prince Alwaleed Center For American Studies And Research Casar

Performances, Events, and Presentations

Trump wants to become the world’s Peace Maker, the Master of the Art of Making Deals. He promised to end this war in 24 hours. Yet the real question is whether Putin wants to end the war, or whether he is ready for a deal ? If so, then what kind of a deal? Could it be that Putin might have a different deal in mind than the deal Trump is willing to offer?? So what happens then??? The lecture deliberated about the possible answers to this very question from several perspectives, analyzing the impact on Egypt, the region & …

The Feminization Of Deteriorated Labor Force Participation In Egypt: 1990 – 2024, Mennan Gamal Nour El Din

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to explain why female labor force participation deteriorated in quantity and in quality despite the recent rise in female educational attainment levels over the past three decades (1990 – 2024). On the one hand, labor participation declined, whereas on the other hand, female informal employment remains high in Egypt. This thesis dissertation utilizes a qualitative research methodology through both secondary data in the form of descriptive statistics on the phenomenon of female labor force participation as well as primary data in the form of six in-depth expert interviews with experts in the fields of …

Casar Student Discussion Series #6: 'The 2024 Us Election Results Are Out!The 2024 Us Elections Results Will Affect The Middle East Region Positively', The Prince Alwaleed Center For American Studies And Research Casar

Performances, Events, and Presentations

Every semester, CASAR AUC holds miscellaneous student debates discussing the hot controversial topics in the US, Egypt and from around the world in hopes of raising awareness about these topics & broadening the perspectives of our students as they learn to engage in fruitful discussions as they share different opinion on the topic being deliberated. At this CASAR Student Discussion event #6 in light of the current 2024 US Elections, we debated this statement: 'The 2024 US Elections results will affect the Middle East Region positively' A brief into was given followed by short videos to watch before opening the …

Peace-Building And Stability After Civil Wars: The Cases Of Angola And The Democratic Republic Of The Congo, Ali Elsharkawy

Theses and Dissertations

Why do some rebel groups successfully establish stable and sustainable states after civil wars, while others fail? Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are two African countries that experienced long and bloody civil wars. Despite the commonalities, the two cases strongly diverged in the political outcomes after civil war. Angola successfully made the transition to stability and prosperity, while the DRC slipped back into violence. This thesis compares and contrasts between the two peace- building processes in both countries. The results illustrate that two main variables made the difference between the two cases, the geography of the capital …

Tactical Compromises: Authoritarian Survival Mechanisms Of Sudan’S Inqaz Regime (1989-2019), Dalia Abdelnabi

Theses and Dissertations

How did the Inqaz regime survive a civil war, economic crises, mass upheavals, and political stagnation for thirty years? This question guides the study’s analysis of the survival of one of the MENA’s most resilient authoritarian regimes. Authoritarian durability is an adaptive risk-taking process of implementing politically costly plans to survive in power. This research investigates authoritarian survival through power-sharing reforms and coup-proofing tactics. The study highlights the role of the autocratic ruling coalition in maintaining regime durability and argues that intra-elite dynamics are key to understanding an autocrat’s exit without a clear successor. To this end, I investigate the …

Communicating Politics Without Talking Politics: The Role Of The European Union In The Game Of Egyptian Culture., Mona Massoud

Theses and Dissertations

The European Union has provided various democracy aid programs to Egypt since 2013, yet the country’s democracy index has gone down since then[1]. Despite the stagnation in the trajectory of democratization, the EU expanded its democracy promotion aid programs in 2016 to encompass the independent cultural scene in Egypt. This thesis critically examines the reasons for the stagnation of democratization processes in Egypt, a MENA country that continues to be a recipient of the EU’s democracy promotion programs. It argues that there is a discrepancy between the EU’s stated democracy promotion rhetoric and its actions, a factor that …

Popular Culture And Nationalism In Post-Revolutionary Egypt, Nour Fadel

Theses and Dissertations

The relationship between nationalism and loyalty to the political regime is a widely discussed topic, especially when it comes to the Middle East. The complex political history and persisting authoritarian rule in the region make analyzing the role that nationalism plays more vital. The case of Egypt is a clear example of how nationalist identities are used to strengthen loyalty to the regime and stabilize it. This can be done through many tools, such as organizing extravagant, performative events or creating new, nationalist provinces. This thesis focuses on the employment of nationalistic songs and television shows and their impact on …

Casar Student Debate #3: Can Solidarity Produce Mutual Benefits For The African Diaspora& Palestine Social Movements?, The Prince Alwaleed Center For American Studies And Research Casar

Performances, Events, and Presentations

Every semester, CASAR AUC holds miscellaneous student debates discussing the hot controversial topics in the US, Egypt and from around the world in hopes of raising awareness about these topics & broadening the perspectives of our students as they learn to engage in fruitful discussions as they share different opinion on the topic being deliberated. At this CASAR Student Discussion event #3 in celebration of Black History Month, we watched Nelson Madela speak his mind about the topic in 1990, in which he proclaims solidarity with the Palestinian cause on behalf of the African National Congress. Then we opened the …

Casar Public Lecture: ‘The Free Speech Exception To Palestine’, The Prince Alwaleed Center For American Studies And Research Casar, Mark W. Deets, Steven Salaita

Performances, Events, and Presentations

CASAR Public Lecture: ‘The Free Speech Exception to Palestine’ - Thurs. 15 Feb - with ECLT Professor Dr. Steven Salaita where we discussed the repression of pro-Palestine speech and action throughout the West and beyond. This was a collaboration between the Prince Alwaleed Center for American Studies and Research (CASAR), School of GAPP and the English & Comparative Literature Department at the School of HUSS, The American University in Cairo. Thursday February 15, 2024 – Tim Sullivan Lounge – AUC New Cairo

The Consequences Of Civil-Military Relations On Civil Wars In The Middle East, Alaa Bahnasy

Theses and Dissertations

To unravel the complex dynamics surrounding the outbreak of civil wars in the aftermath of the Arab Spring uprisings, one of the first questions that come to mind is the reason why some Arab countries have witnessed civil wars whilst others have not. The civil-military relations play a significant role in the matter. While much of the existing literature on the causes of civil wars, there is a scarcity of papers that take into consideration the role of civil-military relations. This research focuses primarily on two variables independent variables, namely the civil-military relations and the diversified ethnicities alongside the dependent …

Casar Public Panel Discussion: "Global And Regional Repercussions Of The 6th Of October War: Arab And American Perspectives", The Prince Alwaleed Center For American Studies And Research Casar

Performances, Events, and Presentations

With the 50th anniversary of the 6th of October War (1973) on the horizon, the CASAR department put together a panel to discuss different perspectives in the Middle East and United States. After an introduction to the CASAR department by Director Mark W. Deets, the panelists were introduced. This panel featured AUC History department professor Mouaness Hojairi, who discussed and contrasted Egyptian, Syrian, Palestinian, and Lebanese perspectives. Also from the history department was Professor Michael Reimer, who discussed American Jewish and Israeli perspectives on the war. The special guest for this event was a panelist, a distinguished scholar from the …

Historical Trauma: Literary And Testimonial Responses To Hiroshima, Mariam Ghonim

Theses and Dissertations

The concept of trauma is controversial in literature. While one may be able to come up with ways to describe trauma in fiction, representing historical trauma is a hard task for writers. Some argue that trauma can not be described through those who did not experience it, while others claim that, provided some elements are added, one can represent trauma to the reader. This thesis focuses on twentieth-century historical traumas related to a nuclear catastrophe and explores the different literary and testimonial responses to the catastrophic man-made event of Hiroshima (1945). In this thesis, Kathleen Burkinshaw’s historical fiction The Last …

Education And Authoritarian Consolidation In Egypt Post 2013, Rola Tarek

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines how educational changes in school textbooks during a moment authoritarian rebuilding aim to politically demobilize students. This paper investigates how education is a sphere of influence for politics, and how authoritarian consolidation efforts manifest themselves in public and religious education. Focusing on the curricular and textbook changes in Egypt, and using secondary and primary sources the study traces the changing nationalist and religious narratives and how it aids in authoritarian rebuilding.

Is State Feminism The Key To Gender Equality?, Nadine Mohamed Kamaly

Theses and Dissertations

“The male point of view forces itself upon the world as a way of apprehending it. Perspectives from the male standpoint enforces a woman's definition, encircles her body, circumlocutes her speech, and describes her life” (Mackinnon, 1983, 636). How the world views women is sometimes out of their hands. Ogasawara (1999) explains that “there is a multiplicity of socially acceptable images of Japanese women today” (pg.87). Throughout this thesis, I will explore the several, but limited, images that Japanese society has rendered acceptable for women. I will also examine how Japanese State Feminism aims to give women the opportunity to …

Revolution In Cuba And Iran: Toward A Unified Theory Of Analysis, Mason Sims

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis seeks to fill a small gap in the study of revolution through unifying approaches and theories utilized to explain the complex social phenomenon. To facilitate this, a large portion of the work focuses on revolution literature which has been chosen to represent authors from the earliest generations covering the subject to the more recent. In compiling and reviewing these works, it can be seen that there exist common lines of not just explanation, but also a continuous series of critiques resurfacing within each generation. Within this compilation lies the roots of the theory presented in this thesis, that …

Democratization And Extremism: The Case Of Tunisia, Mariam Abdelaty

Theses and Dissertations

Terrorism has become a real security threat for nearly every country in the world. Despite of the declaration and adoption of several procedures to fight terrorism and its perpetrators, countries have not yet succeeded to control the huge numbers of recruits being mobilized by terrorist organizations.[1] The literature has covered several factors that make recruits vulnerable and easily mobilized and radicalized by terrorist organizations, among which is the suppression of civil and political rights in non-democratic countries, as well as weak political institutions.[2] Among the Arab world countries, it has been puzzling to find out that despite of …

Visual Messages Of Conflict Reporting On Twitter: Visual Frames And Ethical Standards, Hasan Karademir

Theses and Dissertations

This comparative study employs the theoretical frameworks of framing and hierarchy of influences model to analyze the ethical forces affecting journalists on Twitter and simultaneously their visual frames constructed in their images on Twitter. It investigates the portrayal of the Yemen conflict in the personal Twitter accounts of Yemeni journalists who were affiliated with the United States (US) and Qatari news organizations. Several studies have pointed out the graphic war coverage of Arab news organizations whereas scholars argue that US news organizations provide sanitized coverage on war zones (Johnson & Fahmy, 2007; Silcock, Schwalbe, & Keith, 2008; Karniel, Lavie-Dinur, & …

Islamic Ngos Under Different Authoritarian Regimes, Rana Aly

Theses and Dissertations

The state-civil society relationship has always been a highly controversial sphere specially when it comes to the Middle East. The exceptional complexities of the region make the dynamics of this relationship more questionable. The case of Egypt is a salient manifestation of these complexities where NGOs used to function under some variants of authoritarianism. Precisely, Islamic charities used to be one of the main social services providers for many decades in Egypt and which were tolerated to a great extent by the previous regimes in order to compensate for the lack of the services provided by the regime. Having these …

Backsliding To Autocracy: The Case Of Turkey Under Erdoğan, Yasmina Khaled Elazazi

Theses and Dissertations

Democratic backsliding is a gradual process that results from changes in formal political institutions and informal political practices that significantly affect how citizens engage with the state. Even though such a phenomenon may occur in different types of democracies, there is always a threshold that determines whether the state will completely backslide to autocracy or conserve being a “minimal democracy”. For instance, a current model of democratic backsliding is Turkey; a state which has been experiencing a decline in basic civil liberties, political rights and freedoms. According to Freedom House, from 2002 to 2020, Turkey’s “political environment” has decreased from …

Post-Revolutionary State Building Processes Democratization Or Divergent Paths?, Ingi Rashed

Theses and Dissertations

As many scholars argue that revolutionary changes generally leads to autocratization, evidence from recent revolutionary changes in post USSR republics and Eastern Europe demonstrate that divergent regime types emerge thereafter. On the one hand, the case of Poland in the aftermath of the collapse of USSR demonstrates that the first few years after regime removal from power are crucial to the emerging new regime. Additionally, Poland proved that democratization can emerge if various institutional settings take place hand in hand with the existence of certain dynamics that shape decision making processes and society agency.On the other hand, the case of …

A Road Map To New Regionalism, Reham Zaki Amin

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Political Islam In Egypt And Algeria, Amira Mohamed Nassar

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Development Experiences Of Korea And Egypt, Nermine Gamal El Shimy

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.