Massey Documents by Type

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/294

Browse

Subject: search.filters.subject.Foreign relations

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 13
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Foreign policy discourses of the United States and Iran regarding the Syrian Civil War, 2011-2015 : a thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Politics at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Lee, Joo Han
    This thesis offers a detailed and systemic analysis of the recent foreign policies on Syria crafted by the United States and Iran. In particular, it identifies the major ways in which key institutions from both countries’ political systems represent various aspects of the Syrian civil war before comparing the similarities and differences among these representational practices. It argues that, between 2011 and 2015, both countries’ foreign policies used humanitarian concern in order to legitimise their respective postures on Syria, though the pursuit of their respective national interests widened the scope for new opportunities to act, including the use of armed force, in the Middle East. Drawing on Norman Fairclough’s model of Critical Discourse Analysis as a means of framing its analysis, the thesis finds that diplomatic language expressing views on matters of war and peace is seldom a-political and can be shaped significantly by institutional practices and socio-cultural contexts.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Introducing heterarchy : a relational-contextual framework within the study of International Relations : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Politics at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2017) Beach, Brenton
    This thesis posits that for too long International Relations (IR) has been overly rigid and insular, discouraging cross-disciplinary cooperation within the social sciences and becoming increasingly irrelevant to policy-makers. IR academia tend to stick rigidly to their theoretical paradigms in interpreting the real world, straight-jacketing their thinking into theories that limit analysis. However, humans think relationally and contextually so why not apply this form of thinking to IR? Heterarchy, the theoretical framework presented here, seeks to overcome this silo effect, to expand IR’s relevance, and encompass previously barred academic areas to the sub-discipline. This thesis presents a new relational-contextual framework within which empirical variables can be situated to provide a different understanding of actors’ actions and speech acts within the IR field.1 Heterarchy sits in part within both foundationalist and anti-foundationalist ontologies, challenging both positivist and post-positive schools by relating the world through relationalcontextual rationales. Heterarchy suggests that IR (referring to the practice of international affairs) can best be understood from a sub-systemic viewpoint where the behavior of actors can only be observed by knowing the differing contexts between ‘self’ and ‘other’, and where relations continuously form and shape each actor; hence its relational-contextual nature. These relational-contexts are initiated through certain identifiable catalysts which stimulate similarly identifiable variables to expose actor relationships to the observer. While this does have constructivist and relativist underpinnings, heterarchy differentiates itself from both in terms of its approach and methodology. Having laid out this conceptual framework, the thesis then investigates how heterarchy might work empirically by exploring the Japanese-South Korean relationship which defies conventional understandings.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    New Zealand and the military occupation of Japan 1945-48 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in History at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1994) Brocklebank, Laurie W
    The impetus for an MA thesis on 'New Zealand and the Military Occupation of Japan 1945-48' came from discussions with individuals at Massey University, Internal Affairs Historical Branch, and the New Zealand J Force and BCOF Veterans Association. It became clear that this episode in New Zealand history had not previously been studied in depth, yet opportunities were diminishing for with the passing of time veterans' written and oral recollections and personnel papers were being lost. An ideal and somewhat urgent avenue for original historical research emerged. New Zealand's role in the military occupation of Japan had two inter-connecting sides, political and military. This thesis will examine both, and the relationship between the political and military parts, as well as the overall relevance of this slice of New Zealand history. A central question is 'was participation in the occupation of Japan important as a political or military event, or both'?
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Imperial preferences : a study of New Zealand's great power relationships from 1949 to 1963 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2004) Lewis, Wynford
    This year is the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the treaty that led to the formation of the Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation or SEATO. As such, it is an opportune time to review aspects of New Zealand's membership of this organisation. This task is all the more timely, because this year has also seen the Prime Minister of New Zealand sign a Non-Aggression Pact with ASEAN in the capital of Laos. Helen Clark is following in the footsteps of her Labour predecessor Walter Nash, who defied SEATO and the US over the matter of armed intervention in Laos. This thesis examines the changing defence relationships of New Zealand with the UK and the US during the 1950s, and seeks to explain the circumstances of Nash's disagreement with our largest ally. I wish to thank the staff of the Auckland University Library and the Massey University Library and the staff of the National Archives. Thanks to John Mills of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for his assistance and to Bruce Brown and Tom Larkin for their interviews. I also wish to convey my thanks to Adam Claasen for his guidance and to Marilyn Lewis for her proofreading. My major thanks and appreciation goes to Ester Lewis.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    State failure in the South Pacific and its implications for New Zealand security policy : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy in Defence Studies at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2007) Wootton, Stuart I. J
    The concept of state failure is complex, encompassing many aspects of the decline in a state, from its institutional and political capacities, to its social cohesion and economic performance. In the South Pacific, the term "failing" has been used to describe the Solomon Islands before the regional assistance mission RAMSI intervened. Its continued use to describe other countries in the region, such as Papua New Guinea or Fiji is controversial, mainly because the states of the South Pacific are generally considered much more peaceful than those in other regions labelled failing. Importantly, the geographical nature of the region itself provides a vastly different strategic context to African and European failing states which are often situated in landlocked geographies. It follows on that if Pacific Island states do experience aspects of failure (as opposed to being completely collapsed or failed) then their incapacities would breed unique security implications for the South Pacific region. This thesis aims to discern what those implications are for New Zealand policy in the South Pacific region. The method used will be to assess seven countries (Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu) and their degree to which they measure up against twelve indicators of state failure. These indicators have been borrowed from the Fund for Peace's annual Failed States Index (with their permission) and they provide the structure for the assessment.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Official attitudes toward China between 1945 and 1957 : the development of the non-recognition policy : thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1997) Smith, Daiman
    This thesis examines how an official attitude of negativity was translated into the policy of non-recognition toward Communist China between 1945 and 1957. It argues that once established the non-recognition policy remained, essentially, a China policy imperative throughout the 12 year period under review. Therefore, with the policy approach fixed there was a need to explain why it was maintained. In order to demonstrate how the non-recognition policy was established and maintained a number of periods, or stages of development have been identified, each of these correspond to a chapter of the thesis. Within each stage certain events, issues, or themes have dictated the particular chronological parameters. The first encompasses the years 1945 to 1948, and looks at New Zealand's post-war perceptions and attitudes toward China. Another covers 1949 through until 1951, it is in this time frame that the non-recognition policy is established and subsequently maintained by the new National Government. After these two key stages the decision to postpone recognition then became fixed, despite the inclinations of some in official circles to reconsider the non-recognition policy. How the non-recognition policy was established and maintained is explained by reference to a series of major categories of influence. In the main all of these categories occur throughout the length of the period under examination, some can be stressed more than others, while certain influences are more important in some stages than in others. These categories of influence include: the role of personalities as policy determinants, the importance of events, the influence of allies, the lack of direct New Zealand interests in China, questions of approach like 'dialogue versus isolation' or 'appeasement versus standing up to aggression', and perceptions of a divisible versus monolithic Communism.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Living in a dangerous neighbourhood : Iran and its quest for security through nuclear deterrence : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Politics at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2015) Gharekhanian, Hamid
    The ongoing dispute between Iran and certain members of the international community over Iran’s nuclear programme has attracted academic debate, significant media attention, and much diplomatic anxiety over the past two decades. While the Iranian Government maintains that its nuclear programme is based upon peaceful purposes and primarily aimed at enhancing energy efficiency to meet the country’s increasing domestic demand, this thesis argues that key factors informing Iran’s nuclear ambitions include its overarching security concerns which transcend the use of nuclear energy for economic ends. Iran’s nuclear policy has largely been shaped by the insecurities caused by its neighbouring countries, some of which are nuclear-armed states. Iran’s sense of insecurity has been compounded by the presence of US armed forces in the region, whose military superiority cannot be overcome by Iran’s conventional army alone. This thesis contends that Iran’s leaders continue to pursue a nuclear programme in the face of the international community’s objections because they believe that nuclear weapons represent a credible military deterrent and, as such, form a vital part of its quest for national security.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Are US allies Japan and South Korea hedging China? : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in Politics at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2013) Pascall, Laura
    The rise of China has led to much debate about the strategies Asia-Pacific states are utilising in response to this rise. This has led to the development and application of theories about ‘hedging’. The concept of hedging is strongly grounded in realism and balance of power theory, but it has been defined and applied in a wide range of ways and there have been limited attempts at applying models to determine if a state is in fact hedging. As a result, the literature has lacked consistency and replication in its application. This thesis has identified two broad camps of thought; those that view hedging as a security focused strategy, and those that view it as a combination of strategies. There has been no application of the latter view to the United States allies in the Asia-Pacific. The aim of this research is to therefore determine if the US allies of Japan and China can be said to be hedging China and provide a robust analysis of hedging through application of the view that hedging is a combination of strategies. To do this the thesis has applied a model developed by Cheng-Chwee Kuik. This analysis focuses on the risk contingency options of indirect balancing and dominance denial, and the return maximising options of economic pragmatism, binding engagement and limited bandwagoning. The study applies several quantitative and qualitative indicators, developed by the researcher, to determine if these indicators have been adopted, placing the two countries along a spectrum between balancing and bandwagoning. It concludes that Japan and South Korea have both adopted hedging but to differing degrees, with Japan close to neutrality, and South Korea closer to power acceptance of China. However, the overall inconclusive nature of the conclusion to whether South Korea is pursuing dominance denial has led the researcher to recommend that the model be applied to a broader range of countries to determine if this indeterminacy is due to the indicators developed, or if this is more a case of South Korea’s intentions being unclear.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Global defence industry and the Asia-Pacific region : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Defence Studies at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2012) Ortiz Torrenova, Juan Carlos
    Defence industries have become an essential component of nations' security. This dynamic sector has experienced constant transformations since the Second World War. In recent years large national and transnational defence firms have emerged through processes of mergers and acquisitions; dual-use technologies are becoming crucial in the development of modern weapons systems; and the phenomenon of globalisation is increasing the production interdependence among nations. These new trends, however, have not altered the hierarchical structure of the global defence industry, where a reduced group of nations have a dominant role in the production, innovation and transfer of weapons systems. The decline of their domestic markets has spurred exportation strategies resulting in an increasingly competitive global arms market. The latter may facilitate some nations to develop their defence industrial bases through the transfer of technology associated with weapons systems imports; however may also exacerbate the security dilemma and the proliferation of weapons, producing a detrimental impact on regional stability. Both problems may be ameliorated through cooperative security initiatives such as arms control, and confidence and security building measures. The study of defence industries has generally been approached from an economic perspective, relating to nations? military spending and arms trade. The less commonly used security approach addresses the security threats that stimulate the development of arms industries and the potential effects that these may have on the security dilemma. The present study examines the global defence industry and the relations between the major arms producers and importers, the implications of the global defence industry on the security dilemma; and the prospects of arms control policies in the prevention of arms proliferation. The Asia-Pacific region is used to centre the analysis through four case studies: Singapore, Indonesia, South Korea and China, as the defence industries and military capabilities of these nations are currently experiencing substantial development, supported by the rapid growth of their economies. A comparative analysis demonstrates a lack of commitment to collective security strategies within the Asia-Pacific region which is resulting in the proliferation of arms and potentiating the effects of the security dilemma, with major implications for regional and global security.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item