Thesis by other Maldivians - އެމް.އެން.ޔޫގެ ދަސްވެނީން ފިޔަވައި އެހެނިހެން ދިވެހީންގެ ތީސީސްތައް
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Item On evildoers : a foucaultian analysis of the discursive structuring of contemporary terrorism(Dublin City University, 2012-01) Naseem, Azra; އަޒްރާ ނަސީމްTerrorism is routinely portrayed in the twenty first century as an evil perpetrated by Arab/Muslim barbarians—Evildoers—waging a holy war against the Western civilisation. This study challenges not just this present understanding of terrorism, but the very existence of a ding an sich of terrorism. Using a combination of Foucault’s archaeological and genealogical methods it provides an alternative history of the phenomenon in the form of a history of its discursive structuring: the regimes of practices that governed what could and could not be thought of, identified, defined, known, judged and punished as ‘terrorism’ during particular epochs, and particular places. It asserts that the conceptual anchor point of the present Evildoer-terrorist is the rebel who opposes established order, and identifies the first such figure in modern Western history as the Devil who rebelled against God and came to play a significant politico religious role in Western societies of the Middle Ages. The discourse of ‘terrorism’ emerged from the epistemic spaces created from the separation of religion and politics in the eighteenth century, from when onwards rebellion was no longer a sin but a crime. Since then, various other rebels have been brought under the domain of terrorism during different epochs, the latest of whom is the Evildoer. This is not to say that the Devil remained a blatant constant in the forefront of Western terrorism discourse, but that the various rebels share a conceptual history that made it possible for the contemporary terrorist to be the Evildoer that he is. How the rebels came to be known as terrorists during various epochs and the various mechanisms implemented to defend societies against them, it is argued, are irrevocably linked: one could not exist without the other. The contemporary terrorist cannot be known as an Evildoer without the War on Terror; at the same time, the War on Terror cannot be waged without the knowledge of the terrorist as an Evildoer. To demonstrate this power/knowledge dyad at work, this study analyses what was said and done about terrorism by the United States and the United Kingdom, the foremost allies in the War on Terror, during its first ten years. In the differences in their discourses emerges not just the ontological uncertainty of terrorism but also how these mechanisms for establishing the ‘truth’ of terrorism function as mechanisms of power. It is asserted that the Evildoer has made possible, and was made possible by, some of the most significant changes in how power is exercised in Western societies since the separation of religion and politics in the eighteenth century.Item Resilience، islandness and food systems in small island developing states : a study of the Maldives(2024) Mariyam Anaa Hassan; މަރިޔަމް އަނާ ހަސަންItem Socio-economic, political and social capital factors that influence the state expenditure: a comparison of rural communities in the Maldives(School of Public Administration : National Institute of Development Administration, Bangkok, 2019-10) Zahir, Mohamed; މުހައްމަދު ޒާހިރުThe Maldives is a nation in the Indian Ocean that includes approximately 1200 coral islands in 21 clusters known as atolls. For administrative purposes, these atolls are grouped into seven provinces located geographically in the Central, Northern, and Southern areas. These island communities operate as groups, which explains to some extent the unequal allocation of resources among the rural communities and Central city, as many studies have supported. Therefore, to understand the unequal distribution of wealth in rural communities, it is very important to determine the factors associated with the provision of public funding as a whole. This study’s goal was to use multidimensional variables to estimate the factors that determine the provision of public funding, and economic, political, and social capital factors were combined to determine their relation to the Maldives’ total expenditures. More interestingly, after 2010, many rural areas have made huge improvements in their education level, healthcare services, and infrastructure development. The constitutional reform in 2008 that mandates multiparty democratic elections are suspected to be the root cause of these improvements. Ideally, citizen participation and engagement are intended to foster any state’s development. The Maldives government always has been criticized for its process of electing government officials, specifically influences on the part of candidates and other stakeholders, either by mutual benefits or malfeasance. However, it is clear that there is an expectation on both sides’ part. This basically indicates that public spending will be higher when it caters to the public’s demands. However, to what extent is this statement true in the case of rural development? Therefore, this study attempted to analyze the provision of public funding at both the island and provincial levels, and two models were developed to investigate these relations.Item An exploratory study of the interplay between teachers, beliefs, instructional practices & professional development(The University of Auckland, 2006) Mohamed, Naashia; ނާސިހާ މުހައްމަދުPrevious research has revealed the influential role of teachers’ beliefs in determining their professional behaviour. Teachers’ beliefs affect not only their teaching, but also filter new input, suggesting significant implications for the implementation of educational innovations and teacher development. This study explores the interconnections between teachers’ beliefs, their instructional practices and professional development, examining the extent to which the introduction of an innovative teaching approach impacts teachers’ beliefs and behaviour. It focuses particularly on grammar instruction in the context of English teaching in secondary schools of the Maldives. Combining descriptive ethnography with a quasi-experimental design, the study was implemented in two phases. Phase One, based on questionnaire data from 197 teachers from 51 schools, explored teachers’ beliefs and their self reported practices. Findings indicated that teachers placed great emphasis on grammar and that they were unfamiliar with inductive approaches to grammar instruction. In Phase Two, inductive grammar teaching methods were introduced to 14 teachers from two schools, in a 12 week professional development programme. Drawing largely on data from observations and interviews, the results from this phase showed that although teachers were observed to generally follow their pedagogic beliefs, several points of difference between their beliefs and practices existed. While the professional development may have increased their understanding of inductive approaches to grammar instruction at the level of awareness, only limited changes to beliefs and practices were observed. Changing instructional practice appeared to be a difficult task with only two teachers uptaking the innovation. Some subsidiary changes were however observed in the practices of several other teachers. Various impediments constrained change efforts, including teachers’ lack of openness to change, their low professional motivation and the lack of a supportive school culture. Contextual factors such as large classes and difficult working conditions also negatively affected the change process. Findings indicate that development activities which provided regular one-on-one support for the teachers were more likely to lead to uptake than those involving mainly workshops. The individual nature of the uptake process, its lack of uniformity and the challenges faced by the teachers are discussed, as are the implications for the provision of professional development.Item The power of small : the diplomacy of small states in regional organizations(The Australian National University, 2012-01) Mohamed, Ali Naseer; އަލީ ނަސީރު މުހައްމަދުHow can small states influence the conflict management activities of regional or ganisations? The conventional wisdom in the literature of International Relations holds that small states lack the ability to shape the preferences of other actors. In recent years, some small-state scholars have challenged this view. They argue that some small states make bold initiatives and succeed in influencing institutions like the European Union. These studies are, however, mostly single-country case studies, focusing almost exclusively on European small states in the European Union. They do not, therefore, reveal what is unique to that case, and what can be generalised to small states in other parts of the world. Moreover, these studies have not examined adequately international-level factors such as the role of the dominant power in the regional organisations, in helping or hindering the initia tives of the small states. This study aims to fill that gap. It seeks to understand the national and interna tional-level factors that determine the abilities of small states to influence the con flict management activities of regional organisations. The study also seeks to expand our understanding of small-state diplomacy by examining non-European small states. It analyses seven case studies involving six small states in five regional organisations, located in four different parts of the world. To my knowledge, it is one of the first scholarly attempts to understand the factors-both at national and international levels-that determine the abilities of small states to exert influ ence in regional organisations. In doing so, I hope to make a contribution to the study of diplomacy in general, and the diplomacies of small states in particular. The thesis examines the seven case studies with the help of a theoretical frame work that identifies five factors as necessary for small states to be able to exert in fluence in conflict management activities of regional organisations. The factors are: small states' credibility, norm entrepreneurship, diplomatic resilience, the in- xiii stitutional mechanisms within the regional organisation, and the role of the re gional power. The empirical analysis of the case studies shows that all five factors are necessary for small states to exert influence. Yet it also shows that each of the five factors has varying degrees of impact on the abilities of small states to exert influence. There is evidence from the case studies to suggest that the role of re gional power is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition for determining whether small states can exert influence in regional organisations. Second, small states could influence the shaping of a regional power's preferences if the farmer's diplomacy is sufficiently resilient. Small states derive their diplomatic resilience from the strength of the foreign policy bureaucracy, the persuasive power of dip lomats, and niche diplomacy. Third, small states exert influence by pursuing norm entrepreneurship in regional organisations: seeking to generate new and in novative ideas to solve common problems. Fourth, small states' ability to influ ence depends on whether the institutional mechanisms within the regional organisation allow sufficient space for these states to manoeuvre. Finally, small states can exert influence if they have credibility derived from a non-threatening foreign policy posture and from persistent activism and expertise in a given issue. Thus, small states can exert influence in regional organisations if their diplomacy is sufficiently resilient. The findings of this study reveal that with the right poli cies, small states can increase their diplomatic resilience. For size alone does not determine destiny; persuasive diplomacy doesItem Reaching the community through community radio : readjusting to the new realities : a case study investigating the changing nature of community access and participation in three community radio stations in three countries New Zealand, Nepal and Sri Lanka(University of Canterbury, 2012) Nafiz, Ahmed Zaki; އަހުމަދު ޒަކީ ނާފިޒުCommunity radio is often described as a medium that celebrates the small community life and where local community members plan, produce and present their own programmes. However, many believe that the radio management policies are now increasingly sidelining this aspect of the radio. This is ironic given the fact that the radio stations are supposed to be community platforms where members converge to celebrate their community life and discuss issues of mutual interest. In this case study, I have studied three community radio stations- RS in Nepal, KCR in Sri Lanka and SCR in New Zealand- investigating how the radio management policies are positively or negatively, affecting community access and participation. The study shows that in their effort to stay economically sustainable, the three stations are gradually evolving as a ‘hybrid’; something that sits in-between community and commercial radio. Consequently, programmes that are produced by the local community are often replaced by programmes that are produced by full-time paid staff; and they are more entertaining in nature and accommodate more advertisements. The radio stations also actively seek the sale of airtime to wellfunded NGOs, giving agency-driven programmes priority over local community programmes. This means the stations have become vehicles that help agency objectives. Hence, although ‘hybrid’ initiatives have merits financially, while depicting as local community representatives, they are marginalising the voices and interests of the very people that gave the radio stations their community characteristics and identity. Hence, in the interest of earning more revenue to secure market survival, the ‘hybrid’ initiatives are in fact, settling for a lesser community role. This study also shows that although management policy decisions aimed at greater financial sustainability have impacted on local community access and participation in the way they used to be, by readjusting to the new realities of modern-day communications, the three stations are also providing a second ‘hybrid’ pathway, a new interactive radio environment enabling stronger community access and participation. As this new platform facilitates unhindered local community access and participation in the radio, it is also viewed as a solution that will help them to utilise more of their on-air time for revenue-generating programmes. The new platform is also seen as the answer to reach the new generation youth and increase their participation, thereby, in fact, further strengthening community participation in the radio.Item Security problems of small island developing states (SIDS) : with particular reference to the Indian Ocean(The University of Hull, 1996-02) Faizal, Farahanaz; ފަރަހަނާޒު ފައިސަލްItem Implementation of blended learning in higher education : a case study of adoption and diffusion(University of Wollongong, 2022-08) Ali, Ramiz; ރާމިޒް އަލީBlended learning has the potential to provide learners with multiple advantages such as increased access to learning, increased flexibility, and enhanced learner engagement. The pedagogic method has been prevalent in higher education in recent years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the growth of interest in institutional initiatives, our knowledge about the adoption and diffusion of blended learning at the institutional level remains limited. Knowledge about adoption and diffusion processes at the university level is imperative for university leaderships to inform policy, provide appropriate support to teachers and other staff, and ensure and sustain positive and equitable student experiences. Using an embedded case study method, the current study aims to understand user perceptions and beliefs of blended learning and describe the process of blended learning adoption leading to diffusion across a university. This study is guided by the Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DoI), and the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Participants were 407 students, 99 teachers, and six university executives who were involved in an institutional initiative employing blended learning in 2019. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups. The questionnaires were administered to students and teachers. Interviews were conducted for teachers and the executives while focus groups were held for students. In addition, relevant university documentation was gathered and analysed for the purpose of data triangulation. In line with the convergent mixed method, the quantitative and qualitative data were collected in parallel, analysed separately, and were then merged.Item Living on a crowded island: urban transformation in the Maldives : background to a research in progress : PhD Researcher(Victoria University of Welington, 2022) މުޙައްމަދު ފައިސަލް; Faisal, MohamedItem Abundance of microplastic pollution and the impact of land-use and ocean current on plastic pollution in the Maldives(The University of Sheffield, 2023-03) Naeem, Aminath Uyoon; އާމިނަތު އުޔޫން ނައީމްApproximately 4.8 to 12.7 million tonnes of plastics enter the marine environment annually contributing to 5 trillion pieces of plastic in the global oceans and surface waters. Plastics in the marine environment can exist as macro, meso, and microplastics and due to its durability and longevity, once they are introduced into the environment, it can persist and be distributed globally by ocean currents and winds. Regardless of the high abundance of plastic pollution in the environment and its various negative impacts on marine ecosystems, human health, and the economy of countries such as the Maldives that depend on biodiversity-based economic sectors such as tourism and fisheries, research regarding causes of plastic pollution and sources of microplastics and its abundance is scarce. This study aims to quantify microplastic pollution in the Maldives and to identify sources of plastic pollution by investigating the effects of land-use and ocean currents on plastic pollution in the Maldives. A combination of field and laboratory methods was used to collect beach sediment samples, log macro and mesoplastics and to isolate, identify and quantify microplastic pollution on three different islands of varying land-use intensity (Industrial, Urban and Rural) in the Maldives. Additionally, Geographic Information System (GIS) was used to map ocean currents and identify the influence of ocean currents on microplastic distribution on the Maldivian islands. The results of this study shows that there is a significant level of microplastic pollution at the studied islands: K. Thulusdhoo, K. Villingli and B. Dhonfanu. Additionally, it also showed that the pollution levels at these three islands were higher compared to other coastal areas in the Indian Ocean, as well as other regions of the world. Furthermore, the results showed that the microplastic abundance at Thulusdhoo, an industrial island, was statistically different to both Dhonfanu which is a rural island and the urban island, Villingili proving that land-use influences plastic pollution. However, the difference between the Urban and Rural islands, despite the Urban island having a higher microplastic abundance was not significant, indicating that other factors such as ocean currents also influence microplastic abundance. The ocean current direction and speed along with the difference in the shape and size of microplastic found on the islands proves that ocean currents were also an influencing factor in microplastic abundance on the Maldivian islands.