The relationship between norms and hegemony : exploring international drug prohibition over the last 100 years

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dc.contributor.advisorSmith, Karenen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorSweenie, Kaitlin Elizabethen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2016-06-23T14:52:14Z
dc.date.available2016-06-23T14:52:14Z
dc.date.issued2015en_ZA
dc.description.abstractIt is just over fifty years since the United Nations adopted the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961), explicitly proscribing the manufacturing of, trade in, and use of narcotics for anything but scientific and medicinal purposes. Today, the 1961 agreement, alongside the similarly-focused 1971 and 1988 UN Conventions remain the bases of the international drug control regime despite the continuously high rates of drug use, trade, and production that remain worldwide. Taking due cognizance of these inconsistencies, the present study seeks to examine how the system of international drug control developed over the past century and, through this, why it is that prohibition continues to be the international community's primary response to the 'drug issue'. Methodologically, the study applies two distinct analytical frameworks. The first framework applied - Kathryn Sikkink and Martha Finnemore's constructivist norm life-cycle model - systematically traces the evolution of the norm of prohibition over time and helps identify the main causal mechanisms at work in each stage of the norm's life. While the model is successful in regards to these aforementioned aspects, however, the research also shows the model does not adequately examine the role of power in international norm dynamics. The model, more specifically, does not discuss how existing power relations can help sustain a norm's livelihood long past its (perceived) effectiveness. Additionally, it is also shown through this application that prohibition did not develop in the exact manner the model suggests it would, but became institutionalised only in its final, internalisation phase instead of its emergent phase. In this manner, the second theoretical framework - that of Robert Cox's critical theory - is consequently introduced to address the life cycle's limitations. By applying Cox's ideas on hegemony - herein understood as a fit between material power, ideas, and institutions - the study demonstrates how the hegemony of (primarily) the United States (US) has always and continues to play a leading role in supporting the norm of international drug prohibition today. The study concludes with some final notes about further research and the possibilities for change.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationSweenie, K. E. (2015). <i>The relationship between norms and hegemony : exploring international drug prohibition over the last 100 years</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Political Studies. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20112en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationSweenie, Kaitlin Elizabeth. <i>"The relationship between norms and hegemony : exploring international drug prohibition over the last 100 years."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Political Studies, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20112en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationSweenie, K. 2015. The relationship between norms and hegemony : exploring international drug prohibition over the last 100 years. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Sweenie, Kaitlin Elizabeth AB - It is just over fifty years since the United Nations adopted the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961), explicitly proscribing the manufacturing of, trade in, and use of narcotics for anything but scientific and medicinal purposes. Today, the 1961 agreement, alongside the similarly-focused 1971 and 1988 UN Conventions remain the bases of the international drug control regime despite the continuously high rates of drug use, trade, and production that remain worldwide. Taking due cognizance of these inconsistencies, the present study seeks to examine how the system of international drug control developed over the past century and, through this, why it is that prohibition continues to be the international community's primary response to the 'drug issue'. Methodologically, the study applies two distinct analytical frameworks. The first framework applied - Kathryn Sikkink and Martha Finnemore's constructivist norm life-cycle model - systematically traces the evolution of the norm of prohibition over time and helps identify the main causal mechanisms at work in each stage of the norm's life. While the model is successful in regards to these aforementioned aspects, however, the research also shows the model does not adequately examine the role of power in international norm dynamics. The model, more specifically, does not discuss how existing power relations can help sustain a norm's livelihood long past its (perceived) effectiveness. Additionally, it is also shown through this application that prohibition did not develop in the exact manner the model suggests it would, but became institutionalised only in its final, internalisation phase instead of its emergent phase. In this manner, the second theoretical framework - that of Robert Cox's critical theory - is consequently introduced to address the life cycle's limitations. By applying Cox's ideas on hegemony - herein understood as a fit between material power, ideas, and institutions - the study demonstrates how the hegemony of (primarily) the United States (US) has always and continues to play a leading role in supporting the norm of international drug prohibition today. The study concludes with some final notes about further research and the possibilities for change. DA - 2015 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2015 T1 - The relationship between norms and hegemony : exploring international drug prohibition over the last 100 years TI - The relationship between norms and hegemony : exploring international drug prohibition over the last 100 years UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20112 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/20112
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationSweenie KE. The relationship between norms and hegemony : exploring international drug prohibition over the last 100 years. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Political Studies, 2015 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/20112en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Political Studiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherPolitical Studiesen_ZA
dc.titleThe relationship between norms and hegemony : exploring international drug prohibition over the last 100 yearsen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMSocScen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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