The ViGo fellows are 12 PhD students from all parts of the world who study and work together in the ViGo office at the University of Vienna.

"Nanotechnologies compared. Governance under Conditions of Uncertainty" - Heidrun Åm
The main goal of the dissertation is to gain an understanding of how nanotechnology is dealt with politically, particularly how the current regulatory regime that is characterised by soft laws like voluntary codes came about. The idea is to study - through two detailed empirical case studies - the reality of nanotechnology politics and changes in contemporary technology governance. The focus of the study is on the United Kingdom and Germany, in the context of the European Union and against the background of the situation in the United States. Problematised against experiences with genetic modification, which initially led to strict regulations on the release of modified crops in the 1970s and to widespread public protest in the 1990s, the research puzzle this study seeks to answer is how nanotechnology has not become an openly controversial issue. In my research, I pay special attention to the constitutive role of language, argumentative strategies and performances in nanotechnology governance. Nanotechnology was chosen because it is an instance of the governance and regulation of new technologies in democratic societies and thus, the case study delivers an important contribution to an understanding of how modern, Western societies deal with new technologies and whether new tendencies in governance can be perceived.

"The Impact of the EU Accession Process on the Party Politics in Turkey" - Evren Celik
The present dissertation project aims to elucidate the dynamism of the policy positions of the major political parties on the EU accession and the impact of EU-induced institutional transformation on the parties’ new discourses and political strategies in contemporary Turkey. The main research question is the following: What are the reasons for the variance among the political parties in adopting pro or anti EU positions across time (2002-2010) in Turkey? The research will focus on ideologies, party
system change, and redefined political strategies as the key explanatory variables. Two thematically relevant areas of investigation are covered for evidence: I) Policy and programmatic content; II) The intra-party dynamics. The methodology of the research consists of qualitative content analysis and elite interviews.

"The Processes of Democratization in Global Comparison. Inter-active Governace of Oppositional Forces in Democratizing Societies with case Studies of Ghana, Slovakia and Uganda" - Martina Ciganikova
Dynamics of oppositional behavior and its role in protracted transitions is an important determinant of the processes of democratization by elections. My study concentrates on the game level (electoral competition/opposition choices) and analyses the various types of strategic choices and decisions employed by the opposition in order to enhance their bargaining position for the inter-active dialogue with the meta-game level (incumbent position). I show at the examples of Ghana, Slovakia and region Uganda that the right selection of strategic choices enables the opposition to improve its position and through the “self-reinforcing” dynamics contributes to democratization of the society. The variation of actors’ choices when faced with the collapse of existing authoritarian regimes is not random as legacies at least initially shape the resources and expectations that help actors to define their interests and to select the ways and means to acquire political power.

"Post-Soviet Governace Between Democracy and Authoritarianism" - Petru Culeac
One of the inherent deficiencies and threats to democracy consolidation contained in the political system of Republic of Moldova is that of inadequate mechanisms for horizontal accountability of political parties and electorate. Still, despite this deficiency, Moldova appears to be the only state in the post-Soviet area where transfers of power took place not through "colored revolutions" or "successions" but through elections. The paper attempts to investigate the practicalities of governance networks notably the electoral governance networks and the role these have played in compensating for the deficiencies of the post-Soviet politics and in filling in the gap between the citizens and political parties. The paper focuses on the study of several successful implementations of governance networks in Moldova - the Coalitions for free and fair elections, in order to understand the mechanisms and depth of their involvement in the governance of the relationship between the political parties and the citizens through the governance of the electoral process.

"The Governance of Digital Citizens" - Thomas Griffiths
This thesis focuses on politically active citizens who use the Internet in the USA; who they are, how the spaces they use are governed and how they seek to exert influence on and govern political debates and elites. The use of new techniques to manage large communities into collective action via the Internet has already been seen in a number of domains (GNU/Linux, Wikipedia) and is now occurring in the political life of some advanced liberal democracies. The effect of these new forms of organisation and action on political parties is vital to understanding the depth and type of change beyond incorporating blogs and new media into models of the public sphere. Empirically the thesis will examine the Democratic Party of the USA from 2003 through to the present via documentary, survey and interview techniques.

"Bottom-up Pressure For Participatory Governance and Development" - Julius Lambi
There is popular belief in the theoretical claim that associations play a significant role in promoting democracy and hence development. However, in many sub-Saharan African countries, the association-to-democracy link has not been so apparent. In Cameroon, for example, exclusionary forms of government have tended to endure despite an association boom. The relationship between context and the capacity of associations to promote democracy has not been given much research attention. Taking Cameroonas a case study, my PhD research examines how the institutional context affects bottom-up pressure for democracy and equitable development in associations. To answer this question, I analyze quantitative and qualitative data on association in the case, using correspondence analysis and process tracing respectively.

"Investigating participatory governance practices in the application of the nuclear energy" - Olga Narbutovich
In my dissertation I am exploring the features of the decision-making on the disposal and management of the radioactive waste. This issue has gained more attention recently due to its connection with the future of the nuclear power generation. In particular, I am looking in more detail into the interactive processes between experts and non-experts in the two countries: Germany and Lithuania. Recognizing that the biggest challenges in radioactive waste management programs are societal in nature, I am exploring the strategies and experiences of public information, consultation and involvement on the issue in the two countries. Conceptually, I draw on the theoretical perspectives of ‘participatory’, ‘interactive’ and ‘deliberative’ forms of policy making and governance.

"Conflict at the Interface: National Divisions, Class Inequalities and Hegemonic Struggles in Northern Ireland and Kosovo" - Herbert Preiss
A striking feature of many conflicts in divided societies is that inter-group conflict is most intense and violent in those areas which are located at the conflict interface and in ethnic enclaves. Despite their shared experience of socio-economic deprivation, people living in these interface and enclave communities remain strongly divided along national lines. This indicates that national divisions are likely to dominate issues of class and socio-economic inequality, but also highlights the interrelatedness and interdependency between national identity and material inequality issues. My PhD explores the tensions between national and class and socio-economic divisions and their impact on intergroup conflict in interface and enclave communities in Northern Ireland and Kosovo. A particular focus is to investigate to what extent these tensions are influenced and instrumentalised by the nationalist elites for their hegemonic power struggles. In order to explore the research aims, I conducted two months qualitative field research in Northern Ireland and in Kosovo. My theoretical approach draws on material- and identity-based conflict theories and on the concepts of hegemony and power relations. My research aims to make a contribution to the study of conflict at the interface in divided societies and of the impact of hegemonic power relations.

"Same Same but Different: How Sex Plays a Part in Political Recruitment" - Veronika Schwediauer
In my thesis, sex/gender differences in recruitment processes of the Austrian ministers from 1966 to 2006 are explored. These recruitment processes symbolize critical sites of power and domination, which are sex/gender-specifically structured. In Austria, the political parties are responsible for the staffing of governmental positions, which embrace the Social Democratic Party (SPOE), the Austrian People’s Party (OEVP), and the Austrian Freedom Party (FPOE) in the selected time frame. Empirically, a biographical analysis of the 120 ministers from 1966 to 2006 and expert interviews are carried out. Through this, it can be shown, where the typical recruitment channels for political leadership positions are (as sites of power) and which channels are obviously sex/gender-specific (e.g. “the male unions”). Also, the interpretation can suggest, which type of women typically makes it to the top and what they have to bring along.

"Indigenous Struggles for Land - Griqua Organisations and the Land Issue in South Africa" - Erwin Schweitzer
The restitution and redistribution of land is widely perceived as central policy tool to redress societal inequalities in post-apartheid South Africa. Through a variety of non-governmental organisations first indigenous groups such as the Griqua strive to regain land rights and subsequently utilise the land. My PhD project examines how Griqua organisations strategically act in articulation with state and private actors within and outside the confines of the national land reform policy in order to achieve their goals. In particular I focus on the role which culture plays as a resource for the Griqua organisations in this context. In order to explore the research problem I conducted six months of fieldwork in South Africa based on the notions of multi-sited and reflexive ethnography. Theoretically I make use of critical realism, practice theory, nodal governance theory and the concept of Ethnicity Inc. Through my research I contribute to the emerging field of studies of indigenous groups within plural governance settings.

"The Politics of Population Policy-making in the Philippines: Insights from the Population/Reproductive Health Legislative Proposals" - Violeda Umali
One of the major challenges facing the Philippines is its big, and still growing, population. This problem is magnified when seen side by side with statistics on poverty and access to basic services. Yet, population policy-making in the country has remained contentious and incoherent. The seeming haphazardness of the country’s population policy is attributed mainly to the Catholic Church, but no in-depth study seems to have been undertaken about why and how the Church manages to prevail in the population debate. Such investigation gains further significance given that ‘pro-choice’ advocates have a strong presence in the country, and that studies have shown that religion does not play a significant role in people’s family planning decisions. To help address this research gap, my study examines the interplay of actors and institutions involved in the deliberations/debates on the legislative proposals on population and/or reproductive health filed in the 13th and 14th Philippine Congresses. The analysis is anchored on Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice in general and his critique of the political field in particular, and on the propositions of Frank Baumgartner and his colleagues about policy advocacy and policy change.

"Governance in Maternal and Child Health Care in Rural China" - Jenny Qu Wang
A great achievement has been made for the improvement of maternal and child health care (MCH) in the early period of the People’s Republic of China. However such improvement was largely halted during the reforming era after the late 1970s, in particular in rural area. In examining the reasons for this lackluster improvement, attention has increasingly been turned to public finance for MCH. While an increase in the level of public funding for MCH is obviously necessary, if China’s MCH outcomes are going to see significant improvements, this will not be the only thing that is required. In fact, the governance in MCH system has equally important implications for the development of MCH in rural China, specifically, the way the system is operated in terms of decision making, funding allocation, service delivery, and system monitory, etc. The aim of the present research, therefore, will go beyond the current focus in Chinese MCH studies on the level of public finance. It will explore the role improved governance can play in ensuring a further development in MCH in rural China. In particular, it will examine whether the community based participatory governance has the contribution to the improvement of MCH outcome in rural China. The theoretic framework of this research is based upon the theory of participatory governance. It will be conducted by case study with the methods of expert interviews, document analysis, and historical comparison.