Publication Date

2024

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Glas, Aarie

Degree Name

Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)

Legacy Department

Department of Political Science

Abstract

In 2019, Angola changed its penal code. One notable change was the state's elimination of its previous colonial law that outlawed "vices against nature." With this elimination, nonheteronormative relationships had become legal in the state. Considering Angola’s status as a semi-authoritarian state that did not seem to be close to making progress on LGBTQIA+ reform, it was puzzling to see such a significant reform that occurred so quickly. Research has shown the strength of bottom-up pressure from civil society to alter a state’s stance on a norm. Other research has discussed how material incentives can shape a state’s decision-making to alter laws that can entice prospective investors. However, explanations such as these do not fully understand what happened in Angola in 2019. In the case of Angola, their decision becomes much clearer when compared with states that share a Lusophone identity. Shared identity has often been assumed to be a precondition for mechanisms of socialization instead of explored as a mechanism in and of itself that can compel state actors to adopt similar norms. I argue that shared identity, as a mechanism, functions as a productive means of power that is both indirect and inert. This Productive Shared Identity compels states that share this identity to adopt similar norms of appropriate behavior. Using process tracing methods and my analytical framework, I demonstrate how relationships between Lusophone state actors compelled Angolan policymakers to adopt legal LGBTQIA+ norms.

Extent

258 pages

Language

en

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

Download

Share

COinS