@masterthesis{Mueller2025, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {M{\"u}ller, Anna}, title = {The Dialectic of Enlightenment \& Gender Equality : Potentials of Critical Theory for the Re- and Deconstruction of Women's Roles in a Patriarchal Society}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-22319}, school = {Hochschule Rhein-Waal}, pages = {59}, year = {2025}, abstract = {This thesis examines the ambivalent nature of a supposedly enlightened society using the tools of Critical Theory. The work employs the dialectical method, drawing on Horkheimer and Adorno's 'Dialectic of Enlightenment' to analyze the contradictory development of gender relations within a seemingly rational and emancipated modernity. The central thesis posits that the ideals of the Enlightenment—devoted to liberty, reason, and equality—dialectically reverse into their opposites. The focus lies on the social role of women, who experience societal subjugation as a result. Through a historical analysis of Early, High, and Late Enlightenment, two structural concepts are identified that emerge from Enlightenment thought: (1) the categorically dichotomized production of knowledge, and the (2) transition from monarchical to physiocratic bourgeois systems. It is shown how a complementarity of the sexes is legitimized on the basis of categorial-dichotomized knowledge production, which is divided into dichotomized social spheres in the sense of an equal society on the basis of their supposedly natural abilities. This creates a dialectical moment that places women in a seemingly natural, but actually ideologically shaped position of subjugation. The third part of the thesis applies Negative Dialectics to deconstruct prevailing gender relations. It questions the foundations of dichotomous knowledge production and explores the compatibility of feminist theories with Critical Theory. Furthermore, it critically engages with identity politics. The aim is to rethink the concept of "woman" from a dialectical-feminist perspective and to outline possibilities for a more equitable societal order beyond rigid categorical designations.}, language = {en} } @masterthesis{Gole, type = {Bachelor Thesis}, author = {Gole, Rutu}, title = {Right to Information in the Republic of India: At the Intersection of Social Inequality}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-8937}, school = {Hochschule Rhein-Waal}, pages = {76}, abstract = {'Right to Information in the Republic of India: At the Intersection of Social Inequality' seeks to explore the interrelationship between the exercise of the right to access state-held public information and social inequality in India. A large body of literature suggests that social inequality impacts the accessibility of democratic rights while the democratization of rights strengthens civil society and anchors the process towards social equity. Drawing on this hypothesis, the methodological framework of documentary research is employed for examining the social realities surrounding India's Right to Information Act since its inception in 2005. To meet the research objective, numerous public documents that contain quantitative and qualitative data published by the government of India, experts in the field and recognized national and international organizations are referenced. The inferences drawn from this social investigation are analyzed from the lens of a theoretical triangle inclusive of: 1) Social inequality by Solga, Berger and Powell (2009) 2) Intersectionality by Hill Collins and Bilge (2016) 3) Citizenship and social class by Marshall (1950) With an aim to further explore this correlation, the effects of the utilization of the right to information on social inequities in India are examined. Standing at the intersection of social inequality in the Republic of India, the Right to Information Act 2005 exemplifies the interconnection between democratic practices and social disparity.}, language = {en} }