The spatial and temporal scale and complexity of the ancient Silk Road has been transformed into a brand that supports a range of development and modernization projects taking pace across Eurasia....Show moreThe spatial and temporal scale and complexity of the ancient Silk Road has been transformed into a brand that supports a range of development and modernization projects taking pace across Eurasia. Many nation-states are tapping into their Silk Road past for the purposes of modernization, development, and creation of national identities. This process is critically explored examining the “authorized heritage discourse” of the Silk Road – those parts that are highlighted in particular, and dominate over others, according to top-down principles of “value” and “knowledge”. The alleged benefits of the authorized Silk Road discourse are contrasted through an examination of the lands that they purport to represent. Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) is an area where urban sites have been transformed according to the top-down values of the authorized Silk Road discourse. However, it is argued that many of the local residents of these cities do not find benefit in these transformations, and instead reveal some of the core issues of the contemporary usage of the Silk Road. Two of these issues are highlighted in particular: gentrification and spatial cleansing. These have affected entire communities, which are assimilated into the Chinese nation through changing modes of identity formation. Meanwhile, cities are given of a false veneer of benefit that masks the new processes of exploitation that are taking place.Show less
This research answers the question: “How did sex work regulation develop in South Korea and what are the effects of the current regulation on sex workers in South Korea?” The goal is to show that...Show moreThis research answers the question: “How did sex work regulation develop in South Korea and what are the effects of the current regulation on sex workers in South Korea?” The goal is to show that sex work in (South) Korea is not a recent phenomenon and that the current practice of criminalising sex work has negative consequences for sex workers. I explain why the oppression and empowerment paradigm fail to account for the complexities of the sex industry. In this thesis I embrace Ronald Weitzer’s polymorphous paradigm, which recognises the diversity of variables in the sex industry that is necessary to effectively analyse sex work in South Korea. Using Weitzer’s pillars for a “best practise” of sex work (visibility, eligibility, health, rights and safety) I analyse the situation of three different kinds of sex workers: female indoor sex workers, male indoor sex workers and Bacchus ladies. The results of this analysis show that criminalization of sex workers in South Korea does little to improve their living conditions and can create life-threatening stations. In conclusion, I opt for decriminalisation of sex workers in South Korea and emphasise the importance of involvement of sex workers in policy making and research.Show less
People’s physical appearances and beauty ‘from the outside’ have been part of a variety of cultural discourses for a long time in history. Though, in more recent times, human bodies have...Show morePeople’s physical appearances and beauty ‘from the outside’ have been part of a variety of cultural discourses for a long time in history. Though, in more recent times, human bodies have increasingly fell subject to the democratization of social norms and values, and as a result the body has become a reflection of symbolic meanings (Baghel et al., 2014). In culturally-diverse India, the image of beauty has been changing continuously but it is argued that one perspective on Indian physical beauty has remained quite stable (or at least appears to exist in contemporary India): the aspiration of having lighter skin colors (Kumar, 2002; Glenn, 2008). Even though many researchers recognized that racial categorizations based on skin colors have been reduced in different parts of the world, there still appears to be a correlation between beauty, skin color and social identity among some people in the Indian society today (Glenn, 2008). In examining to what extent skin lightening practices and aspirations have shifted from India to the Netherlands in a transnational context, the goal is to find out the perceived sense of racial consciousness of first-generation Indian migrants living in diaspora in the Netherlands. Grounded in the theories of Social Constructivism by Berger and Luckmann and Racial Identity theory by Helms, this thesis concludes that 1. Migration to the Netherlands has not changed the racial awareness of first-generation Indian migrants consciously 2. Skin color does play a role - though marginal - in migrant’s Indian intracultural environment in terms of marriages, but it is not significant in their Dutch intercultural environment. 3. Most of the first-generation Indian migrants living in the Netherlands do not use fairness creams, and if they do, it is for medical reasons rather than to match cultural and aspirational expectations.Show less
For adult learners, one’s first language (L1) can and does influence the acquisition of a second language (L2). This thesis is focussed on the transfer of the progressive aspect from Japanese L1...Show moreFor adult learners, one’s first language (L1) can and does influence the acquisition of a second language (L2). This thesis is focussed on the transfer of the progressive aspect from Japanese L1 speakers of L2 Dutch. The Aspect Hypothesis, Prototype theory and the theory of crosslinguistic influence were used as a theoretical framework. Eight Japanese speakers of L2 Dutch were shown videos showing Accomplishment and Activity scenes, and the participants were asked to describe in Dutch the actions as they saw them taking place. Although hypothesised, no significant transfer on progressive aspect was found from L1 Japanese to L2 Dutch.Show less
In this thesis, I analyze the effectiveness of community-based management (CBM), as a participatory governance system, for securing the access to fishery resources and coastal land of small-scale...Show moreIn this thesis, I analyze the effectiveness of community-based management (CBM), as a participatory governance system, for securing the access to fishery resources and coastal land of small-scale indigenous communities, whose livelihoods have been previously threatened by market-led and government-supported dispossessions, known as ocean grabbing. From CBM experiences in Coron Island in the Philippines, Gili Indah in Indonesia and Patos Lagoon in Brazil, I found that CBM is a powerful tool to put forward legislative pressure for placing pro-community norms and institutions and, to create public awareness on environmental degradation and fishermen marginalization. However, without the support from government authorities or NGOs, the lack of education and competition for resources among fishermen prevent the creation of a comprehensive system for conflict resolution and community administration over resources.Show less
This thesis describes in a broad manner India's current bilateral and multilateral collaborations with Central Asian countries on the topics of Energy, Trade and Security Cooperation. Subsequently...Show moreThis thesis describes in a broad manner India's current bilateral and multilateral collaborations with Central Asian countries on the topics of Energy, Trade and Security Cooperation. Subsequently it analyses the reasons and factors that underlie the current situation of India's strategic position in Central Asia, which requires taking into account the (political) actions of other regional actors like Russia and China. Through a re-appreciation of Morgenthau's theory on International Relations, this thesis will argue why India's minor strategic position has both historical and contemporary political reasons.Show less
Recent years have marked the beginning of a new era for businesses to engage customers with their brand and products, using the internet as the primary mediator. Social media has proved to play a...Show moreRecent years have marked the beginning of a new era for businesses to engage customers with their brand and products, using the internet as the primary mediator. Social media has proved to play a pivotal role in providing new ways of customer engagement and encouraging customer’s buying behavior, of which a concept known as “gamification” has grown out to become a global phenomenon. In this thesis I will provide an answer to the question of how the concept of gamification has developed within the Japanese market and for what purposes it is used in contemporary Japan, in both commercial and non-commercial contexts. I will demonstrate how gamification can be used as a mechanism to urge on a user’s intrinsic motivation, by utilizing extrinsically motivating game elements such as rewards. Implementing gamification in a company’s business strategy can be an effective way to engage customers, which then has the potential of establishing new, or strengthening existing relationships. This will be demonstrated based on a variety of examples within the Japanese context, including convenience-store chain Seven-Eleven Japan and Japanese idol group AKB48.Show less
The purpose of this research is to show how Asian countries appear to be aestheticized in documentary photographs, often considered as reliable evidence of reality, and to understand to what extent...Show moreThe purpose of this research is to show how Asian countries appear to be aestheticized in documentary photographs, often considered as reliable evidence of reality, and to understand to what extent this is influencing the knowledge “Western” countries have on Asia. Starting from the analysis of current theories on photography and art, I will see how they can be applied to documentary photography, regarded as a practice that only aims at informing the public. Then, tracing back to colonial photography, I will show how documentary photography appears to present an aesthetic of its own, which has had a fundamental role in the structuring and circulation of fantasies, sentiments and ideas between “Western” countries and Asia. Besides, I will determine to what extent this aestheticization of Asian countries has been fostered by contemporary magazines, such as National Geographic. Finally, through the analysis of some of the most iconic images by the documentary photographer Steve McCurry, I wish to show how in the name of artistry, the documentary practice is failing in providing the viewer with visual documents.Show less
This thesis explored the role of the Chinese business community during two periods of heightened tension in Sino-Japanese relations, the 2005 history textbook controversy and the 2012 Diaoyu...Show moreThis thesis explored the role of the Chinese business community during two periods of heightened tension in Sino-Japanese relations, the 2005 history textbook controversy and the 2012 Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands dispute. Sino-Japanese relations are often described as having ‘warm’ economic relations, but ‘cold’ political relations. While some scholars argued these relations can coexist without influencing each other, recent studies show that political tensions between China and Japan can also impact economic relations. Because of this, this thesis expected the Chinese business community to attempt to influence the government during periods of heightened Sino-Japanese tension. After an analysis of the voice of governmental actors and the business community in government publications and media sources published around the time of the 2005 and 2012 anti-Japanese protests, this thesis concludes that 1) Chinese businesses attach considerable importance to Sino-Japanese political disputes and in some cases attach more importance to these disputes than financial gain, 2) There is no clear evidence that public attempts to influence the government were made during these two periods.Show less
Among the vast variety of cultural categories in Japan, there is one that has been growing in strength and popularity since the 1970s and is now one of the most sought-after professions among...Show moreAmong the vast variety of cultural categories in Japan, there is one that has been growing in strength and popularity since the 1970s and is now one of the most sought-after professions among teenagers in Japan: seiyū (voice actor). Annually, hundreds of students apply for vocational schools and agencies in order to get training to become a voice actor. The profession is highly romanticized, but the reality of it includes many problematic aspects as well. This research focusses on the seiyū industry of Japan, its educational properties, and the way it supports the anime market and vice versa.Show less
An account of Mozi's political philosophy from the perspective of his synthesis of power and knowledge through the formulation of a meritocratic bureaucracy designed to employ and empower officials...Show moreAn account of Mozi's political philosophy from the perspective of his synthesis of power and knowledge through the formulation of a meritocratic bureaucracy designed to employ and empower officials with the appropriate skills and expertise for governing.Show less
This research begins with a critical analysis of the kawaii and the cyberspace literature in the Japanese context. Based on that framework, I distinguish three main kawaii discourses: as...Show moreThis research begins with a critical analysis of the kawaii and the cyberspace literature in the Japanese context. Based on that framework, I distinguish three main kawaii discourses: as advertisement and for attraction; as a statement or rebellion; and as soft power. I select three Japanese organisations, belonging to different sectors, in order to examine whether there is an intention behind utilising their respective kawaii aesthetics to communicate a particular idea. While the messages differ based on the organisation, similar visual techniques are expended in all three cases. I hypothesise that the visual kawaii content of each organisation would fall into one of the aforementioned three main types of kawaii discourse. All examined organisations are not directly associated with the culture of cuteness. Analysis of the materials is made through visual discourse analysis, website scraping and website crawling. It revealed that indeed, all of the organisations have an agenda, put forward through the respective cute imagery. However, that agenda did not necessarily fit within the above straightforward categories that the literature suggested. Therefore, for the particular circumstances of my research, I revised the aforementioned kawaii categories to also encompass: kawaii discourse as a tool for continuity and ease; as a contraption of attraction; as a quest for peace. Finally, I conclude that cyberspace is a much more versatile medium than any of the historical kawaii channels and therefore, its contemporary communication implications do not necessarily fall into a particular category – it can address multiple ones simultaneously, reaching a vast audience. In addition, I present a visualisation of the Japanese governmental sector website network, which reveals unforeseen external digital connections of the Ministry of Defense website with closely related to kawaii organisations.Show less
This study analyzes the transnational interaction of Korean art during the early modern period. By examining practices of collecting and travel I aim to explore how cultural and visual patterns...Show moreThis study analyzes the transnational interaction of Korean art during the early modern period. By examining practices of collecting and travel I aim to explore how cultural and visual patterns from Chinese antiquity are re-contextualized in Joseon Korean art. In this process not only a specific Korean understanding of Chinese antiquity was developed, but Chinese antiquity was in turn also projected upon the Korean landscape. I further argue that artistic developments during the early modern period in Korea, such as true-view painting, should be understood from this transnational perspective, rather than from sino-centric or nativist views.Show less
This study offers a socio-historical analysis of three selected chapters of the Prapannāmṛtam, a hagiography composed by Anantārya most probably in the 17th century. The aim of the present research...Show moreThis study offers a socio-historical analysis of three selected chapters of the Prapannāmṛtam, a hagiography composed by Anantārya most probably in the 17th century. The aim of the present research is that of showing how the socio-political and religious affiliation of the author can be identified as the main force which led to the composition of chapters 123-125, here under analysis. Anantārya is a proud member of the decayed Tātācāryas, a family of raja-gurus which had dominated the political and religious scene of Vijayanagara between the 14th and 16th century: Prapannāmṛtam 123-125 might, in this sense, be read as a praśasti (eulogy) of the glorious past of the family, expressed through the celebration of the miraculous events narrated in chapters 123-125. The political and religious strength of the family is put forth, in the narration, by the acts of two Tātācārya teachers, Nṛsiṃhārya and his younger brother: it is thanks to their actions that, in chapter 125, the religious conversion of king Virūpākṣa II and its subjects from Śaivism to Vaiṣṇavism takes place. Moreover, through the analysis of an alleged ‘a-historical’ hagiographic text, I introduced the issue of how, in the Indological context, the concepts of ‘history’ and ‘historiography’ should be revised in light of new, more fruitful, theories (e.g. Bloch 1949, Bulke 2001 and Corrao & Viola 2005).Show less
Yang Guifei is considered to be one of China’s most beautiful women. Her beauty is portrayed in several Chinese historical and literary writings over the ages. Each generation of (mostly male)...Show moreYang Guifei is considered to be one of China’s most beautiful women. Her beauty is portrayed in several Chinese historical and literary writings over the ages. Each generation of (mostly male) authors is influenced by the technique of the male gaze and imbued her with their own contemporary beauty ideals creating new, updated versions of Yang as the perfect beauty. Most of the descriptions of Yang Guifei’s beauty tend to be general and are applicable to any beautiful woman in premodern China. Trends that remain consistent through time are cloud-like hair, red cheeks and lips, a creamy bosom and a white skin. Changes in the portrayal of her beauty can be found in the way of presenting her physique and feet.Show less
