Bachelor thesis | Griekse en Latijnse taal en cultuur (BA)
closed access
Het is opmerkelijk dat Odysseus het verhaal over Polyphemus aan de Phaiaken vertelt. Zij hebben immers een slechte geschiedenis met de Cyclopen. Odysseus zet zichzelf in dit verhaal niet alleen als...Show moreHet is opmerkelijk dat Odysseus het verhaal over Polyphemus aan de Phaiaken vertelt. Zij hebben immers een slechte geschiedenis met de Cyclopen. Odysseus zet zichzelf in dit verhaal niet alleen als een slachtoffer van een wrede gastheer neer, maar ook als een discutabele gast. Hoewel de Phaiaken hem goed schijnen te behandelen, zullen we zien dat dit soms toch ‘kantje boord’ is. Zou dit dan een strategie kunnen zijn van Odysseus om hier wel goed te worden behandeld? Vanuit deze opvallende elementen luidt de onderzoeksvraag: Hoe functioneert het verhaal over een slechte ontvangst door de Cycloop in het licht van wat Odysseus probeert te bereiken bij de Phaiaken?Show less
Though Western thought gained popularity and legitimacy in legal education after economic reforms were initiated, the role of defence lawyers remains ambiguous. The Constitution of the People's...Show moreThough Western thought gained popularity and legitimacy in legal education after economic reforms were initiated, the role of defence lawyers remains ambiguous. The Constitution of the People's Republic of China does grant the accused the right of defence (see Appendix 4.1 Article 125). However, with a formal legal tradition, in which criminal prosecution, investigation, and trial are handled respectively through the three segments of the so called 'Iron Triangle' (police, procuracy, and judges), defence lawyers are admitted little room to operate as representatives of their client, but rather pose a minor obstacle to the prosecution. The legal mind-set is crime oppressive with higher value on crime control efficiency than accuracy of legal conduct within the court, as well as in the pre-trial investigatory phase. Therewith, traditionally the 'Iron Triangle' was firmly aimed against crime, or rather the accused himself. However, the case of the defence lawyer Li Zhuang in 2009/10 raises the question of an alternative aim of the 'Iron Triangle'. Instead of focusing on the prosecution of the accused (Gong Gangmo), the case took a turn against the defence lawyer, incriminating Li Zhuang by actually applying testimony of Gong, the accused. The paper argues that, as shown on the case of Li Zhuang, the 'Iron Triangle' of China's legal conduct is not simply aimed at the prosecution and conviction of the accused and therewith the impediment of crime, but against the criminal defence as a concept of law. This will be shown on examining the trial of Li Zhuang on the following four factors: formal legal rule that directly counters criminal defence, and therewith shows criminal defence oppression through the legislature itself; intrinsic institutional deterrents on criminal defence in the judiciary; ideological factors in China's legal tradition, which impede criminal defence indirectly and simultaneously renders legitimacy to the actions against criminal defence by legislature and judiciary; and finally political motifs.Show less
Comparison of trends in work, family- and living conditions of Tokyo and Akita of the past years. Statistics of suicide will be compared while taking into account the theory of Durkheim.
This thesis explores the nature, longevity and intensity of Anglophobia in Dutch public debate, between 1756 and 1784. Although the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War triggered the Patriot Era, this subject...Show moreThis thesis explores the nature, longevity and intensity of Anglophobia in Dutch public debate, between 1756 and 1784. Although the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War triggered the Patriot Era, this subject has not seen any study. At most, Anglophobia has been represented as marginal to the domestic critique on the Stadholder William V and the oligarchic regents, a consequence of the focus in the historiography on domestic political developments, most notably, the republican Patriot ideology. This thesis aims to show that Anglophobia was a dominant undercurrent in the Dutch Republic, also within that republican Patriotic discourse that has up till now been considered Francophobic. Anglophobia was contingent on contextual events as well as deeper laying developments. The Seven Year War brought about a conflict between Britain and the Dutch Republic over maritime treaties after the Dutch decided to stay neutral. The declining Dutch economy made trade with Britain’s enemies during war a very profitable prospect. Therefore, Britain captured Dutch ships. The resulting conflict was sharpened by the dynastic links of the House of Orange with Britain. This context is crucial to understand the outrage against Britain in this period. During the Seven Year War, Anglophobic imagery was used in debates surrounding piracy, neutrality and dynasty. National particularistic stereotyping was used to depict the English negatively, further shaped by a historical consciousness of the seventeenth century, when the roles were reversed and the Dutch Republic was deemed more powerful. Sources point to Britain as playing a part in both the deeper lying sense of cultural insecurity in Dutch society, and the ‘moral corruption’ narrative that was a product of it. But during the 1770s, influenced in part by the American Revolutionary War, Anglophobia was used to reflect positively upon the situation, identity and history of the Dutch. Indeed, the same problems occurred with English privateers like in the Seven Year War. But the Anglophobia around this time received more intellectual argumentation. Britain was increasingly depicted as ‘despotic’, antithetical to republican ‘freedom-loving’ values. This narrative was strengthened by international Anglophobia, and more specifically, by English patriots themselves. However, Dutch writers misunderstood the signs of British power as they predicted its imminent downfall. Even when war broke out that optimism lingered. The cumulative Anglophobic frustration exploded in a feast of songs, poems and celebrations. Ultimately, when the humiliation of the war was irrefutable, Anglophobic turned against domestic ‘traitors’.Show less
Research in the arts is a controversial form of research even in scholar’s circles. Many artists nowadays are following doctoral programmes focusing on arts (a PhD in the Arts), in order to enhance...Show moreResearch in the arts is a controversial form of research even in scholar’s circles. Many artists nowadays are following doctoral programmes focusing on arts (a PhD in the Arts), in order to enhance their artistry through “academisation” but also in order to be capable of finding a job in the highereducation field. There is an ongoing debate about these programmes whether they actually enhance the artists or not and if those programmes are equal to other research programmes that include for example scientific research. Through this thesis many definitions will be given in order to clarify the meanings of artistic research, of artistic practice, and the distinction between art practice-as-research and art practice-as-itself as well, just to name a few. But the central question to be answered through this thesis is going to be, what the relationship between society and academia is, and whether political artistic practices can play the role of intermediary. In order to answer that question besides the analysis of the anatomy of research in the arts, this thesis will focus on the case of how political artistic practices can achieve a symbiosis between academia and society. For that reason, the artistic research of the political artist Jonas Staal, who is currently following a PhD in the Arts, will be the case study of the thesis.Show less
This thesis investigates a representation of Iraqi identity through artistic practice, by focusing on the works of Iraqi visual artist Sadik Kwais Alfraji. Through an extensive analysis of thirteen...Show moreThis thesis investigates a representation of Iraqi identity through artistic practice, by focusing on the works of Iraqi visual artist Sadik Kwais Alfraji. Through an extensive analysis of thirteen artworks produced between 1982 and 2014, the thesis explores how the artist conceives his Iraqi-ness and fashions it within his creations. By combining a narrativist approach to the study of identity, relying on the writings of Stuart Hall and Margaret Somers, with multiple interviews conducted with Alfraji, this work demonstrates how the artist’s Iraqi identity results from an interplay of “inside and outside” of Iraq, both in literal and metaphorical terms. Moreover, by examining how crucial themes, such as war an freedom, are portrayed within Alfraji’s artworks, this thesis shows how the artist’s self-understanding and sense of belonging are deeply influenced by the history of his homeland.Show less
“Islamstudies afgeschaft. De polderimam bleek een illusie” zo noemde het Leids Universitair weekblad Mare het afschaffen van de bacheloropleiding Islamstudies. Nadat de Hogeschool Inholland was...Show more“Islamstudies afgeschaft. De polderimam bleek een illusie” zo noemde het Leids Universitair weekblad Mare het afschaffen van de bacheloropleiding Islamstudies. Nadat de Hogeschool Inholland was gestopt met de imamopleiding in 2013 kwam er een jaar later soortgelijke berichtgeving vanuit Leiden. De bachelor Islamstudies werd afgeschaft en hiermee eindigden twee van de drie opleidingen die gestart waren om onder andere polderimams op te leiden. Was het daadwerkelijk een illusie? Of had men geen behoefte aan een polderimam? Na recente uitspraken van Minister Bussemaker die aangaf dat zij de intentie heeft om de imamopleiding nieuw leven in te blazen, wordt het steeds duidelijker dat de overheid nog steeds van mening is dat polderimams in een behoefte kunnen voorzien. Maar wat houdt deze discussie precies in?Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
The main purpose of this thesis was to systematically study and analyse the scenes showing the catching of waterfowl by means of a hexagonal net found in the published Old Kingdom tombs of the...Show moreThe main purpose of this thesis was to systematically study and analyse the scenes showing the catching of waterfowl by means of a hexagonal net found in the published Old Kingdom tombs of the Memphite area and by doing so trying to understand all technical aspects of this net. Although the percentage of scenes showing the catching of waterfowl with a hexagonal net is very small within the decoration program of the tombs (1%: 70 out of 6943 registers), fowling with a ‘hexagonal net’ is the most popular way of fowling depicted.Show less
‘Nacht! Tauentzien! Kokain! Das ist Berlin!’, schreef de Russische schrijver Andrej Bely in 1924 na een verblijf in Berlijn. De Duitse hoofdstad werd in de jaren twintig geassocieerd met een wild...Show more‘Nacht! Tauentzien! Kokain! Das ist Berlin!’, schreef de Russische schrijver Andrej Bely in 1924 na een verblijf in Berlijn. De Duitse hoofdstad werd in de jaren twintig geassocieerd met een wild en florissant nachtleven, seksuele uitspattingen, drugsgebruik en een decadente kijk op de wereld. Deze excessen werden doorgaans in verband gebracht met het onzekere bestaan in de Weimarrepubliek, die geplaagd werd door politieke crises en hyperinflatie: het zogenoemde ‘tanzen auf dem Vulkan’. Cocaïne was het roesmiddel bij voorkeur van deze vulkaandansers, men sprak destijds zelfs van een Kokainwelle, een cocaïnegolf. Massaal drugsgebruik als deel van een zogenoemde Rauschkultur maakt sindsdien onderdeel uit van het beeld dat van de 'Großstadt' tijdens de Weimarrepubliek bestaat. Maar klopt dat wel? Er is beperkt onderzoek gedaan naar de Kokainwelle. In de bestaande literatuur over het onderwerp is er weinig aandacht voor de gestalte die het cocaïnegebruik in deze periode aannam, de beeldvorming van het gebruik, structurele of incidentele oorzaken en de rol van de overheid. Het is, kortom, een onderwerp dat zelden in al haar facetten wordt beschouwd. In deze masterscriptie wordt het beeld van de Kokainwelle nader onderzocht en binnen haar historische context geplaatst. Hierbij komt de ontwikkeling van de Duitse cocaïne-industrie aan bod, de opkomst van cocaïne als medicijn en het gebruik van de drug tijdens de Eerste Wereldoorlog. De beeldvorming van het cocaïnegebruik in Berlijn tijdens de Weimarrepubliek wordt geanalyseerd aan de hand van een rijk exposé aan literatuur en kunst, met speciale aandacht voor de expressionistische dichter Walter Rheiner (1895-1925) en de danseres Anita Berber (1899-1928). Tot slot wordt de wetgeving aangaande cocaïne onder de loep genomen en dieper ingegaan op de handhaving daarvan in de Weimarrepubliek.Show less
Research master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (research) (MA)
closed access
This thesis investigates the social networks of the inhabitants of Old Babylonian Nippur (modern Nuffar) in central Mesopotamia. The period chosen for this study is the period when Nippur belonged...Show moreThis thesis investigates the social networks of the inhabitants of Old Babylonian Nippur (modern Nuffar) in central Mesopotamia. The period chosen for this study is the period when Nippur belonged under the jurisdiction of king Samsuiluna of Babylon (r. 1749–1712 BCE), the son and successor of the king Hammurabi (r. 1792–1750 BCE). The selection of Si 1–30 is made out of interest in king Samsuiluna’s reign, especially concerning his political and economic struggles, and therefore its impact on socio-economic changes, which might possibly have an impact on the social networks. The core of this thesis consists of 191 cuneiform documents that the residents of Old Babylonian Nippur left behind, and the amount of individuals identified in these documents is 1165. The method for this research is Social Network Analysis (SNA). With SNA, one can visualize the interconnections between individuals. This is done by creating a database (FileMaker Pro 14) and using a computer program (UCINET) which uses various algorithms to measure the data.Show less
Research master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (research) (MA)
open access
2018-09-22T00:00:00Z
In this thesis, I analyze the Akītu festival for the purpose of understanding the socio-political landscape of the Neo- and Late-Babylonian periods in Babylon (626 BCE - 100 BCE). The history of...Show moreIn this thesis, I analyze the Akītu festival for the purpose of understanding the socio-political landscape of the Neo- and Late-Babylonian periods in Babylon (626 BCE - 100 BCE). The history of the Akītu festival, known as the Mesopotamian New Year’s festival, spans several millennia, but was especially known in its 1st millennium form in Babylon. This analysis focuses on the relationship between kings, gods, and high priests of Babylon and their actions in an historical and social space with relation to this festival. The interaction between cult and state in this shared space is used to compare how each empire utilized the festival and gods in order to exert and subvert power over the other within both an historic context and a wider socio-political history. I show that the Akītu festival was a constantly developing festival that was as dependent on the ruling king as it was a defining factor of kingship in Babylon.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
closed access
For the ancient Egyptians magic was a means of controlling an otherwise uncontrollable world. The execration ritual was one such means of control. The execration ritual was a magical means of...Show moreFor the ancient Egyptians magic was a means of controlling an otherwise uncontrollable world. The execration ritual was one such means of control. The execration ritual was a magical means of protection and defense against the traditional enemies of the pharaoh as well as against personal enemies. The ritual, which has been compared to modern voodoo, often involved writing the name of an enemy on a figurine and stabbing, breaking or spitting on it before burying it. Evidence of over one thousand of these rituals have been uncovered in locations throughout Egypt and took place from the Old Kingdom through the Greco-Roman period. Often execration figurines have been overlooked and neglected for study in museums around the world, likely because these objects were often purchased in the early history of the museum without a known provenance. Three examples of execration figurines from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo are unique. These limestone figurines were enclosed in travertine boxes, which are comprised of a unique shape. This study explores the probable date, find locations, use and symbolism of these figurines, in an effort to expand the state of knowledge about execration figurines and the ritual for which they were used.Show less
