Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
Every country has its own history, every community its own culture, every family its own story. This is an ethnography, studying the mundane, everyday life of Mayan parent in Guatemalan communities...Show moreEvery country has its own history, every community its own culture, every family its own story. This is an ethnography, studying the mundane, everyday life of Mayan parent in Guatemalan communities around Lake Atitlan. Guatemala is one of the few countries in the world, where indigenous people make up for half of the population. Although they are marginalized politically, socially, and culturally in the Guatemalan context, there is a strength in numbers. Vibrant indigenous communities pass on values, customs, and language onto the next generations. These communities became even more empowered because of a revival of Mayan consciousness after the signing of the peace accords after a 40 year civil war. This study attempts to create insight how Mayan communities parent and reproduce values and customs and over generations, but also how they meet the challenges of a globalizing world. The body of anthropological knowledge on parenting and the role of children in society is steadily growing. Even though it is important to learn from traditional rural communities, it is also very important to understand how people adapt to changing realities, while preserving indigeneity.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
closed access
The basis of this thesis is the Leids Preventieakkoord, a health policy derived from the Nationaal Preventieakkoord and tailored to the local context of the city of Leiden. In this research I...Show moreThe basis of this thesis is the Leids Preventieakkoord, a health policy derived from the Nationaal Preventieakkoord and tailored to the local context of the city of Leiden. In this research I examine how the Leids Preventieakkoord on paper matches its implementation, emphasizing the difficulty of involving residents in the process but the attempts of the Regiegroep, i.e. the group of people responsible for the implementation of the health policy, to minimize the often occurring gap in a top-down approach. Furthermore, this research shows how the perspectives of the Regiegroep correspond and differ from the perspectives of residents of Leiden Noord on the topics of health, weight and food. While both parties try to broaden the definition of health in general in the sense of positive health, namely that one is healthy when being able to do whatever he or she finds important, their perspectives on the meaning of healthy 'weight' and 'food' remain rather narrow and are more in line with the medical approach, namely the absence of physical and mental diseases. In addition, the thesis differentiates residents' perspectives on healthy weight and food based on gender and ethnicity. The Leids Preventieakkoord is made only from a Dutch ethnic perspective, taking the body mass index tool and 'Schijf van Vijf' as the absolute truth of a healthy weight and eating pattern. Although many people argue that food connects people, this thesis show how the different perspectives and critiques on health and food reflect the polarisation today in Leiden Noord.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
Community music is a way of making music within a group of people, by letting everyone participate in the process in their unique way. Sounds of Change uses community music in order to establish...Show moreCommunity music is a way of making music within a group of people, by letting everyone participate in the process in their unique way. Sounds of Change uses community music in order to establish social change in refugee centres. But how do they use social change in order to pursue social change and what social change are they seeking for? This study explores the effects of community music on children in Dutch refugee centres. After conducting semi-structured interviews and participant observation, I suggest that, in order to establish a sense of communal belonging, creativity and connection among the participants of the workshops, a safe space is required. Whenever children feel safe, they dare to share their ideas. A common language is not required for this; music can often speak for itself. Moreover, Sounds of Change equalizes all individuals and embraces cultural diversity, which is considered more common in grassroots and pragmatic practices than in national Dutch multicultural policies.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
2023-02-28T00:00:00Z
A sense of belonging and cultural dislocation are inevitably experienced by every human, but for migrants, these feelings are undoubtedly vital aspects in the social living experience in their new...Show moreA sense of belonging and cultural dislocation are inevitably experienced by every human, but for migrants, these feelings are undoubtedly vital aspects in the social living experience in their new homeland. This master thesis focuses on the social lives of one of these migrant groups: first generation Taiwanese women in the Netherlands. The practical findings are based on anthropological fieldwork conducted throughout April until November 2019 and is framed with anthropological and sociologic academic theory. The focus is on Taiwanese women with a first generation migrant background, who live here and are married or in a registered partnership (who are long-term migrants, or have the intent and probability to become so). This migrant group comprised a total of 884 women in 2019 (CBS 2019). In this qualitative research six women, with various backgrounds in terms of migration history, age, household and occupation, serve as main interlocutors. Through the expression of memory they contest and renegotiate their socio-cultural identity. This research showcases differing ways in creating senses of belonging, forming a new home in the Netherlands away from their native country, Taiwan. Other respondents and participatory observation add context and interpretation to their stories. The aim is to create a further understanding of this under researched migrant group and concerning the integration of migrants in general.Show less
