Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
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This thesis dives into the stories and lives of female low-caste garment workers in South India, uncovering their agency and strategies within the complex web of social norms and expectations. It's...Show moreThis thesis dives into the stories and lives of female low-caste garment workers in South India, uncovering their agency and strategies within the complex web of social norms and expectations. It's all about understanding how factors like caste, gender, and labor intertwine to shape their lives in the bustling world of textile factories. The journey starts by shining a light on the influence of big international brands on the factories' conditions and how the caste systems still affects people’s lives and opportunities. We dig into how traditional gender roles shape the lives of these female workers, dealing with both unequal power dynamics and family expectations. With the guiding question, "How exactly do female low-caste garment workers in South India show their power, and how do they tackle the challenges they face in their lives and jobs?" in mind, the research takes us through six chapters. The heart of the matter reveals that these workers, despite the odds, aren't just passive players. They've got agency and plans, like prioritizing their children’s education if their financial situation allows it in order to break free from the cycle of struggle. And then there's the central role of NGOs like READ, who give them skills and a voice to demand better conditions. Wrapping it all up, the conclusion shows strength doesn't always mean pushing back hard; it's often about finding ways to stand tall and find strategies when facing difficulties. All said and done, this research paints a vivid picture of these female workers' multi-faceted strengths, highlighting how they navigate their world with grit and grace, all while shaking up the social norms that surround them.Show less
The discourse surrounding sex work in Amsterdam has evolved, reflecting shifting approaches by municipal authorities and stakeholders. Currently, a proposal for an "erotic center" seeks to relocate...Show moreThe discourse surrounding sex work in Amsterdam has evolved, reflecting shifting approaches by municipal authorities and stakeholders. Currently, a proposal for an "erotic center" seeks to relocate sex work from the Wallen district to address issues of over-tourism and congestion. However, this proposition has ignited controversy, as sex workers voice concerns about safety, social networks, and potential workspace loss. Researchers and activists advocate for recognizing sex work as tangible heritage to preserve its history and narratives. Despite initiatives of activists and advocates to document and safeguard the sector's history through the website www.sekswerkerfgoed.nl and the Prostitution Information Center, academic exploration of sex workers' experiences and sex work heritage in the Netherlands remains limited. Narratives from sex workers of color, migrant sex workers, and marginalized voices are often overlooked. Media portrayals often perpetuate stigmatization and negative stereotypes about sex work. The life stories of Nicolina Sant and Aaïcha Bergamin, two sex workers from the 20th century, offer valuable insights into Dutch sex work. Their narratives encompass diverse perspectives, encompassing ethnic backgrounds, cultural nuances, gender, and sexuality. Incorporating these stories enriches historical research on sex work, fostering a deeper comprehension of the industry and its intersections with urban life. Using the concept of urban citizenship, which emphasizes self-identity and recognition, challenges conventional notions tied to nationhood. Sex workers' claims to citizenship impact urban planning and city politics, influencing the socio-spatial fabric of the city, and reorienting research on sex workers to focus on agency rather than victimhood. Analyzing the stories of Aaïcha and Nicolina through this lens reflects on the idea of sex work as heritage while supplying an intersectional perspective to sex work history in the Netherlands.Show less
Conserveringsmaatregelen beïnvloeden de manier waarop textielobjecten tentoongesteld worden. Wanneer textielobjecten fragmentarisch zijn, is het lastig voor het publiek om ze te begrijpen. De...Show moreConserveringsmaatregelen beïnvloeden de manier waarop textielobjecten tentoongesteld worden. Wanneer textielobjecten fragmentarisch zijn, is het lastig voor het publiek om ze te begrijpen. De agency die deze objecten kunnen uitoefenen is beperkter dan die van intacte objecten. Het is daarom van belang om delen van verlies begrijpelijk te maken met aanvullende informatie. Tijdens de Textiel uit Egypte tentoonstelling is dit gedaan aan de hand van een verhaallijn. Daarnaast zorgde de nevenschikking van een vrijwel intact tunica voor een beter beeld over de oorspronkelijke vorm en gebruikscontext van de fragmenten. Ontbrekende aspecten van de ‘culturele biografie’ van de fragmenten werden hierdoor aangevuld. Concluderend wordt gesuggereerd dat de toevoeging van een fysieke reconstructie van een tunica de leerervaring verder kan verrijken. Een publieksstudie zou de mogelijke voordelen hiervan kunnen aantonen.Show less
There is a general consensus in the academic and non-academic sphere that women should participate in health systems strengthening. Yet, implementable models that can facilitate this remain absent....Show moreThere is a general consensus in the academic and non-academic sphere that women should participate in health systems strengthening. Yet, implementable models that can facilitate this remain absent. Amidst attempts to open up International Relations (IR), intercultural health systems present compelling cases to examine what could impact women’s agency in health policymaking. This contrasts with approaches centered on theoretical human rights rhetoric. This thesis analyzes how the Holistic Care Model, developed by the dr. Denis Mukwege- and Panzi Foundation, impacts women’s participation in global health policymaking. An exploratory qualitative primary source analysis was conducted with postcolonial theory. The findings show that through developmental innovation and knowledge facilitation, the Holistic Care Model enhances the agency of women treated by it. The creation of agency has a multiplying effect: women actively tailor the model according to their health needs, which in turn makes them participants of the health system’s development. The evidence also highlights health systems’ relevance for postcolonial debates on international health governance. Though the research only analyzed one case, the findings provided an in-depth understanding of how a healthcare model can implement what theoretical formulations lack to execute. This makes the present singular case relevant for future innovations and shows that knowledge concerning health from the global South should be examined increasingly in IR and Women, Peace, and Security studies.Show less
This thesis analyses two Young Adult adaptations of Shakespeare plays (Hannah Capin’s Foul is Fair for The Tragedy of Macbeth and Dot Hutchinson’s A Wounded Name for The Tragedy of Hamlet), and...Show moreThis thesis analyses two Young Adult adaptations of Shakespeare plays (Hannah Capin’s Foul is Fair for The Tragedy of Macbeth and Dot Hutchinson’s A Wounded Name for The Tragedy of Hamlet), and examines how changes in the setting, the characterisation, and the community influence the agency of the female main character.Show less
In this study, nurses’ well-being is explored in the context of the local efforts working towards nurses’ wellness. The often silenced voices of Kenyan nurses are transformed into a theatre script...Show moreIn this study, nurses’ well-being is explored in the context of the local efforts working towards nurses’ wellness. The often silenced voices of Kenyan nurses are transformed into a theatre script to portray the findings. An ethnographic research gap on the topic focuses on the qualitative study of well-being through psychological, socio-economic, and political lenses. The research is grounded in theory from Giddens (1984), Sen (1993), and De Bruijn and Both (2018), and navigates the agency-structure debate along with the model of duress to reflect on and understand the nurses’ position in a constraining environment. The research focused on two level 5 facilities, which are county referral hospitals, in two different counties of Kenya. The following research methods are conducted: a survey on socio-economic well-being with 65 respondents; interviews focusing on factors affecting nurses' well-being conducted through 4 focus group discussions with 39 nurses of different seniority levels and facilities, and informal interviews with approximately 25 nurses; and lastly, participant observation focusing on nurses agency and structures in places of gathering. Altogether, the results conclude that the healthcare structures pertain as constraints on the nurses’ agency and well-being despite the local efforts against this that may seem to have a positive impact. This is not to say that such local efforts should not continue, but rather to add a widespread focus on changing the outdated health structures that are limiting the majority of Kenya’s health workforce.Show less
Concerning transitional justice, the turn towards advocating for localized action and gendered analysis has engendered a focus on female agency. In documentary film studies, a similar pattern...Show moreConcerning transitional justice, the turn towards advocating for localized action and gendered analysis has engendered a focus on female agency. In documentary film studies, a similar pattern emerges: over time, scholars have started to question prevailing representations of women, and to celebrate well-rounded, agentive representations. This thesis, which analyzes representations of female agency and victimhood in documentaries concerning sexual violence during the Yugoslav Wars, utilizes an interdisciplinary approach which draws from both of these fields. It incorporates the aesthetic analytical tools provided by documentary film scholars to analyze Sexual Violence and the Triumph of Justice (2012) and Mission Rape - a Tool of War (2014), while keeping as its main focus the gendered agency framework created by Björkdahl and Mannergren Selimović. Thus, it marries the two disciplines to provide a thorough understanding of prominent issues in transitional justice. This concerns both how transitional justice is practiced and how this practice is portrayed to the public by challengers and proponents of the prominent methods in the transitional justice space. I hope to contribute to knowledge in both fields, and to demonstrate how well-rounded and agentive representations of women’s agency can challenge the traditional narrative of passivity and victimization of women in conflict-zones.Show less
Anthropogenic environmental destruction on a global scale continues at an ever-increasing pace, driven by a disconnect between the valuation of short-term economic gains and their ecological impact...Show moreAnthropogenic environmental destruction on a global scale continues at an ever-increasing pace, driven by a disconnect between the valuation of short-term economic gains and their ecological impact. Increasingly, the introduction of indigenous intellectual perspectives to the global stage – many of whom have been custodians of ecologically important land for centuries – is being treated as a potential solution to this conundrum. In this evolving context, this thesis seeks to understand the role of African indigenous knowledge in global environmental protection. To answer this, a review of the practical and philosophical contributions of African indigenous communities to ecology is conducted, followed by a discourse analysis of the 2019 Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, to identify how these knowledges are treated in a global context. Analysis of the report and of academic literature shows that African indigenous knowledges, while potentially incredibly valuable as environmental protection, are poorly represented on a global level, both in their content, and in comparison with other regions.Show less
This thesis aims to analyze the extent to which agency of unaccompanied children in transit is fostered at the US-Mexico border between 2009-2020. Firstly, the concept of agency in child migration...Show moreThis thesis aims to analyze the extent to which agency of unaccompanied children in transit is fostered at the US-Mexico border between 2009-2020. Firstly, the concept of agency in child migration will be defined. Secondly, an analysis of the social, political, and legal context will provide insight into the current situation of unaccompanied children at the border. Finally, a thematic analysis of a corpus of Mexican and US case law, state policy reviews and NGO reports will reveal the experiences of unaccompanied children at the border. These findings on agency will be supported by a small case study of an individual narrative. The results of the analysis give evidence that unaccompanied children are caught in an agency-repressive cycle. Due to the violations of children’s rights by the US and Mexico, unaccompanied children’s agency is not fostered at the border. Moreover, children’s expressions of agency lead to diminished acknowledgment of their vulnerability, which results in reduced access to rights for unaccompanied children.Show less
The central objective of this research is to examine the evolution of the Kremlin’s counteractive strategy toward the “color revolutions” in post-Soviet states in light of the most recent case of...Show moreThe central objective of this research is to examine the evolution of the Kremlin’s counteractive strategy toward the “color revolutions” in post-Soviet states in light of the most recent case of protest-based regime change, the Velvet Revolution in Armenia. The latter is conceptualized as a successor to the initial interrelated wave of “color revolutions in Georgia, Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan, which illustrates a changing pattern of opposition movements’ learning-drawing behavior to neutralize Russian interference. The Russian counteractive approach toward the revolutions is analyzed through the use of prospect theory, further revealing that the Kremlin’s strategy has evolved from taking an active to a more passive stance. The findings do not to confirm that Russia has developed a specific strategy or that its approach has evolved through a self-learning basis despite its increasing willingness to take on a more balanced position. To better understand this shift, three hypotheses (“the actor-centered hypothesis,” “the Western support hypothesis” and “the sitting regime hypothesis”) are formulated and tested as alternative explanations through the use of process tracing. The analysis of the evidence reveals that there is, indeed, a causal link between the oppositions’ evolving political agenda and the corresponding passivity of the Kremlin’s approach, which is observed in Kyrgyzstan and Armenia. However, there is no solid evidence to confirm that Western support during a revolution or that the active attempts of the incumbents to stay in power have specifically triggered the Russian response. Nevertheless, Russian authorities have actively used the alleged Western interference as a tool to delegitimize the revolutions.Show less
Met behulp van Nederlandse bronnen is het lokale perspectief de christelijke bevolking van Saparua op de Molukken onderzocht tussen 1700 en 1900. Het gebruik van de term agency heeft ervoor gezorgd...Show moreMet behulp van Nederlandse bronnen is het lokale perspectief de christelijke bevolking van Saparua op de Molukken onderzocht tussen 1700 en 1900. Het gebruik van de term agency heeft ervoor gezorgd dat de inmenging van Saparuanen omtrent hun bekering naar voren is gekomen. Het onderzoek over de voorgeschiedenis en de uitkomst van dit onderzoek hebben duidelijk gemaakt dat Saparuanen veel van hun voorchristelijke gebruiken behielden onder het juk van de Nederlandse predikanten en zendelingen. Dit getuigt van een grote invloed van de lokale bevolking die in het grotere debat pas in de laatste tientallen jaren aan het licht komt.Show less
(Domesticated) animals play a remarkable role alongside human characters in the novel 'De geluiden van de eerste dag' (1975), by Dutch author Anton Koolhaas. In dominant anthropocentric discourses...Show more(Domesticated) animals play a remarkable role alongside human characters in the novel 'De geluiden van de eerste dag' (1975), by Dutch author Anton Koolhaas. In dominant anthropocentric discourses subjectivity (the active, desire driven perception and experience of reality) and individuality of non-human animals often get erased. However, this doesn't seem to be the case in 'De geluiden van de eerste dag'. In this thesis, I aim to formulate an answer to the question: 'Does the novel 'De geluiden van de eerste dag', by Anton Koolhaas, represent and thematize an anti-anthropocentric human-animal-relationship?' This study shows that the novel attributes agency and subjectivity to non-human animals, while (to a certain extent) respecting their species-specific susceptibilities, modes of communication and behavior. Overall the novel takes an ethical stance against mechanical animal exploitation and promotes an empathic relationship to other animals. I draw specific attention to the way aggression is connected to agency, the constitution of the subject and to the creative act of taking up space (Umwelt). I also emphasize how language and anthropomorphism (in and via literature) contribute to the constitution of subjectivity, agency and individuality of non-human and human animals.Show less
Artistic practice today is uniquely situated to pose critical, alternative responses to contemporary ecological problems. A compelling example from Mexico City is the 2015 performance piece Plan...Show moreArtistic practice today is uniquely situated to pose critical, alternative responses to contemporary ecological problems. A compelling example from Mexico City is the 2015 performance piece Plan Acalote by contemporary art collective Plan Acalli, which reenacted the journey of a traditional acalli boat across Mexico City, crossing highways and avenues that were once canals. This thesis examines the ecological potential of this artwork by studying the performance and its context through a framework of materialist posthumanism. I argue that Plan Acalote crucially enabled human participants to develop environmental skills and awareness and involved ritual, pilgrimage-like encounters. I propose that, in this way, the acalli boat’s journey can thus be read as a material transformation or “becoming” of paved urban roads into an acalote, or Nahua waterway: a collaborative, situated and performative strategy towards research, environmental awareness and art. Therefore, Plan Acalote ultimately demonstrated the potential of a shift in cosmovision through art as a viable approach to furthering ecological goals.Show less
In deze scriptie wordt het concept van de ‘dubbele moraal’ binnen de criminaliteitsgeschiedenis van vroegmodern Leiden onderworpen aan een kritische benadering op drie verschillende niveaus. Ten...Show moreIn deze scriptie wordt het concept van de ‘dubbele moraal’ binnen de criminaliteitsgeschiedenis van vroegmodern Leiden onderworpen aan een kritische benadering op drie verschillende niveaus. Ten eerste wordt er met een kritische blik gekeken naar de benadering van de dubbele moraal in het historisch onderzoek naar de vroegmoderne stad. Vervolgens worden de rechterlijke archieven van de stad Leiden als casus gebruikt om vast te stellen of er wettelijk gezien sprake was van een dubbele moraal in de achttiende-eeuwse criminele rechtspraak van de stad. Ten worden de verhoren (confessies) van veroordeelde overspelplegers geanalyseerd om een beeld te vormen over de praktijk van de dubbele moraal.Show less
This thesis aims to look into the effects of the 2001 American intervention - both military and humanitarian - in Afghanistan on Afghan women. More precisely, it will analyze the effects of the...Show moreThis thesis aims to look into the effects of the 2001 American intervention - both military and humanitarian - in Afghanistan on Afghan women. More precisely, it will analyze the effects of the discourse around women used by the United States to justify their invasion on the agency of local women.Show less
Deze scriptie gaat over het verborgen verzet (infrapolitics) van de lokale bevolking uit Frans Congo tegen de Compagnie Commerciale de Colonisation du Congo Français (4CF). Deze compagnie was voor...Show moreDeze scriptie gaat over het verborgen verzet (infrapolitics) van de lokale bevolking uit Frans Congo tegen de Compagnie Commerciale de Colonisation du Congo Français (4CF). Deze compagnie was voor het grootste deel in handen van het Nederlandse bedrijf NAHV, die deze compagnie samen met twee andere oprichtte nadat Frans-Congo in concessies werd verdeeld. In deze scriptie betoog ik allereerst dat de geweldscontext in Frans-Congo minder absoluut was dan in Belgisch-Congo. Daarna wordt ingegaan op de houding van de bevolking en haar agency: de bevolking wilde meewerken wanneer dat goed uitkwam, maar werkte tegen zodra dat mogelijk was. Zo blijkt enerzijds dat 4CF nooit echt een succes werd, met name door het gebrek aan middelen en het machtsvacuüm dat er was, en anderzijds de ruimte en de wil van de lokale bevolking om zich op allerlei verborgen wijzen te verzetten tegen de koloniale machthebber.Show less
China has a burgeoning presence in sub-Saharan Africa. The country has become the biggest trading partner of the continent. China's presence nonetheless has been very polemic and divisive. Much...Show moreChina has a burgeoning presence in sub-Saharan Africa. The country has become the biggest trading partner of the continent. China's presence nonetheless has been very polemic and divisive. Much literature has been written about the one-sided benefit of Sino-African relations, in China's favour. This thesis takes a different angle, to explore African agency in engaging with China. The role of African actors such as the political elites and the political structures will be analysed, to determine their role in hindering or making relations with China conducive to economic and political development.Show less
