Global temperatures are rising as policymakers aim to tackle the climate challenges our world faces today. The European Union plays a leading role in climate politics and the global reduction of...Show moreGlobal temperatures are rising as policymakers aim to tackle the climate challenges our world faces today. The European Union plays a leading role in climate politics and the global reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through one of its key tools, the Emissions Trading System. This thesis examines the impact of EU member states’ industrial composition on implementing the EU ETS in phase 2 through a comparative analysis of the Netherlands and Belgium. An examination of the correlation between national industries and the national implementation of the ETS has thus far remained absent in the existing literature and provides policy insights for future climate politics. An analysis of the relevant policy documents reveals how both countries varied in their implementation of the system. It demonstrates how the more pollutive industrial composition of the Netherlands caused the government to be more responsive to the affected industries’ interests in the allocation process. However, contrary to expectations, the Netherlands was not more lenient the monitoring of the system and was even more strict than Belgium in most areas.Show less
This research aims at analysing how women in Egypt have used comic books and graphic novels to portray feminist comics activism. It focuses on the case study of Deena Mohamed using content analyses...Show moreThis research aims at analysing how women in Egypt have used comic books and graphic novels to portray feminist comics activism. It focuses on the case study of Deena Mohamed using content analyses of the second part of Deena Mohamed’s graphic novel Shubeik Lubeik and her webcomic Qahera. The content analyses have shown the presence of feminist comics activism in both works. They tackle the issues of gender inequality, gender-based violence, corruption, class difference, stereotyping and depression, However, the chapter from the Shubeik Lubeik novel consisted of a less prominent display of feminist comics activism further argued through not meeting the requirements of activist communication. This can be explained by the fact that Shubeik Lubeik was a printed novel that needed to be screened by a publisher. Whilst the Qahera webcomic was published online and entirely independent allowing it more freedom regarding its content.Show less
Deze bachelorscriptie onderzoekt descriptieve representatie op gemeenteniveau in Nederland. Dit onderzoek kijkt als een van de eerste onderzoeken naar descriptieve representatie als afhankelijke...Show moreDeze bachelorscriptie onderzoekt descriptieve representatie op gemeenteniveau in Nederland. Dit onderzoek kijkt als een van de eerste onderzoeken naar descriptieve representatie als afhankelijke variabele. Hiermee wordt een wetenschappelijke bijdrage geleverd door te onderzoeken welke factoren een invloed hebben op de mate van descriptieve representatie. In dit onderzoek worden regressieanalyses gebruikt om te onderzoeken of er een correlatie bestaat tussen descriptieve representatie van vrouwen, mensen met een migratieachtergrond en leeftijd als afhankelijke variabelen. Daarnaast gaat het in dit onderzoek om het aandeel hoogopgeleiden, gemiddeld inkomen per persoon en de mate van religieuze aanhang in een gemeente als onafhankelijke variabele. Er wordt geconcludeerd dat opleidingsniveau een positief verband kent met descriptieve representatie. Gemiddeld inkomen kent een negatief verband bij descriptieve representatie van vrouwen en voor mensen van de leeftijd van 18 tot en met 35 jaar. De mate van religieuze aanhang heeft een negatief effect op de descriptieve representatie van vrouwen. Voor migratieachtergrond en leeftijd zijn er in dit onderzoek geen statistisch significante verbanden gevonden.Show less
Over the course of the last century, the Japanese population has left their humble hometowns and moved to large population centres. Now Japan experiences one of the worst population declines in the...Show moreOver the course of the last century, the Japanese population has left their humble hometowns and moved to large population centres. Now Japan experiences one of the worst population declines in the modern era and especially the countryside is shrinking at a rapid rate. This has prompted the government to implement measures to slow down the depopulation of the countryside and boost local economies. One of these measures is the furusato nozei tax system, which distributes a part of people’s inhabitant taxes towards other municipalities than the one they live in so that people may donate a share of their taxes to their hometown or any other municipality. This system may be tied to a general feeling of nostalgia that the Japanese people have towards their hometown or other places that generally evoke a sense of nostalgia as people have become desensitized with their current lives that sharply contrast with the calm and peaceful image of the Japanese countryside. Within the furusato nozei system, municipalities advertise themselves as the ‘ideal hometown’ by catering to peoples’ emotions towards those towns that people feel a certain connection with, but how do these emotions of nostalgia emerge in practice within the program? Do municipalities utilise nostalgia as a tool to draw in donations, and in what ways do they do this? Furusato on itself means something like ‘hometown’ or ‘native place’, but does this materialise in the self-marketing schemes of certain municipalities? By looking at two municipalities’ homepages and other websites, this paper determines that symbols of nostalgia are indeed drawn upon in the self-marketing schemes to gain more revenue in the program in the form of images, phrases, etc. These symbols evoke warm and nostalgic feelings and in a way reflect the state of the towns. Moreover, one may identify two ‘types’ of furusato on these homepages: either ‘emotional longing to one’s hometown’ or ‘nostalgia towards an older version of Japan in general’, which materialise to various degrees depending on the image that the towns want to impose on itself and the audience that they are trying to reach.Show less
Dit onderzoek richt zich op uitdagingen en ondersteuningsbehoeften op het gebied van psychosociaal functioneren en zelfredzaamheid van jonge vrouwen vanaf achttien jaar die ongepland zwanger zijn...Show moreDit onderzoek richt zich op uitdagingen en ondersteuningsbehoeften op het gebied van psychosociaal functioneren en zelfredzaamheid van jonge vrouwen vanaf achttien jaar die ongepland zwanger zijn geraakt en een eigen woonplek hebben. De studie is uitgevoerd middels semi-gestructureerde interviews en is kwalitatief van aard. Er is voor een kwalitatieve benadering gekozen omdat op deze manier diepere kennis vergaard kan worden. Daarnaast is gekozen voor een selecte steekproef, waarbij alleen de cliënten van Siriz zijn geworven op vrijwillige basis. De uiteindelijke steekproef bestond uit twee personen. De data zijn geanalyseerd door middel van een inhoudsanalyse om te kunnen achterhalen wat de uitdagingen en behoeften van de ongeplande zwangere vrouwen zijn. Tevens is een literatuuronderzoek uitgevoerd. Uit de literatuur blijkt dat ongeplande zwangerschappen gepaard kunnen gaan met fysieke problemen en een negatievere kijk op hun zwangerschap en bevalling dan vrouwen met een geplande zwangerschap (Karaçam et al., 2011). Echter was er beperkte beschikbare literatuur. De gevonden informatie sluit hierdoor niet volledig aan op de onderzoeksvraag. Het empirisch onderzoek toonde aan dat de deelnemers vooral uitdagingen ervaren op het gebied van gebrekkig contact met eigen opvoeders, financiën, sociale vaardigheden en beide deelnemers hebben geen relatie meer met de biologische vader van hun kinderen. Daarnaast blijkt uit het onderzoek dat de behoeften verschilden per individu. De deelnemers gaven aan behoefte te hebben aan meer duidelijkheid en ondersteuning na de bevalling, aan meer lichaamsbeweging en om te stoppen met roken. Tevens gaven ze aan behoefte te hebben aan opvang of een oppas voor hun kind om werk of studie te kunnen combineren met de verzorging van het kind. Tot slot was er behoefte aan oude leefgewoonten. Om de vrouwen binnen Siriz optimaal te kunnen helpen, is het van belang dat er naar gestreefd wordt om elke ongepland zwangere vrouw de juiste hulp en ondersteuning te bieden bij haar specifieke situatie. Maatwerk is daarom een cruciaal aspect. De ondersteuning kan geboden worden middels voorlichting, trainingen of intensieve een-op-een begeleiding. Geadviseerd wordt dat Siriz zich gaat richten op het bieden van gerichte ondersteuning op de veelvoorkomende uitdagingen en behoeften die in dit onderzoek naar voren zijn gekomen. Dit kan ervoor zorgen dat de ongepland zwangere vrouwen zich beter kunnen redden in het dagelijks leven. Door het bieden van ondersteuning kan de zelfredzaamheid en het psychosociaal functioneren verbeterd worden.Show less
The severe consequences of climate change are effecting people worldwide. To minimize the negative effects of climate change, it is important to increase our pro-environmental behavior. This study...Show moreThe severe consequences of climate change are effecting people worldwide. To minimize the negative effects of climate change, it is important to increase our pro-environmental behavior. This study explored the underlying factors within the environmental attitude – behavior gap among young adults by investigating the mediating role of descriptive environmental norms between environmental attitudes and pro-environmental behavior of young adults, moderated by social connectedness. Data was collected from 216 young adults using self-report questionnaires. The moderated mediation model using Hayes PROCESS macro (model 14) was conducted to test the study hypothesis. Results showed there was no significant moderated mediation. Environmental attitudes were not significantly associated with either pro-environmental behavior or descriptive environmental norms. However, descriptive environmental norms showed a significant positive association with pro-environmental behavior (t = 6.86, p < .001, 95% CI [0.27, 0.49]). Furthermore, social connectedness significantly moderated the association between descriptive environmental norms and pro-environmental behavior, with lower social connectedness strengthening this association (t = -2.39, p = .018, 95% CI [-0.23, 0.02]). These findings provide a better understanding of what drives young adults to pro-environmental behavior and can contribute to more targeted campaigns to encourage young adults to pro-environmental behavior.Show less
Background: Child welfare services face substantial challenges in managing out-of-home placements, with various risk factors influencing the duration and outcomes of these placements. Research has...Show moreBackground: Child welfare services face substantial challenges in managing out-of-home placements, with various risk factors influencing the duration and outcomes of these placements. Research has shown that both maternal and child characteristics can significantly impact the stability and length of these out-of-home placements, yet there is a lack of comprehensive studies examining these relationships within the Dutch context. Understanding these factors is crucial for developing effective interventions and support mechanisms. That is why this study aims to investigate the associations between the duration of out-of-home placements and maternal and child risk factors, as well as the role of help provided during the placement. Method: A case file analysis was conducted of 199 children (104 boys, 95 girls) within the Dutch child welfare system. The data was collected from randomly selected case files from various certified agencies across the Netherlands. The study employes both correlation and regression analysis to examine the relationship between the variables. Results: Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between maternal risk factors and the child’s age and a significant positive correlation with the duration of the placement and the amount of help provided during the placement. Child risk factors were positively correlated with the child’s age and negatively correlated with maternal risk factors. Regression analysis confirmed that maternal risk factors and help during the placement are significant predictors of the duration of out-of-home placements. Conclusions: This study underscores the importance of targeted interventions addressing maternal risk factors and providing psycho-education for mothers regarding their role in the duration of out-of-home placements. Additionally, it is crucial to ensure that access to support services is easy and straightforward for mothers, to encourage their engagement and participation in available interventions.Show less
Previous research has argued the importance of education for future gains (Palomino et al., 2019) and how inequality can negatively affect educational aspirations (Jia et al., 2021). Therefore,...Show morePrevious research has argued the importance of education for future gains (Palomino et al., 2019) and how inequality can negatively affect educational aspirations (Jia et al., 2021). Therefore, this study aimed to further demonstrate whether differences in perceptions of inequality of opportunity and outcome negatively affects students’ educational aspirations. Further, based on previous research demonstrating positive main effect of internal locus of control (Sagone & Caroli, 2014) and a moderating effect of internal locus of control (Jia et al., 2021) on educational outcomes, locus of control was added as a moderator to see if an internal locus of control offsets negative effects of inequality on educational aspirations. Our manipulation, videos explaining inequality of opportunity and outcome, failed to tease apart perceptions of inequality of opportunity and outcome and were consequently combined into one factor, inequality. We found no significant main effect of perception of inequality, but a significant positive main effect of locus of control on educational aspirations. An interaction effect between perceptions of inequality and locus of control on educational aspirations was found. However, unexpectedly, students perceiving inequality within the external locus of control group scored highest on educational aspirations. Implications, limitations, and avenues for further research are discussed.Show less
The exam period can be stressful for students, significantly impacting their lifestyle behaviours. Research indicates that students tend to have poorer diets during exam periods, with stress and...Show moreThe exam period can be stressful for students, significantly impacting their lifestyle behaviours. Research indicates that students tend to have poorer diets during exam periods, with stress and sleep quality potentially influencing this pattern. The decline in diet quality among university students during examinations is a significant social issue that needs to further understanding. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between exam stress and perceived changes in food choice -healthy or unhealthy eating- during an exam period among university students aged 18 to 25 and to assess to what extent this relationship is mediated by sleep quality during an exam period. Utilizing a cross-sectional design, data was collected from 200 Dutch university students who completed three questionnaires, the Examination Stress Scale, a questionnaire about changes in food choice during an exam period and the Regensburg Insomnia Scale. A mediation analysis was conducted using linear regressions in SPSS. The results indicated no significant relationship between exam stress and changes in food choice (β = .042 , p = .558). There was a significant positive relationship between exam stress and poor sleep quality (β = .44, p < .001). No significant association was found between sleep quality and changes in food choice (β = -.02, p < .770). When controlling for sleep quality, exam stress was still not associated with changes in food choices (β = .05, p < .514). Thus, the present study concluded that there is no relationship between exam stress and perceived changes in food choice -healthy or unhealthy eating- among university students ages 18 to 25 and that this relationship is not mediated by sleep quality during exams. However, there was a significant relationship between exam stress and poor sleep quality. Prevention strategies for exam stress and poor sleep should include stress management and education about the importance of sufficient sleep.Show less
Seeking to more profoundly understand the nexus between race and class in Brazil, and comprehend its implications for political consciousness, this thesis centres the question: “How is political...Show moreSeeking to more profoundly understand the nexus between race and class in Brazil, and comprehend its implications for political consciousness, this thesis centres the question: “How is political consciousness of Afro-Brazilian emancipation movements informed by class interests?” In this capacity, class interests are interpreted as racialised consciousness, derived from the neo- Marxist theory of racialisation, a lens that figures prominently in this study. Remaining open to alternative explanations, through exploring discourse of Afro-Brazilian movement Black Coalition for Rights, this study concludes that two forms of consciousness theoretically assumed to be different are both built on similar premises that recognise the role of capitalist structures in processes of racialisation.Show less
Depression and anxiety are increasingly prevalent and often co-occur in adolescence. Symptoms of stress are a commonality of these disorders. However, the role of this commonality in the co...Show moreDepression and anxiety are increasingly prevalent and often co-occur in adolescence. Symptoms of stress are a commonality of these disorders. However, the role of this commonality in the co-occurrence remains unknown. This cross-sectional study investigated the co-occurrence of depression, anxiety, and stress in adolescence using the network psychometrics approach. We obtained our data from the Open-Source Psychometrics Project. The data consisted of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS)-42 (N = 25,086, ages 13-24 years old). We estimated Gaussian Graphical Models (i.e., partial correlations between nodes) and analyzed the bridge nodes. Bridge nodes are nodes of the network that are most influential in connecting the different disorders. We expected the bridge nodes to be the overlapping symptoms found among depression, anxiety, and stress as indicated in the DSM-V. Moreover, to examine whether bridge nodes were consistent across adolescence, we divided our sample into three age groups: early adolescence (ages 13-15, N = 2,354), middle adolescence (ages 16-19, N = 9,476) and late adolescence (ages 20-24, N = 13,256). Our findings of the full sample adolescent network indicated that symptoms of restlessness (stress) and negative mood (depression) served as bridge nodes, which was in line with our hypothesis. Other bridge nodes, not in line with our hypothesis, were symptoms of subjective experience of anxiety (anxiety) and situational anxiety (anxiety). Bridge nodes exclusive to the late adolescent network were: Finding it hard to wind down (stress) and feeling terrified (anxiety). Moreover, relief after anxious situations (anxiety) was uniquely present in the early and late adolescent networks. This study expands the current theoretical knowledge by, for the first time to our knowledge, including stress symptoms in the network models and by comparing the different adolescent age groups using a broad age range (13 to 24 years). Future research should examine whether clinicians can successfully incorporate this knowledge into transdiagnostic treatment interventions, which could contribute to better overall mental health.Show less
Background: Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder where individuals fail to speak in specific situations despite being able to speak in others. Research indicates a significant association...Show moreBackground: Selective mutism is an anxiety disorder where individuals fail to speak in specific situations despite being able to speak in others. Research indicates a significant association between selective mutism and social anxiety. Moreover, specific parental behaviours, particularly overprotection, are linked to the development of social anxiety in children. In families with children diagnosed with selective mutism, various parenting styles are observed. Aim: This study analyses the possible relation between parental behaviour and social anxiety in four- and five-year-old children, both with and without the risk of developing selective mutism. Method: The current comparative study employs a cross-sectional design (n = 31), comprising fifteen children in the risk group and sixteen children in the comparison group. Two questionnaires completed by parents were used: the Social Anxiety Scale for Children Revised (SASC-R) to measure social anxiety in their children and the Comprehensive Early Childhood Parenting Questionnaire (CECPAQ) to assess parental behaviour. Results: The main findings indicate that children in the risk group exhibit higher levels of social anxiety and that their parents demonstrate less positive parenting behaviour compared to the control group. No relationship was found between positive parenting behaviour and social anxiety, with group status not being a significant moderator. However, a significant positive correlation was found between the level of structure provided by parents in the risk group and their children's social anxiety. Implications: Longitudinal research and parent-child observations are necessary to further verify and understand these findings. This study suggests that refining and improving interventions for selective mutism may involve increasing the focus on parental behaviour characteristics and parent-child interaction.Show less
Teacher shortage is a significant issue in the Netherlands affecting the entire country, but especially impacting schools in larger cities, where education is particularly important. As a result,...Show moreTeacher shortage is a significant issue in the Netherlands affecting the entire country, but especially impacting schools in larger cities, where education is particularly important. As a result, the children at those schools are more severely affected by the shortage and the shortage therefore acts as a catalyst for social inequality. Strategies to prevent teacher attrition and to promote teacher retention remain unclear. Therefore, in this thesis the motivating and demotivating factors for being a teacher in The Hague were examined. Through interviewing primary education teachers (n=5) and secondary education teachers (n=5) in The Hague, along with a literature study, was attempted to define those factors. The self-determination theory was used as a framework to describe the motivation of teachers. Results showed that fulfilling the basic psychological needs could motivate teachers in their work, while failure to satisfy the basic needs could demotivate teachers. Autonomy seemed crucial, including involvement in decision-making, feeling heard and professional development aligned with personal interests. Relatedness seemed to be fostered through positive student-teacher relationships and the sense of contributing to students' development. Competence seemed to be undermined by illegitimate tasks, yet a strong bond with students made teachers feel competent along with good results from students. The findings of this study can be used in educating school leaders in motivating their teachers. It is hoped that this thesis forms a starting point towards a better understanding of teachers' motivation.Show less
In early childhood the parents are the most important role model for a child. When children reach adolescence, others also become role models for them, for example peers. Based on the social...Show moreIn early childhood the parents are the most important role model for a child. When children reach adolescence, others also become role models for them, for example peers. Based on the social learning theory these persons are important for a child when they are developing their attitudes toward homosexuality and gender non-conforming behavior. This study focuses on the relationship between parental attitudes regarding homosexuality and gender non-conforming behavior compared to those attitudes and the explicit gender stereotypes in their adolescence. This is examined with a sample size of 109 families. Parents and adolescent’s attitudes regarding homosexuality were measured by a questionnaire about the acceptance of homosexuality, composed by the Netherlands institute of social research. The attitudes of parents and adolescents regarding gender non-conforming behavior were measured by a translation of the Genderism and transphobia scale revised. The explicit gender stereotypes of adolescents were measured by a combination of parts of the World Values Survey and the International Civic and Citizenship Education Study. Results showed a positive relation between mother’s attitudes regarding homosexuality and adolescent’s attitudes regarding homosexuality. Furthermore, a negative relation was found for the attitudes of mothers regarding homosexuality and the explicit gender stereotypes of adolescents. In conclusion, this meant that the more positive the attitudes of mothers were regarding homosexuality, the more positive the attitudes of adolescents were regarding homosexuality. In addition, this meant that the more positive mother’s attitudes were regarding homosexuality, the less explicit gender stereotypes adolescents had. Knowing this it is important that mothers can be made aware that, based on this research, the attitudes they have regarding homosexuality can influence the attitudes that adolescents have regarding homosexuality and their explicit gender stereotypes.Show less
