Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
This thesis explores the relationship between humans and non-humans within a sea turtle conservation organization in Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. Through eleven weeks of in-depth visual ethnographic...Show moreThis thesis explores the relationship between humans and non-humans within a sea turtle conservation organization in Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. Through eleven weeks of in-depth visual ethnographic fieldwork, I investigate the influence these human/non-human relationships have on scientific knowledge production. The output of this research consists of an ethnographic film ‘The Turtle Team’ and this article. This research underscores the necessity of adopting transdisciplinary methodologies in which non-humans are integrated, which is crucial in the era of the Anthropocene. It provides a nuanced understanding of how human/non-human relationships shape the production of scientific knowledge in this team of conservationists and emphasizes the interwovenness of humans and non-humans. This research contributes to the existing literature on the Anthropocene and the nature-culture debate and I argue that the interwovenness of humans and non-humans should be discussed more within scientific research, especially in conservation biology.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (BSc)
closed access
Doven en slechthorenden worden door de maatschappij op een bepaalde manier geclassificeerd en dit heeft gevolgen voor de mogelijkheden die zij hebben in de maatschappij. Deze scriptie gaat in op de...Show moreDoven en slechthorenden worden door de maatschappij op een bepaalde manier geclassificeerd en dit heeft gevolgen voor de mogelijkheden die zij hebben in de maatschappij. Deze scriptie gaat in op de manier waarop doven en slechthorenden worden gezien. Hierbij zal vanuit verschillende perspectieven worden gekeken wat het inhoudt om doof te zijn. De perspectieven van de horende maatschappij zullen tegenover die van de doven en slechthorenden worden gezet. Het perspectief van de horende maatschappij is op dit moment dominant. Om te analyseren waarom dit het geval is zal worden gekeken hoe de horende maatschappij het zintuig horen waardeert. Vervolgens zal worden gekeken hoe doven en slechthorenden in het dagelijks leven functioneren zonder het zintuig horen. Zij bewijzen dat het zintuig horen niet nodig is om goed te kunnen functioneren in de maatschappij. Op dit moment leven doven en slechthorenden in een wereld die niet altijd toegankelijk is. Er worden wel veranderingen gedaan om de maatschappij toegankelijker te maken, maar zijn dit wel de veranderingen die doven en slechthorenden zelf graag zien? Er is sprake van een spanningsveld tussen doven en slechthorenden en de horende maatschappij en dit spanningsveld zal in deze scriptie worden geanalyseerd.Show less
There is an inherent tension between poverty-eradicating, but fossil-fuel intensive, development and global climate change mitigation efforts. The human right to development, as established in the...Show moreThere is an inherent tension between poverty-eradicating, but fossil-fuel intensive, development and global climate change mitigation efforts. The human right to development, as established in the 1986 Declaration, recognizes a right to continuous improvement of life, irrespective of the negative environmental consequences related to this development. There is thus a need to review the human right to development in the context of climate change. In this thesis, I argue for a ‘threshold conception’ of the right to development, as it should be understood as a right to an unconditional process of development till the fulfillment of basic needs. Thereafter, development – then considered economic growth – should be consistent with the concept of sustainability. Moreover, I argue in favor of the adoption of the OHCHR’s Draft Convention on the Right to Development (2020) because it recognizes the triangular interconnectedness of development, the protection of human rights, and climate-related obligations. The convention establishes duties regarding climate mitigation, adaptation, and combatting climate injustices for states and the international community, which can both realize the right to development as the objectives of the human rights approach to climate change.Show less
Dutch law mandates that every secondary special education school develops post-secondary transition plans for their students. Currently, there are no established guidelines for creating these...Show moreDutch law mandates that every secondary special education school develops post-secondary transition plans for their students. Currently, there are no established guidelines for creating these transition plans. This study aimed to investigate two potential factors that could be considered, specifically for students with autism: IQ and social-emotional functioning. To examine the relationship between IQ, social-emotional functioning, and transition plans, this research assessed the correlation between IQ and transition plans, the correlation between social-emotional functioning and transition plans, and whether IQ or social-emotional functioning more strongly predicted transition plans. Recruitment resulted in a sample of n= 14 participants: with n= 13 boys and n= 1 girl. N= 7 was assigned the transition profile Labor and n= 7 was assigned the transition profile Post-Secondary Education, none of the participants were assigned the transition profile Daytime Occupation. This study utilized the developmental prospect plans of the students. Upon data analysis, it was found that there was no significant correlation between IQ and transition planning (p = .428), no significant correlation between social-emotional functioning and transition planning (p = .855), and neither IQ nor social-emotional functioning emerged as a stronger predictor for transition planning. The limitations of the current research were a small sample size, the variability of entries in the developmental prospect plans and the multidimensionality of the variables IQ and social-emotional functioning. Future research should be done to investigate the replicability of the current findings within a bigger sample and the potential of alternative variables that may be associated. Teachers working with students with autism may need additional training to understand the complexities of transition planning beyond the intellectual or social-emotional functioning. Considering these findings, it is concluded that neither IQ nor social-emotional functioning should be used as sole criteria for transition plans for autistic students in secondary special education.Show less
This current study investigated the relationship between level of pain, expectancies, and avoidance in individuals with chronic low back pain. Research showed that individually expectancies and...Show moreThis current study investigated the relationship between level of pain, expectancies, and avoidance in individuals with chronic low back pain. Research showed that individually expectancies and avoidance behaviour influence pain experience. However, there seems to be little research into the combined influence. Seeing that research also showed that pinpointing a cause for the chronic low back pain is difficult, this study aimed to give insight into interacting factors that influence chronic low back pain. To gather data participants (N=18) filled in a questionnaire five times a day for two weeks. This provided insight into their levels of pain in the morning and the evening, if they expected to experience pain and if they were more likely to avoid movements, they expected to be painful. These statements were answered with answering scales, ranging from 0 (not at all) to 6 (extremely), given how likely that statement was for the participant. A mediation analysis inspecting possible relations between the level of pain and expectancies, the level of pain and avoidance, and the level of pain, expectancies and avoidance yielded no significant relations. Therefore, it could not be concluded that avoidance and/or expectancy are influencing the level of pain in the evening when compared to the level of pain in the morning. There were two significant findings, the impact of level of pain in the morning on expectancies and the impact of expectancies on avoidance. These findings are in line with what was found in existing literature and give incitement for further research on this topic. Another incitement for further research is the small sample used in this current study. The implication for the scientific field therefore is to perform this study on a bigger sample. Another consideration for further research would be to try and use a more diverse sample in both age and gender, this to make a more representative sample to draw conclusions for the general population. This could also lead to more substantial implications for the clinical field since this study did not have significant results.Show less
This research is a crafted investigation of how Nigeria's foreign policy frameworks formed the country's external relations under the leadership of President Olusegun Obasanjo's civilian...Show moreThis research is a crafted investigation of how Nigeria's foreign policy frameworks formed the country's external relations under the leadership of President Olusegun Obasanjo's civilian administration (1999–2007). The study attempts to uncover the variants of strategies used during the administration of President Obasanjo to deal with the complexities in international diplomacy against the background of Nigeria's historic orientations and the complex problems it encountered within the time frame of the study. This study investigates Nigeria's diplomacy, regional engagement, and international alliances in that particular era, and it tries to provide insights into the complex approach it was used by Nigeria in order to establish its international influence. This paper aims to explore the underpinning elements determining the nature of Nigeria's foreign policy strategy of Constructive and Beneficial Concentricism through a systematic investigation of its objectives and application with other countries, international organizations or regional blocs. Also, a critical assessment is done on how successful these types of diplomacy have built the national interests of Nigeria, promoted stability in the region and stimulated economic development. This study aims to reveal those variables that matter for the foreign policy of Nigeria as well as discover the reasons for the changing place of the country in the world community via a thorough examination of the successes and failures of the foreign policy of Nigeria. In addition to secondary literature and expert analysis, this paper improves the primary sources like official documents, policy statements and diplomatic letters to project the big picture of Nigeria's foreign policy trajectory during the Obasanjo administration. The research advances the understanding of the dynamics that made Nigeria interact with the international community to strengthen external relations and offers the reader helpful insights for individuals with an interest in the nation's diplomatic efforts.Show less
Onderzoek naar de classificatieaccuratesse van Alzheimer is belangrijk om de ziekte in de toekomst beter te kunnen behandelen. In deze scriptie werden twee structurele MRI-maten geëvalueerd: grijze...Show moreOnderzoek naar de classificatieaccuratesse van Alzheimer is belangrijk om de ziekte in de toekomst beter te kunnen behandelen. In deze scriptie werden twee structurele MRI-maten geëvalueerd: grijze stofdichtheid (48 predictoren) en subcorticale volumes (14 predictoren). Deze scriptie onderzocht wat de toegevoegde waarde van subcorticale volumes bovenop grijze stofdichtheid is. Hierbij werd verwacht dat I) grijze stofdichtheid accurater was voor de classificatie van Alzheimer dan subcorticale volumes, maar dat II) subcorticale volumes nog wel iets zouden toevoegen aan grijze stofdichtheid. Om dit te onderzoeken, is data gebruikt van 249 participanten afkomstig uit twee verschillende studies. 76 participanten hadden de diagnose Alzheimer en de overige 173 participanten waren cognitief gezonde ouderen. Er zijn drie modellen gebruikt: een model van grijze stofdichtheid (48 predictoren), een model van subcorticale volumes (14 predictoren) en een combinatiemodel van grijze stofdichtheid en subcorticale volumes (62 predictoren). Voor alle modellen is een logistische regressieanalyse met geneste kruisvalidatie uitgevoerd. Het model van grijze stofdichtheid had een AUC-waarde van 0.897 en een MGA-waarde van 0.822. Het model van subcorticale volumes had een AUC-waarde van 0.807 en een MGA-waarde van 0.769. Het gecombineerde model had een AUCwaarde van 0.897 en een MGA-waarde van 0.841. De eerste hypothese werd bevestigd, aangezien grijze stofdichtheid belangrijker was voor de classificatieaccuratesse dan subcorticale volumes. De tweede hypothese kon niet worden bevestigd, aangezien subcorticale volumes weinig tot niets lijken toe te voegen aan grijze stofdichtheid voor de classificatieaccuratesse van Alzheimer. Deze kennis kan gebruikt worden om toekomstige classificatiemodellen van Alzheimer te verbeteren.Show less
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many activities and platforms have shifted to the virtual realm, including rituals and ceremonies. When it comes to psychedelic rituals, there are several important...Show moreDue to the COVID-19 pandemic, many activities and platforms have shifted to the virtual realm, including rituals and ceremonies. When it comes to psychedelic rituals, there are several important factors to take into account, such as the setting, dosage, and type of substance consumed. This paper examines the effects of virtual ceremonies on psychedelic experiences. The study utilized an online self-report questionnaire that was sent 1-2 days after the ceremony conducted by retreat company Spinoza. The gathered data were analyzed using thematic qualitative analysis. The categorization and themes were agreed upon by two independent researchers. The themes presented relate to the improvement of mental health and physical comfort along with insightful personal journeys. Further evaluation of the research suggested that the findings provide a general idea about the effects of digital format on the psychedelic experience. It has been found that with digital platforms on psychedelic experiences, individuals can experience clarity of unsolved issues, improved self-regulation, as well as improved emotional and mental states.Show less
