This thesis, concerned with ecological transitions, is more specifically set in the debate of sustainable agricultural practices in India. The chosen approach is a comparative study of two...Show moreThis thesis, concerned with ecological transitions, is more specifically set in the debate of sustainable agricultural practices in India. The chosen approach is a comparative study of two organizations providing seeds to farmers in India: on one side Bayer CropScience Ltd. (India), which promotes the use of hybrid, genetically modified (GM) crops and chemical pesticides; and on the other side Navdanya, which turns to the preservation and development of traditional seeds and practices. The primary aim of this research is to establish a clear link between belief systems and economic ecological practices. From this link, this research proposes a comparison of the values that have a significant effect on Navdanya’s inner workings and economic endeavors to values ruling over Bayer India in order to inform societal transitions towards sustainable economic models. This thesis concludes that Bayer’s episteme is characterized by its definition of progress as growth, and its co-dependence in equilibrium between shareholders and consumers that are more widely set in the Modern episteme’s anthropocentrism and objectification of the ‘other’. Navdanya’s episteme is characterized by a sacred understanding of biodiversity and an attempt to recenter economies towards women and nature in the idea that their creations is merely unpaid work upon which the growth paradigm relies. The two organizations are set in a polarizing tension rooted in the core beliefs of both paradigms.Show less
In my thesis, I explore and compare three films issued in the decades after the 1980s for their representation of neglected regional working-class memory – for which I use the term counter-memory...Show moreIn my thesis, I explore and compare three films issued in the decades after the 1980s for their representation of neglected regional working-class memory – for which I use the term counter-memory throughout my thesis – of Thatcher’s politics. Counter-memory presents the narratives of the people who struggle in the dominant culture. All three of the films in this corpus are directed by British filmmakers. The Commitments (1991), directed by Alan Parker, is set in Dublin, Ireland. Trainspotting (1996), directed by Danny Boyle, is set in Edinburgh, Scotland. Stephen Daldry’s Billy Elliot (2000) is set in County Durham, England. I critically examine how these films challenge or reinforce the capitalist hegemony of the 1980s and how their critique of society influences the memory of that era. Overall, I argue that the abovementioned films represent different sides of working-class counter-memory in a kaleidoscopic view of the same: counter-memory of the socio-economic effects of the political strategies in Britain and Ireland of the 1980s.Show less
In the thesis, the research focus was the use of representations of King Saint Stephen (r. 1000/1001-1038), the founder of the Hungarian Kingdom and member of the dynasty of Árpád, by the dynasties...Show moreIn the thesis, the research focus was the use of representations of King Saint Stephen (r. 1000/1001-1038), the founder of the Hungarian Kingdom and member of the dynasty of Árpád, by the dynasties of the Hungarian Angevins and the Hunyadi to legitimize their own rule. Representations were divided into five categories - namely textual, visual, material, heraldic, and performative representation. A comparison was made between the two dynasties of the Hungarian Angevins and the Hunyadi, which lead to the conclusion that under king Matthias Hunyadi (r. 1458-1490), Stephen was represented more effectively and in new forms. This was in spite of the Hungarian Angevins being pioneers in the representation of Stephen, since they had had a greater urgency to legitimize themselves using representation after the previous Árpádian dynasty had ended in 1301. The thesis used a broad selection of source-types - (illuminated) chronicles, frescoes, coins, seals, altarpieces, and church interiors and exteriors - to trace the forms that were given to the representations of Stephen.Show less
South Korea-China bilateral relations deteriorated in the wake of the THAAD announcement in July of 2016. China considers the anti-ballistic missile defense system currently situated on South...Show moreSouth Korea-China bilateral relations deteriorated in the wake of the THAAD announcement in July of 2016. China considers the anti-ballistic missile defense system currently situated on South Korean soil a gross violation of their national security. Subsequently, Chinese public opinion of South Korea regressed swiftly due to negative representation of South Korea’s security policies throughout Chinese state media. In response, South Korea employed public and traditional diplomatic approaches to restore bilateral favorability. Through a mixed method exploratory study, which considers quantitative and qualitative data, the effectiveness of public diplomacy in the given context was clearly deduced . This approach is seldom employed in the field of diplomacy research and thus resulted in a more innovative understanding. The findings demonstrate the insignificant impact that public diplomacy had on Chinese public opinion subsequent to the THAAD incident. Influential Chinese state media, effective traditional diplomatic alternatives, and insufficient coordination represent the key roadblocks for public diplomacy’s efficiency in targeting the Chinese population. Anticipating these variables can facilitate further development of public diplomacy strategies by South Korean policy makers.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Nederlandse taal en cultuur (BA)
open access
Tijdens de coronacrisis werden er veel metaforen gebruikt in de communicatie over het beleid en het virus. Vooral tijdens de persconferenties van minister-president Mark Rutte en minister Hugo de...Show moreTijdens de coronacrisis werden er veel metaforen gebruikt in de communicatie over het beleid en het virus. Vooral tijdens de persconferenties van minister-president Mark Rutte en minister Hugo de Jonge viel het vele metafoorgebruik op. Metaforen kunnen worden gebruikt om abstracte concepten die lastig te begrijpen zijn, uit te drukken in simpelere concepten. Lakoff and Johnson (1980) waren de eersten die metaforen niet alleen als een stijlmiddel beschreven, maar ook stelden dat bijna al ons alledaagse taalgebruik metaforisch is. Het spreken over ziekten in metaforen heeft een rijke geschiedenis en er is dan ook veel eerder onderzoek naar metafoorgebruik in combinatie met infectieziekten, epidemieën en pandemieën. Er is internationaal ook veel literatuur geschreven over metafoorgebruik rondom het coronavirus, maar veel minder over metafoorgebruik over het beleid tegen het coronavirus. Reijnierse (2020) en De Jong (2020) schreven wel al eerder over metafoorgebruik in de coronapersconferenties, op populariserende en niet-systematische wijze. Er is in Nederland dus gering onderzoek gedaan naar metaforen in combinatie met coronabeleid. Dit onderzoek beoogt bij te dragen aan het opvullen van deze leemte, door voorbereide bijdragen uit plenaire vergaderingen van de Tweede Kamer te analyseren. Dit onderzoek richt zich in het bijzonder op Tunahan Kuzu en Wybren van Haga, die een kritische houding aannemen tegenover het coronabeleid. Reijnierse (2020) doet in haar eerste artikel een oproep voor meer metafooronderzoek naar het taalgebruik bij coronabeleid. In deze scriptie wordt gehoor gegeven aan deze oproep door de volgende onderzoeksvraag te beantwoorden: Welke conceptuele metaforen worden er gebruikt door Kuzu en Van Haga bij het spreken over het coronabeleid in de Tweede Kamer? Uit de literatuur is gebleken dat onderzoek naar conceptuele metaforen een aantal problemen met zich meebrengt op het gebied van criteria en afbakening tijdens de analyse. Aan de hand van die kritiek is de MIP-methode opgesteld door Pragglejaz (2007). Dit onderzoek maakt voor de corpusanalyse gebruik van de versie van MIP zoals bijgesteld door Dorst (2015). Uit de analyse is gebleken dat Kuzu en Van Haga vooral negatieve en gewelddadige metaforen gebruikten in de geselecteerde teksten. Deze negatieve lading kan worden verklaard door de kritische houding die Kuzu en Van Haga hebben tegenover het coronabeleid en het kabinet. Het metafoorgebruik van de twee sprekers kwam grotendeels met elkaar overeen, op enkele keuzes voor bepaalde conceptuele metaforen na. De resultaten van dit onderzoek nodigen ook uit tot verschillende vervolgonderzoeken naar metafoorgebruik in de politiek.Show less
One of the most universal expressions of language is probably the invective, that is to say insults, slurs, and other offensive utterances. As a scholarly discipline, ‘swearing research’ has been...Show moreOne of the most universal expressions of language is probably the invective, that is to say insults, slurs, and other offensive utterances. As a scholarly discipline, ‘swearing research’ has been slow to take hold, but is now increasingly popular among historians, and to a lesser extent linguists. Within the field of Assyriology we know of many texts that contain derogatory language, which have been studied in isolated contexts. This thesis marks the first systematic study into insults in the Old Babylonian lexicon. It incorporates Sumerian school texts – famous for their combative dialogues – and letters from the AbB and ARM series. It lays the groundwork for further research in the form of a database that includes over 900 entries: insults from various contexts, as well as the terms that denote the act of insulting. This forms the basis for a typology that characterises every insult by language, genre, type, directness, context, and other categories. A number of interesting patterns are immediately visible. Firstly, a very small number of literary texts accounts for the majority of insults that were collected. However, the types of slurs generally correspond with those found in less represented categories, such as personal letters. Secondly, one can identify a division between extensive offensive statements with a build-up and punchline, and individual insulting words. Animal names are common here, especially ‘dog’ and ‘pig’, but more creative ones also occur abundantly. Thirdly, the inclusion of insulting terms (e.g. ṭapālum “to insult”) allows us to cross-reference them with their respective most popular insults. This is especially useful to determine what the ancient authors of the texts perceived as offensive, rather than us modern commentators. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the collection and study of insults shows just how human they were. The results demonstrate the promising possibilities of this new branch of Assyriological scholarship. They are not necessarily restricted to the negative and belligerent aspects of humanity communication. The study of offensive language can also, for example, serve to study the social context of literature produced by the scribal elite, and by extension rhetoric, argumentation, or sentiment among real-life historical agents in different settings.Show less
In this dissertation I will be evaluating whether and how moral-concept abolitionism can be a satisfactory answer to the now-what question for moral-error theory. The version of error-theory most...Show moreIn this dissertation I will be evaluating whether and how moral-concept abolitionism can be a satisfactory answer to the now-what question for moral-error theory. The version of error-theory most people will be familiar with was forwarded by Mackie (1977). Error-theorists are committed to the idea that first-order moral claims are truth-apt, they are trying to refer to some fact out there in the world, but since an ontological investigation does not provide one with moral facts, all moral claims are wrong by default. This leads into the ‘now-what’ question: what are we to do with our moral language once we accept the error-theory. I will forgo arguing that the known version of the error-theory is plausible or true, since I expect those interested in the now-what question to already have accepted the error-theory. Moral-concept abolitionism is one among the possible answers to the now-what question. It recommends we jettison moral concepts from our language for diverging reasons. I start my investigation with Anscombe’s ‘Modern Moral Philosophy’ (1958) in which I argue she forwards an error-theory and her own answers to the now-what question. Her error-theory follows from a historical analysis, rather than an ontological one like Mackie’s (1977). Second, I will evaluate how Anscombe’s abolitionism compares to the work of abolitionists that are responding to Mackie, as well as show their significant differences, their incommensurability. These differences lead me to demarcate two distinct forms of abolitionism. Anscombe’s version, soft-abolitionism, recommends we jettison moral language, but also provides criteria to meaningfully reacquire moral thoughts and talk. I argue these criteria would not be accepted by modern abolitionists for multiple reasons: moral language, as well as the positive account of virtue Anscombe envisions, is at risk of being elitist, authoritarian, and ineffective, which is detrimental to time-sensitive issues such as climate change. I call the position that recommends jettisoning moral language, full stop, hard-abolitionism. I will compare the nuances of both soft- and hard-abolitionism and conclude that while they offer different merits as an answer to the now-what question, the concerns raised by hard-abolitionists lead me to conclude that, at least when deciding between forms of abolitionism, the modern hard-abolitionist version holds the better cards. I conclude that while both forms of abolitionism could be a satisfactory answer to the now-what question, hard-abolitionism is the more viable abolitionism in the face of our current problems.Show less
This thesis aims to discuss the applicability of metaphysical models concerning personhood. I use Geach’s treatment of identity statements to show that the predicates we use to describe personhood,...Show moreThis thesis aims to discuss the applicability of metaphysical models concerning personhood. I use Geach’s treatment of identity statements to show that the predicates we use to describe personhood, or in Derek Parfit’s case R-relatedness, are applicable rather than necessarily true of the world. I will conclude that metaphysical theses about personhood have to be true for us, if we are to act as if they were explanatory, such that we can say we believe in them. If the truth-aptness of metaphysical models is to be verified in terms of how we act in the world, then given the attachment I personally have towards entities I call persons, which I show by acting in specific related ways, I cannot give up the explanatory force persons have for me, even if Parfit’s reductionism may be propositionally convincing. This is exemplified in Tang Junyi’s treatment of human nature as a context-dependent disposition.Show less
