During the past couple of decades China has witnessed a gradual shift in which it increasingly prioritises the environment and climate change as important global issues whereby it subscribes itself...Show moreDuring the past couple of decades China has witnessed a gradual shift in which it increasingly prioritises the environment and climate change as important global issues whereby it subscribes itself a leading role.This thesis explored the motives behind China’s shift regarding these issues, on the basis of Chinese policy documents, and by doing so analysed what the implications are for its role in global governance. It argues that China pursues a more dominant position in global governance, as international reasons for China's policy shift are its main motivation, in contrast to less important national reasons. As China clearly uses the environment and climate change as powerful political tools for pursuing its own interest, its future national and international actions on these topics are very unreliable.Show less
A research on the conflict in the South China Sea between China and other claimant states. This thesis tries to answer the question how China has been able to maintain its dominance and activities...Show moreA research on the conflict in the South China Sea between China and other claimant states. This thesis tries to answer the question how China has been able to maintain its dominance and activities in the South China Sea despite the negative ruling of the arbitral case between China and the Philippines. Special focus is being given to the explanation of absence of expected conflict between China and other claimant states or third parties (e.g. the Philippines, Vietnam and the US). The thesis concludes that conflict has stayed out mainly due to political change in involved countries, China's use of its recently increased hard and soft power and because of ineffectiveness of international institutions to solve these kind of conflicts.Show less
People in Japan have increasingly moved away from institutionalized religion, meaning these institutions are no longer the primary purveyors of religious and spiritual thought in Japan. This thesis...Show morePeople in Japan have increasingly moved away from institutionalized religion, meaning these institutions are no longer the primary purveyors of religious and spiritual thought in Japan. This thesis seeks to argue that manga and anime serve as a new way for people to interact with religious and spiritual ideas. This is explored by discussing the ties between secularization, modernization, and changes in Japanese society. It also discusses the role played by the media in forming spiritual thought and analyzes comments from Westerners in online discussion boards about anime. This research finds that spiritual ideas in Japan grew to fit the changing spiritual needs of the people, needs affected by social changes caused by secularization and modernization. Manga and anime, serving as reflections of Japanese society, incorporate these themes and spread them to a large audience both within and outside Japan. Consumers of these products interact with the religious and spiritual themes portrayed, using them to foster an interest in spiritual ideas and to reflect on their own spirituality.Show less
The 21st century has seen China emerge as a leading global actor. China’s rise has been multifaceted as the East Asian state has become a leading political, strategic and economic power. China’s...Show moreThe 21st century has seen China emerge as a leading global actor. China’s rise has been multifaceted as the East Asian state has become a leading political, strategic and economic power. China’s rise has also extended to the UN. Since the turn of the century, China has undoubtedly increased it’s influence and become a leading UN peacekeeping force. This Thesis argues that China’s emergence and active contribution has impacted the UN’s peacekeeping norms. Since the 1940s, decades of Western dominance over the UN’s peacekeeping agenda displayed a liberal character and came to embrace ideas such as interventionism and the promotion of human rights. As China has increasingly engaged with the UN peacekeeping agenda and participated in UN peacekeeping missions, the UN has been influenced by China’s very distinct peacekeeping values, such as the promotion of state sovereignty.Show less
Over the years, China has engaged in a multiplicity of strategies to coerce Taiwan towards unification, and the Taiwanese towards assimilating under a singular Chinese identity. After the 2014...Show moreOver the years, China has engaged in a multiplicity of strategies to coerce Taiwan towards unification, and the Taiwanese towards assimilating under a singular Chinese identity. After the 2014 Sunflower Movement protests in Taiwan, China identified the Taiwanese youth as a target demographic for coercive measures. The state has rolled out a number of incentives to induce young, talented Taiwanese to migrate to China. Through a series of in-depth interviews with young Taiwanese migrants in China, this paper seeks to ascertain whether or not living in China for extended periods of time affects Taiwanese attitudes towards national identity and cross-strait unification. The paper finds that although Taiwanese are gratified with the personal development and career development time in China affords them, they do not change their attitudes towards national identity nor unification by virtue of living in China and interacting with Chinese people. They undertake several practices in order to negotiate their national identity that ultimately end up reinforcing it.Show less
China recently revised its history textbook, such that the duration of the Second Sino-Japanese war has now been expanded from 8 years to 14 years, and this change has led to wide criticism,...Show moreChina recently revised its history textbook, such that the duration of the Second Sino-Japanese war has now been expanded from 8 years to 14 years, and this change has led to wide criticism, especially from Japan and Taiwan. Historical conflicts have always played an important role in shaping Chinese relations with Japan and Taiwan, as they cannot reach a common understanding about their shared historical memory.Regarding the Second Sino-Japanese War, each of the three sides have provided different depictions in their history textbooks. This thesis only focuses on the differences between Taiwan and Mainland China. Based on the findings above, the differences in the depictions of this war are mainly caused by the distinctive political interests and ideologies of the two sides. Furthermore, since this thesis also compares the history textbooks published on one side across time, between the 1980s and 2017, there also exist changes in a country’s political interests and ideology across time that also affect the textbooks.Show less
This research analyzes to what extent the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) economic development policies, as presented in their 13th five-year plan, address the areas crucial to ensuring the...Show moreThis research analyzes to what extent the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) economic development policies, as presented in their 13th five-year plan, address the areas crucial to ensuring the sustainability of China’s economic development. The CCP’s 13th five-year plan is analyzed and its key-aspects are presented. The sustainability of China’s economic development according to the CCP, the World Bank and the OECD, Chinese sources, and Western sources is discussed. Seven areas crucial to ensuring the sustainability of China’s economic development, according to the literature, are identified and compared to the key-aspects of the CCP’s 13th five-year plan. This research finds that all of the seven areas deemed crucial to the sustainability of China’s economic development were addressed to a certain extent in the 13th five-year plan.Show less
The purpose of this thesis is was establish how the revival of traditional gender norms by stigmatizing women’s leftover status, has influenced educated women (labeled Shengnü) in looking for a...Show moreThe purpose of this thesis is was establish how the revival of traditional gender norms by stigmatizing women’s leftover status, has influenced educated women (labeled Shengnü) in looking for a future partner online. It does this by analyzing women’s profiles on an online dating website and researches women’s self-presentation and criteria for mate selection in finding a heterosexual partner. It argues that highly educated women in the workforce (in Beijing) are influenced by societal pressures, and therefore downplay their achievements, hide information and/or lower their demands to attract a suitable mate. To verify this hypothesis, a content analysis was conducted on profiles of women residing in Beijing on the largest state-owned dating website in China, Jiayuan.com.Show less
A case study on the influence of cultural heritage, identity, and tourism on the websites for two museums related to cultural heritage. Focusing on the presentation of heritage on the websites and...Show moreA case study on the influence of cultural heritage, identity, and tourism on the websites for two museums related to cultural heritage. Focusing on the presentation of heritage on the websites and the creation of an image for tourism.Show less
Why are there so many and such varied discourses about Tibet? Why do the statements about Tibet made by American, Chinese, and foreign organizations often appear to be quite different from and...Show moreWhy are there so many and such varied discourses about Tibet? Why do the statements about Tibet made by American, Chinese, and foreign organizations often appear to be quite different from and sometimes in contradiction to each other? This research focuses on how Tibet has been framed by different parties in their discourse. It examines how these parties discuss and portray Old Tibet (prior to the Chinese invasion) and Contemporary Tibet. With regard to Old Tibet I consider how Orientalist ideas have influenced and shaped the discourse on Tibet; with regard to Contemporary Tibet, two processes which influence the discourse on Tibet are discussed, namely, the commodification and the politicization of Tibet.Show less
Education systems play a key role in integrating (im-) migrant children into society. In Shang-hai, migrant children do not have access to equal education, due to the household registration system....Show moreEducation systems play a key role in integrating (im-) migrant children into society. In Shang-hai, migrant children do not have access to equal education, due to the household registration system. The local government has taken steps to gradually open public schools for migrants. However, it remains questionable if migrant children will be able to succeed if they have few-er resources of cultural and social capital. To illustrate how cultural and social capital influ-ence the educational success of students, Shanghai will be compared to the German education system. The example of Second generation Turkish immigrants' school performance is an indi-cation that the German education system underlies cultural and social capital constraints. Even though Shanghai's school's system has institutional barriers, a comparison can help to explain how mechanisms of social exclusion play out. A comprehensive school model could help to cancel out the effects of cultural and social capital. The aim of this research is to a deeper understanding of how education systems influence social mobility of (im-) migrants in different contexts.Show less
Hollywood has been the leading film industry in the cinematic universe for the past several decades. China on the other hand, has been one of the fastest rising economies during these same decades....Show moreHollywood has been the leading film industry in the cinematic universe for the past several decades. China on the other hand, has been one of the fastest rising economies during these same decades. China is one of the biggest markets for Hollywood to gain more exposure and income. However, the Chinese government has been known to influence society through the use of censorship. To research how Hollywood film studios cater towards the strict censorship laws of the CCP various (scholarly) sources media are studied. It is important to study the relationship between Hollywood and China because Chinese censorship influences what we see in all kind of films around the world.Show less
Although there are a myriad of heritage topics, this thesis will be focusing on one major topic within it: Cultural Heritage and its management type. This paper is meant to explain what impact...Show moreAlthough there are a myriad of heritage topics, this thesis will be focusing on one major topic within it: Cultural Heritage and its management type. This paper is meant to explain what impact management has on the sites themselves, the locals, the economy and the environment. This thesis will focus on two case studies, Lijiang and Dali, both ancient cities in Yunnan. In particular it will research two models of cultural heritage management, which are the government and government/private combination led models, and then proceed to discover what model appears to have the most seemingly ‘positive’ impacts the aforementioned aspects.Show less
There is no easy solution to the volatile political situation on the Korean peninsula, but scholars and politicians have been working on a project that could perhaps set the foundation for a better...Show moreThere is no easy solution to the volatile political situation on the Korean peninsula, but scholars and politicians have been working on a project that could perhaps set the foundation for a better understanding between the DPRK and the ROK: the preservation of the Korean DMZ. While the plan to turn the DMZ into a reserve holds political, ecological and economic potential, the manner in which both countries have tried to put it into action has backfired. A lack of communication, understanding and tact has taken a lauded opportunity for positive change and turned it into a matter of conflict. If anything is to be gained in the DMZ, and if further damage to political relations is to be prevented, it is crucial to re-examine and reconsider the strategies of the DPRK, the ROK, and UNESCO in regards to the preservation of the DMZ.Show less
In recent years, China has made international headlines as a result of its poor factory labour conditions. Chinese leaders have observed that this international coverage has reflected poorly on the...Show moreIn recent years, China has made international headlines as a result of its poor factory labour conditions. Chinese leaders have observed that this international coverage has reflected poorly on the country and greatly impacted its image both internationally and domestically. Therefore new strategies to (re)build China's image have utilized CSR in order to gain a certain influence and stability in the national and international sphere.Show less
