In 2001, the Chinese government officially recognized Zhongdian County in Yunnan Province as Shangri-La, which is a fictional concept that signifies paradise introduced by the British author James...Show moreIn 2001, the Chinese government officially recognized Zhongdian County in Yunnan Province as Shangri-La, which is a fictional concept that signifies paradise introduced by the British author James Hilton (1933). Ever since the region has been renamed, some visitors have started to express that Shangri-La County has transformed into a theme park and has lost its authenticity. The current essay explored, by using Bryman’s (2004) theory of Disneyization as a framework, whether it can be said that the name change into Shangri-La has changed the region into a theme park. The resources of this research were scholarly literature, travel blogs and TripAdvisor reviews about Shangri-La. Of the four principles mentioned in Disneyization, that all describe a trend common to a theme park, the principles of theming, hybrid consumption and merchandising were all found to be take place in the Shangri-La region. Only performative labor, as defined in the theory, was considerably less present in Shangri-La County. However, in regard to how Chinese theme parks (like Yunnan Ethnic Folk Village) function, such as the lack of smiling service, the principle of performative labor may still apply to Shangri-La. Thus, the result indicates that Shangri-La is comparable to a theme park and that how the theory of Disneyization is defined currently has no universal validity because it takes no cultural differences in account. Furthermore, in view of Jean Baudrillard’s (1994) account of postmodernism, Shangri-La is similar to a theme park in that they both create a hyper-reality in which a highly similar but ‘unreal’ reality is experienced by visitors through the processes of simulation or simulacrum. In this sense, the Shangri-La narrative has bestowed a frame by which tourists started to percept and experience the region’s authenticity. However, considering that Western tourists are predominantly the ones seeking authenticity in Shangri-La – may it be an authentic setting or an authentic self – it is their confrontation with the touristic environments like Dukezong that sways them to evaluate the region as a theme park. The voices of the local population and Chinese tourists were not brought into account in the current research; future research should therefore explore deeper how these groups’ experience the changes in Shangri-La County.Show less
This study aims to answer the question regarding what language policies of Japan and the Netherlands were used in Korea and Indonesia in the period from 1910to 1945. In brief, I researched the...Show moreThis study aims to answer the question regarding what language policies of Japan and the Netherlands were used in Korea and Indonesia in the period from 1910to 1945. In brief, I researched the differences between the Netherlands and Japan. The political attitude towards the two different colonies might have been the biggest difference between the two colonisers. Therefore, I gave this subject the most attention during the writing of this thesis. I was curious about the different political policies that the Netherlands and Japan had regarding their language implementation in the colony. This thesis is a literature study that focuses on the available material of the two colonizers and their respective colonies. In brief, this thesis shows that Japan had a more direct and aggressive approach to colonization compared to the Netherlands. While the Netherlands mainly focused on becoming as rich as possible from the trade,the Japanese wanted to completely assimilate Korea.Several interesting differences were noticeable;one of those was Japan’s assimilation policy, which resulted in the uniform Kokuga language/culture. Conversely, the Dutch did not try their utmost to make Dutch the uniform language in Indonesia. Furthermore, the Japanese forbid the use of other languages apart from Japanese whereas the Dutch accepted the use of Malay, Portuguese and many other languages.Show less
The arrival of Donald Trump on the global political stage, has significantly changed how other countries regard the US. One country where this is especially true is China. This thesis therefore...Show moreThe arrival of Donald Trump on the global political stage, has significantly changed how other countries regard the US. One country where this is especially true is China. This thesis therefore analyzed three different Chinese newspapers on their discourse regarding the US in the period between the latter part of the 2016 US elections and the first few months of Trump’s presidency. Special focus is paid to how the discourse of the newspapers relates to China. Generally, the newspapers treated the presidency of Trump, as well as his election, as symptoms of a greater US decline. Apart from US decline, there was also special emphasis in the newspapers on China’s importance as a great power. Overall, there was a big difference in reporting between the two state-owned newspapers and the one private-owned newspaper. These difference were mostly related to the focus of the articles and a relatively large shift in tone of the articles. The official newspapers changed their reporting on the US drastically in later reporting, as well as China’s relationship with the US. These changes betray a lack of coherent strategy in regards to China’s view of itself as a great power and its relationship with the US.Show less
The problem of the elderly in post-3.11 Japan is not solvable at any single level. One cannot reduce all phenomena to results of a single factor, be it governmental practice, change in social...Show moreThe problem of the elderly in post-3.11 Japan is not solvable at any single level. One cannot reduce all phenomena to results of a single factor, be it governmental practice, change in social capital, or arbitrary wills of a group of people. After all, the levels that are investigated in this paper only represent some perspectives of inquiry. It is the variety and specificity of older people’s situations that a proper research on them has to respect. Correspondingly, the foremost implication of this research is the importance of being patient to and leaving space for, the multiplicity of the voices of the elderly.Show less
The Japanese mobile phone market has one of the highest diffusion rates of mobile phones in the world, and in an attempt to reactivate this seemingly saturated market, the mobile phone industry now...Show moreThe Japanese mobile phone market has one of the highest diffusion rates of mobile phones in the world, and in an attempt to reactivate this seemingly saturated market, the mobile phone industry now targets the silver market with products aimed towards the elderly consumer. This thesis will take a more in-depth look at Japanese elderly-orientated advertising for mobile phone services for insight into how advertisers represents the elderly and how this fits into wider social practices in Japan. After first sketching a wider context of the Japanese mobile phone market, and how old age fits in the discussion on representation within media-created texts, Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis is used to investigate two advertisements of NTT DoCoMo’s “Tsunagari-hotto-support” service. It is concluded that the examined ads use various multimodal resources to construct and maintain dominant ideologies of filial piety, which can have a negative effect on elderly and their caregivers in Japan.Show less
The author researches the extensive and fast moving changes in Taiwan politics and society in the period 2004 – 2013, the period that he lived and worked as an expatriate in Taipei. This through a...Show moreThe author researches the extensive and fast moving changes in Taiwan politics and society in the period 2004 – 2013, the period that he lived and worked as an expatriate in Taipei. This through a critical approach to Taiwan’s heritage. At the start of the period under review, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was in power for the first time since its founding in 1986 at the end of Taiwan’s Kuomintang (KMT) led marshal law period. In 2008 the KMT regained the government, providing for a unique insight in the practical implications of their ideological differences. Two interrelated issues dominate Taiwan’s politics, and with this Taiwan’s society. Externally this is the standoff between Taiwan and the PRC, internally it is the sharp divide within Taiwan’s society on many issues, explicit in the rivalry between the two main political parties. At the heart of these issues lies defining the Taiwanese identity. The PRC’s claim is based on Taiwan’s Chineseness, on Taiwan being an integrated part of China’s history and culture. Internally, the KMT and DPP carry the discussion on Chineseness or Taiwaneseness through to the extent that the public debate is immersed in the issue of identity. The ultimate question however is whether history and cultural heritage is the right approach to determine sameness or otherness. The author concludes this is not the case.Show less
Dit werkstuk gaat over de morele principes die weduwen volgens het boek Lienüzhuan van Liu Xiang moesten kennen en de juiste gedragslijn die deze weduwen moesten volgen.
Since the dawn of humankind pottery has played a role in civilization. Pottery can be used to pinpoint geographical expansion or migration of a people. It can be a way to determine events...Show moreSince the dawn of humankind pottery has played a role in civilization. Pottery can be used to pinpoint geographical expansion or migration of a people. It can be a way to determine events surrounding civilisations. This historical consciousness of pottery is also what illustrates some iconic events in the history between Japan and Korea, but it may also link the contemporary relationship of each respective ceramic tradition since there are many people interested in the Korean and Japanese pottery of the past. The content of this thesis argues that they are never completely separate from each other. Through the nineteenth and twentieth century Japan and Korea each developed their cultural heritage policies and respective nationalist discourses. In Japan anxiety of westernization crept in. In Korea anxiety of westernization came simultaneously with a struggle for their cultural identity because of the Japanese colonial rule. Both countries took countermeasures in the form of folklore programs and revitalization and other searches for nostalgia and identity. Due to such dynamics, the effect of state policies and national narratives affected how craftsmanship was perceived. It was often labelled as symbol of the state, and something to find your ethnic and national identity in. These post-war policies created a sense of cultural essentialism that was hard to alter, even in the social context. Institutionalisation, as part of ‘heritagisation’ created a web of museums, government advertising, government organized or endorsed festivals and the ‘National Living Treasure’ program. Especially in Korea was this a scholarly source of critique. Through analysis from which context each heritage discourse came from and how it is maintained today it seems as if it obstructs the possibility of creating an image of cultural connectedness. Nevertheless a certain different dynamic is rising. The contemporary communities of potters and ceramic artists may pose as an alternative level to portray pottery heritage juxtaposed to the grand narrative of the heritage industry and government. Will or can redirecting our view to the level of the people as artists involved with Korea’s and Japan’s ceramics heritage change an obstinate cultural essentialism and disconnectedness?Show less
This master thesis contrasts the experiences of Indische migrants in the United States and the Netherlands. That is, by investigating the identity formation of Indische migrants in both countries,...Show moreThis master thesis contrasts the experiences of Indische migrants in the United States and the Netherlands. That is, by investigating the identity formation of Indische migrants in both countries, I show how different societal factors influence the formation of an Indische identity.Show less
This thesis focuses on the way nationalism has influenced the development of heritage politics in South Korea during the presidency of Park Chŏng Hŭi, Kim Yŏng Sam, and Lee Myŭng Bak, and how...Show moreThis thesis focuses on the way nationalism has influenced the development of heritage politics in South Korea during the presidency of Park Chŏng Hŭi, Kim Yŏng Sam, and Lee Myŭng Bak, and how nationalism in heritage politics has affected the Kyŏngbok palace.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
This thesis primary examines how historical memory in East Asia manifests itself into popular culture, specifically comic books. In both China and Japan there are many examples of media pertaining...Show moreThis thesis primary examines how historical memory in East Asia manifests itself into popular culture, specifically comic books. In both China and Japan there are many examples of media pertaining to national tragedy. These narratives often seek to educate their readership, in addition to entertaining readers. Historical comics are often overtly written with the aim of explaining or educating about national tragedies such as the Atomic Bombings in Japan and the Nanjing Massacre in China. This thesis seeks to position comic histories as a legitimate form of alternative historical narrative. Furthermore, it seeks to show that alternative narratives about national tragedy often align with or compliment canonical narratives within a nation-state.Show less
Between 1975-9 the Khmer Rouge led a genocidal regime in Cambodia, targeting minorities - including the Cham Muslim population - in particular. Using transcripts from the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, this...Show moreBetween 1975-9 the Khmer Rouge led a genocidal regime in Cambodia, targeting minorities - including the Cham Muslim population - in particular. Using transcripts from the Khmer Rouge Tribunal, this thesis argues that cultural arguments to explain gender-based violence only hold ground up to a certain point. Beyond this, it is more useful to view gender-based violence as a product of its genocidal conflict. This latter argument is made by comparing the Khmer Rouge period to East Timor and Islamic State.Show less
In this thesis, I have traced the evolution of Borobudur from a sanctuary to a sacred landscape to show the role played by heritage in the production of, and resistance to, social inequalities....Show moreIn this thesis, I have traced the evolution of Borobudur from a sanctuary to a sacred landscape to show the role played by heritage in the production of, and resistance to, social inequalities. Moreover, I have looked at how all of this affects the space and connects heritage to broader agendas of sustainability. I have done so by focusing on a set of social actors such as Indonesian bureaucrats and NGOs workers related to the difference perceptions of the site as: a monumen nasional (national monument) to a taman nasional purkabala (archaeological park), to a taman wisata (tourism park), to a World heritage site, but also, from a site of kearifan lokal (local wisdom) to a saujana (cultural landscape), and particularly to a mandala saujana (Borobudur cultural landscape).On this background, I will attempt to answer the following questions: how notions of heritage are mobilized by social actors at Borobudur in such a way to produce, as well as to counter, social inequalities such as the social and cultural evacuation of the space? What limits and challenges do these social actors face? What lessons can be learned in terms of sustainability? My argument is that processes of heritage involve continuous re-negotiation of perceptions through encounters, alliances, and creative appropriations. If we want to understand to what extent the power of culture is taking over the culture of power in the contemporary historical moment in any given context, we should look at the dynamics of such articulations.Show less
The spatial and temporal scale and complexity of the ancient Silk Road has been transformed into a brand that supports a range of development and modernization projects taking pace across Eurasia....Show moreThe spatial and temporal scale and complexity of the ancient Silk Road has been transformed into a brand that supports a range of development and modernization projects taking pace across Eurasia. Many nation-states are tapping into their Silk Road past for the purposes of modernization, development, and creation of national identities. This process is critically explored examining the “authorized heritage discourse” of the Silk Road – those parts that are highlighted in particular, and dominate over others, according to top-down principles of “value” and “knowledge”. The alleged benefits of the authorized Silk Road discourse are contrasted through an examination of the lands that they purport to represent. Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) is an area where urban sites have been transformed according to the top-down values of the authorized Silk Road discourse. However, it is argued that many of the local residents of these cities do not find benefit in these transformations, and instead reveal some of the core issues of the contemporary usage of the Silk Road. Two of these issues are highlighted in particular: gentrification and spatial cleansing. These have affected entire communities, which are assimilated into the Chinese nation through changing modes of identity formation. Meanwhile, cities are given of a false veneer of benefit that masks the new processes of exploitation that are taking place.Show less
