This thesis explores Bollywood's homogenizing potential through the lens of "soft power," positing Bollywood as a national conduit that obscures the hegemonic tendencies of the BJP and Prime...Show moreThis thesis explores Bollywood's homogenizing potential through the lens of "soft power," positing Bollywood as a national conduit that obscures the hegemonic tendencies of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The analysis is focused on the function of Bollywood as a platform for promoting and perpetuating dominant national narratives and cultural norms, thereby discrediting minority considerations. In addition, this research shall expand its scope to explore developments in celebrity discourses and the growing politicization of social media. Through these inquiries, the thesis aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted influence of Bollywood on Indian society and politics.Show less
Using hitherto unexplored archival materials, this study explores the extended negotiations leading to the 1972 Dutch-Sino joint communique in which the exchange of embassies was settled. It...Show moreUsing hitherto unexplored archival materials, this study explores the extended negotiations leading to the 1972 Dutch-Sino joint communique in which the exchange of embassies was settled. It identifies two accelerators and hurdles in the process. Richard Nixon's 1971 visit announcement initiated talks between the Netherlands and the PRC, while the PRC’s admission to the UN removed an important difficulty in their bilateral ties. Hurdles arose during discussions on how to communicate the elevation of bilateral ties to the ambassadorial level and on the formal language regarding Taiwan in the joint communique. The addition of the 'anti-Brezhnev doctrine' showcased the Netherlands' departure from the Brezhnev Doctrine, emphasizing peaceful coexistence. Beyond the negotiation intricacies, the study highlights the agency of smaller states. The Netherlands intentionally deviated from U.S. foreign policy in the UN-vote on Chinese representation and included discussions with Romania on European security and limiting superpower actions in its negotiations with China.Show less
This study explores the role of the qipao in shaping the representation and perception of Chinese women’s modern cultural identity during the early twentieth century. In a period of societal...Show moreThis study explores the role of the qipao in shaping the representation and perception of Chinese women’s modern cultural identity during the early twentieth century. In a period of societal instability, Chinese women sought a modern identity that harmonized with their cultural values. Utilizing visual research and literature analysis, the research underscores the qipao’s significance as both a tool and a symbol in popular visual culture forming women’s identities. Emphasizing the socio-historical context, the study highlights the qipao’s role as a bridge between tradition and modernization in Shanghai’s cosmopolitan environment. Through magazines, calendar posters, and cinema, the qipao emerges as a dynamic cultural dress, influencing representations and perceptions of the modern woman’s cultural identity.Show less
Image building within and about China-Africa relations play as major role in the way this growing international engagement is understood. Despite recognition for its important role in high level...Show moreImage building within and about China-Africa relations play as major role in the way this growing international engagement is understood. Despite recognition for its important role in high level dialogue and policy creation, non-media platforms, such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, are often overlooked as an important image-building medium. Therefore, by questioning how Chinese and African officials frame their own relationship through official FOCAC-discourse, this thesis seeks to add to contemporary framing theory on China-Africa relations. Three case studies on written and visual framing processes within important FOCAC policy documents, photographs and speeches highlight the multiplicity of frameworks that contribute to the creation of a relational self-image. These analyses reveal how images of China-Africa relations are built on co-existing, but contrasting discourses, and how different framing mechanisms influence each other to shape a multiplicity of images.Show less
This thesis examines the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale (ETAT) and the Setouchi Triennale (ST), two of the largest and best-known Art Triennale in (and outside) Japan, and considers how these art...Show moreThis thesis examines the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale (ETAT) and the Setouchi Triennale (ST), two of the largest and best-known Art Triennale in (and outside) Japan, and considers how these art festivals intend to provide a solution to the continuing ageing population and declining birthrate in Japanese rural areas. Japan contains the largest proportion of elderly people in the world and its population continues to decline since 2004. Yet, this decrease is especially severe in rural areas because the majority of the population consist of elderly people. The Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale (ETAT) and the Setouchi Triennale (ST), have been established as strategies to tackle Japan’s increasingly ageing population. The former was established by Kitagawa Fram (1946-present) whereas the latter was co-founded in 2010 by Kitagawa Fram and Fukutake Sōichirō (1945/46-present). The common aim of the ETAT and ST initially seems to be the restoration of these economically declining rural areas through contemporary art projects. Yet, this thesis claims that Kitagawa’s and Fukutake’s idealistic views about the countryside and ‘traditional’ countryside lifestyles resulted into their attempt to reshape Japanese society by reidentifying neglected rural areas through contemporary art. This is because both men’s strong partnership and their active involvement in both Triennale shape these art festivals according to their own convictions and objectives. Therefore, this thesis demonstrates that the ETAT and ST’s purpose exceeds rural revitalization and is actually about the creation of a ‘new’ society which is brought together by the art festivals.Show less
This thesis argues that the notion of a samurai film genre is actually an Anglophone construct that is used to classify Japanese films from the 'jidaigeki' (period film) and 'chambara' (swordplay)...Show moreThis thesis argues that the notion of a samurai film genre is actually an Anglophone construct that is used to classify Japanese films from the 'jidaigeki' (period film) and 'chambara' (swordplay) genres. Because of the political situation during the Cold War and the orientalist perspective of Western audiences, Western cultural conventions that would eventually create the samurai film genre were thought of as Japanese cultural conventions based on Japanese cultural tradition. Kurosawa Akira's 'samurai films', which were the first to be shown in the West and also the most widely exported outside Japan, have become representative of this genre, despite the fact that Kurosawa’s jidaigeki films often do not follow the cultural conventions that is believed to be the samurai film genre.Show less
Since opening up in the 1980’s China became a major player in the global economy. Despite its size, the country plays a marginal role in the global financial system and relies heavily on the USD to...Show moreSince opening up in the 1980’s China became a major player in the global economy. Despite its size, the country plays a marginal role in the global financial system and relies heavily on the USD to facilitate its international trade. This heavy reliance on the US-led system is a source of strategic vulnerability. PRC authorities tried tackling this problem through the internationalization of RMB, yet failed due to domestic opposition. This paper critically assesses the mechanism of dependence ingrained in the International Monetary System and explores the potential of state cryptocurrency, the Digital RMB, to achieve Chinese strategic policy objectives. So far cryptocurrencies have not been analyzed in the geopolitical context. This article closes that gap and contributes to the important debate on the impact of emerging cryptographic technologies on the global financial system. The overall analysis suggests that utilizing Digital RMB could help the country reassert its monetary sovereignty and ensure the security of domestic financial data.Show less
With the drastic shift started by the Meiji Revolution in 1868 and the opening of Japan’s borders also came a need to create a national Japanese identity, and one of several ways to achieve this...Show moreWith the drastic shift started by the Meiji Revolution in 1868 and the opening of Japan’s borders also came a need to create a national Japanese identity, and one of several ways to achieve this was to create a standardised national language. Ueda Kazutoshi stood at the forefront of this movement, advocating for the conceptualisation of kokugo, the national language, and in turn educational reforms which would implement this national language for the improvement and modernisation of the Japanese empire. In the book, Kokugo no tame, he goes into further detail on how to achieve this. This thesis looks at how idealistic and influenced by nationalism Ueda’s Kokugo no tame is by reading, interpreting and finally reflecting on his writings found in the book, as there is discourse on its abstract nature and its achievability. This thesis finds that Ueda’s writings were heavily influenced by the new social context of Meiji Japan and its recent victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, and that with the limitations that nationalism and racialisation bring, it also put limits on the feasibility of Ueda’s envisioned kokugo. While achievable in some ways with concrete ideas on how to implement kokugo, and indeed Ueda’s writings did set up the foundation of language standardisation, it is also the caveats made by Ueda on how kokugo should be educated under nationalist terms which made it more difficult to bring it to fruition according to Ueda’s ways.Show less
