Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
closed access
This research project about the construction of safe space for people of colour and LGBT+ people at Leiden University utilizes the theory of W.E.B. Du Bois (1903) and his metaphor of 'the veil'....Show moreThis research project about the construction of safe space for people of colour and LGBT+ people at Leiden University utilizes the theory of W.E.B. Du Bois (1903) and his metaphor of 'the veil'. Even though there are diversity and inclusion policies in place at Leiden University, it does not necessarily feel like a safe environment for many people. This thesis aims to illustrate that for the diversity practitioners at Leiden University, students and staff, both private and public safe spaces play a role in establishing agency and empowerment under conditions of oppression. Private safe spaces (queer and coloured spaces 'behind the veil') are created by marginalized people for marginalized people – atmospheres where people can process racialized and sexualized experiences together. Public safe spaces (mixed spaces 'beyond the veil') are collaboratively created – atmospheres where people can be themselves and voice their opinions. Ideally, these spaces are experienced as 'brave space', where people feel comfortable enough and confident enough to contribute to the social setting. This thesis aims to explore safe space – both physical and emotional – and desires to contribute to a safe and inclusive learning and working environment at Leiden University.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
WeChat is one of the most used social media in China. While few Dutch people use it, the app remains popular among the many Chinese students in the Netherlands. This popularity abroad evokes the...Show moreWeChat is one of the most used social media in China. While few Dutch people use it, the app remains popular among the many Chinese students in the Netherlands. This popularity abroad evokes the question what this platform has to offer for people living in a different country and how it relates to a sense of ‘home’. Within social media research, a call is made to study social media using a non-media centric approach, focusing on the context in which it is used. Within this research, I study WeChat as used by three international Chinese students, and how they use WeChat to create a sense of home. Through digital observation and film, I examined how participants use WeChat, how they create a feeling of home while studying in the Netherlands, and the connection between these two. Overall, this study found that for a sense of home, relations, materiality, and a sense of security are important, for participants to both adjust to the Netherlands and recreate a sense of the ‘former home’. Their use of WeChat provides a tool to realise these different aspects.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
closed access
Costa Rica is a country known for its natural beauty and eco-friendly attractions, making it an attractive country to visit or migrate to. The main focus of this research is to get a closer look at...Show moreCosta Rica is a country known for its natural beauty and eco-friendly attractions, making it an attractive country to visit or migrate to. The main focus of this research is to get a closer look at how Costa Rican life has changed over the years as landownership laws have affected the landscape of the Pacific seashore in the peninsula of Nicoya. Tourism has become the primary source of work in the area of Montezuma, giving new meanings to a lifestyle often referred to as "Pura Vida." As other sources of income, such as fishing, diminished over the years due to changing environmental policies, the local people in the surroundings of Montezuma have had to change their lifestyles to adapt to the growing tourism industry. This research builds on the experiences of four main interlocutors, each of them representing a different way of life in the village. Luis, Irene, Israel, Rolando, and his wife, Maria, who all explain what the consequences of changing environmental policies are for them, and what the so-called ‘Pura Vida lifestyle’ means to them, now it has taken over as the national ‘slogan’ to attract tourists. In the accompanying documentary (Changing Tides) and text, I explored how their lives are being transformed by tourism and how national policies that include landownerships laws are affecting the lifestyle of the old and new inhabitants in the area. Visual Ethnography was used as a method in order to better convey the sense of ‘Pura Vida’ and how the different characters that are the protagonists in the film relate to their land, life and changes in lifestyle over the last 40 years in Montezuma.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
closed access
In 2015, the incumbent President Jacob Zuma claimed that the Dutch were the beginning of South Africa’s problems. Zuma claims that the problems arose because of Dutch colonialism and the subsequent...Show moreIn 2015, the incumbent President Jacob Zuma claimed that the Dutch were the beginning of South Africa’s problems. Zuma claims that the problems arose because of Dutch colonialism and the subsequent introduction of slavery. In this thesis, I try to investigate how the Dutch Consulate General in Cape Town executes its economic mandate by considering the dark shared heritage between South Africa and the Netherlands. I had the opportunity of doing an internship as the Communications and Public Diplomacy intern and therefore, have six months of accumulated ethnographic data. I found that the Dutch CG in Cape Town executes its economic mandate through their initiative called #cocreate which operates through projects. In addition, the Dutch CG claims to put the emphasis on South Africans which does not necessarily translate when looking at these projects. I found that although their intentions may be good, the Dutch CG often ends up overpowering any positive results by controlling the final say so closely. Also, I found that there is a strong reluctance to tackle particular problems surrounding their shared heritage. Such fears ultimately result in the neglect of communities that truly need their help and would have benefited from initiatives such as these.Show less
