In dit paper onderzoek ik de state of nature bij Hobbes en hoe we daar met hedendaagse informatie tegenaan moeten kijken. In het eerste deel onderzoek ik Hobbes en concludeer ik dat de...Show moreIn dit paper onderzoek ik de state of nature bij Hobbes en hoe we daar met hedendaagse informatie tegenaan moeten kijken. In het eerste deel onderzoek ik Hobbes en concludeer ik dat de belangrijkste oorzaak van de state of nature wantrouwen jegens elkaar is. Hierna laat ik aan de hand van experimenteel onderzoek en hersenonderzoek zien dat mensen zich vaak coöperatief opstellen. Ik laat zien dat we 'hardwired' zijn om reputaties van elkaar te vormen en onthouden; zodoende loont een coöperatieve houding en daardoor is de state of nature die Hobbes beschrijft niet zo 'solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short' als hij omschrijft.Show less
Door middel van een collostructionele analyse probeer ik te achterhalen welke semantische verschillen er zijn tussen de Nederlandse toekomstconstructies gaan + infinitief en zullen + infinitief.
In deze scriptie wordt een aanpak besproken voor het vinden van een goede methode voor automatische zinsreductie. In dit onderzoek wordt gebruik gemaakt van de ondertiteling voor doven en...Show moreIn deze scriptie wordt een aanpak besproken voor het vinden van een goede methode voor automatische zinsreductie. In dit onderzoek wordt gebruik gemaakt van de ondertiteling voor doven en slechthorenden, die bij onder andere praatprogramma's beschikbaar zijn. Deze ondertiteling is naast de originele tekst gehouden. Het verschil tussen deze teksten is bekeken en aan de hand hiervan zijn enkele reductieregels opgesteld. Dit onderzoek kan worden gezien als een startpunt voor verder onderzoek naar zinsreductie.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
closed access
Study of the verbal system in the Ugaritic Baal Cycle. Primarily focusing on the reader effects of alternation between QTL-YQTL forms as well as long yaqtulu and short yaqtul forms in the poetic...Show moreStudy of the verbal system in the Ugaritic Baal Cycle. Primarily focusing on the reader effects of alternation between QTL-YQTL forms as well as long yaqtulu and short yaqtul forms in the poetic syntax.Show less
In “The Significance of the Frontier” Turner suggests that frontier experiences creates true – independent, individual, free – Americans, and points out that this is problematic once no actual...Show moreIn “The Significance of the Frontier” Turner suggests that frontier experiences creates true – independent, individual, free – Americans, and points out that this is problematic once no actual western frontier is left. This thesis explores how and where later great American novels have constructed new frontiers to overcome. The Sun Also Rises is a novel set in a time when the lack of a physical western frontier was just beginning to be felt. Its protagonists are among the first generations who did not have an actual American western frontier, and instead looked for a place outside America and went to find one in Europe after WWI. Their goal was to create a new identity for themselves and to build an unconventional life by distancing themselves from American society and culture. On the Road has a different take on the concept ‘frontier’ because by then it was psychological and normative rather than a physical boundary. Its main characters do physically go to the West but they do this to escape from the past and the older society with its restrictions. The experience of being on the road is what they look for as the tool to carve a new identity for themselves. Research question: What strategies do The Sun Also Rises and On the Road employ to define new frontiers since Turner’s original frontier experience can no longer be used to form authentic selves ? Thesis statement Although the frontier has changed since Turner, it has continued to exist in other forms and new forms of frontier struggle are at the heart of these novels using movement as a key strategy.Show less
Edmund Burke's views already were conservative at the time of the American Revolution and he continued with this line of thought during the French Revolution. Thomas Paine also remained consistent...Show moreEdmund Burke's views already were conservative at the time of the American Revolution and he continued with this line of thought during the French Revolution. Thomas Paine also remained consistent with his revolutionary thoughts, but his views were not as widespread as the American victory and the swiftness of the revolutionary reforms made in 1789 suggest. Meanwhile, Burke’s conservative desires were certainly not obsolete and his views saw surprising support, and not, as one might expect, just from nobility trying to keep their privileges.Show less
En mi tesina analizo el libro 'De terugkeer van Lupe García'escrito por Carolina Trujillo. Esta novela holandesauruguaya reflexiona sobre la imposibilidad del hogar en un contexto de exilio en el...Show moreEn mi tesina analizo el libro 'De terugkeer van Lupe García'escrito por Carolina Trujillo. Esta novela holandesauruguaya reflexiona sobre la imposibilidad del hogar en un contexto de exilio en el que, como vimos, el regreso se refiere más a un pasado que a un lugar, y en el que el trauma de la dictadura y la relación entre víctima y verdugo vuelve una y otra vez. El libro arroja luz sobre cómo la generación posdictatorial hace frente a la herencia de la dictadura.Show less
“Oh shit, [I have] said fuck! Oh fuck, [I have] said shit!” Brian Blessed spoke these words on an episode of Stephen Fry’s show Planet World (Fry, 2011b). Why might some people perceive this...Show more“Oh shit, [I have] said fuck! Oh fuck, [I have] said shit!” Brian Blessed spoke these words on an episode of Stephen Fry’s show Planet World (Fry, 2011b). Why might some people perceive this sentence as shocking, rude or offensive? For the simple reason that it contains swearwords. Swearing is not something one is supposed to do and this is told us in, amongst others, the Bible: “But I say unto you, Swear not at all ; neither by heaven ; for it is God’s throne : / Nor by the earth ; for it is his footstool : neither by Jerusalem ; for it is the city of the great King. / Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black” (The Bible, Mat. 5.34–36). Swearing has always been taboo (Montagu, 1967; Stapleton 289). In one of his comedy routines, the American comedian George Carlin talked about the number of swearwords in the English language compared to the total number of words in it: “There are 400,000 words in the English language, but there are seven of them you cannot say on television. What a ratio that is!” (2011; Pinker, 2008). These seven words are shit, piss, fuck, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker and tits. As a reaction to this sketch, the US Supreme Court and the federal government established a law which could regulate speech on broadcast television and radio in the United States (Poetry Genius): if one uttered one of the ‘seven dirty –’ or ‘filthy words’ on television or radio, one had to pay a large fine. The ban has been established about thirty years ago and there is an ongoing debate on whether it should be lifted (Nighty News, 2012). What makes a word an effective swearword? “In order to be useful for the purposes of swearing, a word […] must have reference to an object possessing, or thought to possess, force or power of some kind” (Montagu 15). Many of these words refer to excrement and filth, like shit, or sexual intercourse, like fuck. Not all words can function as swearwords, “because they [lack] the acquired weight of tradition in the speech community” (Hughes, 1992:22). All swearwords are therefore emotionally charged terms (Hughes, 1992). Native speakers of English mainly use English words when they swear. Native speakers of Dutch, however, swear both in their native tongue and in English (van de Krol, 2013). Are people these days really offended when someone utters a “filthy word”? Is the perceived rudeness of swearing dependent on factors such as nationality and gender? Do British people perceive swearwords with a different level of harshness than Americans? How do their results compare to people who are native speakers of Dutch? These are questions which this thesis would like to answer.Show less
This thesis attempts to establish an adequate framework to describe question words. On the basis of this framework some universal tendencies within the constructions of question words will be...Show moreThis thesis attempts to establish an adequate framework to describe question words. On the basis of this framework some universal tendencies within the constructions of question words will be established and some new insights will be exposed. Through the analysis of the question words of several languages an implicational hierarchy of the semantic categories of question words will be postulated. Furthermore, it will become clear that general question words need to be treated differently from question words which have a specified meaning regardless of the context. When looking at the internal constructions of question words, I conclude that all question words consist of a Q-element (QE), which indicates the interrogative mood and a Semantic Indicator Element (SIE), which specifies the exact content of the interrogative mood. The order of these two elements appears to be similar to the order of the head and dependent of nominal constructions. Finally I discuss the fact that this division between QE and SIE is also to be found in sign languages, and therefore universally applicable. Also, from a historical point of view the order of QE and SIE within submorphemes can be an indication of the head and dependent order in Proto-languages.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Oude culturen van de mediterrane wereld (Bachelor)
closed access
The Sumerian language is often perceived as a so-called "Ergative language". As many works on different languages have illustrated this is a very vague and often imprecise term for languages that...Show moreThe Sumerian language is often perceived as a so-called "Ergative language". As many works on different languages have illustrated this is a very vague and often imprecise term for languages that pattern parts of their grammar in such a way. Sumerian is no exception to this as it uses several alignments in different parts of its morphology. This paper attempts to give an overview of the alignment system in the Sumerian verb.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Nederlandse taal en cultuur (BA)
closed access
Hoe beargumenteren aanhangers en tegenstanders van de Illuminati-theorie hun standpunten en hoe sterk staat deze theorie in pragma-dialectisch perspectief? De aanhangers beargumenteren de...Show moreHoe beargumenteren aanhangers en tegenstanders van de Illuminati-theorie hun standpunten en hoe sterk staat deze theorie in pragma-dialectisch perspectief? De aanhangers beargumenteren de Illuminati-theorie, zowel in de theorie zelf als in discussies op internetfora, vooral met behulp van kentekenrelaties. In een grote verscheidenheid aan waarnemingen zien zij kenmerken van het complot van de Illuminati. Vooral de vele misstanden op onze aarde - oorlogen, ziektes, aanslagen, moorden – worden geweten aan de Illuminati met hun kwaadaardige plannen. Ook wordt de ondersteuning van de Illuminati-theorie door allerlei (semi-)autoriteiten als kenmerk aangevoerd voor de kracht van de theorie.Show less
In the context of the current 2011 uprising across the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region, the Syrian conflict is the only one that has been described by different media, academic analysts and...Show moreIn the context of the current 2011 uprising across the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region, the Syrian conflict is the only one that has been described by different media, academic analysts and even some politicians as a sectarian struggle. This paper questions the accuracy of this assumption by raising doubts regarding the fair distribution of power and resources within Syria during the period of Bashar Al-assad’s rule, and suggesting that this may be the main reason behind the 2011 uprising. I study the reforms introduced in the year 2000 and later by Bashar Al-assad and argue that the 2011 struggle over power in Syria results not from sectarianism, but from different economic and political variables. The situation exploded in March 2011 in reaction to the limitations and restrictions on the economic and constitutional reforms instituted during the time of Bashar’s rule from late 2000 up to 2012.Show less
The main focus of this study is the use of English on the covers of Japanese girls’ fashion magazines. A lot has been written about the use of English in Japanese media and other sources, with most...Show moreThe main focus of this study is the use of English on the covers of Japanese girls’ fashion magazines. A lot has been written about the use of English in Japanese media and other sources, with most authors stating that borrowing in Japan is mostly limited to loanwords. What I intend to provide is a thorough explanation of existing linguistic theories on loaning behavior, followed by the application of these theories on my research data which I have taken directly from the covers of Japanese girls’ fashion magazines. What I intend to prove is that the language borrowing behavior that takes place, goes further than simply loaning words. First of all there is a division between conventional loanwords and unconventionally used English words. More importantly, there are more complex ways in which English is borrowed and bent, such as through creative word hybrids or even the alteration of grammatical structures. A thorough introduction on linguistic theories will be provided, followed by a step-by-step guidance through examples from the data, looking beyond the eye-catching slogans and delving deeper into the linguistic characteristics of these code-switching behaviours.Show less
Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
closed access
In my thesis I will look at two areas in Indonesia which are popular tourism destinations for both Indonesian and foreign tourists and which have experienced and still experience a considerable...Show moreIn my thesis I will look at two areas in Indonesia which are popular tourism destinations for both Indonesian and foreign tourists and which have experienced and still experience a considerable amount of tourist influx. Tana Toraja and Bali are both areas to which tourists are attracted because of the culture they can find there, including for example rituals, architecture and art performances. The tourists visit these places to see and experience something that is different from their daily lives, to break through the daily grind and experience something new. This is in accordance with the definition Valene Smith gives of a tourist: "a temporarily leisured person who voluntarily visits a place away from home for the purpose of experiencing a change" (1977: 2). The tourists, or guests, visit a place of which its inhabitants can be called the host community and of course there takes interaction place between these two groups of people. Tourism is a powerful medium affecting culture change and I want to examine in how far tourism affects culture in these two areas. Tourism growth in Tana Toraja and Bali started in the 1970s, during Suharto's Orde Baru, and these areas were explicitly named in the First and Second Five Year Plan and encouraged for tourism development. In the years after this the tourist influx in both areas grew exponentially, especially in the 1980s and 1990s, but it decreased in the years from 1997 because of political instability in Indonesia, and of course the Bali bombings in 2002 can't be ignored. So my time-frame will be from the 1970s until now, with the exception of some background information from before that time. In the case of Bali, when looking at tourism and cultural change, it is important to realize what this 'Balinese culture' actually is. Because in earlier times, Balinese culture has been influenced and inspired significantly by Western art and artists (and the other way around), like Walter Spies, and the kind of art that came about then still exists in the Bali of today. Culture is not something static, it is always subject to change and thus ever changing. So I will not discuss one 'kind of culture' in Tana Toraja and Bali respectively, but look at the process of culture change over time. Culture change doesn't always have to be because of outside influences, like tourism, but it can also happen from the inside. From what I've read until now, this is an important point concerning Tana Toraja. My thesis will not just be a one-way analysis of the positive and negative influences of tourism on these areas, but it will also be about how the hosts react and adjust themselves and their culture to the growing tourism in their homeland. There are different effects of tourism on the host community concerning religion, commercialization, the staging of culture, culture becoming art, cultural revivalism, self-image and pride, and I want to examine whether these things are taking place in Bali and Tana Toraja and if Bali responds differently to tourism then Tana Toraja and if so, why this could be. I already found that in Tana Toraja, as a result of nascent tourism, the ancestral religion or Aluk To Dolo has actually been granted legitimacy by the Ministry of Religion, which is interesting. I expect something similar happens in Bali to Hinduism. This is of course already a religion recognized by the Indonesian government, but as with Aluk To Dolo I believe it has gained a lot more political (on the national level) and outside interest and 'prestige' because of tourism. Besides that, the growth of commercial tours to Tana Toraja has supported a renewed interest in local ritual and artistic tradition, as is also true in Bali. Commercialization of religious rites in both areas is almost inevitable and I will further examine in what ways this is taking place. I will include the political context where necessary and the process of modernization and globalization also plays an important role. My expectation is that the effects of tourism in Tana Toraja in most cases parallel those in Bali, although in Bali on a bigger scale than in Tana Toraja, considering the amount of tourists visiting Bali every year. This may have the consequence that the process of culture change in Bali takes place more swiftly, and more gradually in Tana Toraja.Show less
By analyzing the use of the theme and motif of conspiracy in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code and The Lost Symbol mostly, and by comparing them to texts of the same genre – Libra and The Crying of Lot...Show moreBy analyzing the use of the theme and motif of conspiracy in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code and The Lost Symbol mostly, and by comparing them to texts of the same genre – Libra and The Crying of Lot 49 – this thesis seeks to understand what sets Brown apart from other authors of conspiracy novels and therefore indirectly makes him such a successful novelist. The methodology used within this thesis is a genre-based approach, that is, it will analyse the work of Dan Brown in the context of the literary tradition of novels using conspiracy (theory) as a theme or employing it as a main motif. Moreover, it will study the work of Brown in its contemporary cultural context along the lines of Schneider-Mayerson’s analysis of conspiracism in Post-9/11 popular fiction, reflecting a fear of terrorism and conspiracy which is present still today.Show less
In steden over de hele wereld komt steeds meer stadslandbouw voor. Deze ontwikkeling loopt parallel met de extreme groei van grote steden in de vorige eeuw. Omdat stadslandbouw geen rekening houdt...Show moreIn steden over de hele wereld komt steeds meer stadslandbouw voor. Deze ontwikkeling loopt parallel met de extreme groei van grote steden in de vorige eeuw. Omdat stadslandbouw geen rekening houdt met de officiële planning van steden, was stadslandbouw aanvankelijk in een groot aantal steden verboden. Deze houding van stadsbesturen tegenover stadslandbouw is sinds de jaren ‘80 aan het veranderen; steeds meer steden vormen een publiek beleid dat stadslandbouw stimuleert. Steden doen dit vooral met het oog op twee doelen: het verminderen van ecologische problemen, zoals het afvalprobleem, en het bestrijden van sociale problemen, zoals armoede. Dit onderzoek is specifiek gericht op de vraag of stadslandbouw als overlevingsstrategie kan dienen voor arme stedelijke huishoudens. Daarbij wordt gekeken naar de mate waarin stadslandbouw in het levensonderhoud van deze huishoudens kan voorzien en of stadslandbouw de voedselzekerheid van deze huishoudens verbetert. De stad die als casestudy wordt bestudeerd, Mexico-stad, heeft sinds het eind van de jaren ‘90 verschillende overheidsprogramma’s uitgevoerd die stadsboeren financieren en begeleiden. Verschillende onderzoekers hebben kritiek op de manier waarop Mexico-stad stadslandbouw promoot. Uiteindelijk blijkt echter dat stadslandbouw zeker in min of meerdere mate in het levensonderhoud voorziet van boeren in Mexico-stad. Daarentegen is er geen bewijs voor de aanname dat deze boeren een betere voedselzekerheid zullen hebben. De rol van stadslandbouw in Mexico-stad kan volgens critici vergroot worden door concreet praktijkonderzoek naar de invloed van stadslandbouw op arme stedelijke huishoudens.Show less
