In this thesis research has been conducted regarding the following question: is it possible to translate the long Qur’anic surah sūrat al-Raḥmān into Dutch, whereby the following three criteria are...Show moreIn this thesis research has been conducted regarding the following question: is it possible to translate the long Qur’anic surah sūrat al-Raḥmān into Dutch, whereby the following three criteria are met: 1. the meaning is preserved 2. the oral and aural aspect is conveyed 3. the translation is presented in natural and accessible Dutch. To meet the criterion of aurality and orality the translation must meet the testible criteria of rhyme, metre, parallelism, lexical echoes, conciseness, the relation between the sound of words and the atmosphere of a verse or surah, and repetition, which are the most important linguistic structures underlying orality and aurality. Recognizability for Muslims is part of the criterion of meaning. A translation method according to these criteria has been used in the testcase and the translation process has been described. The above resulted in a translation that met the criteria of the research question.Show less
The Eurozone crisis is an example of how democratic regimes can be threatened under emergencies, and it revealed two contributing phenomena – the state of exception and technocracy. This thesis...Show moreThe Eurozone crisis is an example of how democratic regimes can be threatened under emergencies, and it revealed two contributing phenomena – the state of exception and technocracy. This thesis aims to understand the link between the two in the context of emergency politics, through the paradox of politics. This paradox, which can be traced back to Rousseau, brings to light an aporia in democratic politics, where we need good citizens to make good laws and good laws to make good citizens. This thesis starts by analysing each phenomenon individually and the way they threaten democracy. It then interprets them through the paradox of politics as arrangements meant to resolve that paradox, but infringing upon the ideal of democracy it subscribes to (inspired by the analysis of political theorist Bonnie Honig). Finally, it analyses the link between them and the potentials for the democratization of emergency politics. The main conclusions are 1) in emergency politics, technocracy and exception display a link of mutual reinforcement that infringes upon democratic politics (empirically and conceptually), and 2) the democratization of emergency politics requires not only a deexceptionalization of emergency (as suggested by Honig), but also a process of detechnocratization of democracy.Show less
This thesis explores the framing of the burqa ban in the Dutch media over the past decade, focusing on the divergence between left-wing (Volkskrant) and right-wing (Telegraaf) newspapers, potential...Show moreThis thesis explores the framing of the burqa ban in the Dutch media over the past decade, focusing on the divergence between left-wing (Volkskrant) and right-wing (Telegraaf) newspapers, potential polarizing frames, and the shifts in media narratives pre and post-implementation of the ban. The analysis is guided by framing theory, which shows the dominant frames visible in the newspapers and explores the dynamic interplay between media, public opinion, and politics. A framework of five frames, guided by Semetko and Valkenburg’s frames, has been constructed for this research. These are the Moral, Political, Societal Impact, Policy Conflict, and Security frames. The Volkskrant is characterized as progressive and socially oriented. The dominant frame between 2012 and 2022 has been the Societal Impact frame, emphasizing the ban’s consequences for society. In contrast, the Telegraaf, known for its activist and critical stance, used the Political Conflict frame the most often, focusing on discussions around implementing the ban. Contrary to expectations, the study has not identified a polarizing trend over time in the analysis. Moreover, it was concluded that the newspapers are growing convergent with their opinions concerning the burqa ban. When looking at the impact the implementation of the burqa ban has had on the dominant frames, a shift is visible post-implementation. Both newspapers have increased the use of the Societal Impact frame, increasing attention to the law’s implications. Looking forward, this thesis suggests additional research, including an exploration of the beginning of the debate in 2005, the recent victory of Wilders’ PVV, and other newspapers.Show less
Een van de dingen die bijdraagt aan een goed functionerende democratie is het volgen van het nieuws. Een deel van onze samenleving zegt daarentegen ontevreden te zijn over de veelal negatieve...Show moreEen van de dingen die bijdraagt aan een goed functionerende democratie is het volgen van het nieuws. Een deel van onze samenleving zegt daarentegen ontevreden te zijn over de veelal negatieve berichtgeving in de media, omdat ze zich er somber, depressief en hopeloos door voelen. Sommigen kiezen er daarvoor zelfs voor om het nieuws te mijden. Constructieve journalistiek is stroming die iets wil doen aan die focus op negativiteit in de media. Eerder onderzoek laat veelbelovende resultaten zien op de effecten van constructieve journalistiek op de emoties van het publiek en op de betrokkenheid. Met een experiment is in dit onderzoek onderzocht of die resultaten opnieuw werden gevonden. Een groep volwassen respondenten (N = 96) tussen de 19 en 62 jaar las hiervoor nieuwsverhalen gemaakt door Omroep West. Het bleek dat de constructieve nieuwsverhalen zorgde voor meer positieve emoties, maar niet voor meer betrokkenheid. Dit onderzoek draagt bij aan de kennis over de effecten van constructieve journalistiek. Het biedt handvatten voor mediaorganisaties als Omroep West. Door als journalist constructieve elementen in nieuwsverhalen te gebruiken, zoals meer aandacht voor nuance, oplossingen en hoop, voelt het publiek zich positiever. Die positiviteit zou er uiteindelijk voor kunnen zorgen dat meer mensen het nieuws wel willen blijven volgen.Show less
This thesis examines a collection of drawings by Abraham Delfos (1731-1820), an eighteenth-century engraver and draftsman from Leiden. Housed in the Print Room of Leiden University Libraries, these...Show moreThis thesis examines a collection of drawings by Abraham Delfos (1731-1820), an eighteenth-century engraver and draftsman from Leiden. Housed in the Print Room of Leiden University Libraries, these drawings predominantly consist of reproductions made after seventeenth-century paintings. Despite the fact that reproductions were a common practice and a typical eighteenth-century phenomenon, they have received limited attention from researchers. By examining Delfos' drawings within the broader context of his time, including his role as a director and his involvement in the establishment of drawing academy Ars Aemula Naturae, as well as his art dealership, this research uncovers the historical significance of these artworks. The study explores the factors that influenced changing attitudes towards reproductions and their growing popularity in the eighteenth century. Through a comprehensive analysis of Delfos' drawings, insights are gained into the influences shaping his artistic approach, the role of art education, and the perception of reproductions. These drawings serve as valuable windows into the past, offering a unique perspective on the interplay between art, education, societal development, and the evolving status of reproductions in the eighteenth century. The exploration not only highlights Delfos as an artist but also enriches our understanding of the artistic and cultural landscape of the time.Show less
This thesis is an investigation into the ontological basis of pessimism. I develop a Nietzschean interpretive framework of pessimism, based on a distinction Nietzsche makes between two types of...Show moreThis thesis is an investigation into the ontological basis of pessimism. I develop a Nietzschean interpretive framework of pessimism, based on a distinction Nietzsche makes between two types of pessimism in The Gay Science 370: romantic and Dionysian pessimism. According to Nietzsche, this distinction is based on a dynamic articulated using the language of physiology. This dynamic is either expanding or degenerating. The thesis relates this distinction to Schopenhauer's and Nietzsche's notions of a 'world of appearance' to test if their ontology testifies to a romantic or Dionysian pessimism. Their ontologies are interpreted as either a transfiguration of romantic or Dionysian pessimism. I then develop a reading of Schopenhauer’s pessimistic philosophy. I argue that Schopenhauer’s notion of representation or appearance is central to his metaphysics. I then interpret his punctum pruriens of philosophy as a priori pessimism permeating the whole of Schopenhauer’s philosophy resulting in an ethics of renunciation. I then lay out Nietzsche’s critique of Schopenhauer in the Genealogy, based on the aforementioned physiological dynamic. In the last chapter, I investigate Nietzsche’s world of appearance, characterized as semblance or ‘Schein’. I relate this to Nietzsche’s aesthetics and art as a transfiguration of Dionysian pessimism. However, the question is whether Nietzsche’s philosophy itself is the transfiguration of Dionysian pessimism. I then explain how Nietzsche does this by means of a project of life affirmation through the notions of perspectivism and the will to power.Show less
The Meiji period was the source of many anxieties about the modernity brought in from overseas. However, this also meant reaping the benefits of the modern life. Ukiyo-e prints were used in the Edo...Show moreThe Meiji period was the source of many anxieties about the modernity brought in from overseas. However, this also meant reaping the benefits of the modern life. Ukiyo-e prints were used in the Edo period to entertain people like modern social media and in the early Meiji period, this continued. Meiji Ukiyo-e prints showing trains, carriages, modern buildings, and schools were used to show the Japanese people around the country what positive things modernity could accomplish. These prints manufactured a positive form of modernity that had a soothing effect on people who had feelings of anxiety about the country opening up, foreigners coming in, and the political and cultural systems changing. The government could censor ukiyo-e prints and thus might even have a say in the changing topics to introduce modern things like trains and Western-style buildings. Publishers and the government's influence on the prints' topics could have made a manufactured positive modernity. Also, prints showed scenes that were either beautified scenes of reality or made up by artists to help manufacture a positive image of the Meiji period. Meiji ukiyo-e prints had the effect of creating a positive notion of reality not only for the image of Japan as a great nation to the foreign powers but also as a way to show the capabilities of Japan’s modernization skills to the nationals living in the Meiji era Japan.Show less
This thesis focuses on the explicitation of Latin-Greek terms in medical brochures that are intended for laypeople. It analyzes the presence of LG terms and the explicitation strategies in English...Show moreThis thesis focuses on the explicitation of Latin-Greek terms in medical brochures that are intended for laypeople. It analyzes the presence of LG terms and the explicitation strategies in English medical brochures that were translated from Dutch in comparison to non-translated medical brochures originally written in English. This study uses a comparable corpus methodology and its aim is to determine whether the translated brochures contain more LG term explicitation compared to the non-translated brochures. This is because research in Translation Studies has shown that the level of health literacy differs among laypeople, meaning that the medical brochures should be written in an understandable manner for everyone (Montalt, Zethsen, & Karwacka, 2018). Making a text comprehensible for laypeople can be done by using explicitation, which is adapting a unit of the text more extensively, for instance by omitting or adding terms. In this thesis, the LG terms found are classified into the following six categories that determine the explicitation strategy: definition/explanation, reformulation, exemplification/illustration, analogy, synonym, and hyperonym. This thesis compares the explicitation of LG terms in translated Dutch-English to non-translated English brochures, because it has been shown that English has had a better influx of Latin-based terminology compared to Northern European languages, that is Scandinavian or Germanic languages (Askehave and Zethsen, 2002; Zethsen, 2004). The results of this thesis show that the non-translated medical brochures in English actually contain a higher frequency of LG term explicitation compared to the medical brochures translated from Dutch. Possible reasons for these results could be that LG terms in everyday English are not as well-known and present as expected and there might exist a discrepancy between what can and cannot be considered lay terms when writing and translating medical brochures.Show less
The philosophy of open access has an important role in the academic publishing world, as it wants to make access to scientific information less restricted to researchers. The reality of it is,...Show moreThe philosophy of open access has an important role in the academic publishing world, as it wants to make access to scientific information less restricted to researchers. The reality of it is, however, more complicated than it seems. The first step is to accept that we are not dealing with a single academic publishing field but with a number of different ones. Each field is highly influenced by the environments in which it emerged. This thesis wants to present two different approaches to the idea of open access to science, and how these approaches were influenced by their regional environments. The two regions analysed in this thesis are Latin America and the Global North. Even though open access has a global character, being part of an international establishment such as academic publishing, the two regions present a diverse development of the idea of open access. These were influenced by the different social, technological and historical environments that the two regions displayed when the ideas of open access were emerging. After presenting a general picture of how the publishing process works and the role of its agents, I analyse the reasons for the use of open access in the two regions and create two timelines portraying the main events, infrastructure, initiatives and regulations that took place and that shaped the two approaches in use today. These two approaches of open access developed at different tempos and they were driven by contrasting motivations. The relationship that the Global North and Latin America have as academic circuits is, however, responsible for the flow of interaction between the two connotations and implementations of open access. In this thesis, I argue that the uneven power dynamics between the two approaches of open access have been influenced by a historical relation between the two regions through a core-periphery perspective. This has created an asymmetrical flow of influences moving from one region to the other, and vice versa. After presenting how these convergences of interactions are experienced on a practical level by researchers and academics, I conclude by suggesting that the discussion should not be about an open access connotation prevailing over the other, but rather about initiating a dialogue and starting a conversation between the two approaches and accepting both perspectives as legitimate and valuable.Show less
