This research aims to make an addition to the current debate regarding the interpretation of North Korean defector memoirs by answering the question: “What understanding can trauma theory provide...Show moreThis research aims to make an addition to the current debate regarding the interpretation of North Korean defector memoirs by answering the question: “What understanding can trauma theory provide us concerning North Korean defector memoirs?” It discusses trauma theory, Holocaust memoirs, and North Korean defector memoirs. Regarding North Korean defector memoirs the study focuses on four memoirs specifically: Eunsun Kim’s A Thousand Miles to Freedom, Yeonmi Park’s In Order to Live, Hyeonseo Lee’s The Girl with Seven Names, and Joseph Kim’s Under the Same Sky.Show less
Japanese animation as well as videogame’s industry put a lot of effort on the voicing of their characters. Often, their speech is what it’s used to give a better representation of the characters...Show moreJapanese animation as well as videogame’s industry put a lot of effort on the voicing of their characters. Often, their speech is what it’s used to give a better representation of the characters own temperament and visual representation. In a flexible game that more than often doesn’t manage to get translated in other languages, the way the characters express themselves tells the Japanese audience a lot of details through the linguistic implications. Some characters are built through the contradiction between their polite appearance and their rough speech; some other would instead have the appearance that the audience would expect based on their linguistic register, et cetera. I have long been interested in the connection between Japanese speech patterns and the way in which they are used for the strong linguistic and social representation in various media. For my bachelor research thesis, I focused on Japanese dialects and their usage and perception between Japanese university students, using two questionnaires. I would like to isolate the main speech patterns and analyze them from a linguistic and sociological point of view before seeing their usage in the media, bringing a few examples from popular culture. In particular, seeing as some of them are taken from still spoken dialects or, for historical settings, mixture of modern Japanese and elements of pre-modern/middle Japanese.Show less
This thesis examines the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on working conditions in Thailand and Vietnam. I hypothesise that FDI has a positive effect on working conditions, and that the...Show moreThis thesis examines the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on working conditions in Thailand and Vietnam. I hypothesise that FDI has a positive effect on working conditions, and that the effect is more pronounced in Vietnam where institutions appear to be stronger and the labour force is entitled to more rights, including the rights to organise and collective bargaining. As previous research has shown, contrary to the common notion of ‘race to the bottom’, FDI is attracted to countries with adequate labour policies. Further, governments play an important role in creating positive spill overs of FDI through the establishment of labour institutions, unions, and wage policies. The analysis has shown that the Thai government’s policies, despite some amendments to its legal framework, are less labour- friendly than Vietnam’s. In Vietnam, however, labour institutions and unions’ top members still lack neutrality and legislation doesn’t promote active employee participation. To conclude, the impact of FDI on labour conditions appears to be stronger in Vietnam, thanks to more labour-oriented policies and institutions.Show less
Since the beginning of 2020, Covid-19 has impacted societies around the globe and while trying to find ways to live with the virus, societies faced many crises. The news media play an important...Show moreSince the beginning of 2020, Covid-19 has impacted societies around the globe and while trying to find ways to live with the virus, societies faced many crises. The news media play an important role during crisis times, keeping society informed on all matters. This thesis concentrates on differences in media coverage on Covid-19 in the first phase of the crisis, between China and the Netherlands. Using the framework of framing theory, this thesis selected news articles in both Dutch and Mandarin and conducted a framing analysis. Doing this, this thesis contributes to a wider research area of crisis media coverage and research on Covid-19 related topics. The main difference between the countries is that the Dutch media wrote more about the consequences of the crisis while the Chinese media wrote more about the preventive measures that were implemented, who were responsible for these measures, and why they were implemented. Furthermore, I noticed that the Chinese news articles’ tone was somewhat more positive than the Dutch articles’ tone. These differences can be understood by looking at the different media landscapes of both countries and their political differences.Show less
Bronze mirror production was at its peak during the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392 CE) of Korea. This resulted in an unprecedented range of sizes, shapes and motifs. A mirror’s purpose is, by definition,...Show moreBronze mirror production was at its peak during the Goryeo dynasty (918-1392 CE) of Korea. This resulted in an unprecedented range of sizes, shapes and motifs. A mirror’s purpose is, by definition, to reproduce the image placed in front of it. Interestingly, Goryeo bronze mirrors have been recovered from graves and Buddhist temple complexes, indicating that they also served ritual functions. Considering 508 mirrors from ten museums, this study investigates the relation of mirror iconography to mirror use, answering the research question: to what extent did the iconographic attributes of Goryeo bronze mirrors reflect their meaning and role in society? This research found that a number of recognisable motifs could point to a mirror’s use in a particular context. As grave gifts, bronze mirrors were valuable objects, associated with high status and wealth. This inherent auspicious meaning was reinforced by the symbolism in the interred mirrors’ iconography, denoting values such as longevity, beauty and love. The bronze mirrors used in Buddhist rituals display religious symbolism in their designs, such as bells, images of deities and scenes from scriptures. A comprehensive analysis of the exact role played by these religious mirrors is beyond the scope of this thesis, but could be researched further through the examination of scriptures and other primary literature. As secular items used for personal grooming, bronze mirrors were luxury items indicative of their owners’ social standing. Increasing the value of mirrors as status symbols even further was the appropriation of Chinese motifs, as this signified an appreciation of Chinese culture in agreeance with the education that was expected of those with high social standing. In this way, identifying a bronze mirror’s iconographic theme can help clarify the context in which it was once used. However, Goryeo bronze mirrors’ functions were not mutually exclusive, and the presence of religious and secular mirrors in funerary contexts suggests that they could play various roles throughout their use-life.Show less
In 2019, the occurrence of forest fires in the Amazon rainforest gained worldwide attention. Actors at different political levels thereby exhibited conflicting understandings of the issue,...Show moreIn 2019, the occurrence of forest fires in the Amazon rainforest gained worldwide attention. Actors at different political levels thereby exhibited conflicting understandings of the issue, appropriate responses to it and responsibility to be taken. As linkages were drawn between the perception of the rainforest fires as a global environmental problem, and ramifications for the pursuance of economic interests, the case of the political discussion around the 2019 Amazon rainforest fires is illustrative of valuations of the environment within a Global Political Economy (GPE) context. In order to further understanding of these valuations, this thesis looks into the use of particular conceptions of nature-society relations and spatial scales, which both come forward in political ecology literature. Through a textual analysis of statements by civil society actors, Amazonian countries and foreign governments, it finds that ecological change is made political, and political legitimacy is created or limited for different involved actors, through references to the value of the Amazon rainforest and the scale of this value. This leads to the conclusion that conceptions of nature-society relations and spatial scales reflect and have implications for the ways in which we define environmental problems, politicize the environment and allocate forms of environmental responsibility to different actors.Show less
The mythical half-snake, half-woman creature named Shahmeran from the Middle East has made an appearance in a controversial artwork highlighting LGBTQ+ oppression and faithbased misogyny during the...Show moreThe mythical half-snake, half-woman creature named Shahmeran from the Middle East has made an appearance in a controversial artwork highlighting LGBTQ+ oppression and faithbased misogyny during the Boğaziçi University student protests in early 2021. Shahmeran is an old and known symbol in the region, especially in the diverse areas of south-eastern Turkey, northern Iraq and Iran. She is most probably a remainder of ancient mother goddesses, and was changed overtime to be adopted by the Islamic community with her own story with the help of early Indo-Iranian literary culture, thus making her a pre-Islamic phenomenon. Traditionally, Shahmeran is used primarily for oral storytelling, literature, and art, but also serves as an important talisman for protection against the evil eye and adversity, as well as for happiness and prosperity. The use of Shahmeran in a student protest at a famous university to highlight social issues is a significant change compared to her traditional roles in the region’s folk beliefs. In response to these events, I based my research on the use of Shahmeran as a political symbol for minority groups such as the LGBTQ+ community and the Kurds. This research was conducted by analysing existing Turkish literature, various artworks and news articles. Shahmeran is an inherently non-binary creature, with both female and male sexual characteristics, making her an important symbol for the LGBTQ+ community and gender expression in general. For Kurds, Shahmeran is used as a symbol of resistance against the Turkish state. Both minority groups in Turkey use art with her in it to express their political realities.Show less
This research explores the relationship between the female gaze and feminist documentaries in the case of Palestine through three feature-length documentaries: The Judge by Erika Cohn, What Walaa...Show moreThis research explores the relationship between the female gaze and feminist documentaries in the case of Palestine through three feature-length documentaries: The Judge by Erika Cohn, What Walaa Wants by Christy Garland, and Naila and the Uprising by Julia Bacha. This thesis argues that the films demonstrate a few common features of the agency of Palestinian women and emphasize the importance of various issues related to their lives under patriarchy. This thesis argues that through their female subjectivity, experiences, and use of feminist aesthetics, this thesis argues that the female filmmakers innovatively and creatively expose these issues and put their subjects’ struggles at the forefront, as feminist documentary practices are set to do. As such, through their female gaze, the findings demonstrate that the sample of female filmmakers’ works leads to the critical re-thinking of the representation of Palestinian women and the questioning of patriarchy in Palestine.Show less
Repatriating cultural artifacts that have been illegally traded in the past is more difficult than we may anticipate. The Chinese government has been attempting to repatriate its 'lost cultural...Show moreRepatriating cultural artifacts that have been illegally traded in the past is more difficult than we may anticipate. The Chinese government has been attempting to repatriate its 'lost cultural relics' since the 1990s. The term 'lost cultural relics' is used to describe “cultural objects that were looted, stolen, excavated or trafficked immorally or illegally from China” (Liu 2015). In the past, a discreet number of studies have focused on the issue of repatriating lost cultural relics to China, but there has been little research on Chinese collectors buying Chinese antiquities from other countries. This study attempts to understand how the state-run media Global Times portrays Chinese collectors purchasing lost cultural relics and how it frames their intentions in obtaining the objects at expensive prices.Show less
Citizenship and the intertwined educational subject of civic education are highly contested, as the notion of citizenship is strongly dependent on the type of government with its specific political...Show moreCitizenship and the intertwined educational subject of civic education are highly contested, as the notion of citizenship is strongly dependent on the type of government with its specific political system and the cultural-historical development of a nation. The Russian Federation as the multinational successor state of the Soviet Union (SU) faced major struggles concerning notions of citizenship during the 1990s. After the collapse of the SU and leaving the notion of citizenship as ‘the builder of communism’ behind, the main focus of Russia was on democratization, but this changed after 2000, when patriotism was getting more prominent. A way to get access to Russia's conceptions of civic education is examining high school textbooks. An analysis of their content can provide a deeper understanding of how civic education is approached and practised in nowadays Russia, in shaping its next generation. This analysis applied three general conceptions of citizenship, namely liberal individualism, republicanism and communitarianism and argues that Russia fits the the communitarian approach the most.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Griekse en Latijnse taal en cultuur (BA)
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This thesis challenges the mainstream consensus on verbal aspect in Classical Greek, which is mainly based on a view of aspect propagated by Bernard Comrie (1976). As an alternative, this thesis...Show moreThis thesis challenges the mainstream consensus on verbal aspect in Classical Greek, which is mainly based on a view of aspect propagated by Bernard Comrie (1976). As an alternative, this thesis combines different strands of linguistic research traditions to paint an alternative picture of aspect: Wolfgang Klein's (1994) notion of topic time, Michael Halliday's (1985) idea of "three interpretational levels" (the referential, the textual, and the interactional), Christiaan Sicking's (1991) suggestion of verbal aspect signalling information status, and the idea of meaning as a polysemous network of uses. With this, I refine and add to important work done by Simon Aerts (2014), who first suggested modelling Greek aspect after Michael Halliday's semiotic theory (1985). After this is worked out in the second and third chapter, this view of aspect is applied to circumstantial participles in Greek.Show less
This thesis identifies the social and phonetic variables that affect the learning process of Dutch L2 learners (second language acquisition). The native and non-native speakers who were asked to...Show moreThis thesis identifies the social and phonetic variables that affect the learning process of Dutch L2 learners (second language acquisition). The native and non-native speakers who were asked to participate in this research provided authentic audio recordings, which were added to the two online surveys that were used. The survey respondents that participated in this empirical study were asked to share their thoughts, via an online survey, on the individual speakers, with its primarily focus on the phonetic and social variables. By analysing the results of this research and examining the correlation between these results and the literature discussed, it was possible to draw a conclusion on which social and phonetic variables obstruct the learning process of Dutch L2 learners. This thesis concludes that the social variables (the division between a younger and older group of participants) and the phonetic variables (sounds that were identified as unintelligible and/or intolerable) that were recognized in this empirical research are collectively responsible for disrupting the comprehension and production of sounds for second language learners. Keywords: phonetic variables, sociolinguistic choices, sound systems, IPA, L1, L2Show less
