Master thesis | Theology and Religious Studies (Master)
open access
This thesis is focussed on the relational aspects of the conversion process: how conversion may change the relationship with close others (for example, parents, god) and how relationships with...Show moreThis thesis is focussed on the relational aspects of the conversion process: how conversion may change the relationship with close others (for example, parents, god) and how relationships with close others may affect how the conversion proceeds. In addition to a literature study, there is an exploratory survey study among female converts to Islam.Show less
What determines beauty? What determines that a grandmother leans down to her granddaughter, affectionately pats her cheek and tells her that she would be pretty, were she a little bit lighter? Who...Show moreWhat determines beauty? What determines that a grandmother leans down to her granddaughter, affectionately pats her cheek and tells her that she would be pretty, were she a little bit lighter? Who determines that a young man or woman do not get the job because their face does not exuberate enough youthful cheerfulness? Who determines that at 173cm tall and 58.9kg, Miss Korea 2018, Soo Min Kim was called “too fat and not pretty enough” to represent Korean beauty by the public? The main goal of this thesis is to discover if advertisement of skin whitening products and cosmetic surgery created a homogeneous beauty ideal in South Korea.Show less
Lhamo, in the West called Tibetan Opera, is a form of total theatre combining dance, song, recitation, colorful costumes, and music, that traditionally is performed in the open air in Tibetan...Show moreLhamo, in the West called Tibetan Opera, is a form of total theatre combining dance, song, recitation, colorful costumes, and music, that traditionally is performed in the open air in Tibetan communities after harvest and at festive days. Within lhamo a number of conventions exist, one of which is the convention of percussion patterns. The musical accompaniment of lhamo is done by two musicians, one of whom plays a drum (rnga) and another who plays cymbals (rol mo). The drummer is the "master of ceremonies". By means of drum pattern variations, he indicates and controls which character(s) go on and off stage and when and how they move on stage. For that the drummer has a number of drum patterns at his disposal, that can be played singly or in various combinations and at various speeds. The cymbals player merely follows the dummer's lead. During my fieldwork in Boudhanath near Kathmandu with the Nepal Tibetan Lhamo Association (NTLA), I made an inventarisation of the lhamo drum patterns, which are described in this paper. The drum patterns are all recorded and come as appendix as sound files. Attention is given to organology of the instruments and lineage of drum pattern traditions. It appears that the traditional teaching method of oral transmission from teacher to student is not the only method used by NTLA. Often multiple instructors teach simultaneously. By teaching with multiple instructors, it is possible to learn a complete lhamo play in three or four rehearsals. A chapter is devoted to rhythm in Tibetan music. This is the first published inventarisation of lhamo patterns.Show less
Master thesis | Theology and Religious Studies (Master)
open access
This thesis provides a critical analysis of the CSR discussion about the unnaturalness of atheism. It is argued that the CSR discussion is characterized by a very limited concept of atheism and it...Show moreThis thesis provides a critical analysis of the CSR discussion about the unnaturalness of atheism. It is argued that the CSR discussion is characterized by a very limited concept of atheism and it is proposed that the discussion is in need of a new terminology and that that it should be more sensitive to the varieties of atheism.Show less
In the late 18th century, strict political reforms in the Japanese government were enacted, which had widespread consequences. This essay considers the cultural influence of these Kansei Reforms of...Show moreIn the late 18th century, strict political reforms in the Japanese government were enacted, which had widespread consequences. This essay considers the cultural influence of these Kansei Reforms of the late 18th century on Japanese comic literature, kibyoshi in particular. Focusing on the works of author Santo Kyoden, it examines if and to what extent this short-lived popular genre was changed by these political developments.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Oude culturen van de mediterrane wereld (Bachelor)
closed access
Scriptie over de weergave van architectuur in de Egyptische kunst. Aan de hand van verschillende voorbeelden (modellen, bouwtekeningen, muurschilderingen e.d.) wordt onderzocht op welke...Show moreScriptie over de weergave van architectuur in de Egyptische kunst. Aan de hand van verschillende voorbeelden (modellen, bouwtekeningen, muurschilderingen e.d.) wordt onderzocht op welke verschillende manieren architectuur wordt weergegeven in de Egyptische kunst en welke interpretatie daaraan gegeven kan worden.Show less
Race in fantasy offers a ‘safe space’ to engage with racial discourse, but races are often narrowed down to one dimensional stereotypes. Guild Wars 2 is a Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing...Show moreRace in fantasy offers a ‘safe space’ to engage with racial discourse, but races are often narrowed down to one dimensional stereotypes. Guild Wars 2 is a Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game that features race in a similar way, but offers insight in various themes regarding racial discourse, postcolonialism and International Relations. Videogames more so than other popular media, have the power to be political because they allow for interactive engagement with the medium. This thesis presents the argument that engagement with fantasy games featuring racial discourse can open up valuable and critical discussions of multiculturalism, the meaning of race, Orientalism and postcolonialism in our real life societies.Show less
The primary aim of this thesis is to research the tension between the presentation of the intentions of the Chinese government, and the perception of the West of the Chinese government’s intentions...Show moreThe primary aim of this thesis is to research the tension between the presentation of the intentions of the Chinese government, and the perception of the West of the Chinese government’s intentions, concerning the Maritime Silk Road initiative (MSR) in the Indian Ocean. In order to provide an answer to the main research question, the researcher has analyzed historical primary sources from both the Chinese and the Western perspective and has conducted an interview with Maritime Silk Road expert Frans-Paul van der Putten. The analysis of these sources indicates that there is growing tension between the presentation of the intentions of the Chinese government concerning MSR in the Indian Ocean and the Western perception of those intentions. From China’s perspective, the Chinese government presents its intentions concerning MSR as economically motivated, the goal being to create shared prosperity and connections by win-win cooperation with other countries. From the Western perspective, the perception is that the Chinese government has not only economic but also geopolitical intentions with its MSR-initiative. The conclusion is that this discrepancy will exacerbate tensions between China and the West and, eventually, may result in a confrontation.Show less
