Sometimes, legislative anomalies codify societal discrimination based on the mass psyche, consequently marginalizing the very communities legislators serve. This thesis explores the intersection of...Show moreSometimes, legislative anomalies codify societal discrimination based on the mass psyche, consequently marginalizing the very communities legislators serve. This thesis explores the intersection of sex work and welfare systems by using the lens of exclusionary legal diktats to demonstrate how the ensuing ambiguity of laws contort the lives of sex workers in the geography of my research - Sweden and the Netherlands. I conclude my study with specific recommendations based on academic research and the lived experiences of sex workers in the geographical area of my study.Show less
The world’s biggest nickel producer and owner of the largest nickel reserve, Indonesia, has banned the export of its nickel ore two years ahead of schedule in 2020. This action prompted the...Show moreThe world’s biggest nickel producer and owner of the largest nickel reserve, Indonesia, has banned the export of its nickel ore two years ahead of schedule in 2020. This action prompted the European Union to file a complaint at the World Trade Organization in November 2019. Two years later, the Panel has ruled in favor of the European Union. Specifically, Indonesia’s export prohibition and domestic processing requirement on nickel ore were deemed inconsistent with the prohibition of export prohibitions and restrictions under the purview of Article XI:1 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Instead of backing down, Indonesia has now appealed the Panel Report to the Appellate Body. This thesis draws from International Compliance Theory and combines the management approach and enforcement approach. Through descriptive qualitative analysis utilizing primary and secondary resources, it aims to investigate the reasons behind Indonesia's non-compliance. Indonesia’s appeal and persistent downstreaming efforts are deeply rooted in its ambition to reach high-income status by 2045, thus shedding light on the political-economic significance of the nickel sector. Lack of clarity on exemptions regarding export restrictions and inactive Appellate Body further provides an opportunity to prolong non-compliance with WTO Ruling.Show less
The rise of right-wing populism has received much attention in academic literature. However, most of the research on right-wing populism focuses on what drives the electoral success of these...Show moreThe rise of right-wing populism has received much attention in academic literature. However, most of the research on right-wing populism focuses on what drives the electoral success of these parties. Less light has been shed on factors that mitigate voting on right-wing populist parties, although there are indicators that the welfare state can play a key role here. Therefore, this thesis investigates the relationship between welfare state generosity and right-wing populist vote share. Using a Tobit analysis, this thesis analyses 91 elections in 16 countries over the period 1997-2018. The results of this model indicate that a generous welfare state can weaken the positive effect of trade globalization on electoral support for right-wing populist parties.Show less
The Occupy movement remains one of the defining aspects of political life in the early 2010s as a global social movement attempting to address the concerns of post-2008 politics. Drawing...Show moreThe Occupy movement remains one of the defining aspects of political life in the early 2010s as a global social movement attempting to address the concerns of post-2008 politics. Drawing inspiration from preceding movements and inspiring movements to come, its insistence on not articulating concrete demands as well as its dependence on pre-figurative politics was met simultaneously with amazement by activists and confusion by those attempting to grasp the movement. Through its global diffusion, beginning with Occupy Wall Street in New York and spreading all over the world, Occupy became a global phenomenon, entering the realm of international relations, with individual movements acting as agents that influence local and international politics, and the overall movement serving as connector between local actors on a global scale. Social movement theory often models mobilisation as happening either directly, through contact with activists, or indirectly, through equivalences in structure, demographic, or culture to other activists. The mobilisation and global diffusion of the Occupy movement however challenged both of these models, with local movements often self-mobilising and demonstrating a high level of heterogeneity in demographic make-up, social position, or movement culture. This thesis sets out to address this challenge by analysing the narratives put forward by Occupy movements as movement-building relays which aid the self-mobilisation of new activists. It argues that the common element between movements, as well as the potential for its global diffusion through self-mobilisation is not to be found in the narratives’ content, but rather in their structural aspects serving as movement-building relays. For this, 27 documents published by local Occupy movements were analysed in a structural-narratological approach. The thesis identifies relevant movement-building relays in the temporal, spatial, actantial, and social structures of the Occupy Wall Street narrative and traces their diffusion to the narratives of other local movements within the Occupy movement. Through this analysis, the thesis offers a novel approach to the study of contemporary global social movements whose diffusion is more often based on self-mobilisation and who demonstrate high levels of heterogeneity. Through the study of the Occupy movement, it thus seeks to provide a framework for which contemporary global social movements can be understood better.Show less
Climate change, environmental regulation, and the transition to renewable energy sources have a significant impact on the private and professional lives of workers in all parts of the world. In the...Show moreClimate change, environmental regulation, and the transition to renewable energy sources have a significant impact on the private and professional lives of workers in all parts of the world. In the absence of international law, multinational corporations (MNCs) are often relocating production to countries with insufficient social and environmental legislation, for the sake of profit maximalisation. Global union federations (GUFs) have started negotiating global framework agreements (GFAs) with MNC management to ensure the social rights of MNC employees in countries with inadequate legislation. As environmental strategies of MNCs are increasingly affecting employees, GFAs have been portrayed as a platform for union involvement in environmental issues. This thesis has investigated the potential of the inclusion of environmental issues in the GFA between the MNC Safran and IndustriALL Global Union. The results indicated that while the environmental clauses of the GFA had little concrete impact, the benefits of the inclusion are two-fold. Firstly, the creation of transnational social dialogue on the topic increased worker involvement on the MNC!s environmental strategy. Secondly, the GFA created conflict resolution for potential future labour conflict on environmental issues.Show less
A Gaze into the Past explores the evolution of Laura Mulvey's influential theory of the male gaze from its cinematic origins to its expansion into broader societal contexts, offering fresh...Show moreA Gaze into the Past explores the evolution of Laura Mulvey's influential theory of the male gaze from its cinematic origins to its expansion into broader societal contexts, offering fresh perspectives on gender, sexuality, and societal hierarchies. Marlieke van der Veer researches through two case studies of collections of erotic art in Pompeii, namely the Lupanar and the House of Vettii, the application of the gaze theory to Roman society, focusing on the second half of the first century CE. The analysis reveals that the dominant Roman gaze was aiming at the masculinity a Roman man was expected to embody, instead of gender itself. Therefore, the Roman male gaze was specified as the masculine gaze. This gaze revolved for a large part around the active versus passive roles in sexual intercourse. The study also explored a female gaze, presenting the idealized image of the "femina bona" in contrast to the antagonist, the prostitute, with women finding subtle ways of resistance. Additionally, she introduces the intersectional gaze, inspired by Kimberlé Crenshaw's modern intersectionality framework, demonstrating how intersecting features of gender, sexuality, age, and class shaped one's position in the In-group or Out-group and highlighting moments of power for marginalized groups. In conclusion, this research offers a comprehensive understanding of how the gaze theory can be applied beyond its cinematic origins, shedding light on the complexities of societal dynamics in Roman Antiquity and potentially other historical periods.Show less
Is the term ‘hallucination’ as it is used within the context of generative AI merely a metaphor? An investigation how hallucinations arise in the human perceptual system and in modern generative AI
The introduction of the concept of exaptation into the field of linguistics. A comparison of the history of the concept in evolution and linguistics. The various changes it underwent and the...Show moreThe introduction of the concept of exaptation into the field of linguistics. A comparison of the history of the concept in evolution and linguistics. The various changes it underwent and the transformation that was required to fit it into the field of linguistics. It further explores the impact it had on both fields.Show less
This thesis delves into the intersection of Buddhism, medicine, and art through the lens of seventeenth-century Tibetan paintings known as the Blue Beryl series. These intricate artworks not only...Show moreThis thesis delves into the intersection of Buddhism, medicine, and art through the lens of seventeenth-century Tibetan paintings known as the Blue Beryl series. These intricate artworks not only serve as repositories of medical knowledge but also reflect the cultural, religious, and political values of their time. Central to these paintings is the representation of indigenous Tibetan perspectives on spirit-caused illnesses, which focus on the existence of elemental spirits deeply rooted in local beliefs and landscapes. The research aims to investigate the indigenous Tibetan beliefs surrounding spirit causation and illness as depicted in the Blue Beryl paintings, offering a deeper understanding of these often misconstrued spiritual entities. By closely analyzing the iconography within these artworks, the study seeks to unveil the presence and significance of non-Buddhist beliefs and practices within Tibetan psychiatry, shedding light on a less-explored aspect of Tibetan medicine and spirituality.Show less
This paper explores the McCune-Reischauer, Revised, and Yale Romanizations to establish whether the Yale Romanization of Korean, the current standard in linguistics, is truly suitable for this...Show moreThis paper explores the McCune-Reischauer, Revised, and Yale Romanizations to establish whether the Yale Romanization of Korean, the current standard in linguistics, is truly suitable for this field in the Netherlands. The author looks at this issue from a pronunciation accuracy perspective, by having linguistics students and professionals at Leiden University read out phrases in the three transcription systems and quantifying their struggles in pronouncing the different romanizations. Additionally, a survey has been conducted, which asked participants from 3 Dutch universities to choose a preferred transcription system after listening to a Korean word. Both methods found that McCune-Reischauer was pronounced the most accurately and was most preferred by linguistic students. Yale Romanization was the least accurate and least preferred. The author thus argues that while Yale Romanization certainly has its distinct benefits, it is critically lacking in pronounceability and legibility, and is therefore not suitable for all parts of linguistics in its current state.Show less
Among Korea’s historical figures Yi Sunsin is one of its most revered heroes. Admiral Yi made his name during the Imjin War (1592-1598) by giving his life to fend off the Japanese navy and thereby...Show moreAmong Korea’s historical figures Yi Sunsin is one of its most revered heroes. Admiral Yi made his name during the Imjin War (1592-1598) by giving his life to fend off the Japanese navy and thereby saving the Korean Peninsula. His spirit of overcoming national disaster was revived at the dawn of Japanese colonial rule through the research of Korean elites pleading for Chosŏn to become a modern and strong nation. This same task was continued by Park Chung-hee who once again called upon the spirit of Admiral Yi Sunsin, and made him the hero of the modern nation: Republic of Korea. This strategy of using a historical figure to fit political goals can be seen as an example of politics of memory. When analysing the image of Yi Sunsin presented over the last decennia, it becomes clear the admiral has been continuously used for the politics of memory: the image of Admiral Yi is recreated to support the policies and political agendas of the ruling government.Show less
This thesis explores to what extent and how self-expression is portrayed in K-Pop choreography. The theoretical framework takes into account K-Pop idols' professionalism, the influence of modern...Show moreThis thesis explores to what extent and how self-expression is portrayed in K-Pop choreography. The theoretical framework takes into account K-Pop idols' professionalism, the influence of modern dance education, and the sociological dynamic combination of “collectivism” and “individualism” as represented in relation to the concepts of “holism” and ilmu. Additionally, an analysis of K-Pop choreography through four generations was performed to reveal a development in the incorporation of self-expressive aspects. The first generation exhibits subtle signs of semiotic use and point choreography. A more defined framework for K-Pop choreography is established in the second generation, which also includes individualistic concepts like the "domino effect." The third generation features choreography that utilises sign language and different dance genres, while the fourth generation shows an increase in the showcasing of individuality when taking into account changes made to official choreography. The research therefore shows that the scene of K-Pop choreography is developing in terms of showing self-expression, allowing idols to express their uniqueness while retaining collective harmony.Show less
