This thesis will reveal that The Road contains many literary techniques, motifs and themes that can be traced back specifically to Romantic texts in the apocalyptic tradition, as well as...Show moreThis thesis will reveal that The Road contains many literary techniques, motifs and themes that can be traced back specifically to Romantic texts in the apocalyptic tradition, as well as philosophical ideas concerning human ethics that were developed within Romantic and later science fiction literature, initially in response to Kantian ethics. These specific themes and ideas will serve as the framework of reference for this research, to be introduced and placed in context in the following subsections.Show less
Colonial governance in the Dutch East Indies revived after Johannes van den Bosch launched the infamous cultivation system on Java in 1830. Portrayed as the Dutch pinnacle of colonial exploitation,...Show moreColonial governance in the Dutch East Indies revived after Johannes van den Bosch launched the infamous cultivation system on Java in 1830. Portrayed as the Dutch pinnacle of colonial exploitation, this system has been the topic of heated scholarly and non-scholarly debates. But apart from a system of colonial agricultural production, it also posed a framework for colonial governance. Crucial in this framework was the collaboration of the Javanese administrative elite with the Dutch. This thesis examines the relation between the Dutch local authorities and the indigenous rulers on Java in the early 1830s. An in-depth investigation of power-division and political games in the residencies (the provincial units of colonial control), it analyzes the techniques and tricks the Dutch and Javanese used to cope with each other. Daily practice of colonial governance seemed not to have been motivated really by any centrally organized ideology, but by the personal skills and experiences of the Dutch officials, and their ability to make use of the traditional power of the Javanese rulers. Describing a system of men rather than rules or laws, this thesis attempts to showcase the paradoxical character of Dutch colonial rule in practice, to stress that in colonial Southeast-Asia it were not merely the colonizers who constructed the colony.Show less
The thesis analyzes the role of memories of past emigrations within the context of discourses on immigration, integration and citizenship policy-making in Spain from 1980 to 2010. It contends that...Show moreThe thesis analyzes the role of memories of past emigrations within the context of discourses on immigration, integration and citizenship policy-making in Spain from 1980 to 2010. It contends that these memories were a crucial part of the discourse of policy-makers in the process of the transition of Spain from being a country of emigration to being an immigrant-receiving society. The thesis analyzes in depth how memories are employed by different sides of the political spectrum in different manners to cater to different political aims. From this empirical analysis it seeks to draw a theoretical understanding of the role of collective memories of emigration in the context of a country's migrational transition.Show less
Research master thesis | Literary Studies (research) (MA)
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This thesis explores the field of photography and studies its relationship with and its influence on the meaning and interpretation of privacy. The latter has been widely discussed in recent years...Show moreThis thesis explores the field of photography and studies its relationship with and its influence on the meaning and interpretation of privacy. The latter has been widely discussed in recent years because of the presumed lack thereof in our contemporary digitalized, globalized and 'free' world. Privacy is considered to be pivotal to our identity and being in this world. In this thesis I will argue that privacy is innately individual and can be considered as a personal desire to protect and demarcate everything that we do not know yet. It is a desire not to be a victim of everything that is happening in the world around oneself. In our contemporary world privacy is increasingly 'rational' and no longer concerned with physical access to something or somebody. Photography has the ambiguous task to lay bare the things we do not already know, and to be the threat to our privacy.Show less
Hoe religie en de natuur op bepaalde punten samen lijken te komen volgens Charles Dupuis en George Faber. Twee perspectieven uit dezelfde tijd. Een Franse en een Engelse gedachte zien verbanden...Show moreHoe religie en de natuur op bepaalde punten samen lijken te komen volgens Charles Dupuis en George Faber. Twee perspectieven uit dezelfde tijd. Een Franse en een Engelse gedachte zien verbanden maar ook verschillen, hoe is dit verklaarbaar?Show less
Literature on wartime removal and incarceration of Japanese American describes the opposition and resistance to the governmental policies mostly in terms of deficiency. This interpretative bias is...Show moreLiterature on wartime removal and incarceration of Japanese American describes the opposition and resistance to the governmental policies mostly in terms of deficiency. This interpretative bias is characterized by privileging the governmental account of the removal and incarceration over the Japanese American accounts while disregarding any incident short of civil disobedience as unimportant. Moreover, Japanese Americans' cooperation is seen as contributing greatly to the success of the procedures that ultimately deprived them of their liberty. This view, though widely held, does not provide an accurate description of Japanese American attitudes and actions during the fateful months after the Pearl Harbor attack. I will argue that the number of strikes, the extent of community organization, and the scope of individual and group protest inside the relocation camps testify that Japanese Americans' reaction to their wartime removal and incarceration was anything but passive. Japanese Americans protested against the injustice of their evacuation and incarceration, but they were systematically silenced, intimidated, and punished by the government. Moreover, the relocation program officials and generations of relocation scholars contributed to the marginalization of Japanese American resistance by uncritically accepting the governmental account of mass removal and incarceration which refused to recognize evacuee resistance as legitimate protest.Show less
This thesis examines the cinematic cyborg as a figure which embodies technophobic fears expressed in film. By exploring the cyborg's representation, I will show how its portrayal in film expresses...Show moreThis thesis examines the cinematic cyborg as a figure which embodies technophobic fears expressed in film. By exploring the cyborg's representation, I will show how its portrayal in film expresses these technophobic fears, which are, as I will show, interwoven with xenophobia. The cyborg is viewed here as a figure in which technophobia and xenophobia collide. I will examine the so-called preferred meaning expressed in my case studies, which are eight films featuring a cyborg protagonist released in a period of three decades. Moreover, I will compare these messages to see if and how the expressions of technophobia differ and whether they change over time.Show less
In one way or another, the civilizations who ruled over Egypt in antiquity could all boast a close connection to the concepts of 'law' and 'justice'. Balance, justice, and order - all personified...Show moreIn one way or another, the civilizations who ruled over Egypt in antiquity could all boast a close connection to the concepts of 'law' and 'justice'. Balance, justice, and order - all personified by the goddess Ma'at - were the cornerstones of Ancient Egyptian religion and society. The Greek Ptolemies, who ruled over Egypt between 323 and 30 BC, would become famous for their advanced and intricate bureacracy, which also featured a highly effective law enforcement system. The Romans, more than any, prided themselves on their laws, which remain influential in modern societies to this day. This thesis sets out to discover the manner in which criminal justice in Egypt developed from the times of the New Kingdom, through the Ptolemaic era, and under Roman rule. Not only for the abovementioned anecdotal reasons, but also because the capability to deal with crime and to maintain order can serve as an indicator for a successful administration in general. Because criminal law forms an integral part of a legal system as a whole, which, in turn, is inseparable from the general administrative system of a country, all of these will be taken into account. The following questions will be answered in this thesis: how were the various legal and administrative systems organized?; which actions were considered to be crimes by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans?; who possessed the legal authority to deal with these matters?; and in what manner were criminal transgressions dealt with in practice? In the end, the aim is to not only find out how criminal justice developed in the course of nearly two millennia, but also to offer an explanation as to why these developments took their specific course.Show less
In deze scriptie wordt onderzocht hoe de informatie die in medicijnadvertenties gericht op artsen staat, wordt ingezet om de arts te overtuigen een bepaald medicijn voor te schrijven. Het onderzoek...Show moreIn deze scriptie wordt onderzocht hoe de informatie die in medicijnadvertenties gericht op artsen staat, wordt ingezet om de arts te overtuigen een bepaald medicijn voor te schrijven. Het onderzoek wordt gedaan aan de hand van de pragma-dialectische argumentatietheorie. Uit het onderzoek blijkt onder meer dat er een bepaalde argumentatiestructuur ten grondslag ligt aan medicijnadvertenties gericht op artsen. Het standpunt is ‘schrijf middel X voor aan uw patiënten’ en wordt altijd ondersteund met pragmatische argumentatie die het welzijn van de patiënt benadrukt. Die argumentatie wordt onderbouwd met de informatie die expliciet in de advertentie te vinden is: met kenmerken van het medicijn.Show less
Aanleiding voor dit onderzoek zijn uiteenlopende claims afkomstig uit de neurowetenschappen en (neuro)marketingpraktijk waaruit blijkt dat consumenten ‘onbewust’ of ‘breingericht’ beïnvloed kunnen...Show moreAanleiding voor dit onderzoek zijn uiteenlopende claims afkomstig uit de neurowetenschappen en (neuro)marketingpraktijk waaruit blijkt dat consumenten ‘onbewust’ of ‘breingericht’ beïnvloed kunnen worden in hun (koop)gedrag. Verwacht werd dat de manieren om consumenten ‘onbewust’ of ‘breingericht’ te beïnvloeden verschillen van de manieren die Hoeken in het boek Overtuigende Teksten noemt om consumenten te beïnvloeden in hun gedrag. Uiteindelijk bleek dat inzichten uit adviesboeken over ‘onbewust’ of ‘breingericht’ beïnvloeden relatief weinig waarde hebben voor het bevorderen van de effectiviteit van teksten waarin producten of diensten gepromoot worden. Uitzondering hierop zijn beïnvloedingstactieken die samenhangen met ‘prijsperceptie’, ‘schaarste’ en ‘prijspijn’. Het lijkt mij van belang om een ‘passend’ theoretisch kader te ontwikkelen voor het ontwerpen en beoordelen van reclameteksten. Ik raad aan om daarbij, in tegenstelling tot de geraadpleegde (advies)literatuur, een context-georiënteerd marketingperspectief in te nemen waarin de behoefte van de consument centraal staat. Zo’n kader zou een waardevolle aanvulling op het boek Overtuigende Teksten zijn. Show less
This thesis describes Lady Hester Pulter’s (1605-1678) poetry, and, in particular, focuses on religious and royalist components in her work. Pulter lived for most of her life in Cottered,...Show moreThis thesis describes Lady Hester Pulter’s (1605-1678) poetry, and, in particular, focuses on religious and royalist components in her work. Pulter lived for most of her life in Cottered, Hertfordshire, where she wrote a prose romance and a collection of poetry. Her work has survived in one manuscript (MS Lt q 32) that was discovered in the University of Leeds’ Brotherton Library in 1996. Pulter wrote her poetry during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms and the ensuing period of the Commonwealth and the Protectorate. She openly expressed her support of the king and the royalist cause in her poems. For Pulter, Charles I was unquestionably the country´s and the church´s leader. The political aspect, though, is also present in the less obviously political poetry. References to politics crop up through the whole collection. Royalism was an integral part of her life and an inseparable part of her language. In fact, the political component forms an important characteristic of her work.Show less
La violencia familiar es una definición amplia y ha afectado a diferentes grupos, en esta tesis se tratara la violencia familiar hacia la mujer o violencia doméstica, el tipo que sucede entre...Show moreLa violencia familiar es una definición amplia y ha afectado a diferentes grupos, en esta tesis se tratara la violencia familiar hacia la mujer o violencia doméstica, el tipo que sucede entre parejas o ex parejas. Es una forma de violencia de género con características específicas, causas y posibles medidas de acción. En el caso de la violencia doméstica, más que en otras áreas, es difícil adquirir datos cuantitativos fiables. Los maltratos suceden en el ámbito íntimo del hogar mientras que la violencia social ocurre en el ámbito público, visible para todos, lo que facilita formar una opinión y tomar medidas de acción. Las victimas muchas veces prefieren guardar el silencio. Desde los años ’80 después de ser una práctica poca reconocida, en algunos casos hasta socialmente aceptada, la violencia doméstica se ha convertido en una violación seria de los derechos humanos mundialmente. Por presión internacional con una demanda de reconocimiento de los derechos de la mujer en Latinoamérica se han implementado políticas públicas contra la violencia familiar. En Perú estos cambios iniciaron bajo el gobierno de Alberto Fujimori. Ha resultado en la modificación de leyes en la región que protegen el ámbito familiar y en 1993 se implementó una nueva ley en Perú cual define la violencia familiar y la categoriza como una falta o agravante en el caso que sea un delito (Ley N° 26260 Perú). Se clarificaran estos conceptos y se analizaran teorías sobre causas y efectos de la violencia familiar. Se explicara el contexto político e histórico en cual han evolucionado los derechos de la mujer y los movimientos feministas en Perú. La investigación fue realizada en Lima entre mayo y agosto del 2012. Se hizo una revisión bibliográfica y documental de publicaciones de ONG e instituciones oficiales como la Organización Mundial de la Salud. Los datos cuantitativos se usaron para adquirir una vista realista de la violencia doméstica en Lima y las medidas de ayuda que existen en el momento. Se visitaron 5 casas de refugio en diferentes distritos de la municipalidad de Lima. Se entrevistaron 6 usuarias albergadas, 15 trabajadoras de ONG, el Ministerio de la Mujer y Poblaciones Vulnerables (MIMP), y municipalidad de Lima para servir como información de contexto social y judicial. Se documentaron las experiencias de las usuarias albergadas. El objetivo fue identificar los cuellos de botella desde el momento que ellas deciden dejar al agresor y buscar ayuda ofrecida por ONG y el MIMP. También se documentaron características de las entrevistadas y los maltratos sufridos.Show less
The goal of this essay is to prove that national identity, as perceived by the Russian leadership plays an important role in the making of Russian foreign policy. The thesis is that Russian...Show moreThe goal of this essay is to prove that national identity, as perceived by the Russian leadership plays an important role in the making of Russian foreign policy. The thesis is that Russian-Brazilian relations confirm this importance of identity in Russian foreign policy. Although Russia and Brazil share certain commonalities when it comes to the size of the countries and populations, the leadership potential that comes with that, the developments they have gone through over the past century, similarities in their economies and some of the social issues they face today, in a practical sense they do not have that much in common. Geographically, they are remote from one another, historically they have been on opposite sides of the Cold War and they have very different regime types, Brazil being a fully-fledged democracy whereas Russia boasts a hybrid regime with authoritarian traits. They could easily conduct their internal and external affairs without investing any time and effort in bilateral relations, as they more or less have done in the 1990s. Therefore, Moscow’s relations with Brasilia make an interesting case to explore the motivations behind, as they are neither self-explanatory nor indispensable. This essay does not aim to prove that Russian-Brazilian relations are essential to Russian foreign policy. As abovementioned, they clearly are not indispensable. The Russian leadership does identify Brazil as a key partner in Latin America and describes the relationship as being of strategic importance , and in recent years the Kremlin has attributed increasing importance to relations with Latin America, but there can be no doubt that the region takes a backseat to Europe, Asia and North-America in Russian foreign policy. This essay merely sets out to demonstrate that matters of national identity play a role in the making of Russian foreign policy, and aims to lend further credence to this thesis by analysing Russian-Brazilian relations. To this end, part I of this essay offers an analysis of Russian foreign policy in the 21st century, paying special attention to Realist tendencies and matters that seem to illustrate the importance of identity, whereas part II of this essay focuses on Russian-Brazilian relations and how these seem to indicate the importance of identity in Russian foreign policy.Show less
