Bachelor thesis | Film- en literatuurwetenschap (BA)
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In dit Bachelor Eindwerkstuk onderzoek ik de vraag: In welk opzicht is de representatie van de androids in de film Alien en de video game Alien Isolation te verklaren door middel van een...Show moreIn dit Bachelor Eindwerkstuk onderzoek ik de vraag: In welk opzicht is de representatie van de androids in de film Alien en de video game Alien Isolation te verklaren door middel van een posthumanistisch debat en de duale relatie tussen mens en “ander”? Ik gebruik voor dit onderzoek theorie van onder andere Donna Harraway over de cyborg, Christine Cornea over het dualisme tussen mens en niet-mens in science fiction en theorie van Linda Hutcheon over adaptatie. Door close reading van de film en game te combineren met de theorie onderzoek ik hoe de representatie van de android in het posthumanistisch debat geplaatst kan worden. Ash in de film en de Working Joes en Christopher Samuels in de videogame worden allemaal op verschillende manieren gerepresenteerd en laten zien dat de scheiding tussen mens en niet-mens niet altijd even duidelijk is, omdat androids ook menselijke trekjes kunnen hebben. Ik vergelijk de android ook met de cyborg, omdat beide ingaan tegen het dualistische ordeningssysteem in de Westerse samenleving. Ik trek vervolgens ook vergelijkingen tussen de speler, de cyborg en de android.Show less
Master thesis | Theology and Religious Studies (Master)
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Desiderius Erasmus is known for his famous and influential works. In the 16th century he became one of the greatest humanists in Northern Europe. His publication of the revised version of the New...Show moreDesiderius Erasmus is known for his famous and influential works. In the 16th century he became one of the greatest humanists in Northern Europe. His publication of the revised version of the New Testament in Greek in 1516 meant a revolutionary breakthrough in the field of theology. During the age of Renaissance humanist intellectuals shared thoughts and influenced each other in many ways. The aim of this thesis is to contribute to the general understanding of scholasticism and humanism as its successor and to demonstrate some of the most distinguished charges against Erasmus. The Dutch scholar was able to make friends and also enemies with his sometimes revolutionary thoughts. Four important figures form the points of discussion: Alberto Pio III, Diego López de Zúñiga, Noël Beda and Julius Caesar Scaliger. By looking at these reactions and relating them to each other, one gets a clear picture of the various accents within the controversies.Show less
Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
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The TPP is one of the most well-known FTAs in the world, which accounts for 40% of the world total trade amount. According to some scholars, the TPP is an instrument to contain China led by the US,...Show moreThe TPP is one of the most well-known FTAs in the world, which accounts for 40% of the world total trade amount. According to some scholars, the TPP is an instrument to contain China led by the US, rather than a high-standard FTA. In addition, Japan, as the traditional alliance of the US and the vital trade partner of China, also participates in the TPP, following negotiations. This thesis focuses on Japan’s participation in the TPP and its impact on China. The problem that this paper will endeavor to solve is whether Japan’s participation in the TPP creates predicaments for China. The studies of the TPP differ from the aspect of various countries. By analyzing and comparing the studies inside and outside of China, I hold the view that China is facing an economic predicament and, because of China’s economic influence, a political predicament that is, by contrast, less severe. However, if China’s economic influence decreases due to the economic problems that it faces, the political predicament will be hard to avoid.Show less
This thesis will examine Abe’s push to constitutional reinterpretation and how the political left reacted to his argument by focusing on the following question: did the Japanese left-wing political...Show moreThis thesis will examine Abe’s push to constitutional reinterpretation and how the political left reacted to his argument by focusing on the following question: did the Japanese left-wing political actors reconsider their view on Article 9 and Japan’s current defense attitude? If the extreme political left of Japan has altered their stance on Abe and his push for reinterpretation, it means that the whole debate on Japanese defense policy is changing altogether. Therefore, Shinzō Abe might have had an impact on how Article 9 and Japan’s defense posture are perceived by the political left-wing. This will be analyzed through the model of securitization, as defined by the Copenhagen School of Security Studies. By applying this framework, this thesis will show how Abe attempts to securitize the issue of Japan’s national identity through addressing Japan’s defense capabilities and how the left-wing responds by counter-securitizing the issue of pacifism within national identity. The second goal of the thesis is to present the validity of the Copenhagen School’s framework by showing its applicability to the case of Japan’s constitutional reinterpretation. First, we shall analyze the literature on both Shinzō Abe’s reinterpretation attempt and the securitization model. Secondly, we will examine the nature of Abe’s push to constitutional reinterpretation by analyzing a book he wrote before he became prime minister and a book he wrote while he was prime minister. In this way, we can establish whether his stance has changed on reinterpreting the constitution. Then we will explore if and how Abe’s attempt for reinterpretation has reshaped the views of the political left in Japan. The effect of Abe’s push to reinterpret the constitution on popular opinion will be exposed by analyzing the phenomenon of counter-securitization by Japanese left-wing activists. We will look at in what manner the attempt has affected the left-wing in their rhetoric by examining scholarly articles on the subject. If this is the case, we might conclude that the Japanese extreme left is currently in the middle of a shift towards middle left.Show less
This thesis employs Robert Putnam’s concept of foreign pressure (“suasive reverberation”) to analyze the battle in the US Congress over the 2015 Iran nuclear accords. Drawing on the public...Show moreThis thesis employs Robert Putnam’s concept of foreign pressure (“suasive reverberation”) to analyze the battle in the US Congress over the 2015 Iran nuclear accords. Drawing on the public statements of key players, journalistic sources, and the congressional record, I contend that the most important factor in determining whether undecided lawmakers voted for or against the agreement was lobbying by other states. Specifically, the survival of the deal can be credited to appeals from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, as well as to a lesser degree from Russia and China. Working in close conjunction with the Obama Administration, representatives of these states successfully pressured wavering members of Congress to support the agreement. I also argue that, counter-intuitively, the government of Israel’s suasive reverberation in opposition to the Iran accords probably contributed to the deal’s survival. The methods and rhetoric used in Israel’s lobbying were perceived as partisan and sparked a backlash among Democratic members of Congress, leading them to close ranks and vote to approve the deal. Through examination of these divergent outcomes, this paper provides empirical support for the importance of suasive reverberation and sheds light on the conditions underlying its use, success, and failure.Show less
This thesis relates to the linguistic situation in Asia, in particular to East-Timor. Untill today, at least a small part of the population speaks a variety of the Portuguese language, as well as a...Show moreThis thesis relates to the linguistic situation in Asia, in particular to East-Timor. Untill today, at least a small part of the population speaks a variety of the Portuguese language, as well as a Portuguese-based creole. The purpose of this work is to analyze this linguistic situation. I will take into account the Portuguese heritage, as well as the future of the languages influenced by the Portuguese language. The history of East Timor will be discussed, where I will take notice of the Portuguese-based creoles and the Portuguese variety spoken in that area. By means of a linguistic analysis I will justify traces of the Portuguese language and explain what measures are taken to maintain these traces. Of the many languages in Asia influenced by the Portuguese language, some have disappeared for different reasons. Therefore, I’m greatly interested in analyzing if the Portuguese language will have a future in East Timor.Show less
In Uruguay is sinds 10 december 2013 de drug Cannabis sativa, onder het bewind van president José Mujica, gelegaliseerd. Volgens de nieuwe wet mogen gebruikers van 18 jaar en ouder daar 40 gram...Show moreIn Uruguay is sinds 10 december 2013 de drug Cannabis sativa, onder het bewind van president José Mujica, gelegaliseerd. Volgens de nieuwe wet mogen gebruikers van 18 jaar en ouder daar 40 gram Cannabis sativa kopen in door de staat aangewezen winkels. Gebruikers mogen thuis tot zes planten telen en verenigingen mogen tot 90 planten per jaar telen en oogsten. Voorstanders van deze nieuwe wetgeving op het gebied van Cannabis Sativa zijn van mening dat de gereguleerde teelt en handel van deze drug zal helpen de georganiseerde misdaad te bestrijden. De Verenigde Naties kijken anders aan tegen de decriminalisering en regulering van Cannabis sativa in Uruguay; door het ondertekenen van de 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs door alle VN‐lidstaten moet deze drug als onomstotelijk illegaal worden beschouwt. De VN heeft niet alleen kritiek op de gezondheidsrisico’s van deze drug, zoals verslaving en geheugenproblemen, maar vooral op de illegaliteit als zodanig. De 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs is door alle VN‐lidstaten getekend en het is daarbij niet toegestaan zomaar unilateraal een drug te legaliseren; dit wordt gezien als een overtreding. De VN dreigt daarbij ook met sancties tegen Uruguay, maar kan deze niet opleggen door legale restricties. UNASUR probeert de VN ook te nuanceren in de vijandelijke houding die de VN aanneemt. Het beeld dat wordt geschetst door UNASUR en de VN van het nationale imago van Uruguay is overwegend negatief. Echter, door het feit dat alle UNASUR landen overwegend positief zijn, vindt dit negatieve beeld vooral plaats buiten de Latijns‐Amerikaanse regio. Het beeld dat door de Argentijnse kranten Clarín, La Nación en Página 12 in de media wordt geschetst van het nationale imago van Uruguay is overwegend positief. Uit deze kranten komt veel positief en neutraal commentaar naar voren. Zo wordt er geschreven dat Argentijnse bedrijven erover denken om Cannabis sativa te gaan produceren voor Uruguay en wordt er gespeculeerd dat Argentinië mogelijk het tweede land kan zijn dat deze drug gaat decriminaliseren. In deze kranten komen veel positieve woorden naar voren, zoals ‘la otra cara de la guerra’, ‘la hora de empezar a escuchar’, ‘otros caminos posibles’. Deze titels suggereren dat Argentinië mogelijk ook aan het kijken is naar alternatieven zoals decriminalisering en dat zij de legalisering van de drug in Uruguay ook zien als een sociaal experiment, zoals UNASUR. De negatieve kritiek kwam uit een andere hoek; de Uruguayaanse krant El País geeft aan dat zowel Argentinië als Brazilië bang zijn voor een spillover van Cannabis sativa over de grenzen.Show less
This study focuses on sacred forests in the North Pare Mountains, Tanzania, and questions the reasons behind their current conservation. In spite of not being gazetted by the State, studies show...Show moreThis study focuses on sacred forests in the North Pare Mountains, Tanzania, and questions the reasons behind their current conservation. In spite of not being gazetted by the State, studies show that sacred forests in North Pare have a wider variety of endemic flora and fauna and are better preserved than national forests reserves. Although they are small in size, sacred forests are thus important globally. Some scholars suggest that the reason of such high biodiversity is the local culture and religion, or traditional conservation methods, which are decelerating the process of diminishing of these small forest patches. However, these aspects are not studied in depth. This thesis seeks to investigate these ‘traditions’. Sacred forests are in fact being considered a new type of (modern) conservation model. They are considered ideal also because of local caretakers, who enable to organize conservation with low economic expenditures. I argue, however, that the environmental ethics of people in North Pare emerge from a fusion of local Pare worldviews and modern discourses of Christianity, Islam and formal education. Therefore the assumed traditional/modern dichotomy that the new conservation agenda wants to reconcile does not reflect the reality on the ground and, by misunderstanding these dynamics, policies are likely to fail. The findings of this research also clarify that sacred forests and people constitute each other. The forests, in other words, symbolize a group of people. So, new ways of linking the community and the forests can complement recent conservation efforts, which typically neglect environmental values and moral meanings that are at stake in environmental practices and are fundamental for long-term positive results.Show less
The aim of this thesis is to provide a comparative insight in benevolence (ren) as a leadership quality. The main focus is on the understanding of ren in the base of Confucianism, after which its...Show moreThe aim of this thesis is to provide a comparative insight in benevolence (ren) as a leadership quality. The main focus is on the understanding of ren in the base of Confucianism, after which its keystones are compared to those of Liberalism. In the first part, it focuses on the meaning of ren that can be derived from relevant passages in the Analects of Confucius (the Lunyu). The second part explores its significance as a leadership quality. It ends with a comparative study between these keystones found, and those of liberalism in the broadest sense of the notion.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Film- en literatuurwetenschap (BA)
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Hoe beïnvloeden de sociaal culturele context en het genre de representatie van mythische personages? De mythische personages zijn in dit geval Odin, Thor en Loki uit de Noordse mythologie. De...Show moreHoe beïnvloeden de sociaal culturele context en het genre de representatie van mythische personages? De mythische personages zijn in dit geval Odin, Thor en Loki uit de Noordse mythologie. De casussen zijn de Marvel-films(zoals Thor) en de televisie-serie Vikings. Om eerder genoemde vraag te beantwoorden heb ik gekeken naar genre en de sociaal culturele context rondom de casussen. De representaties in de casussen vergelijk ik met de representaties in de Prose en Poetic Edda en uiteindelijk met elkaar. Beide representaties vervullen een wens. De representaties in de Marvel-wereld vervullen de wens voor een personage, waarmee de kijker zich kan identificeren, dat niet tegen wordt gehouden door de wet en zo het kwaad kan bestrijden. Terwijl de representaties in Vikings een informatieve rol hebben, namelijk hoe de goden in de tijd van de Vikingen werden ervaren door de maatschappij.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Film- en literatuurwetenschap (BA)
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Een onderzoek naar magisch realisme in de 21e eeuw in de literatuur van Haruki Murakami en de films van Apitchatpong Weerasethakul. In hoeverre is het hedendaagse magisch realisme, in verhouding...Show moreEen onderzoek naar magisch realisme in de 21e eeuw in de literatuur van Haruki Murakami en de films van Apitchatpong Weerasethakul. In hoeverre is het hedendaagse magisch realisme, in verhouding tot de postkoloniale magisch realistische traditie, veranderd?Show less
Master thesis | Theology and Religious Studies (Master)
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This thesis aims to document how the development of faith can be seen in the literary work of a person, who moved from belief and participation in a certain religion to skepticism and...Show moreThis thesis aims to document how the development of faith can be seen in the literary work of a person, who moved from belief and participation in a certain religion to skepticism and excommunication. In what follows the focus will be on Brian Evenson, author of Horror and Science Fiction, who was an active member of the Church of Latter Day Saints until he asked for his excommunication in 2000 in order to pursuit his art. Evenson’s literary output ranges over a time when he was faithful, holding a church office as a lay bishop and working for the Mormon Brigham Young University until the present day where he is very critical towards specific aspects of the LDS church and of the concept of religion in general. Brian Evenson has published 15 works of fiction in the genre of Horror and Science Fiction, thereby providing a big body of work to concider. The work of Evenson will be divided into three different parts, to better track his development; the writing published before his decision to leave the LDS church, the book that was written alongside Evenson’s choice to be excommunicated and everything written thereafter. In the pursuit of the question, how Evenson’s position to his religion and faith is displayed in all his writing a very particular focus is placed. His conflict with the church and his struggle with faith can be traced through specific reoccurring topoi in his stories and the themes, which dominate his writing. Further Evenson has repeatedly discussed how his personal life influences his writing in interviews, essays and epilogs of his books; thereby allowing to draw a connection between his religious development and writing.Show less
After years of integration in other sectors, the member states decided to include foreign and defence policy to EU cooperation. Therefore, it is now, after a few decades, a good moment to look...Show moreAfter years of integration in other sectors, the member states decided to include foreign and defence policy to EU cooperation. Therefore, it is now, after a few decades, a good moment to look critically at what has been achieved in this sector of EU defence cooperation. With this reason, this thesis will approach the question, why do the member states want defence integration to happen in smaller groups? This question can be split in multiple sub-questions. Firstly, could reaction of the member states be out of discontent of how cooperation is functioning on a EU-level? Secondly, does the EU allow the member states to continue in smaller groups, instead of moving forward as a Union? These question will be approached by using a variety of documents. For example, not only the EU perspective but also the national interests of member states and the vision of experts on defence integration should be taken into consideration as well as useful sources for this thesis. Furthermore by looking at theories of defence integration in the EU, such as, Institutionalism, constructivism and realist theory, this thesis will try to find the motives for defence integration. Using the patterns of the theory will make it easier to analyse and compare the cases that will be included in this thesis. The three selected cases are from a different scale. From cooperation on a Union-level to bilateral cooperation and integration. As a result, this thesis has to add additional information and perspectives on the integration of defence within the EU.Show less
The intent of this thesis is to use a case study for possible new approaches to shinshūkyō 新宗教 (“new religions”) in Japan. In particular, this thesis aims at investigating the nature of kamigakari...Show moreThe intent of this thesis is to use a case study for possible new approaches to shinshūkyō 新宗教 (“new religions”) in Japan. In particular, this thesis aims at investigating the nature of kamigakari 神懸り, loosely translatable as “divine possession”, for Deguchi Nao 出口なお (1837-1918), foundress of the ritual organization in Japan called Ōmotokyō大本教. A close-up on the origins of kamigakari is given in order to understand better the personal circumstances around Deguchi Nao’s experience and how it functioned for her. Kamigakari was the experience through which Deguchi Nao wrote down the Ofudesaki お筆先, a book inspired by the deity she claimed to be inside her, Ushitora no Konjin 丑寅の金神. In the book she called for radical spiritual change for people as well as for kami 神 (deities). The second chapter is dedicated to the book and its worldview. While the third chapter investigates the connections between shamanism and shinshūkyō, the last chapter analyzes the particular features of Deguchi Nao’s kamigakari, which, including the co-founder of Ōmotokyō, Deguchi Onisaburō 出口王仁三郎 (1871-1948), worked through the dual principle based on the notions of “male with a transformed nature” (henjōnanshi 変性男子), which refers to Deguchi Nao, and “female with a transformed nature” (henjōnyoshi変性女子), used to describe Onisaburō’s role.Show less
