Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
closed access
The gamelan is an ensemble, well-known as an Indonesian icon, and popular in today's media. However, how well do we really know about its background and roots? How ancient/recent is it, for...Show moreThe gamelan is an ensemble, well-known as an Indonesian icon, and popular in today's media. However, how well do we really know about its background and roots? How ancient/recent is it, for instance? The paper proposes various lines of investigation while highlighting issues of perception and definition hidden in the very core of the object of investigation. Current public perceptions of the gamelan may have to undergo challenges if we are to find an answer. In compensation for such challenges, we discover a fascinating Asia-wide cultural, social and historical perspective and a delightfully rich matrix in which the gamelan emerged.Show less
Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
closed access
the thesis tries to answer the question: to what extent was the new port of Tanjung Priok succesful in achieving the objectives set for it by the Dutch colonial government?
Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
open access
Diaspora is an interesting, unique ,and widespread phenomenon, always bringing into question ideas of culture, identity and belonging. The Indian Diaspora is one of the largest in the world, and...Show moreDiaspora is an interesting, unique ,and widespread phenomenon, always bringing into question ideas of culture, identity and belonging. The Indian Diaspora is one of the largest in the world, and has been extensively researched. However, in both daily conversation and in academic literature, there seems to be a surprising relative lack of knowledge on the Indian Diaspora of East Africa, this is bewildering given its intrigue and importance in the region. Equally under emphasised are the cultural roles and experiences of women, often seen as symbols and carriers of culture; through dress, family making, cooking, ideas of honour and more. Diasporas often have a tendency towards remaining conservative, while the homeland often evolves, as a way to hold on to tradition and identity. This has changed in recent decades, either in the direction of new more modern ideas or blended identities with an even further drive to traditionalism by the contemporary generation. These various trajectories will be included in this paper.Show less
Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
closed access
A unique view on gender is one of the features that reputedly distinguishes Southeast Asia from the neighboring regions. The main purpose of this project is to put this hypothesis to the test by...Show moreA unique view on gender is one of the features that reputedly distinguishes Southeast Asia from the neighboring regions. The main purpose of this project is to put this hypothesis to the test by locating and exploring femininity in early Indonesia, as it is the heartland of the cultural area in question. We should be able to see some of the social norms and convictions of the time reflected in works of art intended for a broad audience. In order to affirm or dispute the claim that women and men were considered equal in pre-modern Indonesia, I will be looking at the reliefs of Borobudur. Interestingly, the stories taken from Buddhist texts are not illustrated word for word, but have been infused with local meanings. Images of women and the narratives behind them could help us understand what social patterns femininity was associated with at the time. A smart and timely reference to the historical data available can be used to interpret and supplement the findings. At the end of my journey, I would be able to answer to what extent have expectations of normative social behavior affected the visual depictions of women. Subsequently, it will be possible to determine what aspects of femininity are exclusive to Indonesia and enrich our understanding of its pre-modernity.Show less
Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
open access
The debate of restitution and the return of cultural treasures has been a hot topic in international media in recent years. France, Germany, the Netherlands and most recently, Belgium are the...Show moreThe debate of restitution and the return of cultural treasures has been a hot topic in international media in recent years. France, Germany, the Netherlands and most recently, Belgium are the European countries that are trying to address these challenging questions from a different perspective. Undoubtedly, the return of cultural heritage is a complex and emotionally loaded subject for all the parties involved. For instance, in 2020 Congolese activist Mwazulu Diyabanza Siwa Lemba and his ‘comrades’ from the organization Unité Dignité Courage (UDC) took these matters literally in their own hands. They attempted to ‘restitute’ objects from three French museums: a museum in Marseille, Quai Branly, and Louvre in Paris, as well as from Afrika Museum in Berg en Dal, the Netherlands. From Afrika museum, Mwazulu Diyabanza took a wooden statue and live-streamed this attempt on the internet. Later, in 2021, he was charged by a court of Nijmegen. He has more pending court cases in France regarding the same acts of vigilantism. While for ‘outsiders’ this is an act of crime and an attempt of theft, UDC sees it as a noble deed of taking back what was ‘stolen’ from Africa by colonialists. The organization frames it as an act of ‘free speech’. News outlets semi-ironically labeled the Congolese activist ‘the Robin Hood of the restitution’.Show less
Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
open access
Because of the geographical location of the Indonesian island Java, it was soon exposed to the well-developed textile industry on the Indian subcontinent, leading to an extensive exchange of...Show moreBecause of the geographical location of the Indonesian island Java, it was soon exposed to the well-developed textile industry on the Indian subcontinent, leading to an extensive exchange of textiles. Java established a small scale indigenous resits dyeing industry, named batik. Over the centuries, batik developed to high artistic levels on Java and unlimited pattern variations were created. But, most of the circulating textiles in Java were imported from India. By the end of the seventeenth century, the demand for Indian textiles vanished, and the indigenous Javanese textile industry emerged fast. Some argue that the demand for Indian textiles at the end of the seventeenth century had decreased by the impoverishment of the Javanese after years of Dutch dominance. But, I argue that the Dutch had an important role in providing stimuli in the eighteenth century, which eventually led to the commercialisation and growth of the batik industry in the nineteenth century. With developments such as inventions as the cap and canting pen, available artificial dyes, Dutch stimulation of Chinese migration who participated in the textile industry and the Indo-European female entrepreneurs who started batik commercial centres as a reaction to the high global demand for batik, the fabric was able to evolve as we know it in current times.Show less
