Bilingual compound verbs (BCVs) are constructions where an inflected light verb from one language co-occurs with an inserted lexical verb from another language, which provides the semantic content,...Show moreBilingual compound verbs (BCVs) are constructions where an inflected light verb from one language co-occurs with an inserted lexical verb from another language, which provides the semantic content, e.g., Spanish/English hacer cook “to cook”: Spanish/Maya hacer loch “to hug”. Although previous studies, i.a., Balam (2015); Balam et al. (2020); Michalski (2017), have analyzed the (morpho)syntactic structure of hacer “to do” BCVs in Spanish/English code-switching and Maya/Spanish code-switching respectively, there is no study that offers a semantic analysis of these innovative constructions in these bilingual varieties. Endeavoring to fill this gap, the present study examines the semantic use of BCVs in Orange Walk, Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico; two linguistically and sociohistorically connected yet distinct communities where Spanish hacer BCVs have been attested (e.g., Balam, 2015; Michalski, 2017). More specifically, we analyzed which semantic domains are open to other language lexical verbs in these two bi/multilingual communities that markedly differ in terms of their frequency of use of BCVs. 903 BCVs from Balam ́s (2016a) corpus of oral production data from Northern Belize and 237 BCVs from Michalski ́s (2021) Yucatan Spanish Twitter corpus were coded using our categorization model, consisting of 3 mains semantic categories, 28 mutually exclusive categories and 5 references to identity. Results show that there are significant similarities and differences regarding the openness of semantic domains to other language lexical verbs in the two communities. In terms of similarities, subcategories “C1 School, Education, Learning-Related” and “B2 Friendships, Social Communication” evinced high levels of openness (> 7%) across the two communities. In terms of differences, the BCVs from Yucatan encapsulated a relatively high degree of cultural and linguistic references (47%) that are idiosyncratic to the Yucatecan/Mayan community. We therefore posit that Backus ́s (2001) concept of specificity and Treffers-Daller ́s (2023) listedness to be the main motivations for the insertion of Maya verbs in hacer BCVs. The Belize results demonstrate that many different semantic contexts exhibited openness to English verb insertions, reflecting the multicultural and multilingual identity of the Northern Belizean society. The high degree of openness found in “C1 School, Education, Learning-Related” (20%) and “C2 Work-Related”(13%) can be attributed to the more frequent (official) use of English in educational and professional settings, possibly resulting in higher levels of “entrenchment” in the speakers´minds (Backus, 2014).Show less
This thesis aims to analyze the extent to which agency of unaccompanied children in transit is fostered at the US-Mexico border between 2009-2020. Firstly, the concept of agency in child migration...Show moreThis thesis aims to analyze the extent to which agency of unaccompanied children in transit is fostered at the US-Mexico border between 2009-2020. Firstly, the concept of agency in child migration will be defined. Secondly, an analysis of the social, political, and legal context will provide insight into the current situation of unaccompanied children at the border. Finally, a thematic analysis of a corpus of Mexican and US case law, state policy reviews and NGO reports will reveal the experiences of unaccompanied children at the border. These findings on agency will be supported by a small case study of an individual narrative. The results of the analysis give evidence that unaccompanied children are caught in an agency-repressive cycle. Due to the violations of children’s rights by the US and Mexico, unaccompanied children’s agency is not fostered at the border. Moreover, children’s expressions of agency lead to diminished acknowledgment of their vulnerability, which results in reduced access to rights for unaccompanied children.Show less
This paper consists of an analysis of the failure of the Yasuní-ITT Initiative, examining the internal and external factors that influenced the Initiative’s development, progress and subsequent...Show moreThis paper consists of an analysis of the failure of the Yasuní-ITT Initiative, examining the internal and external factors that influenced the Initiative’s development, progress and subsequent failure. The Yasuní-ITT Initiative was introduced under the Correa government as an environmental project that proposed to discontinue oil extraction in part of the Yasuní National Park in Ecuador, in turn for financial compensation from the international community. As such, it had the opportunity to set an example of global collaboration in conservation by proposing to share the costs and benefits of conservation internationally. While attempting to find an explanation for the Initiative’s failure, this paper taps into the highly topical dilemma between ecologism and economism as faced by the Ecuadorian government.Show less
Colombia’s second biggest city of Medellin, once infamous for being the most dangerous city in the world, has been internationally praised as a miraculous example of successful urban intervention...Show moreColombia’s second biggest city of Medellin, once infamous for being the most dangerous city in the world, has been internationally praised as a miraculous example of successful urban intervention to reduce social inequality and curb urban violence and juvenile delinquency through connectivity and the recapturing of public spaces in a city that had lost its public life. The policy, which became widely known as social urbanism, did however marginally contribute to Medellin's reduction in homicide rates but rather contributed to the improvement of Medellin's image as a modern, innovative city and reinforced the narrative of modernity, leaving the criminal structures untouched.Show less
As the Brazilian modernist painter Tarsila do Amaral (1886-1973) studies several times in Paris with European avant-garde artist Fernand Léger (1881-1955), it is often claimed that Amaral’s visual...Show moreAs the Brazilian modernist painter Tarsila do Amaral (1886-1973) studies several times in Paris with European avant-garde artist Fernand Léger (1881-1955), it is often claimed that Amaral’s visual style tends to cubism. However, throughout Amaral’s career as a painter, she sought ways to distinguish herself and to break away from European dominance. She dedicated herself to painting the local Brazilian landscape aiming at the revaluation of Brazil’s cultural and social features. Due to rapid industrialization and urbanization, urban life became a dominant topic among modernists. To embody the process of Brazil’s search for breaking away from European dominance, Oswald de Andrade excogitated the theory of Anthropophagy. The use of anthropophagy as a cultural metaphor is a way to visualize the process of the elimination of colonial domination. The present study is a visual analysis of paintings from Amaral and Léger which depict objects from urban life analyzed through the lens of the Anthropophagic theory. The research question is: How does Tarsila do Amaral adopt a decolonial aesthetic in relation to Fernand Léger in the representation of urban life?Show less
This thesis summarises the actions included in Ecuadorian governmental programmes concerning oil extractivism on the territories of indigenous communities. Moreover, it identifies the different...Show moreThis thesis summarises the actions included in Ecuadorian governmental programmes concerning oil extractivism on the territories of indigenous communities. Moreover, it identifies the different approach of the indigenous communities towards the land they live on, versus the economically driven approach of the government. As the indigenous population is significant in Ecuador, the government had (and has) no choice but to take their requests regarding the conservation of nature into account. By examining the reaction of the indigenous people following proposals for rules and regulation concerning extractive activities and the conservation of indigenous occupied land, one can be able to understand how the indigenous people perceive extractivism. It is important to try to understand whether the indigenous population perceive extractivism as a ‘resource curse’ or as a ‘resource blessing’.Show less
This thesis focuses on community-based tourism (CBT) projects in Ecuador. The work discusses the grade of control that indigenous communities have in this form of ecotourism and also analyses the...Show moreThis thesis focuses on community-based tourism (CBT) projects in Ecuador. The work discusses the grade of control that indigenous communities have in this form of ecotourism and also analyses the empowerment of those groups in certain projects. This empowerment is often a result of foreign aid. Although indigenous communities often seem to be in control of CBT projects, empowerment is an issue in some cases.Show less
This thesis discusses the reinvigoration of the Malvinas/Falklands claim during the Kirchner administrations(2003-2015) in Argentina. It shows how the Malvinas issue can serve as a tool for...Show moreThis thesis discusses the reinvigoration of the Malvinas/Falklands claim during the Kirchner administrations(2003-2015) in Argentina. It shows how the Malvinas issue can serve as a tool for populist and nationalist policies and strategies. In a more general sense, this thesis dives into what the Malvinas issue means for the Argentinians and why it remains an important part of Argentina's foreign policies.Show less
While Mexico is a pretty conservative country salsa dancing women seem to be more progressive in their way of thinking and acting. The given thesis investigates this issue when looking at the...Show moreWhile Mexico is a pretty conservative country salsa dancing women seem to be more progressive in their way of thinking and acting. The given thesis investigates this issue when looking at the impact of salsa dancing on the perceptions about gender, the body, and sexuality of women in Puebla, Mexico. This study is based on anthropological theories about dance and its relation to aspects of gender, like the performance of femininity in salsa dancing, and on a period of qualitative fieldwork which the author of this thesis has conducted in Puebla, Mexico in order to fully understand the perceptions of salsa dancing women from an emic-perspective. All in all, this thesis provides an inside into the life of women in Mexico, who have suffered from gender inequality their whole life’s and who are trying to resist these dominant structures.Show less
This thesis analyses the racial relations and political participation of the Brazilian public during the reign of ex-president Lula da Silva, (2003-2011). This thesis realises an analysis of...Show moreThis thesis analyses the racial relations and political participation of the Brazilian public during the reign of ex-president Lula da Silva, (2003-2011). This thesis realises an analysis of national identity and identity politics between the years 2003-2011 in combination with an analysis of racial representation within the government, but also within Brazilian society during this time in relation to the legacy of the theory of racial democracy. This thesis analyses whether or not the socio-economic setting for ethnic minorities such as Afro-Brazilians has improved since the colonial era.Show less
Previous studies (Jensen, 1989) (Börestam Uhlmann, 1994) (Zeevaert, 2004) (Gooskens et al., 2018) have attempted to establish intelligibility between cognate or sister languages - languages...Show morePrevious studies (Jensen, 1989) (Börestam Uhlmann, 1994) (Zeevaert, 2004) (Gooskens et al., 2018) have attempted to establish intelligibility between cognate or sister languages - languages descending from a common ancestral language. But what happens to intelligibility when those languages are not only related but are a direct continuation such as descendant languages or a creoles? This thesis attempts to establish the intelligibility of Papiamentu as an Iberian-based creole language among native speakers of Spanish and Portuguese. By means of a cloze test (Aitken, 1977) performed online and distributed through social media, participants were asked to look at three written texts and listen to three audio fragments, each with certain words missing for which the participants had to select replacements through multiple choice. Participants were sorted into different categories in order to establish whether the order of performed tasks had any impact on the end results. Additionally, participants were asked to self-assess their performance at the end of each task. Results showed that Spanish speakers generally performed better at the reading task, while Portuguese speaking participants scored better during the listening task. Overall, the Portuguese speakers had the highest scores. The order in which tasks were performed also impacted the scores, with those who performed the listening task first scoring higher than those who performed the tasks in the reversed order.Show less
In this thesis the Spanish-English code-switching in the book "Killer Crónicas" is analyzed. Various functions of code-switching, such as Local and Global functions, are discussed and considered...Show moreIn this thesis the Spanish-English code-switching in the book "Killer Crónicas" is analyzed. Various functions of code-switching, such as Local and Global functions, are discussed and considered with code-switching in the book, in order to determine the function of code-switching here. The thesis concludes that code-switching in Killer Crónicas serves multiple functions, both Local and Global.Show less
