Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
This thesis explores the relationship between humans and non-humans within a sea turtle conservation organization in Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. Through eleven weeks of in-depth visual ethnographic...Show moreThis thesis explores the relationship between humans and non-humans within a sea turtle conservation organization in Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. Through eleven weeks of in-depth visual ethnographic fieldwork, I investigate the influence these human/non-human relationships have on scientific knowledge production. The output of this research consists of an ethnographic film ‘The Turtle Team’ and this article. This research underscores the necessity of adopting transdisciplinary methodologies in which non-humans are integrated, which is crucial in the era of the Anthropocene. It provides a nuanced understanding of how human/non-human relationships shape the production of scientific knowledge in this team of conservationists and emphasizes the interwovenness of humans and non-humans. This research contributes to the existing literature on the Anthropocene and the nature-culture debate and I argue that the interwovenness of humans and non-humans should be discussed more within scientific research, especially in conservation biology.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (BSc)
closed access
Doven en slechthorenden worden door de maatschappij op een bepaalde manier geclassificeerd en dit heeft gevolgen voor de mogelijkheden die zij hebben in de maatschappij. Deze scriptie gaat in op de...Show moreDoven en slechthorenden worden door de maatschappij op een bepaalde manier geclassificeerd en dit heeft gevolgen voor de mogelijkheden die zij hebben in de maatschappij. Deze scriptie gaat in op de manier waarop doven en slechthorenden worden gezien. Hierbij zal vanuit verschillende perspectieven worden gekeken wat het inhoudt om doof te zijn. De perspectieven van de horende maatschappij zullen tegenover die van de doven en slechthorenden worden gezet. Het perspectief van de horende maatschappij is op dit moment dominant. Om te analyseren waarom dit het geval is zal worden gekeken hoe de horende maatschappij het zintuig horen waardeert. Vervolgens zal worden gekeken hoe doven en slechthorenden in het dagelijks leven functioneren zonder het zintuig horen. Zij bewijzen dat het zintuig horen niet nodig is om goed te kunnen functioneren in de maatschappij. Op dit moment leven doven en slechthorenden in een wereld die niet altijd toegankelijk is. Er worden wel veranderingen gedaan om de maatschappij toegankelijker te maken, maar zijn dit wel de veranderingen die doven en slechthorenden zelf graag zien? Er is sprake van een spanningsveld tussen doven en slechthorenden en de horende maatschappij en dit spanningsveld zal in deze scriptie worden geanalyseerd.Show less
There is an inherent tension between poverty-eradicating, but fossil-fuel intensive, development and global climate change mitigation efforts. The human right to development, as established in the...Show moreThere is an inherent tension between poverty-eradicating, but fossil-fuel intensive, development and global climate change mitigation efforts. The human right to development, as established in the 1986 Declaration, recognizes a right to continuous improvement of life, irrespective of the negative environmental consequences related to this development. There is thus a need to review the human right to development in the context of climate change. In this thesis, I argue for a ‘threshold conception’ of the right to development, as it should be understood as a right to an unconditional process of development till the fulfillment of basic needs. Thereafter, development – then considered economic growth – should be consistent with the concept of sustainability. Moreover, I argue in favor of the adoption of the OHCHR’s Draft Convention on the Right to Development (2020) because it recognizes the triangular interconnectedness of development, the protection of human rights, and climate-related obligations. The convention establishes duties regarding climate mitigation, adaptation, and combatting climate injustices for states and the international community, which can both realize the right to development as the objectives of the human rights approach to climate change.Show less
Dutch law mandates that every secondary special education school develops post-secondary transition plans for their students. Currently, there are no established guidelines for creating these...Show moreDutch law mandates that every secondary special education school develops post-secondary transition plans for their students. Currently, there are no established guidelines for creating these transition plans. This study aimed to investigate two potential factors that could be considered, specifically for students with autism: IQ and social-emotional functioning. To examine the relationship between IQ, social-emotional functioning, and transition plans, this research assessed the correlation between IQ and transition plans, the correlation between social-emotional functioning and transition plans, and whether IQ or social-emotional functioning more strongly predicted transition plans. Recruitment resulted in a sample of n= 14 participants: with n= 13 boys and n= 1 girl. N= 7 was assigned the transition profile Labor and n= 7 was assigned the transition profile Post-Secondary Education, none of the participants were assigned the transition profile Daytime Occupation. This study utilized the developmental prospect plans of the students. Upon data analysis, it was found that there was no significant correlation between IQ and transition planning (p = .428), no significant correlation between social-emotional functioning and transition planning (p = .855), and neither IQ nor social-emotional functioning emerged as a stronger predictor for transition planning. The limitations of the current research were a small sample size, the variability of entries in the developmental prospect plans and the multidimensionality of the variables IQ and social-emotional functioning. Future research should be done to investigate the replicability of the current findings within a bigger sample and the potential of alternative variables that may be associated. Teachers working with students with autism may need additional training to understand the complexities of transition planning beyond the intellectual or social-emotional functioning. Considering these findings, it is concluded that neither IQ nor social-emotional functioning should be used as sole criteria for transition plans for autistic students in secondary special education.Show less
This current study investigated the relationship between level of pain, expectancies, and avoidance in individuals with chronic low back pain. Research showed that individually expectancies and...Show moreThis current study investigated the relationship between level of pain, expectancies, and avoidance in individuals with chronic low back pain. Research showed that individually expectancies and avoidance behaviour influence pain experience. However, there seems to be little research into the combined influence. Seeing that research also showed that pinpointing a cause for the chronic low back pain is difficult, this study aimed to give insight into interacting factors that influence chronic low back pain. To gather data participants (N=18) filled in a questionnaire five times a day for two weeks. This provided insight into their levels of pain in the morning and the evening, if they expected to experience pain and if they were more likely to avoid movements, they expected to be painful. These statements were answered with answering scales, ranging from 0 (not at all) to 6 (extremely), given how likely that statement was for the participant. A mediation analysis inspecting possible relations between the level of pain and expectancies, the level of pain and avoidance, and the level of pain, expectancies and avoidance yielded no significant relations. Therefore, it could not be concluded that avoidance and/or expectancy are influencing the level of pain in the evening when compared to the level of pain in the morning. There were two significant findings, the impact of level of pain in the morning on expectancies and the impact of expectancies on avoidance. These findings are in line with what was found in existing literature and give incitement for further research on this topic. Another incitement for further research is the small sample used in this current study. The implication for the scientific field therefore is to perform this study on a bigger sample. Another consideration for further research would be to try and use a more diverse sample in both age and gender, this to make a more representative sample to draw conclusions for the general population. This could also lead to more substantial implications for the clinical field since this study did not have significant results.Show less
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are often co-morbid, and their prevalence is increased in the student...Show moreAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are often co-morbid, and their prevalence is increased in the student population. The dynamics between self-regulation problems and ADHD, MDD, and GAD may reveal insights into the co-occurrence of the three disorders. The present study focused on psychological factors that support or threaten successful self-regulation. Using cross-sectional data, a network analysis was performed based on a sample of 902 students currently enrolled in higher education programs in the Netherlands. The analysis featured 17 commonly studied risk and protective factors associated with all three disorders. The network showed that irritability and impairments in daily functioning were shared problems between ADHD, MDD, and GAD. The network further suggested that impaired cognition and a propensity for procrastination are shared features of ADHD and MDD. ADHD and GAD did not share a direct relationship, diverging from previous assumptions. The findings highlight that the relationship between the disorders may depend on shared vulnerabilities and outcomes that act as bridges in the network. The study illustrates that psychological constructs need to be more clearly defined to move forward when researching co-morbidity beyond the level of symptoms.Show less
Objective: The period after successfully coming off treatment (SCOT) following a childhood cancer diagnosis is known to be a vulnerable time for parents in which increased levels of distress can...Show moreObjective: The period after successfully coming off treatment (SCOT) following a childhood cancer diagnosis is known to be a vulnerable time for parents in which increased levels of distress can play a significant role. It is important to know more about the distress experienced by parents during this period to determine whether an intervention should be used to help parents return to ‘normal life’. The aim of this study was therefore to gain better understanding of parental distress and factors related to their distress during the first year after their child has successfully completed treatment. Methods: A sample of 283 parents of children who had successfully completed cancer treatment in the previous year were included in this cross-sectional study. These parents, who were part of the SCOT group, were invited to complete the Distress Thermometer for Parents (DT-P) within one year after treatment completion. The DT-P consists of a thermometer score to measure experienced distress and problem domains (practical, social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and parenting). Parents in the SCOT group were compared with parents in the general population (NORM group) to see if their distress levels were higher. In addition, the association between distress and the problem domains and child- or parent-related factors (time since the end of treatment, cancer type, child’s age, parental disease, and perceived support) was examined. Results: Parents (73.9% mothers) in the SCOT group experienced higher levels of distress in the first year after SCOT compared to the general population (fathers SCOT: M=3.5, SD=2.6 vs. fathers NORM: M=2.8, SD=2.5; p=.032; mothers SCOT: M=4.1, SD=2.7 vs. mothers NORM: M=3.5, SD=2.7; p=.001). Emotional (p<.001), practical (p=.016), and physical (p=.005) problems were predictors of higher distress levels. Parents’ perceived support from their environment contributed also to their level of distress (p<.001). Conclusions: Parents of children who have successfully completed cancer treatment experience increased levels of distress in the first year after treatment compared to parents in the general population. There may be value in developing an intervention to ease this transition that specifically addresses their emotional well-being and highlights the importance of their social network during this vulnerable period.Show less
Abstract Introduction. Sickness Presenteeism (SP) describes the phenomenon of going to work despite being ill. As SP might be related to more burnout complaints and lower general health and is...Show moreAbstract Introduction. Sickness Presenteeism (SP) describes the phenomenon of going to work despite being ill. As SP might be related to more burnout complaints and lower general health and is associated with higher job demands and lower job resources, the influences of SP were investigated. The research contributed to previous research by targeting a general, diverse population and by exclusively focusing on health instead of motivational reasons for SP. Further, research that investigated the effects of SP as a moderator between working conditions and health factors was lacking. Thus, this study hypothesized, that higher job demands, and lower job resources increase burnout complaints and decrease general health and that this association is strengthened by SP. Methods. Altogether, 115 participants participated in this correlational study. Job resources and job demands were measured with the Demand-Control-Support questionnaire. A new SP variable was created for this research and tested for internal consistency. Burnout was measured with the Burnout-Assessment-Tool and general health with a one-item question. Two multiple regression analyses were conducted. The first analysis measured if higher job demands, and lower job resources were associated with (more) burnout complaints and how this association was moderated by SP. The second analysis measured the same association but with (lower) general health as an outcome variable. Results. SP did not moderate the relationship between job demands and burnout complaints (p=.20), job resources and burnout complaints (p=.70), job demands and general health (p=.49), and job resources and general health (p=.65). Consequently, all hypotheses were rejected. Job demands were directly related to more burnout complaints (p=.005). Discussion. This study found that high job demands were associated with higher burnout complaints in a general and diverse working population, highlighting the importance of reducing workloads. This study did not find significant SP interaction effects. Possible reasons could be sample size limitations and the statistical test choice. Network analyses might better measure a construct like SP, which includes many control factors and associations. According to this study, it seems that to increase general health and decrease burnout complaints, changing working conditions is more appropriate than addressing worker´s SP.Show less
