Bachelor thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (BSc)
closed access
This thesis explores how digital representations of Indigenous movements influence the political outcomes of these movements in settler colonies. Since the beginning of its development, digital...Show moreThis thesis explores how digital representations of Indigenous movements influence the political outcomes of these movements in settler colonies. Since the beginning of its development, digital technology has been utilized by Indigenous people to connect, share and learn but also to advocate. Historically indigenous people have been demanding recognition and indigenous rights, and in the current digital age, this fight has partly moved to the digital sphere, on social media. Here, Indigenous people are less dependent on mainstream media and their prejudices and can spread their perspectives on their struggles and what it means to be Indigenous. I look at the political effects of this new form of activism by analyzing three different case studies. Two of the cases are located in Canada, Idle No More and MMIWG (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls), and the third is situated in America the NoDAPL movement. These cases show that the use of social media can shift power relations between governments and Indigenous movements and that Indigenous people have more control over how they are portrayed. Though, this thesis also shows the weaknesses of using social media as a activism strategy.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
In 2014, ISIS committed genocide against the Yazidi population of north-eastern Iraq. This caused hundreds of thousands of Yazidis to be displaced from their homes and communities. Many of them...Show moreIn 2014, ISIS committed genocide against the Yazidi population of north-eastern Iraq. This caused hundreds of thousands of Yazidis to be displaced from their homes and communities. Many of them fled to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and others journeyed to countries such as the Netherlands in search of security and stability. Through the use of participant observation in both locations and unstructured life-history interviews with women and their families, this research sought to understand practices and meanings surrounding Yazidi motherhood across time and in different spaces.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
Rotterdam has one of the largest amount of migrants living in its city in relation to other cities in the Netherlands (IDEM Rotterdam 2019: 1). Most European countries, including the Netherlands,...Show moreRotterdam has one of the largest amount of migrants living in its city in relation to other cities in the Netherlands (IDEM Rotterdam 2019: 1). Most European countries, including the Netherlands, look at integration as a two-way process between migrants and the host society while also assuming assimilation to social cohesion (Anthias et al. 2013: 3). A big part of social integration is establishing social relationships through bonding and bridging (Wessendorf & Phillimore 2019: 126). But migration studies often take social networks for granted while researching migrants’ lives. Therefore, there is a need to research the influence of migrants’ social networks on social integration from a sociological point of view (Ryan 2011: 720). Studies on integration often focus on younger migrants. While first-generation older migrants are one of the most disadvantaged groups because of their migration background, age, and otherness (Warnes et al. 2004: 307). Therefore, this research investigates the influence of first-generation middle-age to older migrants’ social networks on their social integration process in Rotterdam. The research draws on three months of ethnographic fieldwork in the social lives of eight migrants living in different neighbourhoods throughout Rotterdam. The aim is to find out what the experiences of these migrants are regarding their migration trajectory, family and non-family social networks, and sense of belonging in a transnational context, considering their social integration process. In this thesis, I argue what the influences of the social networks are and that all experiences are situational by giving examples of multiple experiences per subject. In the conclusion, I connected the different aspects of the social networks’ influences to argue that all these aspects influence each other and therefore the experiences the migrants have.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
closed access
The global ideas and outlooks on immigration policies become more and more contentious. This has resulted in immigration approach that oscillates between ‘legality’ and ‘illegality’ based on...Show moreThe global ideas and outlooks on immigration policies become more and more contentious. This has resulted in immigration approach that oscillates between ‘legality’ and ‘illegality’ based on administrative structures like the possession of papers or otherwise. Hence, to survive, those who are considered ‘illegal’ function within informal spaces, that is out of the state’s reach. The role of humanitarian projects and processes like undocumented centers have taken a bigger role as they can operate within the informal spaces. My paper investigates the role of Rotterdam Undocumented Center as a part of the growing humanitarian approach to ‘illegal’ migrants. This investigation is done through analyzing policies the organization enacts and turns to practice in an attempt to navigate this informal space. Analysis of ethnographic data has shown that the approaches shift and differ based on conditions, and circumstances which have been outlined within the essay.Show less
