Food studies are an increasingly prominent field of study for studying various socioeconomic processes in the urban environment. This paper explores the sociocultural usage of food studies through...Show moreFood studies are an increasingly prominent field of study for studying various socioeconomic processes in the urban environment. This paper explores the sociocultural usage of food studies through the study of foodscapes. Food is not merely a source of sustenance, but can also function as a method of expressing or experiencing a sense of identity. Foodscapes, which concern the manner in which people relate to the food they consume, is thus an important concept for sociocultural food studies. Foodscapes are additionally one of the major factors able to contribute to a distinctly urban sense of identity, but are as of yet understudied. This thesis will explore the relation between a city’s foodscape and the feeling of urban identity through the lens of Rotterdam’s Cape Verdean community, using semi-structured interviews.Show less
This paper explores the perceptions and experiences of belonging among members of the Jewish-Ukrainian diasporic community in Hannover. Using a qualitative methodology, seven interviews were...Show moreThis paper explores the perceptions and experiences of belonging among members of the Jewish-Ukrainian diasporic community in Hannover. Using a qualitative methodology, seven interviews were conducted with participants across different age groups, and the data was analyzed through thematic analysis. Through the study, several key themes were identified, such as the context of Jewish identity in Soviet Ukraine and Germany, as well as the role of Hannover in shaping the community's sense of belonging. That includes the influence of the local Jewish community (“Gemeinde”), Russian-language institutions, and the dynamic changes within the city due to the influx of Ukrainian refugees and the emergence of Ukrainian cultural events. The findings highlight the multi-layered nature of belonging, influenced not only by top-down politics of belonging and cultural institutions, but also by language, and sensory experiences such as music. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of how diasporic belongings are navigated and maintained within urban settings.Show less
This thesis explores how the dystopian movie The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023), a prequel to The Hunger Games movie series, influences the cultures and thus the characters’ cultural...Show moreThis thesis explores how the dystopian movie The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (2023), a prequel to The Hunger Games movie series, influences the cultures and thus the characters’ cultural identities in the city of the Capitol and the districts. Starting with reviewing the relevant literature on the four original movies and additional literature to use as a framework for the movie analysis, this research aims to fill the gap in existing scholarship by analysing the prequel within the context of cultural representation and urban dystopia. The narrative in the films unfolds in the country of Panem, a future version of the United States of America, where the government in the Capitol exerts oppressive control over twelve districts through the annual Hunger Games. By employing a narrative approach and close reading of key scenes, this paper first places the prequel in a wider context of dystopian fiction and explores the urban dystopia in the Capitol and districts. Second, concepts like Appalachian culture, food, power, and gender are explored considering the prequel. Lastly, the two themes of dystopia and culture are connected in the last chapter. Comparing and contrasting the prequel to the original movies and the contemporary USA through the literature, the dystopian quality of the movie is connected to the cityscapes and governing system, which successively influences the cultures and cultural identities of the characters.Show less
Manchester has been the cultural heart of the United Kingdom for decades. Facilitating a vibrant nightlife for so many different types of partygoers. Especially the LGBTQIA+ scene in Manchester’s...Show moreManchester has been the cultural heart of the United Kingdom for decades. Facilitating a vibrant nightlife for so many different types of partygoers. Especially the LGBTQIA+ scene in Manchester’s Gay Village was the driving force behind Manchester acquiring the title of the cultural heart. From the early fifties onwards, the neighborhood now known as the Gay Village has been the home of many establishments wherein community was built. The contribution to the liberation of rights for the LGBTQIA+ Britain’s by Manchester’s LGBTQIA+ community have been immense. After many years of great success, the number of gayborhood establishments in Manchester are now declining. This trend can be identified in gayborhoods in and around the Global North. Gentrification and the hybridization of physical space can be held responsible for this disappearance of gayborhoods and LGBTQIA+ safe spaces. The shift in demand for the type of safe space can be attributed to digitalization and technological advancements paired with the growing need for intersectional discourse.Show less
Media power, multiculturalism, and representation are closely related. This thesis analyses how the media portrayed multiculturalism in Schilderswijk between 1970 and 1990. This period offers...Show moreMedia power, multiculturalism, and representation are closely related. This thesis analyses how the media portrayed multiculturalism in Schilderswijk between 1970 and 1990. This period offers insight into the influx of diversity into the Netherlands and the emergence of multicultural neighborhoods, like the Schilderswijk. Academic literature on multicultural frameworks in the media reveals forms of media power as; social integration, political debate, and immigrant rejection. Various theories regarding media power are used as a basis for this thesis. In this study, a discourse analysis is conducted based on newspaper bias regarding three cases: Boarding house Riots (06/06/1969), Housing education (07/07/1971), and The First Hindu School in the Netherlands (08/08/1988).Show less
Social mobility has acquired expansive interest from the academic literature. Nevertheless, there are numerous components of social mobility and methodologies that have not received the same level...Show moreSocial mobility has acquired expansive interest from the academic literature. Nevertheless, there are numerous components of social mobility and methodologies that have not received the same level of attention. This research paper combines various poorly researched aspects of social mobility to establish an introductory and exploratory foundation for novel research studies. In so doing, it aims to examine the applicability of social mobility theories and models to a non-Western setting: Nairobi, Kenya and open up new opportunities and directions for social mobility research. Using spatial analysis research, this paper shows that indeed there are patterns and variations that differ in significance for social mobility in Nairobi compared to the suggestions of the existing literature. It, therefore, indicates the need for additional research of social mobility using new lenses and methods.Show less
“No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive”- Mahatma Gandhi1 In the last few decades, the study of multiculturalism and its effects on urban societies has gained increasing attention. With...Show more“No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive”- Mahatma Gandhi1 In the last few decades, the study of multiculturalism and its effects on urban societies has gained increasing attention. With the rise of the European right-wing, the effects of urban segregation and multiculturalism have become more profound, making the study of multiculturalism more important than ever. Particularly, the approach of global metropolitan cities to these issues has increasingly become critical to analyze. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the benefits and limitations of diverging approaches in tackling multiculturalism, by conducting a transatlantic study comparing Vienna and New York City (NYC). Through secondary desk-based research, relevant scholarly articles, databases, governmental reports, and past interviews were analyzed, in order to understand what the two cities could draw from each other with regards to urban segregation policies. The findings show that although both New York and Vienna can be regarded as exemplary in their respective countries, Vienna’s social housing policies, alongside a lesser degree of ethnic and racial segregation, provides a positive example for New York and many more cities around the worldShow less
