South Korea, Japan, and China are struggling with loneliness in their respective societies. As prolonged feelings of loneliness can have large and lasting consequences for one’s health, it should...Show moreSouth Korea, Japan, and China are struggling with loneliness in their respective societies. As prolonged feelings of loneliness can have large and lasting consequences for one’s health, it should be avoided at all costs. People found solace in watching livestreams; the streams are very personal and it feels like the hosts are in the room with you. In South Korea, mukbangs became popular as more and more people are living in single-person households and therefore more frequently eat alone as well. VTubers made it possible for Japanese people to interact with anime characters, giving life to large communities as a growing number of people are looking at technology to fulfill their social needs. Nǚ zhǔ bō streams provided young Chinese men that are unable to find real girlfriends a virtual girlfriend experience. Livestreaming is a breeding ground for parasocial relationships, as the relationship between streamer and viewer feels very intimate and real. Ideally would viewers find comfort in the company not of the streamers, but in the community as a whole, in which actual meaningful relationships can be formed.Show less
China has been important for the global luxury industry in the last decades. A recent trend in the Chinese luxury industry has been the growth of Chinese luxury brands, however, literature mostly...Show moreChina has been important for the global luxury industry in the last decades. A recent trend in the Chinese luxury industry has been the growth of Chinese luxury brands, however, literature mostly focuses on the influence of Western brands in this industry. This thesis therefore analyzed what factors have had, and still have, the biggest influence on this quick rise and success of local Chinese brands in the Chinese fashion luxury industry. This is done through a combination of the meso-, and macro-environment analysis of the industry. Porter’s five forces model and the DESTEP-model have been used to realize this. The results have shown that there are multiple factors that have contributed to the growth of upcoming Chinese brands in this industry. The factors that can be considered as most beneficial are the easy to enter market, growing sense of nationalism and the growing importance of sustainability.Show less
The Japanese government responded to successive natural disasters by passing the 2013 disaster resilience law, which placed more responsibility on local governments to deal with natural disasters....Show moreThe Japanese government responded to successive natural disasters by passing the 2013 disaster resilience law, which placed more responsibility on local governments to deal with natural disasters. Although this law intended to improve and safeguard people’s well-being after natural disasters, it exacerbated it. This thesis examines two case studies, the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquakes and the 2020 Kyushu Floods, to examine the law’s effects. The case studies show that delegating to the local level leaves out essential aspects for feasible aims for effective disaster management to improve human-wellbeing. The governmental system remains rigid with neoliberal characteristics and omits the possibility of effective disaster response and recovery efforts. The current Japanese disaster management does not allow for innovation, quick decision-making, adequate funding and close cooperation for the short-term and long-term. As a result, the sociopolitical vulnerabilities become more apparent during disaster response exacerbating human-wellbeing. Japanese citizens have limited access to mental health services, remain in temporary housing for extended periods, and have reconstruction issues. Local communities struggle with a future without prospects.Show less
This thesis investigates the link between the PRC's Anti-Monopoly Law and its broader economic development goals. The research illustrates that there is a link between these two. The Chinese Anti...Show moreThis thesis investigates the link between the PRC's Anti-Monopoly Law and its broader economic development goals. The research illustrates that there is a link between these two. The Chinese Anti-Monopoly Law, a law that is mainly targeted towards Chinese Platform companies, is argued having a strong control mechanism towards Chinese Platform companies. This controlling mechanism can guide Platform companies in the PRC government's economic and technology interests.Show less
Japan’s nuclear power policies changed profoundly after the Fukushima catastrophe in 2011. Eleven years later, however, the global fight against climate change contributed to the re-evaluation of...Show moreJapan’s nuclear power policies changed profoundly after the Fukushima catastrophe in 2011. Eleven years later, however, the global fight against climate change contributed to the re-evaluation of atomic power as a valuable energy source, and the Japanese government forecasted a 20-22% of overall nuclear production target for 2030. At this moment, 27 reactors shut down permanently, 2 are under construction, and 33 are deemed operable: only 10 of those, however, have restarted their operation so far. This thesis shows how the civil society’s opposition, the new safety rules approved in 2013, and the production limits of the operable power plants constitute the key reasons why the production goals set by the Japanese government for 2030 are unrealistic.Show less
The expansion of the internet and social platforms have facilitated human connection in times of social unrest. This research aspires to analyse the function of new online socio-cultural...Show moreThe expansion of the internet and social platforms have facilitated human connection in times of social unrest. This research aspires to analyse the function of new online socio-cultural environments in social movements. Aiming to understand how connecting identities and narratives of oppression. The transnational movements of Black Lives Matter, Papuan Lives Matter, and Moluccan Lives Matter do not have similar reach and achievements despite increased social activism and the global networks. Social movements move away from conventional media and become more self-reliant. How does society play into this? With newfound agency to support any global movement, the question arises: why stand for A and not for B?Show less
While multiculturalism is increasingly normalized in Korea, and traditionally marginalized groups such as immigrants have increasingly seen an improvement in their rights and representation; the...Show moreWhile multiculturalism is increasingly normalized in Korea, and traditionally marginalized groups such as immigrants have increasingly seen an improvement in their rights and representation; the LGBT community remains invisible. Studies on queer issues are scarce and they lack representation in the media. This thesis aims to analyze the different LGBT representations both in Korean movies and novels to develop an outline of the discourse that is used in the country to address LGBT issues. To be able to describe such discourse as accurately as possible, the characters and themes discussed in two novels and three films, all of which presented queer characters and themes associated with homosexuality, have been analyzed. Using the discourse analysis methodology, novels and films have been examined to search for commonalities in Korean discourse. The results show us a clear stereotyping of homosexual men as opposed to women, and a series of problems related to queerness, both on a personal and cultural level. Homophobia both, internally and socially, is a theme that is repeated throughout all the works, and we can conclude that the representation of LGBT characters in Korea is pessimistic.Show less
For several decades, China has been an important trading partner for the Netherlands. However, growing concerns over the Chinese government’s human rights violations and the suspicion of Chinese...Show moreFor several decades, China has been an important trading partner for the Netherlands. However, growing concerns over the Chinese government’s human rights violations and the suspicion of Chinese espionage raises worries among Members of Parliament (MPs) of the Dutch House of Representatives (DHR). On top of that, as early as 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has been added to the political agenda of the DHR. This major “discursive event” of COVID-19 can significantly change the discourse on China, impact Sino-Dutch relations, and the way China and the Chinese/Dutch-Chinese population is perceived in The Netherlands. In this study, I will answer the research question: “How is China framed in the plenary debates of the Dutch House of Representatives, and how have these China frames changed since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic?”.Show less
Climate change is the most pressing problem of our time and the transition towards a renewables-based economy is the only long-term solution. It is well established that offshore wind holds great...Show moreClimate change is the most pressing problem of our time and the transition towards a renewables-based economy is the only long-term solution. It is well established that offshore wind holds great promise in terms of providing energy capacity for East Asian nations that rely on the imports of fossil fuels. This study provides a comparative analysis of three East Asian nations to find what policies affect the successful deployment of offshore wind capacity. Several hypotheses, formed around influencing factors such as energy market liberalization, financial and quantitative incentive policies and siting procedures are formed and tested against offshore wind deployment data. The Most Similar Systems Designs method is employed to isolate the factors under examination and control for social, cultural, political, environmental and economic factors. The results provide insight into the effectiveness of policies across and within nations and reasons for the differences between nations.Show less
This thesis analyzes China’s position with the international energy trade network over the period 1998 - 2018. We discovered through the application of a complex network analysis that China’s...Show moreThis thesis analyzes China’s position with the international energy trade network over the period 1998 - 2018. We discovered through the application of a complex network analysis that China’s position within the IETN improved vastly over time for every centrality measure, energy dimension, and energy category. The origin of the growth, however, differs significantly. China’s central position in the fossil fuel dimension is primarily derived from its import, whereas China’s central position in the renewable dimension is primarily derived from its exports. Moreover, the IETN experienced a strong growth over time, mostly in terms of size and connectedness, resulting from general trends such as globalization and regionalization. In China’s case, its WTO accession provided a platform to increase its participation in the global trade network and the IETN. Yet, with China becoming more central, more nations were dependent on China for energy trade either in the form of income or resources. China itself also had to deal with this increased dependency which it tried to do with introducing a securization strategy.Show less
By applying the three stages of normalisation process theory, this thesis analyses the contribution of face mask producing businesses in Japan for mask normalisation. It concludes that mask...Show moreBy applying the three stages of normalisation process theory, this thesis analyses the contribution of face mask producing businesses in Japan for mask normalisation. It concludes that mask normalisation from the 2000s onwards has mostly been performed by mask producing businesses and that the industry was often aided by governmental support and regulations on mask manufacturing, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. By analysing governmental influenza preparedness protocols, mask production numbers and mask media articles in the Asahi Shinbun, this thesis claims that the influence of mask producing businesses for mask normalisation in Japan started in the second half of the 20th century. In the second half of the 20th century, the government of Japan shifts from legislating face masks for the general public during health hazards to solely recommending mask-wearing in such events. Along with this emphasis on individual health responsibilisation, from the 2000s onwards, the government places the responsibility for mask promotion, distribution and production during health hazards on the mask producing industry itself. This causes mask businesses to have free range in advertising masks, which ultimately diversifies mask-wearing purposes. Because of this, masks increasingly lose their originally intended health care purpose and so they are often employed as risk rituals. Recently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, face masks in Japan seem to have regained their originally intended purpose. And with today´s extensive mask usage and mask innovation, face masks also have become completely integrated into Japanese society.Show less
This dissertation contributes to the literature on the Dutch-Sino bilateral relationship in relation to the business environment of Dutch companies in China. Furthermore, this paper will explain...Show moreThis dissertation contributes to the literature on the Dutch-Sino bilateral relationship in relation to the business environment of Dutch companies in China. Furthermore, this paper will explain and add to the discussion regarding the value of the China Strategy, its potential and value. Finally, if and how this strategy aligns with the policies currently in place and the quality of the bilateral relation. This dissertation aims to answer the following question, how do the Dutch ministry of foreign affairs and the bilateral Sino-Dutch relationship affect Dutch companies operating in China’s business environment and is the China strategy, formulated by the Dutch government, compliant in addressing those challenges?Show less
