Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
For more than twenty years, we have familiarised ourselves with the notion of the Anthropocene as the definition for the (ecological) epoch we currently live in. It acknowledges the irrevocable...Show moreFor more than twenty years, we have familiarised ourselves with the notion of the Anthropocene as the definition for the (ecological) epoch we currently live in. It acknowledges the irrevocable human influence we try to cope with on the planet. This thesis touches upon contemporary human-nature relationships within the Anthropocene as something under pressure and in a continuous flow of revision. After four months of fieldwork at the Hatertse and Overasseltse fens, semi-structured interviews were conducted, interdisciplinary footage was recorded and sensory walks were performed to study such relations. Thereafter, methodological reflection became the main focus. Based on sensorial anthropology and methodological literature, this thesis scrutinizes the sensory walk as the main ethnographic methodology. It shows how other methods contribute to the epistemological value of this method, discusses the interactive website and mapping as visualization possibilities (the interactive website “Voices in Nature” was developed following this research), and explores the human and nonhuman concepts of pathways, crowdedness, noise and wind as environmental and anthropogenic factors that were distilled from the walks, proving its ethnographic value. As a methodological reflection, this thesis will demonstrate the potential the sensory walk contains for visual anthropological research now and in the future. It will also show how it fits the interdisciplinary approach this research aspires to, contributing to methodological literature on the more-than-human world.Show less
In recent years, the Japanese anime industry has undergone a remarkable transformation in the academic world. In the past two decades, Japanese anime has evolved into a commercial success genre, as...Show moreIn recent years, the Japanese anime industry has undergone a remarkable transformation in the academic world. In the past two decades, Japanese anime has evolved into a commercial success genre, as it has allowed for films like Japanese director Makoto Shinkai's Kimi no Na Wa (2016) and Tenki no Ko (2019) to gain global recognition and breathe new life into the Japanese animated film industry. Thus, anime has become a cultural export of reflecting the unique perspectives and values of its creators and audiences worldwide. This research aims to explore how anime, specifically the two films mentioned above, portrays natural disasters and phenomena under the greater context of the Anthropocene. By examining the portrayal of the human-nature relationship, this investigation provides novel insights into the field of anime studies, specifically that of Shinkai. In particular, the thesis focuses on the themes of body and technology, offering an analysis that delves into the mesmerizing world interwoven with profound ideals depicted in Shinkai's works.Show less
As we are currently witnessing what is often called the sixth mass extinction, photography is facing a new challenge. It can either respond with acting upon the “rescuist” impulse which often...Show moreAs we are currently witnessing what is often called the sixth mass extinction, photography is facing a new challenge. It can either respond with acting upon the “rescuist” impulse which often arises under such dark prospects (by keeping endangered species alive in the form of an image), or follow a more self-reflective path. In my written as well as visual research, I use lichens — the symbiotical growth of algae, fungus and bacteria — as a metaphor through which to explore the precarity of our environmental conditions. The resulting photograph which is normally said to “immortalise" turns out to be a trap, as lichens become less likely to die as they grow older. This thesis aims to investigate how photographing extraordinarily durable organisms in times of ecological instability challenges the notion of photography as an embalming practice. It delves into the aesthetic implications of the current condition — joined under the term Anthropocene, by introducing the concepts of Timothy Morton’s “hyperobjects” and Tim Ingold’s “leaky things.” Subsequently, it scales up to the level of photography as a medium declared dead multiple times, often following major technological shifts. Here, extinction as an affective threat takes the place of such a disturbance, and, understood as a generative process, serves as the basis for speculating about the future of photography.Show less
This thesis will examine one novel that portrays the disintegration of human life if non-human memory is irrevocably broken, and one novel that portrays survivors rebuilding communities from...Show moreThis thesis will examine one novel that portrays the disintegration of human life if non-human memory is irrevocably broken, and one novel that portrays survivors rebuilding communities from cultural memories because non-human memory fortuitously remains intact. This thesis argues that healthy non-human memory is essential to the survival of humans and non-human memory.Show less
Research master thesis | Arts and Culture (research) (MA)
open access
In the age of the Anthropocene, we are faced with unprecedented challenges; we have realized we are exploiting the Earth’s resources, society is becoming more complex, and urbanization is...Show moreIn the age of the Anthropocene, we are faced with unprecedented challenges; we have realized we are exploiting the Earth’s resources, society is becoming more complex, and urbanization is increasing at a rate never before witnessed. Understanding these challenges is loaded with uncertainty, both in defining the problems and how humanity should respond. One response is that of urban sustainability. Primarily addressed from the perspective of urban planning, urban sustainability focuses on infrastructural and technological solutions. This thesis posits that questions of sustainability in cities however cannot be disconnected from the cultural dimension. Using a comparative case study of two festivals – Burning Man and DGTL Amsterdam – the relationship between humans and their surroundings is explored. The analysis of the festivals focuses on the manifestation of ‘sustainability’ as a set of values through the artworks presented on the festival terrain and the framing of the festival experience. Political ecology theories are used as tools to explore the relationship between humans and their environment. Urban experimentation acts as a theoretical lens to understand the festival as a ‘microcosm’, a breeding ground for creativity and culture, and likening it to the city. The thesis presents a reading of urban festivals that outlines how culture can be introduced to urban sustainability research in response to questions to test political ecology in practice. In doing so, the thesis brings together the once disparate categories of human and nature.Show less
