The world changed rapidly when the Covid-19 virus spread around the globe in early 2020. This led many proponents of degrowth, a post-capitalist ideology that wants to prioritize human and...Show moreThe world changed rapidly when the Covid-19 virus spread around the globe in early 2020. This led many proponents of degrowth, a post-capitalist ideology that wants to prioritize human and planetary wellbeing over economic growth, to believe that the pandemic had opened a window of opportunity to fundamentally transform economies and societies to align with planetary boundaries. In 2023, it is conspicuous that the eco-socialist revolution has not (yet) arrived. This does, however, not mean that the pandemic did not have any effect on attitudes towards degrowth. This thesis examines the prevalence of degrowth as well as the tone and attitudes towards degrowth in the public discourse in the US, based on online articles published between 2017 and 2023 in American news media and finds an increase in coverage, particularly after mid-2022, in which the pandemic likely played a role. After the outbreak, prestigious outlets started writing about degrowth, but overall coverage remained limited. Outlets on the political left were found to be more receptive to the idea. The coverage of the US version of The Guardian stood out due to its high volume of positive articles about degrowth, particularly after the outbreak. The few outlets on the political right that wrote about the topic took a negative tone towards the idea and described it as dangerous.Show less
This research examines how political discourses, frequently characterized by increased securitization ideologies and shaped by popular media, have played a role in the development of Libya’s and...Show moreThis research examines how political discourses, frequently characterized by increased securitization ideologies and shaped by popular media, have played a role in the development of Libya’s and Italy’s migration policies and inter-state agreements. Specifically since the emergence of the European migration crisis in 2015, discourse has produced a negative (influence on) societal perception on migration, both in Italy and Libya. Despite large amounts of research on migration narratives and politives, few analyze the exlusionary effects of political and media discourse on migration. This research aims to fill this game through frameworks of Necropolitics and Existentialism, presenting Italian and Libyan application of power through migration policies and media narratives as a (inter-)national Chess Game. The states are players who control the chess game and the chess pieces: the migrants.Show less
Governance constitutes an important feature of organized crime. Across the world, millions of people live under criminal governance. In such cases, criminal organizations are involved in enforcing...Show moreGovernance constitutes an important feature of organized crime. Across the world, millions of people live under criminal governance. In such cases, criminal organizations are involved in enforcing rules and collecting taxes, providing security, as well as offering basic goods and services. This phenomenon primarily takes place in areas of weak state presence, where the government fails to satisfy the population's basic needs such as physical and social security. As of today, criminal governance remains particularly widespread throughout Latin America. Indeed, the region suffers from high levels of violence and public insecurity, which bear significant impacts on social, economic, and political life. The states of Mexico and Brazil, in particular, are home to some of the largest criminal organizations in the world. The latter include cartels and gang networks of various sizes and organizational structures. In turn, the same organizations have been involved in establishing localized governance practices in their respective countries. Despite being a well-researched concept in academia, criminal governance remains understudied in contexts of crisis. The states of Brazil and Mexico have been greatly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and its negative socioeconomic impacts. In addition, the said crisis profoundly altered the environment in which criminal organizations operate. Using a comparative case study methodology, this thesis, therefore, investigates the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on criminal governance practices from criminal groups in Mexico and Brazil. In doing so, it aims to form a better understanding of how criminal organizations adapted their governance activities to the health crisis.Show less
The focus of this thesis lies on the European Union’s (EU) strategy toward counterterrorism, specifically from 2005 until 2022. How and why the EUs counterterrorism strategy has changed, and its...Show moreThe focus of this thesis lies on the European Union’s (EU) strategy toward counterterrorism, specifically from 2005 until 2022. How and why the EUs counterterrorism strategy has changed, and its effectiveness will be investigated. This is done through qualitative research where three policy documents: EU Counterterrorism Strategy (2005), EU Counterterrorism Agenda (2020) and the Security Compass (2022) are analyzed and compared. Throughout the thesis, it becomes clear that crisis significantly impacts the development of and change in EU counterterrorism policy.Show less
Thinking of ‘crises’ in antique Christianity, one generally thinks of impactful and violent events like the East-West Schism at the beginning of the first millennium, the Donatist schism in the...Show moreThinking of ‘crises’ in antique Christianity, one generally thinks of impactful and violent events like the East-West Schism at the beginning of the first millennium, the Donatist schism in the fourth century, or the Diocletian persecutions from 303 to 313. However, ‘crisis’ did not start there, as historical crises can be traced back to the very beginning of Christianity. At the turn of the first century, a certain bishop in Asia Minor wrote letters revealing of this turbulent start of a new religion. When literally being escorted to his martyr’s death (how turbulent do you want it), Ignatius of Antioch wrote several letters to communities of Christ believers. He shows a surprisingly independent, stylistically quite idiosyncratic and rhetorically brilliant voice on central issues, concerning the ‘humanity’ of Christ and his believers, which renders him indispensable for any analysis of the early Christian crises of his time. Writing right after the first generation of believers, he is in dialogue with apostolic heritage. He explicitly refers to Paul, offering insight into the mechanics of historical development, which involves debate and, as you will, ‘crisis’. This thesis takes Ignatius’ testimony to give meaning to the historical crises of the time.Show less
This paper explores ways in which diaspora communities play a role in the spread of terrorism to Western countries. This is done by answering the following research question “In what ways do...Show moreThis paper explores ways in which diaspora communities play a role in the spread of terrorism to Western countries. This is done by answering the following research question “In what ways do diaspora communities play a role in the propagation of terrorism within Western countries?”. This question is researched through the use of a secondary qualitative content analysis. In order to explore and answer the question in depth the distinction of various chapter topics is made. Chapter 1, takes a closer look at the case study of the Paris Attacks in 2015, to analyse the involvement of diaspora groups in the context of a terrorist attack. While combining it with the problem of migration which identifies some indirect roles that diaspora communities play in the propagation of terrorism. Chapter 2, focuses on social media and recruitment and their impact on diaspora communities, by exploring the vulnerability they create for such communities. Lastly Chapter 3, focuses on the interactions of diaspora communities with Western countries. It further looks at diasporas’ (migrants) lack of ability to properly integrate in their host countries (Western countries), leading to diasporas playing a more important role in the spread of terrorism. This chapter also looks at the specific behaviours that diasporas display which impact the role they play, such as the intentional funding and support of terrorist groups. All these chapters are used to come to the conclusion that there are many indirect and direct pushing factors which lead the diasporas to play a role in the propagation of terrorism in Western countries.Show less
On the 24th of February,1848, the Belgian ambassador in London informed the English Foreign Minister Palmerston of the Belgian stance regarding the new developments in France. The ambassador told...Show moreOn the 24th of February,1848, the Belgian ambassador in London informed the English Foreign Minister Palmerston of the Belgian stance regarding the new developments in France. The ambassador told Palmerston that “a republican France was an aggressive and conquering France.” The memories of the French Revolutionary Wars and the subsequent Napoleonic Wars were still fresh in Europe. Had it not been a French Republic that had threatened the European Balance of Power, subduing the existing states and creating puppet states across the continent? A French Republic that had turned on its rightful king and deposed him before trying to subjugate the lawful order in Europe? The same Republic that had turned into an imperial power under the guidance of Napoleon the likes of which had not been seen since the days of Rome? The parallels to the events of 1789 had to have been frightening to the crowned heads of Europe and their governments. On the 24th, Frederick William IV of Prussia informed Victoria of Britain that he looked at France in fear of a new European war. In the newly formed nation of Belgium, the news of the new French Revolution was met with dread in governmental circles. In the Netherlands, the messages from the French capital of Paris were met with anticipation and uneasiness. When Tsar Nicholas heard of the news he reacted calmly, but immediately stated that Russia would march to war if any infractions were made on existing treaties. He also put a million more rubles at the disposal of the war ministry. Additionally, he wrote a letter to Victoria that a Russo-British union as discussed in 1844 may be needed to ensure stability in Europe. The general consensus at the time among the leaders of European nations was that war was inevitable. France was militarily, by virtue of its population, still one of the most powerful nations on the continent and if it would lead to war, it would mean untold destruction in a display that would appear to be a replica of the events that had happened a little over three decades ago. In the Low Countries, the subject of this thesis, the consequences of the Belgian Revolution of 1830 were still felt strongly. The Belgian Revolution had broken out after the July Revolution in Paris, that had seen the Orleanist take-over of France. It seemed likely that this new French Revolution, a Republican Revolution this time, would also move beyond the borders of France into the Low Countries and bring about another time of violence and war in Belgium and the Netherlands. Except history does not move in predictable patterns. Knowledge of the past does not make one a seer and although a war may have seemed inevitable, it was avoided nonetheless. The diplomatic crisis surrounding this new French Revolution however, is often downplayed in historical works, which have mostly focused on the spread of Revolution across the continent when discussing 1848. Yet, revolution and war were intrinsically linked at the time, especially if that revolution occurred in France. A Revolutionary France would mean a threat to European peace and the balance of power, but it was also a beacon for revolutionaries across the continent who felt supported by a Republican France that might come to their aid, militarily if need be. It may ultimately have been the case that no war in Europe erupted in 1848, but this does not mean that war had not loomed large over the governments of the Low Countries and Europe in general. A manifesto by the French Foreign minister of the Provisional Government Lamartine was sent to all the other courts of Europe one week after the initial Revolution in Paris. It had the intent of unlinking war and revolution (in France), because they were so intrinsically linked in the mind of the 19th century governments. The main objective of the manifesto was legitimising the rule of the Provisional Government and to make sure the reactionary powers would not see the new French Republic as an existential threat. The traumas of the French Revolutionary Wars were specifically addressed. If we consider Lamartine’s manifesto and the Belgian ambassador’s words, this parallel of revolution in France and war was very much on the minds of the contemporary players of the international game of diplomacy.Show less
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused both academic and financial hardship for students pursuing higher education in the Netherlands, including study delays and layoffs. Given that these types of...Show moreThe COVID-19 pandemic has caused both academic and financial hardship for students pursuing higher education in the Netherlands, including study delays and layoffs. Given that these types of incidents have a bearing on students' overall financial behaviour and that student loans are a common tool among students to finance their postsecondary education, one would expect these effects of the pandemic to have a direct impact on student borrowing behaviour. However, there is another variable to take into account, namely students' financial preferences, particularly with regard to having or taking on debt. Accordingly, this study reports on the degree of debt aversion and how it affects the borrowing behaviour of students in Dutch higher education during this crisis. This relationship is examined by means of three hypotheses and corresponding multiple regression analyses with moderation effects, using data obtained through the use of a survey and an additive index measuring the degree of debt aversion. This research has shown that the financial preference of debt aversion has a negative impact on the borrowing behaviour of students. In other words, the higher a student’s degree of debt aversion is, the lower their monthly amount of student loans will be. This relationship does not differ depending on whether or not a student has been directly affected by the pandemic and the effects thereof.Show less
Greek poets reflected upon the epiphany – the presence - of the Muses in their poems in Ancient Greece. This study aims to determine why poets reflected upon the epiphany of the Muses in their...Show moreGreek poets reflected upon the epiphany – the presence - of the Muses in their poems in Ancient Greece. This study aims to determine why poets reflected upon the epiphany of the Muses in their poems. Since Greek poetry was performed in front of a public, it focusses on the social demands to question the epiphany of the Muses in Ancient Greece. Specifically, it investigates how various political and military crises may have created social demands to reflect upon the Muses’ epiphanies. To test the hypothesis that crises created needs for poets to question the reliability and presence of the Muses, the circumstances of poets’ lives and careers are investigated. Biographical and autobiographical literary evidence, in combination with archaeological and iconological evidence, supports the idea that crises led to a demand to reflect upon the Muses’ epiphanies. This suggests that disruptive experiences such as war and diseases impacted the trustworthiness of divine inspiration and divine knowledge.Show less
De politieke aanloop naar afscheiding en de daaruit volgende Burgeroorlog was in weinig staten zo tumultueus als in South Carolina. De Palmetto State, gekenmerkt door een haast volledig van...Show moreDe politieke aanloop naar afscheiding en de daaruit volgende Burgeroorlog was in weinig staten zo tumultueus als in South Carolina. De Palmetto State, gekenmerkt door een haast volledig van slavernij afhankelijke agrarische economie, kent gedurende het Antebellum een aantal toonaangevende politieke crises. De Nullification Crisis, de Crisis van 1850-1851 en de Secession Crisis vormden drie onlosmakelijk verbonden politieke oproeren die South Carolina in december 1860 tot afscheiding van de Verenigde Staten bewoog. Echter, de herhaaldelijk opspelende roep om secessie in deze staat betekende niet dat er geen gedegen tegengeluid bestond. De Unionists, een officieuze, enigszins ongeorganiseerde groep politici, trachtten gedurende alledrie deze crises de dreigende afscheiding te voorkomen. In deze scriptie staan de Unionists van South Carolina en hun politieke activiteiten in het Antebellum centraal, om een nuancerende bijdrage te leveren aan de bestaande historiografie over de aanloop naar de Burgeroorlog.Show less
In this thesis expert knowledge and the covid-19 crisis have been the subject of research. More precisely, knowledge types and knowledge utilization have been analyzed in three distinct periods of...Show moreIn this thesis expert knowledge and the covid-19 crisis have been the subject of research. More precisely, knowledge types and knowledge utilization have been analyzed in three distinct periods of the Covid-19 crisis in the Netherlands. This is analyzed by using government documents where the measures against the Covid-19 outbreak are elaborated in. In addition, the technical briefings held on the Covid-19 outbreak are analyzed. During these briefings both experts and members of parliament are present. Hereby 'unfiltered' knowledge of the experts can be compared with how this expert knowledge is used in the government documents. From the analysis of this research, it follows that mostly instrumental use and some substantiating knowledge utilization are found in the government documents. This is contradictory to the knowledge utilization by the Dutch government in earlier crises as researched by Van Nispen and Scholten (2017). In addition to the results on knowledge utilization, from the analysis on knowledge types, information data is found to be an important type of knowledge used by the Dutch government. Second, to information data, ideas are found as knowledge in the government documents.Show less
The Syrian civil war caused an enormous refugee flow towards Europe, especially in the years 2015 and 2016. Although the Netherlands and Germany are strongly interconnected, their response to the...Show moreThe Syrian civil war caused an enormous refugee flow towards Europe, especially in the years 2015 and 2016. Although the Netherlands and Germany are strongly interconnected, their response to the refugee crisis differed. Germany accepted a lot more refugees than the Netherlands. To investigate where this difference could come from, this research has endeavoured to answer the question: To which extent can the difference of policy in the 2015 refugee crisis between Germany and The Netherlands be explained by Kingdon's stream model?. Kingdon (1995) recognized three flowing streams that, at the moment they come together, create a policy window in which policy can be implemented. Qualitative content analysis has been performed on newspaper articles containing specific terms, regarding the crisis, in Germany and the Netherlands in the years 2015 and 2016. On the basis of a code tree the articles were analysed to examine Kingdon's multiple stream theory and their role in policy implementation in the Netherlands and Germany. The countries did not differ on many concepts, but on some they did. The influence of international partnerships affected the political stream. The pressure from other countries turned out to be more on Germany than on the Netherlands. This pressure led to the opening of the German borders for refugees via Hungary. Kingdon's theory turned out to be suitable for the case analysis. Yet, the adaption of the theory to the time and location of the case was useful. This research focussed on German and Dutch articles, for which precise translations in the data collection are used. Nevertheless, the possibility of proverbial differences between languages can lead to disproportional data collection. For further research cooperation with German researcher could be a solution to perform further analysis.Show less
Een crisis brengt tegenstrijdige problemen met zich mee. Met name de coronacrisis, die de zorgsector op zijn kop zet. Om de situatie te beteugelen zal een crisismanager zich enerzijds moeten...Show moreEen crisis brengt tegenstrijdige problemen met zich mee. Met name de coronacrisis, die de zorgsector op zijn kop zet. Om de situatie te beteugelen zal een crisismanager zich enerzijds moeten inzetten om stabiliteit te creëren in de chaos door middel van het vergroten van efficiëntie. Anderzijds brengt een crisis dusdanig veel schade aan, waardoor eerder vergaarde kennis en bewezen werkwijzen niet meer toepasbaar zijn. In dit verband wordt een crisismanager gedwongen tot improviseren om te kunnen voldoen aan de nieuwe eisen die de crisis stelt. Organisaties komen in een crisis in een paradox tussen de noodzaak om intern stabiliteit te creëren, en tegelijkertijd innovatie te stimuleren. Naar deze activiteiten wordt in de literatuur verwezen als exploitatie (stabiliseren) en exploratie (improviseren). Het doel van dit onderzoek is beter te begrijpen welke crisissituaties te onderscheiden zijn en op welke wijze deze impact hebben op de keuzes van leidinggevenden. De hoofdvraag van het onderzoek luidt als volgt: “Welke factoren uit de crisissituatie beïnvloeden leidinggevenden om te kiezen tussen stabiliserende activiteiten (exploitatie) en improviserende activiteiten (exploratie)?” Het onderzoek richt zich op leidinggevenden in de zorg tijdens de coronacrisis. In de literatuur wordt de crisissituatie getypeerd in contexten die de mate van complexiteit en turbulentie van de situatie aanduiden. De contexttyperingen zijn: eenvoudige context; gecompliceerde context; complexe context en een chaotische context. Succesvol managen binnen de dynamische en onstabiele contexten is een substantiële uitdaging voor alle organisaties. Ambidexteriteit kan hiervoor een oplossing zijn. Ambidexteriteit, en daarmee ambidexterleiderschap, gaat uit van gelijktijdig nastreven van exploitatieve en exploratieve strategieën. Exploitatie behelst het benutten van bestaande capaciteiten door middel van activiteiten zoals efficiëntie, implementatie en verfijning. Exploratie behelst pogingen om toekomstige capaciteiten te verwerven, door middel van experimenteren, creëren en innoveren. Door middel van interviews is gezocht naar de factoren die leidinggevenden in de zorg hebben beïnvloed in hun keuze tussen exploiteren en exploreren. Het onderzoeksdesign van deze scriptie is een Small-N studie. Hierbij gaat het om een klein aantal cases dat een grote hoeveelheid aan empirische observaties per casus oplevert. De interviews zijn open ingestoken met de vraag of de tien respondenten chronologisch kunnen vertellen over de coronacrisis en welke fases zich daarin hebben voorgedaan. Door naar een chronologisch verhaal te vragen, leggen respondenten uit hoe ze de situaties ervaarden, hoe ze hebben gereageerd, wat hun rol daarin was en welke afwegingen er zijn gemaakt. Het was een bewuste keuze om niet direct te vragen waarom ze zich op een bepaalde manier gedroegen, om objectiviteit te waarborgen. De factoren die de keuze van leidinggevenden beïnvloeden, die in het onderzoek naar voren kwamen, zijn de mate van complexiteit en/of turbulentie uit de crisiscontext en de volgende vijf drijvende krachten: (1) de mate van impact op het werk, (2) de mate van tijdsdruk en vraag naar acute oplossing, (3) de mate waarop kennis passend is, of de mate waarin deze makkelijk te vergaren is, (4) de mate waarin cultuur en de aard van de organisatie een rol speelt, (5) de mate van kracht en flexibiliteit van het personeel om de strategie uit te voeren. Uit deze drijvende krachten blijkt dat de keuze niet alleen gebaseerd wordt op de inhoud van het probleem, maar ook op basis van organisatorische drijfveren. De keuze op de inhoud wordt bepaald door de mate van impact op het werk, de mate van tijdsdruk en de mate waarop huidige kennis passend is/ de mate waarin deze makkelijk te vergaren is. Vervolgens wordt de strategie keuze bepaald door organisatorische drijfveren. Hieronder valt de mate in hoeverre de strategie aansluit bij de cultuur en de aard van de organisatie. Echter de belangrijkste organisatorische drijvende kracht blijkt de mate van kracht en flexibiliteit van het personeel. Als eindconclusie kan worden gesteld dat crisisbeheersing alleen tot recht kan komen wanneer het personeel de kracht en flexibiliteit heeft om de crisisstrategie uit te voeren. Dit onderzoek heeft een verkennend karakter en heeft nieuwe inzichten gegenereerd. De aanbeveling is om de externe validiteit te vergroten in toekomstig onderzoek. Daarnaast kan is het nuttig om het onderzoek breder aan te pakken, waarbij op verschillende hiërarchische niveaus onderzoek wordt verricht. Toekomstig onderzoek zou zich eveneens kunnen richten op het verder onderzoeken van de drijvende kracht van personeel in een crisis.Show less
This thesis examines literary representations of agents who predict the future, as well as the relationship that fiction itself has with the future. These dual layers of analysis are oriented...Show moreThis thesis examines literary representations of agents who predict the future, as well as the relationship that fiction itself has with the future. These dual layers of analysis are oriented around two key concepts—“futurology” and “futurity”—which are considered in relation to Don DeLillo’s Cosmopolis and Nathaniel Rich’s Odds Against Tomorrow.Show less
Crisissituaties doen zich voor in allerlei vormen, maar geen enkele crisis is gelijk. Leiderschap is in veel gevallen geboden voor de (positieve) afloop van een crisis. De vraag hierbij is echter...Show moreCrisissituaties doen zich voor in allerlei vormen, maar geen enkele crisis is gelijk. Leiderschap is in veel gevallen geboden voor de (positieve) afloop van een crisis. De vraag hierbij is echter welk gedrag leiders in welke crisissituatie moeten toepassen? Het doel van dit onderzoek is leiderschap te analyseren gedurende verschillende crisissituaties en op basis van deze analyses een overzicht te geven van de gedragingen die leiders er op na houden in crisissituaties. De onderzoeksvraag luidt als volgt: Hoe ziet leiderschap eruit ten tijde van een crisissituatie? Om antwoord te kunnen geven op de onderzoeksvraag zijn negen interviews afgenomen met respondenten met een leidinggevende functie gedurende een crisissituatie of experts op het gebied van crisismanagement en leiderschap. Door crisisleiderschap te analyseren vanuit zowel het perspectief van leiders als experts op het gebied van crisismanagement is het mogelijk om te begrijpen waarom bepaald leiderschapsgedrag in verschillende typen crisissituaties wordt toegepast. Op basis van het Cynefin framework van Snowden en Boone (2007) wordt onderscheid gemaakt tussen vier verschillende typen crisis. Dit zijn een simpele crisis, ingewikkelde crisis, complexe crisis en chaotische crisis. Per type crisis is het gedrag van leiders geanalyseerd. Uit de analyse van de interviews blijkt dat leiders in een crisis redeneren vanuit drie basisprincipes. Deze principes zijn het besef dat een leider een crisis niet alleen kan oplossen, het besef dat besluiten altijd genomen moeten worden op basis van onvolledige informatie en het besef dat een leider op een bepaald moment een besluit moet nemen. Hoe een leider deze principes toepast hangt af van omgevingsfactoren, tijdtempo factoren, de organisatiestructuur en de complexiteit van een crisis. In lokale crises met veel stabiliteit is er veel ruimte voor de zelfstandigheid van professionals. Naarmate de impact toeneemt en oorzaken en gevolgen minder duidelijk worden wordt de crisisstructuur op een centraal punt georganiseerd en is er veel interactie binnen het crisismanagementteam. In complexere gevallen neemt de urgentie en onzekerheid toe en bestaat er ook meer onrust. Leiders doen en beroep op experts om tot een oplossing te komen en vragen de betrokken partijen om de verantwoordelijkheid te nemen om een crisis samen tot een goed einde te brengen. In chaotische crises handelt een leider directief om de situatie zo snel mogelijk te controleren en te beheersen. Wanneer de situatie gestabiliseerd is, is er ruimte voor overleg en evaluatie. Voor vervolgonderzoek is het wellicht interessant om te onderzoeken hoe leiderschapsgedrag in vergelijkbare crisissituaties beïnvloed wordt door persoonskenmerken. Eventueel vervolgonderzoek kan zich ook richten op hoe reputatie het handelen van een leider in een crisis beïnvloedt.Show less
