Palmyra, the ancient major city and moderator in trade between the East and the Roman West. Over the last decades it has become clear that Palmyra flourished from a tiny settlement into a large...Show morePalmyra, the ancient major city and moderator in trade between the East and the Roman West. Over the last decades it has become clear that Palmyra flourished from a tiny settlement into a large trading centre due to its trade along the Silk Road during the first three centuries CE. This research dives into the relationship between the material culture and the international engagement of Palmyra culturally. By studying a few samples of materials in three different case studies, the objects showed evidence for cultural fusion. However, the results are far from complete, as there is an insufficient amount of materials available. Future research should include the excavation of the residential area in Palmyra. The downside of the story is that no further research can be conducted on site since the Syrian civil war. In addition, the political turmoil saw the rise of Islamic State, a group that has caused severe damage to the Palmyrene heritage, by blowing up the ancient remains of the city, destroying the museum and looting the area. To this day, Unesco and the World Heritage Committee try to protect the heritage, but with little result so far. Media and science tried to spread awareness for the situation, but concrete plans for the Palmyrene heritage are not visible. The research puts forward a suggestion in order to continue archaeological research, it is important to create better access to the already available Palmyrene material that is now scattered across many museums and private collections around the globe.Show less
In dit onderzoek is een meta-analyse uitgevoerd naar de behandeleffecten van cognitieve gedragstherapie (CGT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprossing (EMDR) en narratieve exposure therapie ...Show moreIn dit onderzoek is een meta-analyse uitgevoerd naar de behandeleffecten van cognitieve gedragstherapie (CGT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprossing (EMDR) en narratieve exposure therapie (NET) op vluchtelingen die gediagnosticeerd zijn met posttraumatische stressstoornis of symptomen van deze stoornis vertonen. Ook is onderzocht of er een verschil in effectiviteit van deze behandelvormen is voor kinderen en volwassen. Aangezien veel vluchtelingen van niet-westerse komaf zijn, is in dit onderzoek ook het moderatoreffect van cultuur- en taalaanpassing op de behandelvorm opgenomen. Een systematische literatuuronderzoek is uitgevoerd en hieruit zijn 34 studies geselecteerd die relevant zijn gebleken voor dit onderzoek volgens de inclusiecriteria. In het programma JASP zijn de analyses uitgevoerd. De meta-analyse heeft aangetoond dat CGT (-1.33, CI [-1.84, -0.82]), EMDR (-1.26, CI [-1.78, -0.74]) en NET –(1.12, CI [-1.56, 0.69]) significante behandeleffecten hebben. Tussen de behandelingen zijn geen significante effect verschillen te zien (p > 0.05). Hieruit kan geconcludeerd worden dat de resultaten van de hoofdeffecten van de behandelingen gelijkwaardig zijn aan elkaar. Dit ondersteunt het dodo bird verdict die stelt dat er geen verschillen waarneembaar zijn tussen psychotherapieën. Verschillen in behandeleffectiviteit bij kinderen en volwassen zijn niet aangetoond door gebrek aan significantie (d = 0.109, p = 0.78). Het toevoegen van de variabele taal- en cultuuradaptatie bleek geen significant effect aan te tonen (d = -0.031, p = 0.926).Show less
Research master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (research) (MA)
open access
Throughout history people have tried to explain phenomena that were abstract to them, attributing to these events all kinds of reasons ranging from physical to supernatural ones. A system of shared...Show moreThroughout history people have tried to explain phenomena that were abstract to them, attributing to these events all kinds of reasons ranging from physical to supernatural ones. A system of shared beliefs and norms develops, guiding and explaining to them how to act and respond to all kinds of events, among which is death. How people behave after a death has occurred varies widely across cultures. The purpose of this paper is to examine the concept of death held in ancient Mesopotamia and to try to find answers of how it came to be. The first two chapters are dedicated to providing an overview of the Mesopotamian concept of death. The remaining chapters of the current study analyse certain facets of the concept of death which can be traced back to environmental factors. The facets included are: the realm of death, examining its portrayal, location, hierarchy, and type of government; death and burial; the concept of death related to everyday life.Show less
An in-depth analysis of the linguistic features and the use of verbs and adjectives in fantasy literature was done to establish whether gender, culture, and time had any influence in relation to...Show moreAn in-depth analysis of the linguistic features and the use of verbs and adjectives in fantasy literature was done to establish whether gender, culture, and time had any influence in relation to character related verbs and adjectives. The analysis is based on two different female authors: Nalini Singh and Sarah J. Maas. The two authors were born into different cultures, are from different ethnicities, and are part of different generations. A sample of passages was selected from several of their published works which contain descriptions of the characters’ personality and appearance, and/or contains verbs that describe actions performed by or to the protagonist. Verbs and adjectives that met the criteria were analysed and divided into different categories, such as transactive/non-transactive, and descriptive/non-descriptive adjectives. The sets of data were compared to each other and analysed based on prior research in order to determine which author could be considered to be more progressive and why.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
closed access
“There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes”, a Scandinavian saying, illustrating how one could live with and through weather, that is, how to weather. This visual ethnographic...Show more“There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes”, a Scandinavian saying, illustrating how one could live with and through weather, that is, how to weather. This visual ethnographic research was a way for me to live with and through the Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions that it brought in my own country, the Netherlands. I have done fieldwork for almost three months at natural (outdoor) playground Het Woeste Westen (The Wuthering West), a place in Amsterdam where children can play with and in nature both ‘freely’ as ‘semi-organized’ with adult supervision. The study explores how children think of outdoor play as full of opportunities unavailable at home, what children do in the outdoors, and how their experiences shape their thinking about play and their relation to the material world. I have used audiovisual recordings, non-participating observations with interaction and visual elicitations. The result is a thesis in both written as ethnographic film form. The text includes both descriptions of observational video footage as written field notes, and transcribed video footage. The film aims at showing what I have seen and what I have been told by protagonists. My key research finding is that children weather by using the elements in their outdoor play. I argue that weather creates the world that they are in, which impacts how they play. Examples of this are moving more in winter weather to stay warm, jumping and sliding in mud as a fun activity and making fires to get warm and dry after a cold and rainy day.Show less
This thesis focuses on inspecting the special, unrestrained, and independent freedom of the city of Vārāṇasī through Viśvanāth Mukharjī’s Hindi-language book “Banā Rahe Banāras” (1958).
In this thesis, I discuss the range of numerals in South American languages, the strategies that languages use to form their numerals, and what cultural and historical causes can be given to the...Show moreIn this thesis, I discuss the range of numerals in South American languages, the strategies that languages use to form their numerals, and what cultural and historical causes can be given to the range of the numerals. The Quechuan languages consistently possess an infinite decimal system. This could be the result of the preservation of the high numerals after colonization that were used to keep track of administration in the extended Inca Empire. In the Arawakan family, both the range and the internal structure of the numerals differ. Just as for the Quechuan, the Arawakan people were involved in trade and war which could indicate a need of high numerals. However, unlike for the Quechuan numerals, they have not been preserved. During colonization, Arawakan groups fled from their original settlements and adopted other groups into their communities, which indicates substratum influence and explains the diversity of the Arawakan numerals. In the Guaporé-Mamoré linguistic area, numerals are mostly concentrated around a maximum of 20. The body-part system and a connection to company or loneliness are common in the numerals in this area.Show less
This research paper examines the role and influence of women in Japanese organizational cultures since their involvement in the labor force starting in the 1990s. This new labor force consisted of...Show moreThis research paper examines the role and influence of women in Japanese organizational cultures since their involvement in the labor force starting in the 1990s. This new labor force consisted of educated and highly-skilled women and was partly made possible due to the social visibility Japanese women started to receive during this time. As a result, Japanese organizational culture as we know it has gradually changed as well. Previous findings have suggested that women somewhat differ in some features of organizational culture, such as speech, dress code, and behavior. Due to these slight differences in these features, Japanese organizations began to change some of their policies and thus their organizational culture in order to develop a more inclusive environment. By analyzing several traditional Japanese organizations and their cultures, this paper demonstrates that Japanese women have influenced their organizational cultures to a certain extent. We can see that even the most traditional Japanese organizations have started to become more inclusive and open-minded towards gender equality which is, for example, visible in their women empowerment programs.Show less
This paper is a critique of cultural paradigms. It explores the notion of a cultural paradigm and what it might actually mean in two parts: first, paradigms as linguistic structures, and second,...Show moreThis paper is a critique of cultural paradigms. It explores the notion of a cultural paradigm and what it might actually mean in two parts: first, paradigms as linguistic structures, and second, paradigms as cultural laws. Both of these are shown to be incoherent. Paradigms as linguistic structures are shown to be incoherent with support of Davidson's arguments regarding the criterion of incommensurability. In section two, paradigms as cultural laws, the meaning of 'laws' is explicated with the help of Humean Supervenience and it is shown that laws don't have any causal force. This decoupling of causal force and paradigms dismantles the notion of paradigm and shows that cultural laws supervene on the actions of people within said culture.Show less
A window serves as the eye of a building. This thesis attempts to approach the windows of early modern China, roughly from the late Ming to the early Qing period. With the findings, it shows that...Show moreA window serves as the eye of a building. This thesis attempts to approach the windows of early modern China, roughly from the late Ming to the early Qing period. With the findings, it shows that windows served as a practical element as well as a culture symbol. On the one hand, a window could be used to enhance light effects and air circulation; with the coverings, windows created a shelter of privacy for both people inside and outside; windows were also taken into the account of architectural design as an evocative pictorial device. On the other hand, it represented social status and wealth. Windows were also silent statement of the so-called elegant taste, ya. Apart from these, the window motif in literature and art could help to frame an erotic space. It can be concluded that in the early modern period, a window had not only practical functions, but also shouldered multiple cultural symbolic implications.Show less
This paper proposes another axis of understanding for the Minamata case study by analyzing the philosophical intricacies of the Japanese culture in contrast with Japan's politics and industrial...Show moreThis paper proposes another axis of understanding for the Minamata case study by analyzing the philosophical intricacies of the Japanese culture in contrast with Japan's politics and industrial goals. Instead of offering a technical solution to such a far-reaching event, it looks at the hidden potential of Japanese cultural practices in transforming the way politics consider the priorities of human development and how local communities’ expectations can be met when their lifestyle is taken into consideration. In that sense, the Minamata incident reveals to be more than a local disaster but also to a larger extent the illustration of a societal and philosophical discordance.Show less
“So what happens if I eat what I want, and dress as I want? Too much for you?” Leyla, a woman who lives her life with no constraints, uttered this quote in Palestinian director Maysaloun Hamoud’s...Show more“So what happens if I eat what I want, and dress as I want? Too much for you?” Leyla, a woman who lives her life with no constraints, uttered this quote in Palestinian director Maysaloun Hamoud’s film In Between (2016). In Between portrays Arab women in control of their lives who make their own decisions, even if these are frowned upon by their society. This image differs from those in Hollywood films, wherein Arab women have been depicted in groups covered in black robes following their husbands, for example. As these depictions are repeated, audiences may believe the images presented to them, and formulate stereotypes of Arabs. This topic demonstrates that portrayals of Arab women exist in cinema that challenge the stereotype of disempowered Arab women. Furthermore, this topic highlights Arab women’s diversity and the obstacles they face when breaking away from the image expected of them from their societies. Therefore, this thesis will focus on In Between’s portrayal of Arab women to demonstrate that In Between questions the stereotype of disempowered Arab women, and represents Arab women. In order to do so, this thesis will analyze the cultural identities and femininity of Leyla, Salma, and Nour, In Between’s three main characters.Show less
This thesis examines traditional Korean elements and their use in the growing trend of K-pop. While the genre has grown into a worldwide phenomenon partly because of its easily identifiable musical...Show moreThis thesis examines traditional Korean elements and their use in the growing trend of K-pop. While the genre has grown into a worldwide phenomenon partly because of its easily identifiable musical elements, fashion and English lyrics, some K-pop artists have recently chosen to incorporate elements that do not fit the so-called "K-pop formula". By looking at two case studies that have strayed from the proven formula, this thesis aims to answer the question of what the purpose is in the use of traditional elements such as specific clothing and Folk music.Show less
This thesis looks into symbols of nationalism to investigate the deeper complexities of nationalism. Specifically, the focus has been on the Kurdish minstrels, the dengbêjs, and how they reflect...Show moreThis thesis looks into symbols of nationalism to investigate the deeper complexities of nationalism. Specifically, the focus has been on the Kurdish minstrels, the dengbêjs, and how they reflect the changes undergone by Kurdish nationalism in Turkey. The main argument of this thesis is that the dengbêjs, through their changed importance, are indicative of the changes in Kurdish nationalism itself. It is specifically the rise of the dengbêjs’ popularity in recent years that is discussed. To explore their significance, the first chapter will outline the fundamental concepts of nationalism and collective memory. To provide further understanding of the situation for Kurds in Turkey and why the dengbêjs may be so important, an overview will be provided of Kurdish history and the historical developments of Kurdish nationalism. Finally, the third chapter will discuss the dengbêjs, analyze the developments the minstrel art has gone through, and relate these to the changes in Kurdish nationalism. The dengbêjs form a reminder and a reinvigoration of the Kurdish identity, and elevate the Kurdish language and culture to new levels. The dengbêjs’ popularization is not only a matter of local processes, but equally of global processes affecting nationalism and culture.Show less
The purpose of this research paper is to analyse the major constraints faced by women in attaining employment and education opportunities, living in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa situated in...Show moreThe purpose of this research paper is to analyse the major constraints faced by women in attaining employment and education opportunities, living in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa situated in Pakistan. It looks at different aspects of religion and regional culture as the natural causes that have fostered this gender discriminatory environment. Moreover, it looks at the role the government has played through public policy over the last decade through a critical lens. It provides insights into the minds of ten working women from KPK regarding this matter through primary semistructured interviews and describes their experiences. The goal of this paper is to spread awareness regarding the state of gender disparity and root factors that cause and facilitate it in KPK. The paper concludes by providing a list of recommendations for the state to possibly implement that could tackle the state of worsening gender disparity .The state of Pakistan has been facing numerous economic and social issues and effective incorporation of women in the labour force could be one of the best way to tackle it and achieve inclusive and societal development.Show less
