Catalogues have been a staple library feature for the last several centuries, a useful finding tool for readers and organizational aid for librarians; they are also a representation of a particular...Show moreCatalogues have been a staple library feature for the last several centuries, a useful finding tool for readers and organizational aid for librarians; they are also a representation of a particular place and time. The form and content of a catalogue can provide insights into the social norms and scholarly interests of the era in which it was created. Employing a longitudinal and comparative approach, this thesis examines the published catalogues of Leiden University Library’s Hebrew manuscripts collection throughout its four centuries of existence. I compare these catalogues, mark the differences in the ways they describe Hebrew manuscripts, and illuminate the social changes or emerging scholarly fields that likely influenced their creators. Throughout this thesis, I argue that when it comes to Hebrew manuscripts, any examination of historical cataloguing trends or choices cannot be complete without also considering that era’s societal attitudes toward Jews, the original creators of the language and texts contained in said manuscripts. I conclude that there exists a direct correlation between the quality of the catalogues’ manuscript descriptions and the cataloguer’s knowledge of the Hebrew language and of Jewish literature and culture; I extrapolate the implications of this conclusion for the future of manuscript cataloguing in the digital age.Show less
This thesis asks whether and how changes in cultural-historical circumstances have affected the Jamaican and Surinamese Anansi stories between 1890 and 2020. Surprisingly - given the major...Show moreThis thesis asks whether and how changes in cultural-historical circumstances have affected the Jamaican and Surinamese Anansi stories between 1890 and 2020. Surprisingly - given the major upheavals that occured during that time period - the substance of the Anansi tales was essentially stable. What did change were the attitudes towards the spider. While colonial ideas dominated Anansi discourse around 1900, decolonization caused the emergence of a postolonial Anansi tradition that celebrated the character's Afro-Caribbean cultural heritage. Hence, Anansi was ultimately recognized as an indigenous icon of Afro-Caribbean culture not just in Jamaica and Suriname, but in Anglo-European societies too.Show less
O presente trabalho trata do tema feminismo negro no Brasil e compara a obra de uma artista literária e de uma artista visual utilizando o conceito ‘lugar de fala’ da intelectual, ativista e...Show moreO presente trabalho trata do tema feminismo negro no Brasil e compara a obra de uma artista literária e de uma artista visual utilizando o conceito ‘lugar de fala’ da intelectual, ativista e escritora Djamila Ribeiro (1980, Santos). Apesar de avanços significativos no ativismo afro-brasileiro e feminista, a questão do lugar social da mulher afro-brasileira fica sendo um ponto atual e pertinente. Conceição Evaristo, escritora afro-brasileira, e Rosana Paulino, artista brasileira contemporânea, conseguiram uma visibilidade, inclusive internacional, usando um discurso feminista negro, apesar de viverem numa sociedade extremamente autoritária, racista e patriarcal. Para estudar o ativismo artístico que ambas produzem, a presente pesquisa se enfoca na obra literária Poemas da recordação e outros movimentos (2008) e na exposição A costura da memória (2018). Ambas obras, de maneira crítica, questionam o lugar da mulher negra na sociedade brasileira. Conceição Evaristo é conhecida pelas publicações em Cadernos Negros e da escrevivência. Rosana Paulino é artista visual e se enfoca nas questões sociais, étnicas e de gênero (Paulino). O estudo de caso é original, pois, acrescenta ao debate o uso do conceito lugar de fala, proposto por Djamila Ribeiro. Além disso, o estudo é altamente atual: a situação política no Brasil exige a importância de entender essas vozes. Portanto, o objetivo desse estudo é analisar como ambas artistas através do uso do conceito da memória se apropriam de um ‘lugar de fala’ para o sujeito feminino negro e criticamente questionam estruturas de poder existentes.Show less
The Organisation internationale de la Francophonie was created to stimulate cooperation between its members, to whom the French language is important. However, it was established shortly after...Show moreThe Organisation internationale de la Francophonie was created to stimulate cooperation between its members, to whom the French language is important. However, it was established shortly after decolonization and many of its first members were former colonizers and former colonized countries. This raises the question to what extend the Francophonie really is a decolonized organization. To answer this question, three countries have been analysed more closely. These are France, Senegal and Vietnam. History shows that all three have a long colonial history. France as colonizer, Senegal and Vietnam as colonies. Vietnam gained independence earlier than Senegal, but with more bloodshed. All three countries have been members of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie since its establishment. This organization has developed over the years, with membership expanding in all global directions and addressing themes in more domains than at its start. Analysis through close reading of the contributions made by the three countries at the general summits shows that relations of dependency still exist. When it comes to economic independence, it is clear that Senegal and Vietnam need the contributions that France makes to the organization. However, when it comes to political independence, the three countries appear to be equal to each other.Show less
In this thesis, the focus lies on the practice of human sacrifice and cannibalism in Aztec culture, and how they are represented in the Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva España and the...Show moreIn this thesis, the focus lies on the practice of human sacrifice and cannibalism in Aztec culture, and how they are represented in the Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva España and the Primeros Memoriales. Both documents have been written by Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, in sixteenth-century New Spain. The Historia General is one of the most cited works in the practice of archaeology and anthropology, regarding human sacrifice and cannibalism in the Aztec world. In general, the Historia General is cited in academic literature without any form of critical comment. By analyzing the first and second book of the Historia General and the Primeros Memoriales, and looking at the motivations behind these two colonial documents, it becomes clear that the Historia General is by no means an objective source of information, and uses human sacrifice and cannibalism as a colonial tool, in order to promote colonialism, the conquest of New Spain, the spread of evangelization and the eradication of the Aztec religion. Therefore, archaeologists and anthropologists should be cautious and critical when using the Historia General in their research on human sacrifice and cannibalism, and base their research on empirical data, for the most part. In doing so, the critical assessment of colonial works such as the Historia General, will lead to a decolonization of the practice of archaeology and anthropology.Show less
Public opinions, political visions and international interference were important aspects of the duration of the decolonisation wars in Indonesia and Algeria after the Second World War. These three...Show morePublic opinions, political visions and international interference were important aspects of the duration of the decolonisation wars in Indonesia and Algeria after the Second World War. These three factors influenced together the events that formed the wars. This thesis concentrates on these three aspects and shows how they are combined and explain the duration of the wars.Show less
