Master thesis | European Politics and Society: Vaclav Havel Joint Master Programme
open access
Female political representation differs significantly between countries. Patriarchal structures and gender biases that hinder women's representation are pervasive and can be identified in seemingly...Show moreFemale political representation differs significantly between countries. Patriarchal structures and gender biases that hinder women's representation are pervasive and can be identified in seemingly progressive governments, challenging claims of increased gender equality in the global North. This thesis explores the differences in female political representation in parliament between two popularly deemed progressive European countries: the Netherlands and Finland. It does so by adopting a novel approach and engaging with the top-down personal perspective of politicians within parliament. Using semi-structured elite interviews, this thesis focuses on the causes for the gap in female political representation between these countries while also discussing what the interviewees envision as possible improvements. The parliamentarians provided unique insights into how gender stereotypes, gatekeeping, and unpaid care work determine the level of women's political representation. The results indicate that female parliamentarians, next to having more role models, centred childcare and parental leave at the core of the policies to address the disparity in female representation between the Netherlands and Finland and increase female political representation overall. This thesis thus contributes to gender and political studies.Show less
This thesis examines how Greta Gerwig’s film adaptation Little Women (2019) retains Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 eponymous novel’s progressive ideas about gender roles, marriage and women’s ambitions...Show moreThis thesis examines how Greta Gerwig’s film adaptation Little Women (2019) retains Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 eponymous novel’s progressive ideas about gender roles, marriage and women’s ambitions for its present-day audience. The theoretical foundation of this research is based on the adaptation studies written by Julie Sanders and Linda Hutcheon.Show less
An analysis of how female character's are portrayed in the late '90s and early '00s adaptations 10 Things I Hate About You, She's the Man, and Never Been Kissed of the Shakespeare plays: Taming of...Show moreAn analysis of how female character's are portrayed in the late '90s and early '00s adaptations 10 Things I Hate About You, She's the Man, and Never Been Kissed of the Shakespeare plays: Taming of the Shrew, Twelfth Night, and As You Like It.Show less
This thesis aims to explore whether the song WAP (2020) by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, exemplifies a paradigm shift in feminism. WAP caused much outcry and grew rapidly in fame because of its...Show moreThis thesis aims to explore whether the song WAP (2020) by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, exemplifies a paradigm shift in feminism. WAP caused much outcry and grew rapidly in fame because of its sexually provocative imagery and lyrics, unlike other similar songs. The question arises: If Cardi and Megan’s song is so unique that it might be the start of a feminist paradigm shift, or whether it follows an already established trend? First, the song is looked at scene by scene, scouting for reoccurring elements. Then, general representational tactics of women in media are analyzed, which help evaluate the elements in WAP further, determining feminist or non-feminist tactics. Lastly, the music of other female artists like Madonna, Lil Kim and Christina Aguilera are studied in order to determine whether WAP is following a trend or stands on its own. After exploring these different aspects, it is possible to see that WAP is a starting point for a feminist paradigm shift in media, of which there are likely more artists or songs to follow.Show less
This thesis analyzes the novel The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and the first three seasons of the HULU series in their historical contexts, and relates them to feminist activism in both eras...Show moreThis thesis analyzes the novel The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and the first three seasons of the HULU series in their historical contexts, and relates them to feminist activism in both eras. The thesis investigates how relevant literary representations of injustice and oppression are within the broader discourse of human rights, equality and freedom. By juxtaposing the Feminist views of the writer, producers and its political climate in the 1980s during Ronald Reagan's administration and during the 2010s Trump administration the radicalisation of its activism and the change in current political protests are shown.Show less
This thesis aims to address the question: “How does the representation of Kurdish cultural resistance in visual art made by the Kurdish-Dutch diaspora fit within the Kurdish political discourse?”...Show moreThis thesis aims to address the question: “How does the representation of Kurdish cultural resistance in visual art made by the Kurdish-Dutch diaspora fit within the Kurdish political discourse?” To answer this question, films by Beri Shalmashi and Reber Dosky were analyzed by means of Visual Discourse Analysis on the basis of themes and symbols that fit within Kurdish political discourse. Unlike traditional International Relations (IR), this thesis takes an aesthetic turn and presents a more expressive and critical view from a diasporic narrative of the Kurdish question, which will deepen the knowledge concerning this conflict through visual discourse analysis. The themes and symbols discussed are cultural memory and collective trauma, the geo-linguistic homeland, autonomy, feminism, and the Kurdish mountains. These themes and symbols are all linked to Kurdish nationalism and cultural resistance and play an important role in the creation of a Kurdish identity among the Kurds living in diaspora. Moreover, this thesis demonstrates how the Kurdish diasporic community represents itself and how politicized Kurdish culture is.Show less
