A thorough study of the personal writings of Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States, in an effort to show that Jefferson was far more radical in his thoughts than one would assume.
After the United States invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the traditional practice known as Bacha Bazi has reemerged and has become one the most current issues in the country. Prior to the invasion,...Show moreAfter the United States invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the traditional practice known as Bacha Bazi has reemerged and has become one the most current issues in the country. Prior to the invasion, under the Taliban regime, the practice was outlawed as they associated the practice with homosexuality. However, since the removal of the Taliban regime, the practice has not only resurged, but it has been flourishing and increasing. Therefore, this thesis will highlight the factors that have contributed to the resurgence of the practice Bacha Bazi since the occupation of Afghanistan. This thesis aims at providing an outlook on the socio-cultural and political factors that have contributed to the resurgence of the Bacha Bazi since the invasion of Afghanistan.Show less
This thesis analyses British Holocaust memorialization from the 1980s to today, through case studies on the Hyde Park Holocaust Memorial, the Holocaust Exhibition at the Imperial War Museum and the...Show moreThis thesis analyses British Holocaust memorialization from the 1980s to today, through case studies on the Hyde Park Holocaust Memorial, the Holocaust Exhibition at the Imperial War Museum and the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre. This thesis shows how the concept of the Holocaust evolved from being relatively ignored, to being a key subject in twentieth century British history. The first hypothesis underlying this research is that whereas earlier attempts at British Holocaust memorialization predominantly focused on the historical uniqueness of the genocide, later initiatives place greater emphasis on its universal significance. This hypothesis is confirmed by the three case studies. After the end of the Cold War the universal lessons of the Holocaust are increasingly addressed, visible in the Holocaust exhibition in the IWM and the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre. Nevertheless, the uniqueness of the Holocaust remains important in all three of the case studies. The second hypothesis reads that whereas earlier attempts at British Holocaust memorialization tend to lack critical self-reflection, later initiatives show more willingness to explore Britain’s sense of guilt. The two latest initiatives, both created after 1989, do address the more negative aspects of Britain’s role in the war. Yet, the hypothesis cannot be confirmed for a greater willingness to explore these controversial issues does not seem to be present. Rather, the third initiative seems to prioritize the traditional heroic story of Britain’s relation to the Holocaust. Scholarship on Holocaust memory in Britain has evolved into a field in its own right, with key contributions of Tony Kushner, Andy Pearce, Dan Stone and David Cesarani. The field is intrinsically interdisciplinary, therefore this thesis necessarily draws upon literature from the fields of British History, Cultural Studies and Memory Studies. It builds upon primary material kept by the Imperial War Museum Archive and the London Metropolitan Archive, as well as materials found online and in the libraries of the University of Leiden and the University of Oxford.Show less
In this paper I will compare Arthur Koestler’s fictional character N. Rubashov to Soviet revolutionary N.I. Bukharin. This comparison allows me to show two different approaches, bourgeois and...Show moreIn this paper I will compare Arthur Koestler’s fictional character N. Rubashov to Soviet revolutionary N.I. Bukharin. This comparison allows me to show two different approaches, bourgeois and Marxist, to both guilt and history. Koestler’s Rubashov was criticized by Maurice Merleau-Ponty for giving an insincere confession because he argues that Rubashov had an inadequate understanding of the history surrounding him; as opposed to Bukharin. I shall argue that although Merleau-Ponty rightly argues that Rubashov has a different approach to history, I do not believe it is enough to disregard his confession as insincere. His understanding develops in the book and this allows Rubashov a solution to his apparent paradox of a bourgeois sense of history with a Marxist sense of guilt. He confesses to his crimes for different reasons than Bukharin, but his confession is of the same nature. This shows that Merleau-Ponty’s conception of guilt and history is flawed and needs revising.Show less
De laatste tien à vijtien jaar is er in Turkije onder invloed van het verschijnsel “Ottomania,” nostalgie en liefde voor alles wat naar de Osmaanse tijd ‘smaakt,’ redelijk veel geschreven over de...Show moreDe laatste tien à vijtien jaar is er in Turkije onder invloed van het verschijnsel “Ottomania,” nostalgie en liefde voor alles wat naar de Osmaanse tijd ‘smaakt,’ redelijk veel geschreven over de Osmaanse keuken en met name Osmaanse gerechten. Kookboeken om thuis de authentieke Osmaanse cuisine te doen herleven worden als warme broodjes verkocht. Een vergelijkbare fascinatie voor de Osmaanse cultuur is op het gebied van dranken te zien. Zo wordt boza, een gefermenteerd drankje van gierst dat erg populair was in Osmaanse tijden maar een tijd lang, op een enkele uitzondering na nergens meer verkocht werd, nu verkocht in Turkse supermarkten. Deze plotselinge hernieuwde belangstelling voor boza wekte bij mij de interesse op om de geschiedenis van de Turkse drinkcultuur te onderzoeken: Wat dronken de Osmanen, waren er problematische dranken, veranderde de drinkcultuur met de oprichting van de Republiek Turkije in 1923, hoe kunnen we de opleving van de belangstelling voor Osmaanse drankjes sinds enkele jaren verklaren en wat zijn de redenen voor het recente alcoholverbod/genotsmiddelenontmoedigingsbeleid van de AKP-regering?Show less
There are many forms and types of culture - violent cultures, peaceful ones, democracy, authoritarian, civilian and military orientated ones among many more. This paper will pay attention to German...Show moreThere are many forms and types of culture - violent cultures, peaceful ones, democracy, authoritarian, civilian and military orientated ones among many more. This paper will pay attention to German military culture and how it shifted from an aggressive culture to a pacifistic one to a ‘defensive’ military culture since the 1990s. In particular, the text will focus on changes in recent time, studying the political incentives in the 1990s. Upon it, a new case study will be made looking at the 2010s and how the new White Papers in 2006 and 2016 have changed the official military culture.Show less
In this thesis the Iron Age Italic armament subcollections of two Dutch museums have been investigated. These two museums are the Allard Pierson Museum (APM) in Amsterdam and the Rijksmuseum van...Show moreIn this thesis the Iron Age Italic armament subcollections of two Dutch museums have been investigated. These two museums are the Allard Pierson Museum (APM) in Amsterdam and the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (RMO) in Leiden. The goals of this thesis were to identify each object in the subcollections, analyse the information that came from this research, find out how both subcollections have emerged, discover the use both museums made of their subcollection and to find out what the position of each museum in the ongoing debates on the acquisition and display of unprovenanced antiquities is through the scope of these small subcollections. The results are that both subcollections emerged through relatively similar causes; a combination of coincidence, the supply of these objects on the art market and a somewhat failed acquisition focus. Each museums has used their subcollection differently; the APM always have had many objects on display, grouped together typologically, while the RMO took a small selection from their subcollection and displayed them in more culturally divided exhibitions. While exhibiting these objects both museums had put on display objects that were only barely researched, if they had been researched at all. All objects of both museums that have been acquired after 1970 were bought legally, although it can be argued that some of these acquisitions are not very ethically responsible. Based on the acquisition history of both museums they kept themselves to the ICOM Code of Ethics since the 1990s-2000s, while still displaying the objects without pre-1970 ownership history. Therefore they do not belong to the Renfrew-Brodie side nor to the Boardman-Cuno side of the unprovenanced antiquities debate. They are positioned between these two parties, siding with Refrew and Brodie on the acquisition part, but with Boardman and Cuno on the display of these objects. It must be stressed that because of the small sample it appeared that there were only antiquities with a pre-1970 ownership history in the RMO, while in previous research it was already concluded that the RMO does have unprovenanced antiquities bought after 1970 in its collection. Therefore it is suggested that for comparable future research a bigger sample should be used to avoid similar situations. The final conclusion of this thesis is that both museums have acquired objects with incomplete ownership histories, and put these objects on display having only very limited information on these objects to inform the visitors. Therefore it can be said that they were “Exhibiting the Unknown”.Show less
During the 2016 annual Zanzibar Revolution celebrations, CCM supporters demonstrated using a statement that depicted ‘anti-foreigner’ sentiments towards their fellow countrymen. By looking at the...Show moreDuring the 2016 annual Zanzibar Revolution celebrations, CCM supporters demonstrated using a statement that depicted ‘anti-foreigner’ sentiments towards their fellow countrymen. By looking at the Tanzanian African nationalist discourse and history, this research paper analyses how this ‘anti-foreigner’ rhetoric demonstrated in 2016, can find its origins in the African nationalist independence movement of Tanzania. In conjunction with Tanzanian history and politics, African nationalist literature obtained from secondary sources are used to examine and understand African nationalist motivations and discourse. These motivations, ideas and discourse are then used to contextualise the 2016 demonstration’s anti-foreigner rhetoric. This research paper finds that the language, ideas, and even the day of the demonstration emphasis the African nationalist independence movement of Tanzanian but more specifically of Zanzibar.Show less
Since the implementation of the first Trademark Law in 1982, the Chinese government has written, implemented and revised many laws regarding trademarks in China, and yet, new cases of counterfeit...Show moreSince the implementation of the first Trademark Law in 1982, the Chinese government has written, implemented and revised many laws regarding trademarks in China, and yet, new cases of counterfeit IPhone chargers and Nike footwear floating to the service can be considered an almost daily occurrence. Understanding China’s trademark laws, their enforcement, and why it so often goes awry is of great importance for understanding China’s stance on this issue.Show less
