Peru along with most other countries in Latin America has a history of authoritarian rule and repression. Since 2000, the country has undergone democratic reforms which prove to be slow in progress...Show morePeru along with most other countries in Latin America has a history of authoritarian rule and repression. Since 2000, the country has undergone democratic reforms which prove to be slow in progress and obstructed by the legacy left behind by Fujimori and Montesinos’ regime in the 1990s. With the purpose of contributing to a currently scarce pool of literature on intelligence studies in Latin America, this paper seeks to assess to which extent these authoritarian legacies continue to persist in Peru’s intelligence services after its official transition to democracy in 2000. Using press material, official documents, academic literature and further secondary sources, this paper collected information on scandals and controversies involving the intelligence services and its practices. By drawing comparisons to aspects mentioned in the historical context and conceptual framework, this paper was able to illustrate the extent to which authoritarianism still remains within the intelligence apparatus. Based on the results that show instability in combination with a general lack of interest in reform and hence a continuation of intelligence practices deemed undemocratic, illegitimate, disorganized, and highly politicized, it can be concluded that authoritarian legacies still remain in today’s intelligence services to a large extent. Furthermore, the paper reflects on its reliability and validity in regards to its research design and data, stating that due to Peru’s lack of legal frameworks concerning intelligence agencies, it remains challenging to clearly outline their structure and functions.Show less
In 1989, a rape of a white woman in Central Park became one of the most publicized cases in American history. This thesis focuses on the Central Park Five and how the New York Times and the...Show moreIn 1989, a rape of a white woman in Central Park became one of the most publicized cases in American history. This thesis focuses on the Central Park Five and how the New York Times and the Washington Post described and presented the boys in the media storm. In what way did the New York Times and the Washington Post frame the Central Park Five around the trial, meaning before, during, and after the exoneration in 2002 and the settlement with the city of New York in 2014? Previous research concerning this case study has primarily focused on details of the case and other aspects. This research uses framing theory and the White Racial Frame to show patterns of racial frames in the two newspapers. The research shows that while the racial narratives were prevalent around the trial, they became less visible after decades had passed. This thesis demonstrates that how the boys were depicted was highly influenced by their time. With the years going by, the frame changed as well. In the end, the men were viewed positively instead of demonized.Show less
This thesis aims to find an answer to the question: “How is Korea’s religious pluralism represented in Korean popular media?” This topic has only been looked at in literary research. Because of...Show moreThis thesis aims to find an answer to the question: “How is Korea’s religious pluralism represented in Korean popular media?” This topic has only been looked at in literary research. Because of this, this thesis makes use of other means to research this subject, with a particular focus on South Korean television dramas. This is done by analysis of multiple scenes from South Korean drama television shows. These scenes each had an element that fit into the broader category of religious pluralism. The categories used in this research are: religious people using parts of other religions/belief systems, non-religious people using parts of religions/belief systems, and religions/belief systems coexisting side by side. The research shows that while all three of these types of scenes are represented, the most represented type of scene in this analysis is of non-religious people using parts of religions/belief systems.Show less
Research master thesis | Asian Studies (research) (MA)
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This thesis analyses the development of Ryukyuan narratives of political legitimacy under the influence of the imperial Chinese tributary system. For centuries, the Ryukyu Kingdom, which was...Show moreThis thesis analyses the development of Ryukyuan narratives of political legitimacy under the influence of the imperial Chinese tributary system. For centuries, the Ryukyu Kingdom, which was annexed by Meiji Period Japan in 1879 and is today divided among Japan's Okinawa and Kagoshima Prefectures, formed an important linking bridge between China and Japan, East Asia's two dominant political entities. Based on a close reading and partial translation of relevant passages from several historical documents, most notably the kingdom's two official histories Chūzan Seikan and Chūzan Seifu, the thesis investigates the socio-political shift in succeeding conceptualisations of Ryukyuan kingship, the monarch's political legitimacy, and the country's state doctrine that occurred from the late fifteenth and early sixteenth to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.Show less
Chinese dynasties are often described in terms of “universal emperorship”, because their territory was vast and they had a large influence on the wider region. This has also been applied to the Han...Show moreChinese dynasties are often described in terms of “universal emperorship”, because their territory was vast and they had a large influence on the wider region. This has also been applied to the Han dynasty, which is the first major Chinese dynasty. However, there is much evidence suggesting that the Han empire used a more limited notion of empire, which challenges the theory of universal emperorship. Therefore, this paper explores the question: to what extent does the foreign policy of the Han dynasty reflect the principle of universal emperorship? To answer this question, historical evidence about the foreign policy of the Former Han dynasty is analyzed according to three aspects of universal emperorship: political emperorship, geographical emperorship and cultural emperorship. This case study yields the conclusion that the foreign policy of the Han empire does not reflect the theory of universal emperorship. Instead, the Han dynasty accepted the independence of other states, and sought for equal relations with their leaders. This result suggests that the association between Chinese empires and universal emperorship has to be revised.Show less
This project explores the relation between 20th century Italian Fascist ideology and aesthetics, investigating the influence of the latter in the development of the former. To this end relevant...Show moreThis project explores the relation between 20th century Italian Fascist ideology and aesthetics, investigating the influence of the latter in the development of the former. To this end relevant literature, speeches, manifestos, and figures are consulted . I contend that aesthetics held a significant role, directly affecting the formation and development of Fascist ideology. However, I further argue that aesthetics was not the nature of Fascism, only an important tool. Socio-political developments lead to my conclusion that aesthetics was a significant component of Fascism which imploded under political pressures in the 1930’s, becoming subservient to an ideological component best interpreted as a civic religion. As such, I dismantle the intuitive notion that aesthetics were simply reflective, with artists as coerced mouthpieces of a totalitarian regime. But I also dismantle the modern academic consensus that Fascism is inherently aesthetic – a politics of spectacle. This project therefore provides a theory on the relation of aesthetics and Fascist ideology, further illuminating the nature of Fascism and outlining how politics can be aestheticized – plus the potential dangers of this.Show less
While the ancient kingdom of Koguryŏ is commonly understood to be one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, over the course of the 20th century China has disputed Korea’s claim over Koguryŏ history and...Show moreWhile the ancient kingdom of Koguryŏ is commonly understood to be one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, over the course of the 20th century China has disputed Korea’s claim over Koguryŏ history and heritage. This paper argues that China, North Korea and South Korea are using the UNESCO World Heritage List to gain the upper hand in the dispute. This paper subsequently asks the question of "How has the UNESCO World Heritage List been used to prove ownership over the ancient cultural heritage of Koguryŏ/Gaogouli by China and Korea since the 20th century?” Using Discourse Analysis as well as Smith’s Authorized Heritage Discourse, the ongoing debate over Koguryŏ is analyzed. This paper also questions UNESCO's role in international disputes over the ownership of heritage and argues that the UNESCO World Heritage List is able to be used by countries for benefits other than the preservation of heritage. The main argument in this paper is that UNESCO's World Heritage List is used as a stage on which ownership over the ancient Koguryŏ/Gaogouli kingdom is publically proclaimed due to UNESCO’s international status as well as other benefits that come from a place on the World Heritage List.Show less
Most Serbs hold strong opinions on Kosovo: they see Kosovo as a mythical cradle of the Serbian nation and, more recently, a place of mythical Serbian suffering. While these beliefs have reinforced...Show moreMost Serbs hold strong opinions on Kosovo: they see Kosovo as a mythical cradle of the Serbian nation and, more recently, a place of mythical Serbian suffering. While these beliefs have reinforced the Serbian nation, they also fuelled the Serbia-Kosovo conflict. Historiography has helped create and reinforce these myths and has as such played an important role in the conflict. This thesis researches myth-forming on Kosovo through the eyes of one Serb historian: Dusan T. Batakovic (1957-2017).Show less
