After more than 400 years of European imperial powers influencing the region of Mozambique and exploiting its population and a 10 years independence war (1964-1974) Mozambique gained independence...Show moreAfter more than 400 years of European imperial powers influencing the region of Mozambique and exploiting its population and a 10 years independence war (1964-1974) Mozambique gained independence in 1975. But the country that FRELIMO inherited was a country with divisions along cultural, linguistic and rural, urban lines. The country lacked a national identity as well as a developed state with resilient and established institutions. The idea of self determination and national identity, in an increasingly globalised world, has become more prominent. This has led to different strategies to aid the creation of a national identity being employed by governments of newly independent African nations. Thus, with the help of academic articles as well as the two documentaries Kuxa Kanema and Treatment of Traitors, this thesis will look at the different strategies employed in the creation of national identity and the challenges in the case of Mozambique after it’s independence until the democratic era of Mozambique. This paper will take a multi-disciplinary approach analyzing the strategies used in the domain of media, politics, linguistics and culture.Therefore, arguing that the multicultural nature of Mozambique could be used to form a Mozambican identity based on duality.Show less
In my thesis, I discuss how Comfort Town, a neighbourhood in Kyiv, Ukraine, reflects the identity of the Ukrainian generation Y. I start my thesis with a contextual framework in which I elaborate...Show moreIn my thesis, I discuss how Comfort Town, a neighbourhood in Kyiv, Ukraine, reflects the identity of the Ukrainian generation Y. I start my thesis with a contextual framework in which I elaborate on the topic of the Ukrainian generation Y and Soviet and post-Soviet urban planning. Thereafter, I conduct two analyses to explain how Comfort Town symbolises a break with the Soviet past, and a move towards a progressive future. The analyses are multidimensional; I use discourse analysis to analyse the presentation of Comfort Town online, but also involve inhabitants' perspectives through a survey and interviews of previous research. The thesis is grounded in theory about space and place, and about nostalgia and progress.Show less
Since the events of 9/11 and the war on terror, there has been a rise in Islamist terrorism and its subcategory of home-grown terrorism, where the perpetrators of terrorist violence are born and...Show moreSince the events of 9/11 and the war on terror, there has been a rise in Islamist terrorism and its subcategory of home-grown terrorism, where the perpetrators of terrorist violence are born and raised in the countries of the attack. The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the understanding of home-grown terrorism by offering an application of social identity theory to the phenomenon’s relevant identity discourses. To do so, this thesis sets out to deconstruct and analyse the significant identity discourses constructed by British government officials and Islamist terrorist organisations. This thesis identifies a push and pull dynamic between British and Islamist identity discourses where vulnerable British Muslims feel alienated and pushed away from British society’s emphasis on assimilative secular, liberal democratic values and instead find the appeal of the global Muslim community, the ummah, as an inclusionary, unifying sense of identity. Certainly, terrorism and home-grown terrorism are complex phenomena without single explanations, but this thesis puts forwards identity as a complementary explanation for home-grown terrorism as it ties in existing explanations such as historical and political grievances and socioeconomic inequalities. Because identity is often constructed on an exclusionary basis, where an individual must be one or the other and never both, social identity theory’s ideas of social comparison and positive group worth explain the need for terrorists to harm other identities to increase its own identity’s social worth.Show less
During the WWI, tens of thousands Austro-Italian soldiers from rural areas of Trentine had been called to the arms and thrown into the Galician battlefields. Many of them were captured by Russians...Show moreDuring the WWI, tens of thousands Austro-Italian soldiers from rural areas of Trentine had been called to the arms and thrown into the Galician battlefields. Many of them were captured by Russians and, during their captivity, were asked to chose between Austro-Hungarian and Italian citizenship. Through the analysis of their diaries and memorials, this research aims to uncover the social processes underlying the construction of a new national identity.Show less
This dissertation focusses on the gay identity construction in an online environment. The performativity of identity and the existence of a separate gay culture are discussed. Gay identity can be...Show moreThis dissertation focusses on the gay identity construction in an online environment. The performativity of identity and the existence of a separate gay culture are discussed. Gay identity can be constructed regardless of sexuality. 1.Can gay slang construct gay identity on a social media platform such as twitter and what context or demographics might be relevant to do so? 2.How gay are the terms coded according to the respondents of the NRE compared to the other 4 sources? 3.Can anyone participate in gay culture? This will be examined by looking at how and who use 10 slang terms on Twitter selected from Rupaul's Drag Race. Next to this a Natural Response Elicitation is also conducted, a questionnaire posted on Reddit with three questions per term regarding users, meaning and context. There were several results concerning the meaning of the terms, the users and the context of the usage. All these led to see which terms could, and in which context, construct gay-identity. And in turn, whether outsiders can participate in gay culture. The main conclusion is that the meaning given to the terms, the users of the terms and the context in which they are used are relevant in order to perform gay-identity through gay linguistic expressions.Show less
This study aimed to investigate the ways in which multilingual Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer/Questioning+ (LGBTQ+) youth in Dutch cities make use of English originating ‘queer’ language...Show moreThis study aimed to investigate the ways in which multilingual Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer/Questioning+ (LGBTQ+) youth in Dutch cities make use of English originating ‘queer’ language and why they utilise it. A mixed-methods survey was used to collect data in order to answer the research question (how and why do multilingual LGBTQ+ youth in Dutch cities make use of ‘queer’ language originating from English?) and sub- questions. The content of the survey was developed in response to past research and consisted of three sections which each investigated different aspects of the research question. The results showed which lexical items are most commonly used by the LGBTQ+ youth aged 18-30 in Dutch cities and also demonstrated that English is overwhelmingly the preferred language of use when multilingual LGBTQ+ youth wish to discuss/describe their sexual/gender identity. The results also suggest that ‘queer’ language is being used to create a sense of belonging to a community and to better integrate and socialise with others within the LGBTQ+ community.Show less
Due to several developments in modern warfare and international relations, proxy warfare has become a more recurring phenomenon in the past decades. However, due to the increasingly aggressive...Show moreDue to several developments in modern warfare and international relations, proxy warfare has become a more recurring phenomenon in the past decades. However, due to the increasingly aggressive behaviour of China and Russia, it also seems that inter-state conflicts and peer-competitor rivalry is making a return to international relations. This thesis investigates what the USAF considers to be the future focal point in conflicts, proxy warfare or inter-state conflicts, by analysing three doctrines and three strategic vision documents. It concludes that while the doctrines adhere to contemporary tactical considerations, strategic vision documents which set out long-term prioritisation emphasise inter-state conflicts. This presents two contradicting narratives for USAF force projection.Show less
Frege's puzzle poses two central problems in semantics and the philosophy of language, namely how it is that identities composed of coextensive singular terms can be nontrivial, that is,...Show moreFrege's puzzle poses two central problems in semantics and the philosophy of language, namely how it is that identities composed of coextensive singular terms can be nontrivial, that is, informative, on the one hand (e.g., 'a = b' is informative, 'a = a' is not), and how it is that coextensive singular terms are not substitutable salva veritate in intensional contexts on the other (e.g., 'a = b', 'John knows that a = c', ⊭ 'John knows that b = c'). Gottlob Frege famously postulated his sense/reference distinction in order to resolve these puzzles. However, thinkers like Bertrand Russell and Saul Kripke contested his solution. This thesis presents a novel solution to Frege’s puzzle, based on the appreciation that a term’s extension consists of more than just the object to which it refers, amounting to a reappraisal of Frege’s original solution. Furthermore, some additional consequences for both logical and model-theoretical considerations are sketched based on this.Show less
The thesis studies the perpection of the European Union within the German Bundestag, its delegation to the Council of Europe and German newspapers. Applying frame analysis, the thesis finds, that...Show moreThe thesis studies the perpection of the European Union within the German Bundestag, its delegation to the Council of Europe and German newspapers. Applying frame analysis, the thesis finds, that the perception and use of European institutions from the German national positition has visibly changed over since 1989. Key changes took place around political watershed on national and international level, leading to a new relevance of the national perspective and realpolitk-alike forms of othering in the discursive structures.Show less
Philosophy and human thought are replete with mutually exclusive dualism. As a result, our understanding of reality is limited and our use of conceptual language is dangerously misconstrued. In...Show morePhilosophy and human thought are replete with mutually exclusive dualism. As a result, our understanding of reality is limited and our use of conceptual language is dangerously misconstrued. In pursuit of a solution to this problem, this thesis asks how it has been apprehended by two very different traditions: that of Jacques Derrida and Buddhism. More specifically, I discuss Derrida’s semiotic theory of deconstruction known as différance, in order to broach the apparent linguistic aspect to the problem of duality. On the other hand, I explicate a variety of Buddhist doctrine in order to discuss the problem as seen through the ideas of Kyoto School Zen scholars, especially Nishida Kitarō. In line with these thinkers, I first highlight their acknowledgement of the problem of duality, before asking to what extent it actually is problematic. These implications will hopefully become clearer after I discuss the contextual scope of both traditions, which precedes an illustration of their respective theoretical approaches. Furthermore, I introduce an additional consideration pertaining to the problem of duality: the risk of re-reification. By discussing this sub-problem through the eyes of Derrida and Buddhists, I explore the idea of a middle way. Finally, I ask what a meaningful and applicable solution to the problem of duality might look like, by entertaining Victor Hori’s notion of non-duality. As such, this project seeks not only to provide a solution to the problem of duality, but also shows how intercultural philosophy allows for constructive dialogues between cultures.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
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This thesis aims to explore African identity through a popular culture lens. It uses a comparative approach between Morocco and Senegal and focuses on three main components of popular culture:...Show moreThis thesis aims to explore African identity through a popular culture lens. It uses a comparative approach between Morocco and Senegal and focuses on three main components of popular culture: football, music and fashion. This research examines how the latter may or not promote a shared African identity between Morocco and Senegal. This thesis is based on an ethnographic study in Ifrane, Rabat and Essaouira in Morocco and Dakar in Senegal. It relies heavily on qualitative data resulting from seven month’s fieldwork in both countries. The research explores African identity through the stories of the people directly concerned, Africans. In the first instance, and as a way of understanding one population segment – the youth – semi-structured interviews were conducted with Moroccan students from Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, which demonstrated the influence of some aspects of popular culture, but also of education in shaping their identities as Africans. In the same measure, interviews were also conducted with Senegalese students from University Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar. Furthermore, this research also relies on interviews with older generations in both Morocco and Senegal, as well as participant observations by attending events related to music, fashion and football. Part of the research also relies on surveys conducted during the African Cup of Nations. This thesis showcases how popular culture promotes a shared African identity between Morocco and Senegal by, first, promoting African unity illustrated by football games, second, by promoting African history, through a music - Gnawa - that has traveled from Sub-Saharan Africa to North Africa to recall their stories, and third, by promoting African roots, highlighted by Moroccan young designers who use fashion as a tool to assert their African identity. Finally, this research aims to contribute to a larger academic debate on the separation of North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, by outlining popular culture as an important factor when studying and comparing the latter. Therefore, on a academic level, it aims to raise awareness with regards to paying more attention to North Africa as part of the African continent - thus part of African studies; and second, on a social level, as a way of promoting African identity and unity through the power of popular culture.Show less
The present thesis addresses the local memory of the 2nd of May events in Odesa, Ukraine, a culmination of fights between supporters and opponents of the Maidan government that obtained power in...Show moreThe present thesis addresses the local memory of the 2nd of May events in Odesa, Ukraine, a culmination of fights between supporters and opponents of the Maidan government that obtained power in February 2014. The respective street clashes in Odesa killed six individuals, while 42 lost their lives in a fire in the Trade Union Building. At the surface, these clashes were a contraposition between groupings favoring a Ukrainian nationalistic vector and their opponents desiring pro-Russian policies. However, the local element of these clashes seems to transcend this binary approach. Situated in memory theory, the present thesis addresses the way the memory of these events among Odesans fits into the spectrum spanned by a pro-Ukrainian and a pro-Russian frame of interpreting history. Through a month of field work, during which 41 semi-structured interviews were conducted with Odesans, the thesis answers the central research question: “How do individual and collective memory regarding the 2nd of May events in Odesa interact?”. The thesis identifies four narratives regarding the 2nd of May events: a pro-Ukrainian, an ‘old-Odesan’, an apolitical, and a pro-Russian narrative. Analysis of these narratives provides the following conclusions. Firstly, the use of history as an argument to explain for the present varied widely. Some built their perception of the present events on analogies to events dating to World War II, while others situate their memory more in relation to contemporary events. Secondly, the absence of an authoritative source of information regarding the 2nd of May events is identified, leading to a construction of the interviewees’ memory on personal accounts and hearsays from others. This has resulted in wildly divergent accounts and theories of what happened on the respective day. Thirdly, the specific character of the 2nd of May events, which consisted of two largely disjunct sets of events, is argued to facilitate the inclusion of narratives regarding these events into coherent storylines for both conflicting sides. Fourthly, the different layers of identification that are expressed through the different narratives are analyzed. It is argued that shared belief systems account for shared memories in a more overarching way than membership of specific social groups does. The negotiation of the city of Odesa throughout the different narratives is analyzed in a closing argument.Show less
Hong Kong have seen several large protests since the handover in 1997. These protests seems to have been emerged out of a growing discontent with the meddling of China in to its affairs. Hong Kong...Show moreHong Kong have seen several large protests since the handover in 1997. These protests seems to have been emerged out of a growing discontent with the meddling of China in to its affairs. Hong Kong is a "Special Administrative Region" of China, it operates under the "One Country Two System" principle, which means it has its own government and can govern itself. Currently Hong Kong has once again been affected by ongoing anti-government demonstrations for over half a year. It seems that the protest also indicates a growing concern for the stipulated principle of “One Country Two Systems”. This paper will try to answer the question: Why do a large group of people in Hong Kong perceive the principle of “One Country Two Systems” as problematic? It will do so by conducting a discourse and thematic analysis on the slogans used in this protest. It is suggested that the slogans show a unique Hong Kong identity that can in part cause implications for the current principle of “One Country Two Systems”Show less
Using a grounded theory qualitative research approach the author constructs a theoretical framework around understanding the subjective experience of incoming (newly elected) Member European...Show moreUsing a grounded theory qualitative research approach the author constructs a theoretical framework around understanding the subjective experience of incoming (newly elected) Member European Parliament (MEPs) to the European Parliament and proposes a theory to explain the relationship between MEPs and the Parliament. Using a grounded study framework, a select group of MEPs were interviewed around their subjective experience of joining the European Parliament, and how they attempt to resolve their main concerns. In an on-going iterative process of ‘comparative analysis’ which stayed close to the original data, and while exploring the emerging concepts, to theorise that when transitioning into the EU Parliament, MEPs experience a changing identity, and in seeking to shape Parliament, MEPs are themselves shaped by the Parliament. The findings suggest that newly elected MEPs experience a changing identity on joining the Parliament, and in response attempt to change aspects of the Parliamentary structures and practices. However, MEPs themselves are changed during their term in office, and the Parliament remains fundamentally unchanged. The process is repeated with the periodic arrival of newly elected MEPs.Show less
As Chinese domestic tourism to Tibet continues to grow, understanding the mechanisms and ‘effects’ of such ethnic tourism becomes increasingly important. The historical story of the marriage...Show moreAs Chinese domestic tourism to Tibet continues to grow, understanding the mechanisms and ‘effects’ of such ethnic tourism becomes increasingly important. The historical story of the marriage between the Chinese princess Wencheng and the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo is commonly known in China and employed by the Chinese government to legitimize their modern rule over Tibet. This study uses Critical Discourse Analysis to research a theater play of this story, and the presence of this story in Tibet’s many tourist sites. The results of the analysis reveal a process that shows how state-directed stories could become commonly regarded as ‘true’, with tourism as the primary vehicle to advance such a process. I argue that such a process can be found in other cases as well, and is not unique to the story of princess Wencheng.Show less