This thesis, concerned with ecological transitions, is more specifically set in the debate of sustainable agricultural practices in India. The chosen approach is a comparative study of two...Show moreThis thesis, concerned with ecological transitions, is more specifically set in the debate of sustainable agricultural practices in India. The chosen approach is a comparative study of two organizations providing seeds to farmers in India: on one side Bayer CropScience Ltd. (India), which promotes the use of hybrid, genetically modified (GM) crops and chemical pesticides; and on the other side Navdanya, which turns to the preservation and development of traditional seeds and practices. The primary aim of this research is to establish a clear link between belief systems and economic ecological practices. From this link, this research proposes a comparison of the values that have a significant effect on Navdanya’s inner workings and economic endeavors to values ruling over Bayer India in order to inform societal transitions towards sustainable economic models. This thesis concludes that Bayer’s episteme is characterized by its definition of progress as growth, and its co-dependence in equilibrium between shareholders and consumers that are more widely set in the Modern episteme’s anthropocentrism and objectification of the ‘other’. Navdanya’s episteme is characterized by a sacred understanding of biodiversity and an attempt to recenter economies towards women and nature in the idea that their creations is merely unpaid work upon which the growth paradigm relies. The two organizations are set in a polarizing tension rooted in the core beliefs of both paradigms.Show less
This thesis compares the archaeobotanical remains from two Roman-era, Egyptian port sites: Berenike and Myos Hormos. A focus is put on the origin of the discovered materials, particularly in the...Show moreThis thesis compares the archaeobotanical remains from two Roman-era, Egyptian port sites: Berenike and Myos Hormos. A focus is put on the origin of the discovered materials, particularly in the context of the Silk Routes trade network of which these ports were a part. It concludes that Berenike seemingly had a larger focus on trade with Africa than Myos Hormos. Also, while both ports had Indian goods in their record, none seemed to have had a more pronounced focus on that subcontinent, although that was hypothesized beforehand. Furthermore, Berenike shows a decrease in the variety of goods traded after its period of inactivity in the 2nd and 3rd century, especially in regards to Indian goods. However, the variety and amount of local and African goods increased. The concurrent demise of Myos Hormos in this period did not seem to have an effect on the traded goods. Finally, this thesis served as a good example of how comparitive research beyond the level of the individual site could benefit the field of Silk Routes research, and which challenges this approach faces.Show less
This paper explores the interaction of anti-conversion laws in Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Haryana, and...Show moreThis paper explores the interaction of anti-conversion laws in Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Haryana, and Karnataka in India with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. NGOs like Open Doors are concerned about possible violations of human rights by these anti-conversion laws. By utilising primary sources such as the written anti-conversion laws and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and examining them through different perspectives provided by secondary sources, this study demonstrates that anti-conversion laws in India both directly and indirectly comply with and violate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, depending on the perspective taken. As this paper has established, adopting Western perspectives on human rights reveals the majority of violations against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, alternative viewpoints can also unveil instances where anti-conversion laws align with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.Show less
In order to understand the effects of neoliberal globalization on trade unions in India, this paper investigates what have been the changes in trade union participation in modern Indian industrial...Show moreIn order to understand the effects of neoliberal globalization on trade unions in India, this paper investigates what have been the changes in trade union participation in modern Indian industrial relations. This paper uses data from the time period between 1993 and 2013 and utilizes three main variables; trade union membership, trade union density, and union wage changes in order to measure trade unions’ ability to engage and conduct their prime directive in industrial relations. This thesis finds that trade union participation has increased due to higher trade union membership, union density, and union wages while having mobilized in response to neoliberalism. Although the increase in union wages relative to non-union ones is subject to debate, a potential reason for explaining both sides is the abandonment or persistence of political incorporation and patronage of unions.Show less
Socially engaged art has begun to take a more prominent role in activism for the urban poor of India’s cities. Such projects present a solution to the challenge of attaining rights, proper...Show moreSocially engaged art has begun to take a more prominent role in activism for the urban poor of India’s cities. Such projects present a solution to the challenge of attaining rights, proper resources and infrastructure for livability. Existing research examines criminal acts and violent protests as a primary method of achieving such goals, however, this paper will instead claim that crime and violence are instead the result of lacking these basic rights. In doing so, this paper will also analyze the installation artwork On Stage: Sathenagar Here as a multi-disciplinary version of socially engaged art which directly acknowledges these gaps in current research as well as a more effective method of representing the urban poor and its political effects. Through the use of architectural reconstructions, inclusion of Sathenagar residents, and employing participative methods, the artwork offers a literal stage for the political representation of the urban poor.Show less
Research master thesis | Asian Studies (research) (MA)
open access
This thesis focuses on a fluid genre of glorificatory literature called Māhātmya. I critically edit, translate, and analyze a selection of Sanskrit Māhātmyas to increase our understanding of how...Show moreThis thesis focuses on a fluid genre of glorificatory literature called Māhātmya. I critically edit, translate, and analyze a selection of Sanskrit Māhātmyas to increase our understanding of how these kinds of texts come to being and how we can understand their processes of composition and transmission. I use a fourfold typology – which in itself is a result of the research – to point out different aspects of intertextuality found in the selection of texts. Analyzing these Māhātmyas contributes to a more nuanced understanding regarding issues of textual reuse, and sheds light on the concept of authorship, especially regarding the authorless religious literature of Hinduism.Show less
Around the globe, India is praised as a secular, democratic and pluralistic nation. However, the 2014 elections represented a watershed moment for politics and the saturation point for Hindutva in...Show moreAround the globe, India is praised as a secular, democratic and pluralistic nation. However, the 2014 elections represented a watershed moment for politics and the saturation point for Hindutva in India. This thesis seeks to examine the developments around the politicization of religious identity in India and its consequences for constitutional secularism. This will be discussed against the background of the Hindu nationalist paramilitary volunteer organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). This organization is omnipresent in India and has been engaged in a discursive struggle of establishing its vision of Hindutva as ideologically dominant. This modern political ideology, which can be regarded as the major form of Hindu nationalism, advocates the establishment of a Hindu nation. In recent times, the RSS has profoundly shaped Indian politics and society. Through the lens of social constructivism, this paper addresses the issue of “How the RSS has contributed to the politicization of religious identity in India through the propagation of Hindutva ideology since 2014” at the hand of two study cases, the Ayodhya dispute and the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act. It will also explain how the RSS makes use of highly selected narratives of the past, “Chosen Traumas,” to amplify the threat of an enemy and to mobilize a Hindu collective under the umbrella of Hindutva. The ruling Hindu right thereby revisits the very concept of India’s constitutional secularism, a type of secularism which is not anti-religious but respectful of all religious, for its non-secular agenda, placing secularism under serious threat.Show less
This thesis seeks to answer the following research question: in what ways has economic development enabled the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the ensuing spread of Hindu-nationalism in...Show moreThis thesis seeks to answer the following research question: in what ways has economic development enabled the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the ensuing spread of Hindu-nationalism in India? Despite India’s impressive economic growth of the last decades, India society is still lacking widespread human development. Social cohesion is not only threatened by discontent over stagnating overall quality of life but also by the increase of Hindu-nationalist rhetoric, violence, and policies. By examining India’s neoliberalization since 1991, this thesis attempts to draw potential correlations between neoliberalism and surging nationalism. The goal is to highlight how the BJP and their leader Narendra Modi opportunistically employs pledges of inclusive growth to either attract or appease the Indian electorate. The research of this thesis sets off with a literature review of secondary sources about economic development with a focus neoliberalism as a model and its relationship to populism. The case of Chile is employed as an example to highlight the potential implications a neoliberal economy has on human development and social unrest. The literature review is followed by a short chapter on India’s history since independence. A thorough analysis of Narendra Modi’s political beginnings as well as the Gujarat Model give a first idea of his vision for the South Asian nation. Then, this thesis discusses how a declining economy led to another switch in rhetoric and gave the BJP impetus to exclusive Hindu-nationalist policies, resulting in an ever-increasing division of India’s heterogenous society that leaves the Muslim minority subordinated and oppressed.Show less
This thesis seeks to answer the following research questions: in what ways has economic development enabled the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the ensuing spread of Hindu-nationalism in...Show moreThis thesis seeks to answer the following research questions: in what ways has economic development enabled the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the ensuing spread of Hindu-nationalism in India? Despite India’s impressive economic growth of the last decades, India society is still lacking widespread human development. Social cohesion is not only threatened by discontent over stagnating overall quality of life but also by the increase of Hindu-nationalist rhetoric, violence, and policies. By examining India’s neoliberalization since 1991, this thesis attempts to draw potential correlations between neoliberalism and surging nationalism. The goal is to highlight how the BJP and their leader Narendra Modi opportunistically employs pledges of inclusive growth to either attract or appease the Indian electorate. The research of this thesis sets off with a literature review of secondary sources about economic development with a focus neoliberalism as a model and its relationship to populism. The case of Chile is employed as an example to highlight the potential implications a neoliberal economy has on human development and social unrest. The literature review is followed by a short chapter on India’s history since independence. A thorough analysis of Narendra Modi’s political beginnings as well as the Gujarat Model give a first idea of his vision for the South Asian nation. Then, this thesis discusses how a declining economy led to another switch in rhetoric and gave the BJP impetus to exclusive Hindu-nationalist policies, resulting in an ever-increasing division of India’s heterogenous society that leaves the Muslim minority subordinated and oppressed.Show less
In August 2019, the Indian government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to revoke the special status of the state of Kashmir. Because of this special status, the Kashmiris were able to...Show moreIn August 2019, the Indian government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to revoke the special status of the state of Kashmir. Because of this special status, the Kashmiris were able to live under their own Constitution and host their own elections. Without a doubt, revoking this special status will have far-reaching consequences on the disputed region of Kashmir. Chances are that the fragile balance that exists in the area will be jeopardised by the decision to revoke Kashmir’s special status. However, the abrogation of the special status is not a completely random decision. It can be argued that this special status has never been effectively implemented. Thus, this thesis will analyse why this is the case, and which factors influenced the erosion of Kashmir’s special status. Furthermore, this thesis will analyse possible consequences of the revocation of this special status. In doing so, the aim of this thesis is to fill the research gap provided by the topicality of this research.Show less
This thesis examined whether the attitude of Indian society towards sexual violence has actually changed since the gruesome rape case in 2012. This is tested through the media discourse analysis on...Show moreThis thesis examined whether the attitude of Indian society towards sexual violence has actually changed since the gruesome rape case in 2012. This is tested through the media discourse analysis on three significant cases and hybrid analysis of past research on rape myth acceptance amongst students. This thesis finds that the attitudes have in fact not changed since the case in 2012, and then propose a potential cultural factor of passiveness as a reason for this lack of significant change in attitude. The thesis goes on to discuss differences between attitudes and demographical parameters such as caste and gender but has limited assumptions to make due to a limited dataset.Show less
In this thesis, the workability of Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach will be evaluated by applying this approach to the problem of child trafficking in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India. The...Show moreIn this thesis, the workability of Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach will be evaluated by applying this approach to the problem of child trafficking in the state of Madhya Pradesh in India. The thesis will aim to answer the research question: are policies and social action based on Amartya Sen’s capability approach able to foster social change and decrease the number of children trafficked in Madhya Pradesh? Two root problems of child trafficking have been chosen to be assessed through the Capability Approach. The approach has received much international prestige. It is, therefore, important to constantly evaluate the approach and the ability to foster social change. This has been done through intensive research based on primary and secondary sources. The outcome of the research is that the Capability Approach should be used as an end goal for social change but is lacking the ability to be implemented into direct policies and social action.Show less
India is in the throes of one of the darkest moments in the nation’s history. The deadly COVID-19 pandemic, resulting from the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has been ravaging the lives and...Show moreIndia is in the throes of one of the darkest moments in the nation’s history. The deadly COVID-19 pandemic, resulting from the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has been ravaging the lives and livelihoods of people all over the world, and the people of India are no exception. Primarily cultural, ethnic or religious minority communities are expected to be disproportionately impacted by the virus and its aftermath (Al Saba 2020). In an attempt to increase international awareness of the situation of marginalised minority communities during this global crisis, this thesis will cover the impact of COVID-19 on one such community, Indian Muslims.Show less
Bollywood both shapes and is shaped by Indian society and its ideas on gender and nationhood. As such, it engages in the politics of representation as theorised by feminist film scholars. While...Show moreBollywood both shapes and is shaped by Indian society and its ideas on gender and nationhood. As such, it engages in the politics of representation as theorised by feminist film scholars. While extensive literature on the representation of women in Bollywood has arisen in the last two decades, less attention has been put on how rural populations or, more particularly, rural women are represented. This thesis attempts to fill this gap, recognising the invisibilization of rural women in India, especially the agrarian female workers who make up a major part of the national economy and around a fourth of the Indian population. I have used content and discourse analysis techniques on the Bollywood films Lagaan (2001) and Parched (2016) to investigate, firstly, the representation of Indian rural women in Bollywood, secondly the applicability of the theories developed through the literature on Indian women in Bollywood, and lastly, the possible implications of such representations on the visibility of Indian rural women, considering both the content and the reach of the films in the context of contemporary Bollywood. There is a multiplicity of representations of Indian women across Bollywood films, and this also applies for the representation of Indian rural women. In Lagaan, women play side-roles and are defined by their relation to the male characters; they are dedicated daughters, mothers and lovers. In Parched, the rural women are nuanced characters with desires, struggles and the will to fight for their agency in a patriarchal society. Even though the representations in Parched challenge notions of patriarchal and upper-class nationhood, its viewership and therefore the impact of the visibilization Indian rural women is limited to an elite and largely foreign audience, whereas the more patriarchal, but subaltern-perspective film Lagaan has reached Indian masses. Although women centric Bollywood films have been on the rise, a low number of films portray rural Indians and of those only few depict female characters in nuanced ways like done in Parched. This implies that Indian rural women remain largely invisibilized and stigmatized in Bollywood and in the imagination of the nation by the Bollywood audiences. Going forward, middle cinema offers a promising space for critical but still influential films, stimulating larger discussions on class and gender.Show less
Despite the media attention surrounding the influence of India’s Godmen and their relationships politicians, not a great deal has been written in academia concerning this connection. Moreover, what...Show moreDespite the media attention surrounding the influence of India’s Godmen and their relationships politicians, not a great deal has been written in academia concerning this connection. Moreover, what has been studied has predominantly focused on the prominent role of Hindu Godmen in promoting ‘soft Hindutva’ - endorsing Hindutva policies and politicians. With this in mind, the case of the Dera Sacha Sauda and their current leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Insan challenges existing assumptions about the influence of Godmen in India. In addition, the symbolic character of the 'world renouncer' and the rhetoric of 'humanitarianism', are examined in the context of the Godman's influence over his followers. The theories of Weber and Gramsci, among others, are explored and highlight that Godmen engage with politics in dynamic, locally orientated and pragmatic ways.Show less
