A BA-History thesis using primary and secondary sources to investigate the history of the superhero (in particular Batman) and the comic book medium themselves, and the relevance of these cultural...Show moreA BA-History thesis using primary and secondary sources to investigate the history of the superhero (in particular Batman) and the comic book medium themselves, and the relevance of these cultural outings as reflections of physical reality throughout American history.Show less
In this thesis, the argument is made that the extent to which secrecy was employed in early twentieth-century lynching in the American Deep South is dependent on whether that secrecy provided the...Show moreIn this thesis, the argument is made that the extent to which secrecy was employed in early twentieth-century lynching in the American Deep South is dependent on whether that secrecy provided the desired sense of security from persecution to those participating in a lynch mob. Using three case studies, ranging from a highly publicized and public killing in Waco, Texas, to a group slaying of remotely situated Mexican Texans by a division of Texas Rangers, to a highly coordinated attack on a jewish factory boss in the dark of night, it is argued that either the cover of obscurity or the anonimity in a large group setting could each supply the needed sense of safety for those participating in the lynching to commit to the act fully. The circumstances which would dictate the public or secretive approach varied widely in the studied cases, yet there are some common grounds to be found among them as well.Show less
This thesis aims to investigate the impact of knowledge about microplastics and their toxicity on changes in public awareness and government policies in the 21st century. The research centers on...Show moreThis thesis aims to investigate the impact of knowledge about microplastics and their toxicity on changes in public awareness and government policies in the 21st century. The research centers on the United States due to its significant historical involvement in the chemical industry and current status as a major plastic producer. The study spans from the early 20th century to the present, offering a unique historical perspective. This research holds historical significance as it addresses a relatively unexplored area of microplastics in the context of historical analysis. Unlike most studies that concentrate on specific cases, this research provides a comprehensive view of how the American population and government have responded to plastics and their associated risks over the course of more than a century.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (BSc)
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This paper explores the cultural relevance of hip-hop music in understanding and analyzing the complex social, political, and cultural issues affecting African American men in America. Focusing on...Show moreThis paper explores the cultural relevance of hip-hop music in understanding and analyzing the complex social, political, and cultural issues affecting African American men in America. Focusing on the recognition of hip-hop as a legitimate form of culture, it investigates how this art form prioritizes the voices of the oppressed, providing a window for outsiders to grasp the lived experiences of black life. By examining the concepts of double consciousness and structural violence, as theorized by W.E.B. Du Bois and Fanon, the paper delves into the personal and individual complexities experienced by African American men. It further explores the role of the mass incarceration of African American men as a result of the War on Drugs, emphasizing how this perpetuates a forced criminal narrative. Finally, it addresses the role of racial discourse in the critique of violent rap music and its impact on the perpetuation of the criminal narrative.Show less
Individuals with high levels of need for cognitive closure (NFC) do not want to spend a lot of cognitive processing power to make decisions, preferring to quickly resolve problems, no matter the...Show moreIndividuals with high levels of need for cognitive closure (NFC) do not want to spend a lot of cognitive processing power to make decisions, preferring to quickly resolve problems, no matter the quality of the solution. High levels of NFC have been shown to correlate with environmentally unfriendly behavior. Based on this, we study NFC in relation to food waste intentions in participants from the USA and Belgium (N = 209). We hypothesize that people with higher levels of NFC also show a higher level of food waste intentions and take country of residence as a moderator. The model and the main effects turned out to be not significant. The limitations of the study design and directions for future research are given and explained.Show less
Child marriage is connected to several socio-economical and sociocultural factors. Many people make the misunderstanding to link the practice to religion or a specific country/area or claim that ...Show moreChild marriage is connected to several socio-economical and sociocultural factors. Many people make the misunderstanding to link the practice to religion or a specific country/area or claim that "only poor people marry their daughters off at an early age". To what extent are girls protected by their countries laws, and are the underlying causes the same in the three countries or are there significant differences?Show less
This thesis sets itself within this broader theoretical debate of discussing the relationship between capitalism and democracy. It investigates how capitalism has been able to gain unrivaled power...Show moreThis thesis sets itself within this broader theoretical debate of discussing the relationship between capitalism and democracy. It investigates how capitalism has been able to gain unrivaled power within the global political economy, particularly over democracy, through further developing the separation between what is determined as the 'political' and the 'economic'. Furthermore, it concentrates on the implications of the significant structural changes caused by capitalism and its role in shaping the digitalization of our societies. In the process, the paper analyzes Shoshanna Zuboff's understanding of surveillance capitalism because it is the needed contemporary analytical assessment of how big tech and its surveillance operations produce various adverse outcomes in the global political economy. It primarily focuses on how surveillance capitalists utilize the ideology and mechanisms of capitalism while undermining democracy and increasing epistemological and material inequalities. In its many forms, surveillance capitalism undermines democracy and human rights and creates unequal power structures within our societies. These adverse developments are possible because of the specific historical conditions that allowed surveillance capitalism to thrive and become normative behavior. Existing political and economic structures enabled surveillance capitalists like Google, Facebook, and Amazon to become dominant hegemonic forces in the global political economy. These corporations undemocratically extract data from individuals' lives by coercing users to accept their terms and conditions, which can take days to fully understand the implications on their human rights, privacy, and freedoms (Zuboff, 2019). Surveillance capitalists then capitalize on their data by selling it for profit, using it to improve their services, or utilizing it to predict and manipulate future behavior in collaboration with other market actors (Zuboff, 2019). This represents the commodification of human behavior, personal information and digital social interactions. How actors like Google have been able to extract, commodify (or profit from) and manipulate individuals' behavior has severe implications for the individual human rights and foundational principles and values of democracy. All of this depicts a pattern of subordinating human behavior to the logic of capitalist markets for profit while putting at risk the freedom, autonomy, and self-determination of citizens in the market, politics, and everyday life. Democratic countries have enabled and undermined Google and other corporations that create unequal power structures and succeed in exploiting citizens. This thesis identifies and analyses how the United States and Germany have attempted to address Google's intrusive big data operations. Particularly, it focuses on how they have both undermined and protected democracy by addressing surveillance capitalism and its adverse outcomes.Show less
Over the past decades a clear perception of dichotomy between the USA and the Russian Federation has persisted that has seeped into the perception of the strategy followed by either military. This...Show moreOver the past decades a clear perception of dichotomy between the USA and the Russian Federation has persisted that has seeped into the perception of the strategy followed by either military. This perception is examined and challenged through an analysis of either nations strategy and tactics in the field of Counterinsurgency (COIN). Initial glances appear to confirm the perception by highlighting the difference in success rate and efficiency in COIN by Russia and the USA. Analyses of military COIN tactics in Syria and Iraq, the strategic political circumstances of either nation, and the ability of the individual militaries to adapt to circumstances as well as synthesize useful knowledge, are used to examine the reasons for the increased effectiveness of Russian COIN. Tactically, it is found that both nations do not differ enough to result in the marked difference in success that has been found, therefore the reasons must lie in the other circumstances. The results of this thesis have the implication that military success in COIN is not found in specific tactical differences but rather through a combination of maintaining political will and a better synthesis of useful knowledge within the scope of the military. Therefore, the US and Russian COIN strategies are two sides of the same COIN, albeit one more successful.Show less
Obama and Trump have always been regarded as being diametrically opposed in their conception of domestic and foreign politics. The election of Trump has been considered as a rupture with the Obama...Show moreObama and Trump have always been regarded as being diametrically opposed in their conception of domestic and foreign politics. The election of Trump has been considered as a rupture with the Obama’s presidency until the point of being accused of having as main goal of erasing all the political work performed by Obama in his eight-year mandate. Specifically, from the moment in which Trump took power, an international concern grew with regard to the future of the liberal international order, which might be put in serious danger as a result of the application of the America First rhetoric. By placing US interests at the center of his foreign policy, Trump has engaged in the LIO with a very different behaviour than Obama. In this thesis I will explore these different behaviors by analyzing how the two presidents have participated in international agreements, by conducting a comparative analysis of two specific treaties: The Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Paris Agreement. This comparison will also shed a light on the impacts that these two opposed approaches may have on the order.Show less
This thesis explores how the American media outlets, Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) News and The New York Times, have reported on Ukraine’s Orange Revolution. It specifically seeks to answer...Show moreThis thesis explores how the American media outlets, Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) News and The New York Times, have reported on Ukraine’s Orange Revolution. It specifically seeks to answer the research question: How have the CBS News and the New York Times media outlets represented the Orange Revolution to American readers between 2004 and 2006? The thesis argues that while these two American news outlets have introduced issues within Ukraine’s political system to their audience, both have mainly emphasized the Western position and perspective on the Orange Revolution. The US’ media perspectives of the Orange Revolution have been under-researched, which has decreased scholars’ understanding of Colour Revolutions as a whole. This is important to take into account because such post-Soviet demonstrations continue to take place, such as Kyrgyzstan’s Tulip Revolution. Hence, analysing and understanding the previous ones can help better predict when and where they can occur again in the future. Moreover, the US has attempted to represent itself as a peaceful, democratic country, which implies that countries which have Colour Revolutions would likely receive financial or political assistance from the former. The media can also construct narratives which could prompt other Western nations to assist in situations of political upheaval.Show less
Within the limits of European cooperation, economies, and strategies, during the Cold War, lies the Berlin question and West Germany’s fate. The US from the start saw it as a vital condition that...Show moreWithin the limits of European cooperation, economies, and strategies, during the Cold War, lies the Berlin question and West Germany’s fate. The US from the start saw it as a vital condition that West Germany joins the Western allies in order to help its nation’s rebuilding and to upgrade Germany’s European role and diplomatic relations. Since the early days of Kennedy’s administration, a complex relationship between the West Germany and the US is distinguishable. It could be said that West Germany became the locomotive of implication of US policy in Europe. Kennedy used Germany’s question towards West’s favor. The FRG not only became a representative of American policy and American thinking but also played the role of the mediator amongst European nations which at the time were not as synchronized and responsive as they should towards the new situation, regarding European and national security and safety. However, it seems that the German administration, during the last two years of the Berlin Crisis brought great headaches to the US president and his team.Show less
The Aral Sea is often seen as a problem unique to the Soviet Union. However, many scholars fail to address the similarities between the Soviet system and others, especially that of the USA. This...Show moreThe Aral Sea is often seen as a problem unique to the Soviet Union. However, many scholars fail to address the similarities between the Soviet system and others, especially that of the USA. This thesis examines the similarities between the Aral Sea disaster and other environmental disasters that occurred in the USA during the Cold War. It demonstrates that the USSR was not alone in their treatment of nature, as underlying views of nature as an instrument to be exploited were also present elsewhere. The Cold War competition exacerbated the tendency of the systems to over-exploit nature, as each pushed their limits in an attempt to emerge superior. Colonial attitudes and power disparities that existed between centers and “uninhabited areas” in both the USA and USSR, led to compounded marginalization for those affected in sparsely populated areas. The slow violence present in all cases demonstrates the lack of attention given to the victims by the governments responsible for the disasters. Placing the blame for the Aral Sea disaster entirely on the Soviet system not only obscures the global context of the disaster, but is potentially dangerous, as with the fall of the USSR, the chance of such a disaster occurring again did not disappear with it.Show less
In recent years, the debate on the question whether English should become the sole official language of the United States (USA) is widespread. English-Only movements have emerged, also known as...Show moreIn recent years, the debate on the question whether English should become the sole official language of the United States (USA) is widespread. English-Only movements have emerged, also known as Official English Movements. Such movements try to establish English as the only official language and also believe that the protection of English is necessary, due to the arrival of a large number of immigrants with other first languages. The U.S. English organization says that it is not against people who speak other languages, but is against the idea of the government working in other languages, because it allegedly divides the country. At the moment, Donald Trump has also been shaping up as a fierce supporter of the English-Only Movement. This study focuses on the impact of English-Only movements on attitudes towards Spanish, given that the Spanish-speaking population forms an increasingly important group in the US, both in economic and political terms. There are many social factors that influence attitudes towards languages. The question is to what extent President Donald Trump and the English-Only Movements contribute to these attitudes regarding the Spanish language and the corresponding alleged discrimination. This study analyzes whether the English-Only Movements negatively influence the perceived status of Spanish.Show less
It is important the connect visitors in the museum to past societies. Also, showing a story of the origin of civilizations in an area is a core piece of knowledge of an area. Thus, during this...Show moreIt is important the connect visitors in the museum to past societies. Also, showing a story of the origin of civilizations in an area is a core piece of knowledge of an area. Thus, during this thesis, the Olmec were found in ten different museums and the way that they were represented was analyzed. The goal was to see if the museum would represent the Olmec as a separate entity or as an integral part of Mesoamerican culture. Three natural history museums, in three parts of the United States of America, and seven exhibits in Europe, were analyzed. These museum exhibits were created between the 1970’s and 2008. They all mention the Olmec in their own way. However, they all fail to fully connect the Olmec to other ancient Mesoamerican cultures and to present indigenous populations. Part of this thesis also shows the accessibility of new resources on the Olmec. Thus, it is easy for curators to construct labels with accurate information for new exhibits once it is viable for museums to design new rooms. Few visitors that were interviewed in during this process knew where the Olmec objects were in the exhibit. What is even more serious is that some of these visitors were confused by the term Olmec. Another aspect of this research is the object that are in these museums. Their databases show that there has been very little done on the Olmec objects in their collections. Very few artifacts have specific provenances attached to them. The provenances that are attached to some of the objects are tenuous because of the age in which they were acquired by the museums. In researching these objects, the museum will be able to give a better overall picture of the true nature of these artifacts and maybe connect them to their true origins. In these museums, there are very few objects that were given to the museum after archaeological research begun on the Olmec. This thesis shows that some museums in the United States and Europe need to give a better overall picture of the Olmec. In doing so, these museums will give a better foundation to their stories on Mesoamerica and be able to tell a more complete story of the region.Show less
In 2011, the new Obama administration made the official decision to rebalance America’s foreign policy. This policy has come to be known as the pivot or rebalance and signaled that the center of...Show moreIn 2011, the new Obama administration made the official decision to rebalance America’s foreign policy. This policy has come to be known as the pivot or rebalance and signaled that the center of the political and economic history of the 21st century is moving eastwards, with a re-newed focus towards the Asia-Pacific. With this shift Washington not only wants to benefit from the global geopolitical dynamics and economic growth, but it is also a result of China’s rising economic and military power. The South China Sea (SCS) is a place which is on the way to becoming the most contested body of water in the world with ongoing territorial disputes.Show less
In international relations theory, nuclear weapons are frequently discussed as a form of deterrence in a world of realist predicaments. Throughout the Cold War this framework was used to explain...Show moreIn international relations theory, nuclear weapons are frequently discussed as a form of deterrence in a world of realist predicaments. Throughout the Cold War this framework was used to explain the behaviour of various states, mainly in the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. However, other states also sought to acquire nuclear weapons, with some even succeeding in such endeavour. South Africa and Iran employed nuclear programmes to elevate their domestic but especially their international legitimacy. This thesis combines aspects of international relations theory and thereby constructs a new framework to assess how the active pursuit of nuclear weapons was perceived in the West. It consequently highlights that, even though similarities between the two cases existed, the West's treatment of South Africa/Iran occurred through different lenses, serving the interests of the United States‘ government.Show less
