Research master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (research) (MA)
open access
2024-06-30T00:00:00Z
The Roman Empire of the first and second centuries AD was a multinational society that was characterized by migration and mobility. In this multicultural society, people of many different ethnical...Show moreThe Roman Empire of the first and second centuries AD was a multinational society that was characterized by migration and mobility. In this multicultural society, people of many different ethnical and cultural backgrounds had to find a way to live together and deal with cultural differences. One of these people was the satirist Lucian of Samosata (ca. AD 125-180). Although this Hellenized author lived in and travelled through the Roman Empire, he was Syrian by birth and had enjoyed Greek education. Therefore, he could be considered a migrant author who moved in-between multiple identities. Lucian’s status as a foreigner and migrant appears to have influenced his writings. He frequently stages foreigners who try to find the best way to relate themselves to other cultures and deal with the negative sentiments of host cultures. In this thesis, I argue that Lucian in his works provides different perspectives on such challenges of travelling and migration. Approaching Lucian’s 'Assembly of the Gods', 'On Hired Companions', 'Scythian', and 'Anacharsis' as migrant literature, I use the acculturation theory of Berry (1992; 1997) to analyse how Lucian in these works reflects on cultural interaction in the Roman Empire of his own time. In the first chapter, I argue that Lucian’s 'Assembly of the Gods' can be read as a parody of Roman criticism of (Greek) foreigners, and I discuss how Lucian uses this parody to plea for cultural tolerance and prevent cultural segregation. In the second chapter, I argue that Lucian in his 'On Hired Companions' uses two different perspectives on the interaction between Greeks and Romans to advocate for cultural separation and to discourage Greek attempts to integrate into Roman households. In the last chapter, I argue that Lucian in his 'Scythian' and 'Anacharsis' provides three different examples of acculturation and presents his own autonomous integration as the most desirable acculturation strategy. In this chapter, I also explain how Lucian’s various perspectives on integration and separation can be reconciled, arguing that the four works together guide both foreigners and host cultures in the creation of a culturally tolerant society.Show less
My Thesis deals with the difference in the acculturation processes of Syrians in exile in Morocco and the Netherlands. The main analysis is based on interviews which have been conducted in Morocco...Show moreMy Thesis deals with the difference in the acculturation processes of Syrians in exile in Morocco and the Netherlands. The main analysis is based on interviews which have been conducted in Morocco and the Netherlands with Syrians who sought refuge in the respective countries to compare the personal experiences while taking into consideration different policy matters, legal questions, and cultural differences. These interviews were then analysed through the theoretical framework of acculturation to answer the research question. Acculturation as theoretical framework is composed of four different strategies for intercultural contact. The core of the acculturation strategies is based on how much of the cultural heritage an individual is willing or forced to leave behind to achieve the desired acculturation strategy. The first presented strategy is termed separation, which applies when an individual holds on to the heritage culture and avoids intercultural contact. Secondly, the assimilation strategy applies when the individual seeks daily contact with new cultures and does not maintain the culture of origin. The third strategy is called marginalization which applies when the maintenance of the original culture does not apply and desire to maintain relations with others is missing. The final and most desired acculturation strategy is termed integration and applies when an individual seeks intercultural contact but also maintains the culture of origin. Morocco and The Netherlands were chosen because of a great difference in geopolitics which influence the process of acculturation for the Syrians residing in these two countries.Show less
The social integration of the Turkish immigrant population is an important topic in the ongoing public debate in the Netherlands and other western European countries. This research aimed to...Show moreThe social integration of the Turkish immigrant population is an important topic in the ongoing public debate in the Netherlands and other western European countries. This research aimed to investigate the way school attitude and acculturation of Turkish parents influences their children’s school attitude, school performances and acculturation. The socioeconomic status (SES) of the family was used as a covariate. The sample consisted of 53 families with children in the eighth grade of Dutch primary school (the year before the transition to secondary school) . During, and prior to a home visit the father, mother and the child filled in a questionnaire. The degree of acculturation was measured by two items of the Acculturation Questionnaire –Short Form. The mother’s school attitude was measured by two items that were developed by researchers who took part in the project De Volgende Stap. In addition, four items were taken from a questionnaire of The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, to measure the school attitude of the child. School performances were reflected by the teacher’s secondary school advice for the child. The hypotheses were that the parent variables would be positively related to the child variables and that the children with a higher degree of acculturation and more positive school attitudes would perform better at school. Positive correlations were found between the acculturation of the mother and the acculturation and school performances of the child. However, these relations were no longer significant after the SES variable was added as a covariate. An SES indicator, the annual family income, was related to the child’s school performances: on average, children from families with a high, annual income perform better at school. The SES turned out to be the underlying, explanatory variable in the relation between parent variables and the child’s school performances.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
Migrant children are an unexamined subject, even though they experience several interesting processes in adapting to a new society. Migrant children who are residing in Rosettenville have...Show moreMigrant children are an unexamined subject, even though they experience several interesting processes in adapting to a new society. Migrant children who are residing in Rosettenville have integrated well into the South African society and enjoy living in South Africa. The research showed a pattern among the migrant children which is connected with the relationship the children have with their country of origin. The children either choose to keep a connection with their home country or not to maintain a bond with their home country, which determines the way children acculturate in the society and develop a sense of belonging. Coherent to this is the division between home and school, whereby some children who value their home situation more, compared with children who are more interested in everything outside their home situation, including school, friends and the South African society. This again is related to the relationship the children have with their country or origin, whether they choose to value home or school. Even though they have migrated to a new country, the country of origin will always play a role in the lives of migrant children.Show less
