Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
closed access
Against a backdrop of complex dynamics of deterioration in compliance with children's rights, a broken youth care system, and the increasing need for youth care in the Netherlands, this research...Show moreAgainst a backdrop of complex dynamics of deterioration in compliance with children's rights, a broken youth care system, and the increasing need for youth care in the Netherlands, this research examines how young people’s voices are hindered in Dutch youth care. It draws on insights obtained through participant observation, interviews, filmmaking, and a survey among both youth care professionals in North Holland and young people throughout the Netherlands. The resulting film and article argue that youth care allows considerable room for ambiguity, which produces significant inequality for young people. Youth care policy and practice, shaped by paternalistic values and discursive notions of youth and care, are maintained by disavowal that works through invisibility. The disavowal involves turning a blind eye to children's voices and, hence, children’s rights, leaving 'the best interests of the child' being held captive by the interests of the state. It suggests that correcting power by foregrounding young people's autonomy and complying with children’s rights, hence recognising young people as autonomous human beings, is the starting point for rethinking and rebuilding humane Dutch youth care.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
Ecofeminist debate around ‘women as closer to nature’ centers the intersection between gender and climate. This assumption is put as unreliable, however ethnographic findings reveal that women of...Show moreEcofeminist debate around ‘women as closer to nature’ centers the intersection between gender and climate. This assumption is put as unreliable, however ethnographic findings reveal that women of the Greek island Corfu redefine ‘closeness to nature’ through the practice of herbalism. This study shows a nuanced depiction of the relationship between women and the natural environment, by revaluating notions of care and labor. Through ethnographic methods based on participant observation, in-depth interviews and filming, data is obtained. The data shows that the women of Corfu use herbalism as a means to be independent from their demanding role as caregivers; traditional knowledge is based on connections with past generations that refer to survival skills; herbalism teaches how mainstream society can live more sustainable. Concluding, herbalism is more than a practice. In the context of Corfu, herbalism critiques capitalist economies and creates a sustainable relationship with the natural environment. Through redefining labor and performing care as herbalist practice, lived experiences refine discussions on ‘women as closer to nature’.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
This thesis explores the manifestations of neoliberalism in governing practices and its impact on care and careworkers in the Dutch care system. Through a literature analysis, we explore the...Show moreThis thesis explores the manifestations of neoliberalism in governing practices and its impact on care and careworkers in the Dutch care system. Through a literature analysis, we explore the arrival of neoliberalism and how it established in Dutch politics. On the basis of a mixed methods approach, with special attention to visual methods. This research studies how neoliberal governing practices as a response to an ageing population, such as the implementation of market-competition and deregulation in order to achieve cost-efficiency, have fragmentized care practices on multiple levels. This fragmentation has led to a decay of the relational space that is essential to care as an inherently intimate practice. Consequently, careworkers have rang the emergency bell, declaring a “care infarct”.Show less
The aim of this paper is to investigate cozy video games and their implementation of care into their mechanics, narrative and aesthetics with a special focus on how it can influence their target,...Show moreThe aim of this paper is to investigate cozy video games and their implementation of care into their mechanics, narrative and aesthetics with a special focus on how it can influence their target, primarily female, audience. Cozy games, as a very new phenomenon, have not been thoroughly explored and it is important to analyze what influence they could have on the forming of their players’ gender identities. The second chapter contributes to the ongoing debate around the nature of cozy games and their defining elements. This paper uses Spiritfarer (2020) and Adorable Home (2020) as a base for the analysis of the incorporation of care in cozy video games. The findings of this analysis indicate that games targeted towards women have an unintentional tendency to perpetuate traditional, patriarchal values surrounding care. However, there are examples of games which use these values intentionally to foster empathy and existential self-reflection.Show less
