Studies show that during the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantining, lockdowns and a palpable shortage of outdoor activities led to increased media consumption as a means for audiences to keep themselves...Show moreStudies show that during the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantining, lockdowns and a palpable shortage of outdoor activities led to increased media consumption as a means for audiences to keep themselves occupied, as they cope with the psychological consequences of extended periods of social isolation. Not only did the quantity of consumption increase, but the nature in which audiences engaged with media has changed also. For instance, many have started listening to podcasts during the pandemic. This appears indicative not only of a desperation to try new things, but also that new listeners were attempting to mimic social interaction somehow. Para-social interactions, the one-sided interactions between mediated personalities and their audiences, have existed long before the Web 2.0 era of media. This specific development is a hint that audiences were not only increasingly subjected to these interactions, they may have been actively seeking them out. Cum Town, a vulgar podcast featuring three comedians who have basically become niche micro-celebrities, is one such podcast that saw its audience grow during the pandemic. Given the mischievous character of this show, it seems pertinent to ask whether an increase in such interactions is a good thing, as well as what other repercussions come with this type of consumption.Show less
This thesis explores the early modern coffeehouse and its bourgeois clientele in Europe in the form of a case study on Dutch coffeehouses in Amsterdam in the 17th and 18th centuries. The chosen...Show moreThis thesis explores the early modern coffeehouse and its bourgeois clientele in Europe in the form of a case study on Dutch coffeehouses in Amsterdam in the 17th and 18th centuries. The chosen inquiry seeks to elucidate how a new social category – the bourgeoisie – developed over altered drinking habits, materials and the corresponding aesthetical codes within the social institution of the coffeehouse. Rather newly, the coffeehouse as an institution of publicness and consumption in the Enlightenment is researched from the angle of visual and material history. On the whole, this thesis contributes to the cultural historical field of early modern consumption. One result is that the consumer goods coffee and porcelain created a balance between rational forms of conduct and individual attitudes within the public sphere of coffeehouses. A multifarious historical approach by the means of visual and textual sources towards the early modern consumption of both coffee and porcelain considers the correspondent material qualities and suggests that porcelain from China has been remarkably suitable for the coffee ritual which entered Europe from the Middle and Near East. The thereby evolved tastes were groundbreaking for the rise of the bourgeoisie. This is demonstrated by the analysis of the design and arrangement of the vessels required for the individual and collective display of the tastes around coffee-drinking, on the basis of inventories and images. From a postcolonial perspective, the present thesis outlines which associations around the historical concept of luxury accompanied the adoption of Asian coffee and porcelain coffee ware into European consumption habits, while the world of coffee has always been represented as an oriental theme in travelogues, recipe books, medicinal treatises and fashion plates. Furthermore, the thesis describes how these ideas and values associated with coffee-drinking enabled the consolidation of the social construct of a specific regional group of the urban middleclass bourgeoisie, while locating the coffeehouse in the unique historical environment of early modern Amsterdam.Show less
Humanity’s excessive consumptive behaviour is the primary cause of ecological destruction. Yet, neither lowering consumption nor production levels seem to be addressed in environmental policies and...Show moreHumanity’s excessive consumptive behaviour is the primary cause of ecological destruction. Yet, neither lowering consumption nor production levels seem to be addressed in environmental policies and thus remain notably high. Therefore, this dissertation investigates the psychological roots of humanity’s ecologically destructive consumptive behaviour. My hypothesis is that ecological alienation and self-alienation are the main, compounding factors of ecologically destructive consumptive behaviour. Ecological alienation leads to devaluation of nature. As environmental values are paramount to sustainability-driven behaviour, devaluation of nature decreases the prevalence of such behaviour. Additionally, I argue that humanity’s excessive consumption is driven by consumptive addiction whereby individuals substitute their authentic physical, mental and emotional needs with consumption; and that this consumptive addiction is rooted in self-alienation. I suggest that ecological alienation and self-alienation are themselves rooted in the modern industrial worldview and its related value systems, and that these factors influence and reinforce each other. Ultimately, what is necessary to counter ecologically destructive addictive consumptive behaviour might be exactly what runs the risk of being indefinitely destroyed because of it: humanity’s reconnection with nature.Show less
This study aims to examine the effects of hedonic goal pursuit on psychological wellbeing operationalized through luxury consumption, as hedonic pleasure is the primary goal consumption (Khan, Dhar...Show moreThis study aims to examine the effects of hedonic goal pursuit on psychological wellbeing operationalized through luxury consumption, as hedonic pleasure is the primary goal consumption (Khan, Dhar, and Wertenbroch, 2004). We will examine (1) the individual differences concerning THC to alleviate negative emotions after an imaginary luxury product purchase and (2) the effects of price discounts on the alleviation of post-purchase negative emotions concerning the high price of luxury products. Furthermore, the effects of THC on purchasing intentions regarding the chosen product and the rumination after the purchase will be studied. The participants (N = 106) were presented with five luxury products to choose one from, and were requested to complete the questionnaire adhering to that chosen product. A mixed-design repeated measures ANOVA with a counterbalanced within-subjects method was conducted to measure these effects. The results indicated that THC predicted postpurchase negative emotions as predicted. Furthermore, discount alleviated post-purchase negative emotions and post-purchase rumination, and increased purchasing intentions towards a chosen luxury product. However, THC’s effects on rumination and purchasing intentions with and without the presence of discount were not captured.Show less
This thesis explores how the media mix, the Japanese equivalent of the media franchise, influences the entertainment experiences of its fan audiences through a case study. It not only analyzes in...Show moreThis thesis explores how the media mix, the Japanese equivalent of the media franchise, influences the entertainment experiences of its fan audiences through a case study. It not only analyzes in what ways the anime media mix of Yuri!!! on ICE functions as a system, in which media content is dispersed and consumed in different media forms, but it also explores the ways Yuri!!! on ICE is experienced as a world of its own that is interrelated with various other existing worlds, such as the world of professional figure skating, the online and temporary (event) spaces centered on fan culture and its communities, and the various existing cities on which the world of Yuri!!! on ICE is based. By analyzing not only a specific franchise, but also the variety of texts that relate with it from different theoretical perspectives, this thesis looks for gaps that can be filled in between different but related theories on media, semiotics, culture and space, particularly on the (re)construction of arbitrarily systematized worlds (both actual and virtual) through cultural production, signification and play.Show less
The subject of this master thesis is Champlevé Ware. This is a glazed table ware from the Middle Byzantine period, dating from the late twelfth to the mid thirteenth century AD. It is often...Show moreThe subject of this master thesis is Champlevé Ware. This is a glazed table ware from the Middle Byzantine period, dating from the late twelfth to the mid thirteenth century AD. It is often referred to as a member of the ‘Aegean Ware’ family. Its greatest characterised feature are the gouged decorations on the vessels. The general research aim is to shed light on the production, distribution and consumption of this pottery type, the last aspect is less explored mainly due to a lack of relevant data. Champlevé Ware was not produced on a single site but in multiple workshops in different locations. It was manufactured within the western Aegean, namely across the Greek peninsula and on the island of Crete. Hitherto, there is substantial archaeological evidence to indicate local productions in the cities of Chalkis (Euboea) and Sparta (the Peloponnese). Presumably, workshops in other places did manufacture Champlevé pottery as well. The productions show regional differentiation as well as connections between workshops. Champlevé Ware circulated mainly around the Aegean Sea, nevertheless, its diffusion was far more widespread. It was exported in significant quantities to western Anatolia and the Black Sea. In more modest numbers, Champlevé Ware has been found in the Levant, the western Mediterranean (Italy and France) and Egypt. The distribution of Champlevé Ware is illustrative of the increasing interregional connectivity due to the establishment of the Medieval Mediterranean sea trade network. Its transportation was strongly maritime based and Western merchants could have been responsible for their wide exportation. Consequently, these vessels reached primarily urban trade centers located near the coast. Distribution of Champlevé pottery did not often penetrate further inland nor small rural sites. This ware type can be considered as a product used by a large part of the Greek population, however further away in remote regions it is possible it acquired the status as an exotic rarity. Its commercialisation overseas suffered from competition with other glazed pottery, which as a result it was sometimes unsuccessful at thriving in foreign markets, especially in the Near East. The iconography of the decorations on Champlevé Ware is interesting. Animal and vegetal designs are most frequently found. Some motif types are excessively repeated and duplicated by potters in different workshops, most noteworthy hare/rabbit and palmette motifs. This suggest artisanal interaction and proposes certain (folklore) socio-cultural connotations to these decorations. The ceramic craftsmen seem to have enjoyed a level of artistic freedom. This resulted in a dynamic and innovative tradition, which produced an array of decoration-styles with relatively short lifespans. Champlevé Ware is a clear example.Show less
