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
Bachelor thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (BSc)
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This thesis is an exploration of the notion of culture, national belonging and states. How are these concepts intertwined and constructed and what effects do they have on societies?
As a holistic approach to urban development through culture, just cultural planning presents an opportunity to urban planners for the creation of equitable urban societies. This study investigated...Show moreAs a holistic approach to urban development through culture, just cultural planning presents an opportunity to urban planners for the creation of equitable urban societies. This study investigated the programme theme of the city of Budweis, Czechia for its European Capital of Culture bid, viewed through a just cultural planning lens. Using the concept of “(perma)culture”, the city envisions a sustainable environment in line with the principles of permaculture. Four main discourses of permaculture were identified through a critical discourse analysis investigating a mix of textual documents and interviews with the planners and a permaculture practitioner. The umbrella discourse of sustainability was operationalized in Budweis by employing narrative instruments of permaculture as care and as an innovative design practice. Permaculture as a community of practice surfaced as an important narrative tool helping to embed the novel concept in the institutional environment of Budweis. Hence, it was demonstrated that permaculture discourses can help in conducting just cultural planning.Show less
Books are deeply intertwined with the societies that produce them. Besides the unmistakable benefits leisure reading can give to individuals, such as literacy, creativity, imagination, knowledge...Show moreBooks are deeply intertwined with the societies that produce them. Besides the unmistakable benefits leisure reading can give to individuals, such as literacy, creativity, imagination, knowledge and empathy, this free time activity has an impact on a higher level too. The written word enables connections between individuals and communities in ways that were unimaginable before the Print Revolution. Books can encompass the values of a nation, they can communicate and reinforce them. These aspects are especially important in the case of a small nation with a distinct language, as a strong need of cultural preservation is present. The main focus of this thesis is the two-way connection between a country’s reading culture and its social, political and economic realms. It is based on the argument that participants of the reading landscape not only affect the readers with their actions, but have an indirect impact on the wider cultural system through the reading landscape. The means to support this argument is an analysis of the literary landscape of Hungary, based on a self-constructed model, the Reading Promotion Impact Matrix. The two dimensions of this model are the nation’s core values that are supported and reflected by the reading promotion efforts; and the areas that can impact and can be impacted by these reading promotion activities. The thesis also highlights the interactivity and interconnectedness of the participants of a country’s literary landscape.Show less
This thesis is about cultural transformation through migration between the Turkish district of Emirdağ and the diaspora in Belgium. In this research, the poems from Emirdağ and the poems from the...Show moreThis thesis is about cultural transformation through migration between the Turkish district of Emirdağ and the diaspora in Belgium. In this research, the poems from Emirdağ and the poems from the diaspora were analyzed using the qualitative research method narrative analysis. In the analysis, the reflection of cultural transformation through migration in Emirdağ's poetry has been observed. The results provide an insight into the migration culture and the outcomes of socio-cultural and economic transnationalism.Show less
Triggered by the Euromaidan protests of 2013/14, Ukraine over the past eight years has experienced a cultural revival as a response to Russian aggression. This revival has manifested itself no more...Show moreTriggered by the Euromaidan protests of 2013/14, Ukraine over the past eight years has experienced a cultural revival as a response to Russian aggression. This revival has manifested itself no more so than in music, where numerous Ukrainian artists have used traditional instruments and ethnic motifs in combination with broader, “western” styles of popular music. In this thesis I will argue that the motivation behind this music revival - and by extension the wider cultural revival in general - is a restorative nostalgia for a free, flourishing, democratic, western-oriented, independent Ukraine that is entirely separate from Russia. After noting the stark similarities between music revivalism and restorative nostalgia, I will answer how more deeply held restorative nostalgic sentiments manifest themselves in Ukrainian revivalist music, and investigate why these sentiments manifest themselves in the way that they do. I will argue that contemporary Ukrainian revivalist popular music is instrumentalising the past in present-day culture in order to “create a future”. I term this process “signposting” insofar that signposts create a future for those who follow them, promising where they will eventually end up should they choose that path. Given Russia’s renewed, full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24th February 2022, this topic is particularly current, and will demonstrate Ukrainian culture’s tenacity, ingenuity, adaptability and resilience in the face of Russian military and cultural aggression. While the discussions in this thesis predominantly focus on cultural artefacts from between 2014 and 2021, all evidence is pointing to another Ukrainian cultural revival borne out of the events of 2022 that will make the revival of the past decade seem fairly timid by comparison. To this end, I include an afterword looking at Ukrainian music during the latest chapter of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.Show less
This paper theorises whether gender-egalitarian values could be a helpful indicator in the effort of political science to explain the gender gap in political knowledge. It first develops a...Show moreThis paper theorises whether gender-egalitarian values could be a helpful indicator in the effort of political science to explain the gender gap in political knowledge. It first develops a theoretical framework based on the gendered political socialisation process. Based on country-level data from around the World Value Survey, it examines the relationship between gender-egalitarian values and the political knowledge of respondents in the CSES survey. Overall, it offers compelling insight into descriptive representation’s potential and limitations to understand the discrepancies between men and women in political knowledge.Show less
Master thesis | Crisis and Security Management (MSc)
open access
2022-05-30T00:00:00Z
Classical literature on crisis communication focusses primarily on factors like consistency, accuracy and speed as being the most important aspects to effective crisis communication. However, an...Show moreClassical literature on crisis communication focusses primarily on factors like consistency, accuracy and speed as being the most important aspects to effective crisis communication. However, an emerging body of literature criticizes this approach for being too Western oriented and indicates that culture should play a bigger role in crisis communication and crisis communication statements. As such this thesis wanted to contribute to this research gap by examining to what extent multinational corporations should take cultural factors into account in their crisis communication statements. In order to achieve this, an explorative study was conducted that looked at how companies currently conduct their crisis communication and what can be learned from these practices through preliminary interviews, case studies and final interviews. From this, interesting finding were found at both the practical and academic levels. At the practical level, it was found that current crisis communication practices seem sufficient. Despite the fact that case studies portray a more nuanced picture than the classical literature would suggest, with culture being considered more than expected it still seems that the focus in crisis communication is and will remain on consistency, accuracy and speed. At the academic level, the most important finding was that current endeavors have been too oriented on the Western world, shaping the classical body of literature present today. As a consequence, the emerging body of literature tends to originate from non-Western parts of the world and seems to be a response of sorts against this traditional literature. As a result, these research agendas operate in the extremes and show little nuance in terms of the role culture plays or should play in crisis communication. By providing these insights, this thesis hopes to add more nuance to the existing research and offer suggestions on how the current literature can be improved or further developed.Show less
Saikaku's works have been researched at great lengths. Many western and even more Japanese researchers attempted to create new viewpoints on his works. Due to the fact that more papers have written...Show moreSaikaku's works have been researched at great lengths. Many western and even more Japanese researchers attempted to create new viewpoints on his works. Due to the fact that more papers have written in Japanese than in western languages, not all aspects of Saikaku's works have made it overseas to a great extent. Two of these aspects are sui and tsū. Both internal parts of the red-light district culture that was thriving during the Edo period (1600 - 1868). Some researchers have touched upon these subjects, but tend to keep their explanation limited. As a western researcher, it is hard to come across information on these two aspects written in English. In this thesis, we will try to establish a definition of these two concepts and put the definition to the test by looking at passages of Kōshoku ichidai otoko 好色一代男 ("Life of an Amorous Man") written by IHARA Saikaku 井原西鶴 (1642 - 1693).Show less
How did the distinct cultural, ethnic, and linguistic groups, who originated from valleys separated by natural barriers, and their cultural traditions, become one 'homogenous' constitutional monarchy?
A negative and controversial stigma shrouds the notion of tattoos globally. As of recently, societies globally have increasingly become more tolerant of the exposure of tattoos in public and in...Show moreA negative and controversial stigma shrouds the notion of tattoos globally. As of recently, societies globally have increasingly become more tolerant of the exposure of tattoos in public and in particular, professional environments or workplaces. This increased tolerance can predominantly be found in Western society. Often times, this increased tolerance is perceived to be applicable globally, credited largely to Western-dominated mainstream media. However, the negative stigma associated with tattoos persists in many East Asian societies and is largely regarded as taboo. These notions of taboo are largely attributed to associations with gangs, violence and criminal activities represented through different mediums like movies, newspapers, and word of mouth (see Figure 2). Despite this, East Asian societies like that of Japan's, still possess dedicated tattoo artist that practice tattooing, whether this is in "Japanese-style" tattooing or numerous other styles. The idea of Japanese tattoos is a largely sought-after style of tattooing not only within Japan but also in numerous Western societies, such as the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK). It would not be in the wrong to presume that in fact, Japanese-style tattoos are in greater demand outside of Japan than within and are seen in less-controversial limelight than that of Japan, which leads us to a possible inquiry and the investigation of this thesis, how can there be such a difference of perspective of tattoos between Japan and Western nations like the US and UK in Japan-style tattoos? I use aspects of Edward Said's notion of Orientalism (1978) and Primitivism as the theoretical framework into three distinct periods: Meiji era (1868-1912) and the Contemporary era (1945-2020), and implement Richard Rogers' theory of cultural appropriation (2006) as a methodology to dissect ukiyo-e art, diaries from royal "western" figures, interviews and documentaries that depict experiences with Japanese tattooing practices. In the postwar era (1945-) Japan underwent tremendous political, cultural, and economic change under the Allied powers as a result of World War II. It is for this reason that the contemporary era is framed from 1945-2020 to portray the approach Japan took when it came to Japanese-style tattoos. As well as how Western society, in particular the United States, exported Japanese-style tattoos to audiences globally, due to American tattoo artists coming in contact with Japanese tattoo artists first. The overall aim of the investigation will shed light on how the previous mediums have historically engaged with cultural appropriation and orientalism in Japan, to create what we know of today as Japanese-style tattoos.Show less
Burkina Faso may face severe consequences of climate change. Extreme climate events are predicted to happen more often in the coming years due to global warming, which may affect issues such as...Show moreBurkina Faso may face severe consequences of climate change. Extreme climate events are predicted to happen more often in the coming years due to global warming, which may affect issues such as food security. This thesis examines the Mossi population in Burkina Faso, through the Sustainable Livelihood Framework, in order to understand the extent to which culture shapes the vulnerability of Burkinabé rural livelihoods to climate change. Mossi culture is intrinsically related to their resource management. Collectivism is strongly present in the Mossi population in Burkina Faso, expressed in the sharing of vital resources with all members of the household. Ethnographic research has identified the importance of human capital, natural capital and social capital for Mossi livelihoods. Both labour, food, water and land are influenced by social capital which, in turn, is shaped by the culture of collectivism and sharing. Thus, the Mossi are more focused on the well-being of the entire community than their individual well-being. Yet, within these households, inequality based on age and gender is still present, specifically women will be more vulnerable to climate change due to the power relations embedded in the culture, as their adaptive capacity to climate change is more negatively affected.Show less
Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
closed access
It is a sensitive question for many Tibetans nowadays what the use and thereby the survival of the Tibetan language could or could not mean for the preservation of a Tibetan cultural identity and...Show moreIt is a sensitive question for many Tibetans nowadays what the use and thereby the survival of the Tibetan language could or could not mean for the preservation of a Tibetan cultural identity and the survival Tibetan Buddhism.Show less
The theme of this thesis is the 2008 Russian military reforms which have been the most significant reforms since the fall of the Soviet-Union. The results of the reforms were mixed but successful...Show moreThe theme of this thesis is the 2008 Russian military reforms which have been the most significant reforms since the fall of the Soviet-Union. The results of the reforms were mixed but successful in comparison with earlier attempts. To find a possible explanation for some of the negative outcomes this thesis asks the following research question; To what extent does the dysfunctional, kleptocratic and corrupt system provide the explanation for the shortcomings of the Russian reforms of its military in 2008? The research question will be answered from a socio-cultural angle, and can perhaps provide an explanation for the dysfunctionality, kleptocratic and corrupt system that negatively affected the 2008 reforms. Based on the analysis in this thesis, it can be concluded the Russian military is plagued by a variety of problems that are socio-cultural in nature. This thesis demonstrates that aspects such as corruption, the legacy of the Soviet mentality, organizational culture and the negative public perception fuel the dysfunctionality of the Russian military and thus are related to the shortcomings of its reforms.Show less
Since the economic reforms of opening-up in the 1980s, China has undergone a process of major transformation and tremendous growth in terms of economic, political and cultural presence in the world...Show moreSince the economic reforms of opening-up in the 1980s, China has undergone a process of major transformation and tremendous growth in terms of economic, political and cultural presence in the world. The rise of China presents new opportunities as well as new challenges for the existing world order. China’s more active participation in the realm of global governance raises some questions about potential implications and consequences for the established institutions and practices of global governance. This thesis explores the cultural aspects of China’s approach to global governance. It seeks to answer the following research question: How does the official terminology used by the CCP to establish its position in global governance reflect China’s cultural and traditional values? Two main terms often used by Chinese political leaders, namely “A Major- Country Diplomacy with Chinese Characteristics” and “A Community of Shared Future for Mankind” are analysed in the context of this thesis.Show less
