Looking at demographics of the mass graves and corresponding settlements it is possible to investigate the social circumstances around the time of the downfall of the LBK. Certainly in some cases...Show moreLooking at demographics of the mass graves and corresponding settlements it is possible to investigate the social circumstances around the time of the downfall of the LBK. Certainly in some cases the mass graves show gaps of missing people when comparing the demographic composition of the grave to that of a stable living population. It is possible to argue cases of abduction, or certain people being absent at the time of the massacre. I further argue that the nature of the killings varies widely between sites, and differing levels of ritualism should be accounted for, as summarising LBK mass graves as raids fails to acknowledge multiple factors on the victim’s wounds and deposition. A demographic study of who is and who is not present in the graves can contribute to understanding the broader context at these sites of violence in addition to the general population sizes of the time.Show less
This thesis studies the effect of age-at-death, sex, and socioeconomic status on the burial ritual in the Netherlands between 1200 and 1650 AD by analysing archaeological data from three urban...Show moreThis thesis studies the effect of age-at-death, sex, and socioeconomic status on the burial ritual in the Netherlands between 1200 and 1650 AD by analysing archaeological data from three urban cemeteries across the country. The late medieval and early modern burial ritual is often perceived as uniform and plain, restricted by the regulations set out by the church. These regulations included strict rules on grave orientations, body positions, nature of the graves, and burial locations. Although, by analysing and comparing these different aspects of the burial ritual from the urban cemeteries of the Franciscan monastery in Alkmaar, the St. Catharina church in Eindhoven, and the Eusebius church in Arnhem, this view of uniformity has been challenged. The results of this thesis revealed the occurrence of local variation in the burial location of non-adults, especially infants, in the urban context of the Netherlands. This variation is hypothesized to be related to the baptism status of the individual, varying beliefs about purgatory and the afterlife, death at childbirth, and/or the context of the burial ground. Nonetheless, men and women were found to receive uniform burial treatment, implicating that, despite their different social standing in life, in death, they were considered equal in terms of burial practices. Furthermore, it was found that socioeconomic status influenced burial treatment. The St. Catharina church displayed not only a statistically significant difference in non-adults buried inside the choir as opposed to the adjacent churchyard, considerably more men were present than women. This prevalence of men buried inside the church compared to the low to middle socioeconomic populations buried in outdoor cemeteries could be related to high secular status.Show less
For Chinese men, finding a partner has become a precarious struggle as there are approximately 30 million more men than women of 24-40 years old in China. Existing literature provides an insight...Show moreFor Chinese men, finding a partner has become a precarious struggle as there are approximately 30 million more men than women of 24-40 years old in China. Existing literature provides an insight into how this demographic reality affects men with a low social status, but how does China's younger generation of men deal with it? This thesis builds on data derived from interviews with eight male Chinese exchange students in the Netherlands. The data shows how my interviewees are willing to step out of the traditional path towards marriage, but are being held back by the consequences of China's demographic reality. The results should be considered with the limitations of this study, but despite these limitations, my research indicates the importance of researching China’s generation of younger middle to high-class men.Show less
The Japanese society has been decreasing over the past two decades, which has resulted in a decrease in the labour force and correspondingly the economy. The increase in female labour force,...Show moreThe Japanese society has been decreasing over the past two decades, which has resulted in a decrease in the labour force and correspondingly the economy. The increase in female labour force, immigrants, elderly and part-time workers have all been suggested as solutions but will not have the desired decrease in labour shortage due to the social tension it will cause. Robots on the other hand have been incorporated in the Japanese society and will not cause social tension. The economy can be revived by the new possibilities the fourth industrial revolution provides. The new robots can increase productivity by replacing employees or working together with the employee. Increasing productivity will lead to a sectorial increase in international position, and, if promoted correctly by the state, can be the leader in the economic revival of the economy of Japan.Show less
This thesis examines how Japan's declining birth rate and women's work-life balance are related, and how the government has responded to this in terms of policies.
