In the world of Sinophone cinema, Malaysia has played a significant role in its creation and production though its pioneering contributions have often been underestimated in past decades. The early...Show moreIn the world of Sinophone cinema, Malaysia has played a significant role in its creation and production though its pioneering contributions have often been underestimated in past decades. The early 2000s saw a resurgence of Sinophone Malaysian cinema with the Malaysian New Wave, led by independent filmmakers, which subsequently spurred a rise in Sinophone Malaysian film productions throughout the 2010s. This thesis examines multiple sounds of Sinophone Malaysian independent cinema in the 2010s, focusing on its linguistic and sonic elements in relation to the identity of Malaysian Chinese. It provides a close reading of four recent films by Malaysian Chinese filmmakers: “The Story of Southern Islet” (2020) directed by Chong Keat-aun, “Absent Without Leave” (2016) and “Boluomi” (2019) by Lau Kek-huat, and “Malu” (2020) by Edmund Yeo. The analysis centers on the role of multilingualism, creolized languages, accents, and sounds in constructing Malaysian Chinese identities, and representing diverse, sliding positions of minoritarian voices, as well as the ongoing tension between diaspora and anti-diaspora. In doing so, this thesis affirms the subjectivity of Sinophone Malaysian cinema and argues for its significance in studying the intersection between Sinophone cinema and Malaysian cinema.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
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Exploring the countryside has been a phenomenon in the United Kingdom for many decades. In contemporary discourse, challenges to who frequents these landscapes have risen. Indeed, ethnic minorities...Show moreExploring the countryside has been a phenomenon in the United Kingdom for many decades. In contemporary discourse, challenges to who frequents these landscapes have risen. Indeed, ethnic minorities are underrepresented in the UK outdoors communities. As stories of human’s relation to nature are foremost told from Eurocentric, white, and male perspectives, this thesis centres Black women and women of colour who are members of the women’s outdoors organisation Bristol Steppin Sistas (BSS). Operating as a safe space for black women and women of colour, the organisation organises multiple walks a month to get local women to explore rural landscapes in the UK’s South West region. This ethnographic research comprises two complimentary elements: a 30 min.-long film, and an article, which examine the role walking and talking in nature plays in the daily lives of black British women. It uses data gathered from interlocutor observation of BSS members, semi-structured sit-down interviews, and un-structured walk-along interviews with three members of the group, during two months of fieldwork. This article has the dual purpose of making theoretical arguments and discussing methodological considerations in reference to the film. In doing so, three key themes emerge: (1) BSS challenges racial and gender stigmas around exploring British nature, (2) the group provides a safe space for its members to gain a sense of belonging, strengthening their individual identities, (3) Black British women living in urban areas need the outdoors to lessen anxieties and better physical health. By claiming space in the South West UK’s countryside, BSS provides an indispensable community for black women and women of colour living in the hectic urban environment of Bristol.Show less
Executive master thesis | International Relations and Diplomacy (MSc)
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Quasi states and their interaction within the international system remain chronically understudied. To date, Kosovo is the only recent example of a former quasi-state that has managed to proclaim...Show moreQuasi states and their interaction within the international system remain chronically understudied. To date, Kosovo is the only recent example of a former quasi-state that has managed to proclaim independence and be internationally recognized afterwards. While displaying similar characteristics, Nagorno-Karabakh remains unrecognized. United by their nonrecognition, quasi states frequently rely on diplomacy by diasporas for their advocacy and representation. This thesis therefore aims to investigate where this different outcome in terms of diaspora diplomacy originates. Using the concepts of diaspora positionality and diaspora mobilization for an interpretive comparison between Albanian diaspora diplomacy for Kosovo and Armenian diaspora diplomacy for Nagorno-Karabakh in American and European host-state contexts, this research finds that for the Armenian diaspora genocide recognition took precedence over Nagorno-Karabakh, while Kosovo united the Albanian diaspora as a whole which through a combination of historical factors and context awareness subsequently set in motion an irreversible process towards recognized independence. On these grounds, this thesis posits diasporas as determined diplomatic actors in their own right who can play a pivotal role in homeland recognition and therefore warrant further research.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
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This study investigates what factors influence ethnic identity and sense of belonging amongst first- and second- generation individuals of the Ghanaian diaspora in the Netherlands. The experiences...Show moreThis study investigates what factors influence ethnic identity and sense of belonging amongst first- and second- generation individuals of the Ghanaian diaspora in the Netherlands. The experiences shared by interlocutors portray that ethnic identity is fluid and interchangeable, instead of a fixed phenomenon. Ghanaian interlocutors demonstrated that they live within a double consciousness, as they are able to move between worlds of connectedness and disconnectedness with their Ghanaian and Dutch identities. Furthermore their sense of belonging is closely related to larger structures of (everyday) racism prevalent in Dutch society and personal notions affiliated with The Netherlands as home. Then in Ghana sense of belonging is also multifaceted as they are perceived as too "Dutch".Show less
In the former Dutch East Indies, a large group of mixed-race Indo-Dutch people resided through years of mixed-race relations between European men and Indonesian women. In the colony, they had a...Show moreIn the former Dutch East Indies, a large group of mixed-race Indo-Dutch people resided through years of mixed-race relations between European men and Indonesian women. In the colony, they had a distinct place in society, although the community was widely diverse in economic and social status as well as the way in which they ethnically defined themselves. After the Second World War and subsequent Indonesian independence, many Indo-Dutch people relocated to the Netherlands and, to a lesser extent, other countries. In this postcolonial society, Indo-Dutch people were forced to renegotiate their social identity. This happened not only in correspondence with their receiving societies but also within the context of the diaspora and Indo-Dutch community life. It is precisely the implications of the latter that this thesis aims to explore through an intersectional lens, focusing mainly on notions of gender, race, and class. It draws on interviews with eleven Indo-Dutch people, as well as newspaper articles from the magazine Tong Tong and other primary source materials. It was found that there is a wide array of self-identifications and perceived identities of Indo-Dutch people, further enhanced by the in-group power dynamics brought about by gender, class, and (perceived) racial differences. Because of this, certain individuals were not only forced to renegotiate their social identities in the context of the receiving societies but were further marginalized within the context of the diaspora. Further, it was found that it was this variety of identities as well as these (internal) power dynamics that made it difficult to create and cultivate a unified Indo-Dutch (diasporic) identity.Show less
This thesis seeks to address how Jewish communities were able to integrate into the civic framework that was provided by the Greek cities during Roman rule. It does so through a case-study of...Show moreThis thesis seeks to address how Jewish communities were able to integrate into the civic framework that was provided by the Greek cities during Roman rule. It does so through a case-study of literary and epigraphic evidence originating from the communities of Ephesos, Hierapolis, and Sardis, who all are located in the province of Asia. In conclusion, the Jews of Asia were able to negotiate with Roman authorities and participated to a certain extent within the Greek urban settlements while simultaneously accentuating their Jewish cultural heritage. More generally, these findings are consistent with what has been published on Jewish diaspora communities but differentiate by showing that the Jewish community did not live on the margins of society, but rather was well integrated within the civic framework of the Greek city.Show less
Bachelor thesis | South and Southeast Asian Studies (BA)
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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
“Processes of globalisation, new migratory patterns and the creation of transnational entities have altered political dynamics. Crossing geographic, cultural and political borders, diaspora...Show more“Processes of globalisation, new migratory patterns and the creation of transnational entities have altered political dynamics. Crossing geographic, cultural and political borders, diaspora communities have become more numerous gaining political significance. With the end of the Cold War and the opening of new political spaces, diasporas have been increasingly recognised as emerging non-state actors in the international arena. While the importance of studying diaspora politics and their impact has generally been acknowledged, there remains an active debate on the nature and scope of diaspora politics and their actual influence on the global political arena. In this context, this thesis examines how diaspora communities exert influence on foreign policy making towards their home countries. Through an in-depth case study of the Rwandan diaspora living in the Netherlands, it will contribute to the broader field of diaspora politics by generating insights that enhance the understanding of diaspora’s critical roles and political engagement with their host countries. Examining conditions – both attribute-based and contextual factors in the host country – which limit or enhance the diaspora’s ability to exert political agency, provides an understanding of the diaspora’s potential in influencing foreign policy formulation, contextualising them as actors in the global arena. “Show less
After WWII, between 500,000 and 600,000 Koreans remained in Japan because of social, economical or political reasons. The Koreans who remained in Japan became known as zainichi, which literally...Show moreAfter WWII, between 500,000 and 600,000 Koreans remained in Japan because of social, economical or political reasons. The Koreans who remained in Japan became known as zainichi, which literally means “residing in Japan.” In this thesis, I argue that the representation of the zainichi identity of adolescents in cinema helps us appreciate the complexities of zainichi identity. Through film, we are able to see how the characters change throughout the story and how they interact with their social environment. , I discuss scholarship on the formation of zainichi identity, how zainichi were able to secure the legal recognition of their existence in Japan and how different social and legal changes caused a change in zainichi identity.Show less
This thesis will delve into how multiculturalism has failed the Pakistani diaspora in the United Kingdom. It will also look into how they have come to be viewed as the 'dark force in British Society'.
Research master thesis | History: Societies and Institutions (research) (MA)
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This thesis is about the Parsis, a special Indian minority group who came to India more than a millenium ago. The Parsis became very wealthy and influential under British colonial rule and acquired...Show moreThis thesis is about the Parsis, a special Indian minority group who came to India more than a millenium ago. The Parsis became very wealthy and influential under British colonial rule and acquired great esteem as a colonial elite. After decolonisation of the British Indies, this picture completely turned upside town and a lot of Parsis left India for a western country such as the UK and the US. Thus, they had to reconstruct their identity both in India and the US and the UK. This thesis examines this double identity reconstruction by means of a combination of literary analysis and discourse analysis.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
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Deze scriptie gaat over de constructie en dynamiek van de collectieve Kaapverdiaanse identiteit van de Kaapverdiaanse gemeenschap in Rotterdam. Hoe wordt door deze gemeenschap de Kaapverdiaanse...Show moreDeze scriptie gaat over de constructie en dynamiek van de collectieve Kaapverdiaanse identiteit van de Kaapverdiaanse gemeenschap in Rotterdam. Hoe wordt door deze gemeenschap de Kaapverdiaanse identiteit op collectief niveau geconstrueerd en wat zijn de percepties hierover op individueel niveau? De percepties op individueel niveau geven hierbij de dynamiek aan die onder de constructie van deze Kaapverdiaanse identiteit schuil gaat. Het uitgangspunt is het concept van 'stille migranten', een vorm van labeling die deze gemeenschap uniek maakt binnen Nederland.Show less
