Concerning transitional justice, the turn towards advocating for localized action and gendered analysis has engendered a focus on female agency. In documentary film studies, a similar pattern...Show moreConcerning transitional justice, the turn towards advocating for localized action and gendered analysis has engendered a focus on female agency. In documentary film studies, a similar pattern emerges: over time, scholars have started to question prevailing representations of women, and to celebrate well-rounded, agentive representations. This thesis, which analyzes representations of female agency and victimhood in documentaries concerning sexual violence during the Yugoslav Wars, utilizes an interdisciplinary approach which draws from both of these fields. It incorporates the aesthetic analytical tools provided by documentary film scholars to analyze Sexual Violence and the Triumph of Justice (2012) and Mission Rape - a Tool of War (2014), while keeping as its main focus the gendered agency framework created by Björkdahl and Mannergren Selimović. Thus, it marries the two disciplines to provide a thorough understanding of prominent issues in transitional justice. This concerns both how transitional justice is practiced and how this practice is portrayed to the public by challengers and proponents of the prominent methods in the transitional justice space. I hope to contribute to knowledge in both fields, and to demonstrate how well-rounded and agentive representations of women’s agency can challenge the traditional narrative of passivity and victimization of women in conflict-zones.Show less
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Research has shown that cardiac rehabilitation (CR) reduces morbidity, mortality, and unplanned hospital...Show moreCardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Research has shown that cardiac rehabilitation (CR) reduces morbidity, mortality, and unplanned hospital admissions. In addition, improvements in exercise capacity, quality of life, and mental health were reported. However, women are substantially less likely to be referred to CR and are additionally less likely to enroll when they are referred. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review about potential barriers which women face when entering CR. Underlying factors causing underrepresentation of women in CR are multifactorial and consist of individual-, healthcare provider- , and system-level factors. Individual-level factors which negatively influence enrollment rates are, for example, disease related factors and demographics, including older age. On a systemic level, for instance, a lack of health insurance financial coverage for the CR program deterred women from enrolling. One healthcare provider factor is the characteristics of CR programs, since some women were reluctant to enroll in CR due to the high intensity exercising. A meta-analysis about the effectiveness of strategies aiming to improve enrolment rates of women was performed. The risk ratio analysis did not yield clear evidence for suitable referral strategies for women to improve enrollment rates. However, two studies showed that coaching and motivational interviewing strategies can increase enrolment rates among female CVD patients. According to an event rate analysis, implementing an adequate referral strategy such as peer navigation, in combination with coaching as well as the combined peer navigation, automatic, and coaching strategy could facilitate overcoming barriers which are particularly challenging for female patients. An examination of current standards of care in each health care system or country is needed, followed by addressing the aforementioned multifactorial level barriers and the implementation of suitable referral strategies.Show less
This thesis examined the candidate lists of the 17 parties that obtained at least one seat in the parliamentarian elections of March 2021 in the Netherlands. The candidate lists were analysed to...Show moreThis thesis examined the candidate lists of the 17 parties that obtained at least one seat in the parliamentarian elections of March 2021 in the Netherlands. The candidate lists were analysed to determine the level of parties’ descriptive representation in relation to ethnic minorities and women. The rationale for this is the changing demographics, increased popularity for diversity and inclusions practises among parties and, at the same time, an increasingly polarized debate regarding ethnic minorities and immigration policies. The main goals are the following; first, to test if there is a correlation between parties’ restrictiveness on immigration and the share of ethnic minorities on the candidate list and share of safe list position that are filled with ethnic minorities. Second, to test whether centre and right-wing parties contribute proportionally more to representation of women vis-à-vis ethnic minorities. Moreover, all 744 candidates were analysed in terms of ethnicity and gender and with this data an original dataset was created. Secondary sources were used to determine parties’ restrictiveness on immigration. The dataset provided information to test the role of the independent variable – restrictiveness on immigration – on the two dependent variables; a) share of ethnic minorities candidates on the lists and; b) share of safe list positions that were filled with ethnic minority candidates. These variables formed the import for a linear regression analysis. The second possible correlation was tested by plotting the parties’ share of ethnic minorities and female candidate against four statistical dimensions; (1) average percentage of ethnic minorities on the candidate lists; (2) percentage of ethnic minorities in the Netherlands; (3) average percentage of women on the candidate lists; and (4) the percentage of women in the Netherlands. This thesis found a linear inverse correlation between parties’ restrictiveness on immigration and the share of ethnic minorities on candidate lists and safe list positions filled with them. Moreover, this thesis also found that centre and right-wing parties contribute proportionally more to the share of female than ethnic minority candidates.Show less
This thesis examines the evolution of the constructs of gender and sexuality in precolonial, colonial, and independent Zimbabwe and Botswana, with focus on the Shona, Ndebele, and Tswana during the...Show moreThis thesis examines the evolution of the constructs of gender and sexuality in precolonial, colonial, and independent Zimbabwe and Botswana, with focus on the Shona, Ndebele, and Tswana during the (pre)colonial era, and the BDP (Botswana Democratic Party) and ZANU(PF) (Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front) in the late colonial and postcolonial period, to identify what particularities in Botswana’s and Zimbabwe’s historical trajectories explain the divergence between the stance of BDP and ZANU(PF) leadership on the decriminalization of same-sex relations (SSR). The Shona, Ndebele, and Tswana started with a similar outlook on SSR, and in both countries, the British colonial administration imposed penal codes that criminalize(d) SSR. Yet, while BDP leadership grew gradually more supportive of the eventual decriminalization of SSR in 2019, ZANU(PF) leadership has strongly opposed to repealing the colonial-era penal codes. The different (de)colonization process and degree of colonial domination in each country appear to have the strongest explanatory power for these diverging outcomes. Many scholars have linked homophobia to masculinity and patriarchy. At the same time, colonial rule is widely believed to have undermined African masculinities and destabilized existing gender roles, and scholars have argued that misogyny, hyper-masculinity, and homophobia in African nationalist movements can be seen as a reaction to feelings of emasculation among African men. Colonial rule was significantly less invasive in Botswana, and the transition to independence mostly peaceful. Resultantly, there was no strong feeling of colonial domination among Botswanans, and anti-(neo)colonial rhetoric had little value as a source of political support. Thus, homosexuality never became conflated with (neo)colonialism in BDP nationalism, because it never centered on anti-(neo)colonialism to begin with. In contrast, Zimbabwe’s invasive colonial experience and arduous independence struggle created a strong sense of colonial domination among male independence leaders, who experienced it as ‘emasculation,’ and used misogyny and homophobia in attempt to restore a position of patriarchal power. At the same time, the rejection of homosexuality became a way to challenge colonial narratives about African sexuality and masculinity that were used to justify their abasement. Resultantly, the conflation of emasculation and homosexuality with colonial subjugation featured prominently in ZANU(PF)’s anti-colonial nationalism. The influence of Fanonesque and Marxist-Leninist thought further deepened homophobic sentiments in ZANU(PF) nationalism, while these schools of thought were absent from BDP nationalism. There is also scholarly consensus that European missionaries played an active role in codifying homosexuality as ‘immoral’ in Africa, and scholars argue that as Christianity became heavily politicized in the region, so did homosexuality. In that sense, homophobia, much like Christianity, is a political tool in contemporary Africa. Limited imposition of colonial rule and Tswana-controlled integration of Christianity may have further limited the inculcation of European (missionary) notions of sexuality and immorality in BDP nationalism. Moreover, unlike BDP nationalism, ZANU(PF) nationalism was organized around anti-colonialism, and this social glue lost its power once independence was achieved. This necessitated the creation of a new common enemy, while socioeconomic underperformance and declining public support incentivized the creation of a scapegoat to deflect criticism. Political homophobia became part of the creation of this new common enemy and scapegoat, and gained its legitimacy from Zimbabwe’s (de)colonization experience. With steady economic development and widespread public support after independence, there was less of an incentive for the BDP to use sexual minorities as a scapegoat.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Liberal Arts and Sciences: Global Challenges (LUC) (BA/BSc)
closed access
Since 2001, billions of aid money have been pumped into Afghanistan to improve the lives of civilians, especially women. The plight of Afghan women has mobilised many NGOs to come into the country,...Show moreSince 2001, billions of aid money have been pumped into Afghanistan to improve the lives of civilians, especially women. The plight of Afghan women has mobilised many NGOs to come into the country, but not much has improved. This research attempts to find the reasons as to why so few improvements have been made, by using interviews with NGO employees working in Afghanistan to supplement and update the existing literature. Afterwards, a final analysis will be presented, combining the literature and the data from the interviews into one evaluation of the obstacles to the improvement of the position of women. The research question is: What are the obstacles to the improvement of the position of women in Afghanistan? It concludes that the main obstacles are more or less similar to the ones identified in the literature, namely the ineffective government, corruption, backlash against reforms, the deteriorating security situation, low quantity and quality of education, child marriages and baad. The research also identifies two new problems not yet identified by the literature: the tribal and religious norms regarding women and “Afghanistan fatigue”.Show less
Research master thesis | Linguistics (research) (MA)
open access
Although most ancient Indo-European languages share the same grammatical three-gender system of masculine, feminine and neuter gender, the lack of a feminine gender in the archaic Anatolian branch...Show moreAlthough most ancient Indo-European languages share the same grammatical three-gender system of masculine, feminine and neuter gender, the lack of a feminine gender in the archaic Anatolian branch suggests that development of this gender is a relatively recent development in "Core PIE". This thesis investigates how such a development may have come about. I analyse the attested functions of the suffixes often connected to the rise of the feminine gender: *-eh2, *-ih2 and *-sor. Moreover, I consider the emergence of the PIE feminine from a typological perspective and compare it to gender developments in other language families. On the basis of morphological and typological considerations, I suggest that not the traditional feminine suffix *-eh2, but rather the "secondary" suffix *-ih2 played a crucial role in the emergence of the PIE feminine gender.Show less
By carrying oral history analysis, this thesis looks at the political activism of Chilean women exiled in Spain from a gender perspective. It highlights the role of gender and stereotypes in women...Show moreBy carrying oral history analysis, this thesis looks at the political activism of Chilean women exiled in Spain from a gender perspective. It highlights the role of gender and stereotypes in women's experience towards their "exilic condition" before and upon arrival to Spain, as well as political activism within and outside the Chilean community during the Spanish transition and arrival of the Spanish Socialist Party to the government in the 1980s. The main findings are: 1) despite their political activism before and during the government of the socialist Salvador Allende and in some cases clandestinely after the 1973’s coup, most women highlight motherhood and the role of their more visible partners in politics as the breaking point in their decision to self-exile. However, by identifying with the social identity of “political exile” based on their activism, their political identity and gender roles from Chilean society cross each other showing a conflicting experience. 2) the gendered division of labour framed Chilean women participation among the Chilean community in Spain, being assigned so-called “female tasks” based on the gendered division of labour which many times kept them invisible from Chilean transnationalism in Spain. And 3) As a result, a group of women organized outside the traditional organics of the Chilean movement to advocate for human rights in Chile and Latin America incorporating the struggles and role of women in these regards. The two cases analyzed are the Chilean women’s association “Tralún” located in Madrid who advocated for human rights in Chile and Latin America from a feminist approach. Likewise, the case of the lawyer and Chilean Judge Alicia Herrera Rivera who became the face against gender violence in Spain in 1983 is analyzed. Herrera’s case shows how her involvement in the feminist movement imposed a “new exile” this time from the Chilean community as her advocacy for women’s rights was seen as a threat to the working-class unity in the Chilean Left.Show less
Mimicry facilitates social bonding and increases the feelings of affiliation and liking. However, not every individual perceives mimicry in the same way. Previous research showed that there are...Show moreMimicry facilitates social bonding and increases the feelings of affiliation and liking. However, not every individual perceives mimicry in the same way. Previous research showed that there are consistent differences among various groups. Nevertheless, previous studies failed to establish whether gender can also play a role in evaluating explicit mimicry. Unlike the previous studies, the focus of this research is implicit mimicry. Since mimicry does not always occur on explicit level, investigating mimicry that occurs on implicit level, such as pupil dilation mimicry, might lead to a different result. In this study, the aim is to investigate whether gender has an influence on the evaluation of avatars which mimic or does not mimic the participants pupil dilation. For the purposes of this study, avatar is defined as an artificial intelligence figure representing a real person. To test the effect of gender on mimicry, 19 females and 10 males interacted with 6 avatars. 3 of them mimicked the participant’s pupil dilation while the other 3 avatars did not. Afterwards, participants evaluated how much they liked the avatar and how much they would like to meet the speaker in real life. Overall, female participants evaluated both mimicking and non-mimicking avatars more negatively than the male participants. However, female participants reported a higher desire for the future interaction with non-mimicking avatars in comparison to males. The study did not yield a significant result. However, the difference between genders in mimicry evaluation was still observed.Show less
How humans attend to emotional stimuli has been extensively researched. Previous studies have found that there are individual differences in attentional preference towards emotional stimuli. For...Show moreHow humans attend to emotional stimuli has been extensively researched. Previous studies have found that there are individual differences in attentional preference towards emotional stimuli. For example, some individuals attend more towards positive information, whereas some towards negative stimuli. Individual’s anxiety level has often been linked to cause attentional preference towards threatening stimuli. Less is known about the other possible factors modulating attentional processing of emotional stimuli. Socioemotional Selectivity theory presents that with age adult start to prefer activities and information that is meaningful and positive and avoid things that are negative. The theory also implies that younger people are often more drawn to negative aspects in their life. Thus, this study aimed to investigate, whether this age-related preference towards emotional stimuli is also seen in attentional functions. Moreover, some preliminary studies have found there to be gender differences in how humans attend to emotional stimuli. Thus, the study aimed to bring more clarity to the possible gender-related attentional preference towards emotions. To test this the participants (N = 102, males = 29, women = 73) completed a dot-probe task. The dot-probe task allows to calculate how much attention individual showed on certain type of facial expressions. The study found that age was non-significant predictor of attentional processes toward angry and happy faces. Moreover, no gender differences were found on attentional bias towards happy faces, but small directional evidence for women allocating more attention to angry faces than men. These findings imply that age and gender are not strong predictors for attentional preferences towards emotions.Show less
In the last decade, the participation of women in political violence has received an increasing amount of academic attention. However, scholars often neglected to find empirical evidence on the...Show moreIn the last decade, the participation of women in political violence has received an increasing amount of academic attention. However, scholars often neglected to find empirical evidence on the implications of women for armed groups perceived legitimacy. To fill this gap, this thesis explores the Women’s Protection Unit, which received worldwide media attention in their battle against the Islamic State, as a single case study. This thesis examines the Western perspective towards these women combatants by employing a qualitative content analysis of 43 Dutch newspaper articles. The results reveal that the media uses stereotypes about gender by framing these women combatants as non-aggressive, weaker, and less threatening than the male combatants of the Islamic State. As a result, the media legitimizes the use of violence of the female combatants as they need to protect themselves. Besides, the media glorifies the women of the YPJ by pointing out their fight for Western values, namely equality. Consequently, this thesis posits that the way the media frame the women combatants and their opponent, the Islamic State, favours the legitimacy of the armed group, the Women’s Protection Unit.Show less
School stress is increasing among secondary school students and students experience stress in different ways. However, information about which students are most affected by stress and need support...Show moreSchool stress is increasing among secondary school students and students experience stress in different ways. However, information about which students are most affected by stress and need support is scattered. School-based interventions targeting stress are shown to reduce stress and increase knowledge about stress. However, knowledge gain was not specified for face-to-face interventions. This study aimed to clarify group differentiations (i.e., gender, age, and educational level) in stress levels, stressors, and effectiveness of the school-based intervention ‘Stress Lessons’ among lower secondary school students. The intervention was evaluated regarding its effect on general stress levels and knowledge about stress. This study had 1447 participating lower secondary school students (11-16 years) and followed a pre-test – intervention – post-test design. Classes were randomly assigned to a control or experimental group. During pre- and post-test, the Adolescent Stress Questionnaire-short and knowledge about stress questionnaire were administered. The intervention contained three psychoeducational courses, educating students about basic principles of stress, how they experience stress, and how to cope with stress. Results showed higher stress levels in girls than in boys and no general stress level differences between age groups and educational levels. However, personal stressors (e.g., peer pressure) were more stressful for practical / pre-vocational secondary students than for senior general secondary / pre-university students. In contrast, academic stressors were more stressful for senior general secondary / pre-university students than for practical / pre-vocational secondary students. Importantly, academic stressors were the most pressing source of stress in all educational levels. After the Stress Lessons, students reported increased general stress levels and increased knowledge about stress compared to before. Regarding knowledge gain, Stress Lessons were most beneficial for late adolescents and senior general secondary / pre-university students. Future research should focus on coping strategies used by lower secondary school students and their contribution to experienced stress levels.Show less
Despite the fact that women’s representation in national parliaments and executives is increasing, female political representatives still constitute a minority, especially in high-level positions....Show moreDespite the fact that women’s representation in national parliaments and executives is increasing, female political representatives still constitute a minority, especially in high-level positions. The literature argues that gender stereotypes influence the perception of female political representatives who consequently face a disadvantage in politics. This thesis explores the factors that affect public opinion on female leadership in the European Union (EU). Using the Eurobarometer data on public opinion covering the 28 EU member states, I conduct a multiple linear regression analysis to investigate the effect of four individual level-factors (i.e., gender, age, education and profession), and three country-level factors (i.e., masculine culture, religion and communist legacy) on net female trust. The results suggest that female gender, education and masculine culture positively affect trust in female political representatives, while communist legacy produces a negative effect. Moreover, I discover that the EU public opinion favors female over male political representatives. Finally, by comparing the level of trust in female and male political representatives, I find that the great majority of respondents have egalitarian attitudes as they equally trust male and female leaders. These findings challenge the burgeoning literature on female leadership and have important implications for the study of public opinion, gender and political leadership in the EU.Show less
Self-esteem is a fundamental change that occurs during adolescence, and previous studies suggested that maternal love withdrawal, parental and peer attachment quality contribute to adolescents’...Show moreSelf-esteem is a fundamental change that occurs during adolescence, and previous studies suggested that maternal love withdrawal, parental and peer attachment quality contribute to adolescents’ self-esteem. Since lower levels of self-esteem are related to poor health outcomes, it is important to find out which factors contribute to these negative outcomes and which group of adolescents are especially at risk. Therefore, the present study investigated whether gender and attachment quality moderate the relationship between maternal love withdrawal and self-esteem. It was expected that there is a negative relationship between maternal love withdrawal and self-esteem in adolescents and that there are gender differences in this relationship. Moreover, it was hypothesized that there is a relationship between attachment quality and self-esteem, and that the relationship between maternal love withdrawal and self-esteem is stronger in adolescents who are more securely attached to their mother, father and/or friend than adolescents who are less securely attached. Participants were 160 adolescents aged 11-21 years who completed online questionnaires about maternal love withdrawal, attachment quality and self-esteem. The results showed that maternal love withdrawal, and maternal, paternal and friend attachment (anxious/avoidant) were negatively related to self-esteem. Furthermore, gender and attachment did not moderate the relationship between maternal love withdrawal and self-esteem. Interventions should be created that support insecurely attached adolescents or adolescents whose mother withdrew their love and educate parents about the negative consequences of using love withdrawal as a punishment for their child’s undesirable behavior.Show less
This thesis examines the trajectories for climate and gender justice in Bangladesh, in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 (BDP 2100). The study...Show moreThis thesis examines the trajectories for climate and gender justice in Bangladesh, in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 (BDP 2100). The study is based on a case study approach, using qualitative text analysis as a method of analysis. The theoretical framework builds on theories of postcolonial feminism, primarily by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak and Chandra Talpade Mohanty, intersectional theories and previous research examining the links between climate and gender in Bangladesh. The selected material, the SDGs and the BDP 2100 is analysed through four themes; ‘Discursive Marginalization’, ‘Consciousness and Subject’, ‘Intersecting Challenges’ and ‘Sustainability and GDP’. What are the trajectories for climate and gender justice in Bangladesh, in relation to the SDGs and the BDP 2100? This research finds that although gendered vulnerabilities linked to climate change are acknowledged, it lacks representation and agency from a postcolonial perspective. Moreover, it finds that BDP 2100 does not acknowledge gendered (or social) dimensions in how Bangladesh is impacted by climate change, which poses a problem for how to formulate sound and inclusive policies.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
This thesis provides an examination of the representation of gender roles in the Salmacis and Hermaphroditus scene in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Ovid thoroughly plays with gender roles and expectations...Show moreThis thesis provides an examination of the representation of gender roles in the Salmacis and Hermaphroditus scene in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Ovid thoroughly plays with gender roles and expectations of gender roles in the scene. The scene is examined in the light of intertextuality with other stories in Ovid's Metamorphoses, Odysseus' speech to Nausicaa in Homer's Odyssey and several similes.Show less
