This thesis examines the paintings of Henry Scott Tuke (1858-1929) against the backdrop of late Victorian and Edwardian Britain, exploring how his depictions of naked youths at the British seaside...Show moreThis thesis examines the paintings of Henry Scott Tuke (1858-1929) against the backdrop of late Victorian and Edwardian Britain, exploring how his depictions of naked youths at the British seaside navigated and subverted dominant cultural narratives of gender and sexuality. The study employs a multidisciplinary approach, integrating the lens of “the queer gaze,” multiple social-historical contexts in relation to the seaside, and critical reception. The first chapter delves into Tuke's portrayal of naked youths, revealing layers of homoerotic desire and voyeurism. Through visual analysis, Tuke's paintings are shown to evoke both childhood innocence and charged intimacy, inviting viewers to question and interpret the subtle sensuality within them. The second chapter examines the significance of the British seaside in Tuke's work, highlighting its idealized portrayal as a utopia of leisure and a masculine homosocial space. The final chapter explores the reception of Tuke's paintings during his lifetime and in current perspectives, revealing a nuanced tension between tradition and innovation in both style and subject. Tuke's depictions of naked youths at the beach occupy a liminal space between convention and novelty, both accepted by the critics of his time as well as the Royal Academy and celebrated by queer fringe groups. Overall, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of Tuke's work while shedding light on broader discussions surrounding the representation of gender and sexuality in art history.Show less
This research discusses whether male authors sexually objectify their female characters in comparison to female authors. This was done by analysing two classic and two contemporary fiction novels...Show moreThis research discusses whether male authors sexually objectify their female characters in comparison to female authors. This was done by analysing two classic and two contemporary fiction novels each by male and female American authors. These novels were chosen because of their similarities and because they feature a male protagonist who narrates the story. The novels were analysed for phrases used to describe the female characters appearance and these descriptions were compared to the novels of the opposite gender to check for any sexual objectification. The results revealed that male authors were more likely to sexually objectify their female characters in comparison to female authors. However, due to the size of this research, more research must be done to understand the scale and nuances of this.Show less
Labeled Language analyses the use of language in the Mencius with the goal of finding out how gender differences feature in this Confucian text. It uses an innovative (original) methodology that...Show moreLabeled Language analyses the use of language in the Mencius with the goal of finding out how gender differences feature in this Confucian text. It uses an innovative (original) methodology that fuses text (data) mining and traditional close reading analysis, building from a gap in the academic literature on the topic of language and gender in the Mencius.Show less
This thesis is an examination of the character of wakashu as depicted in Ihara Saikaku's late 17th-century collection of short stories Nanshoku ōkagami. It looks at overall similarities between the...Show moreThis thesis is an examination of the character of wakashu as depicted in Ihara Saikaku's late 17th-century collection of short stories Nanshoku ōkagami. It looks at overall similarities between the stories and constructs a general view of this type of sexuality-wise intriguing youth as well as comparing it to the earlier medieval character of chigo.Show less
The discourse surrounding sex work in Amsterdam has evolved, reflecting shifting approaches by municipal authorities and stakeholders. Currently, a proposal for an "erotic center" seeks to relocate...Show moreThe discourse surrounding sex work in Amsterdam has evolved, reflecting shifting approaches by municipal authorities and stakeholders. Currently, a proposal for an "erotic center" seeks to relocate sex work from the Wallen district to address issues of over-tourism and congestion. However, this proposition has ignited controversy, as sex workers voice concerns about safety, social networks, and potential workspace loss. Researchers and activists advocate for recognizing sex work as tangible heritage to preserve its history and narratives. Despite initiatives of activists and advocates to document and safeguard the sector's history through the website www.sekswerkerfgoed.nl and the Prostitution Information Center, academic exploration of sex workers' experiences and sex work heritage in the Netherlands remains limited. Narratives from sex workers of color, migrant sex workers, and marginalized voices are often overlooked. Media portrayals often perpetuate stigmatization and negative stereotypes about sex work. The life stories of Nicolina Sant and Aaïcha Bergamin, two sex workers from the 20th century, offer valuable insights into Dutch sex work. Their narratives encompass diverse perspectives, encompassing ethnic backgrounds, cultural nuances, gender, and sexuality. Incorporating these stories enriches historical research on sex work, fostering a deeper comprehension of the industry and its intersections with urban life. Using the concept of urban citizenship, which emphasizes self-identity and recognition, challenges conventional notions tied to nationhood. Sex workers' claims to citizenship impact urban planning and city politics, influencing the socio-spatial fabric of the city, and reorienting research on sex workers to focus on agency rather than victimhood. Analyzing the stories of Aaïcha and Nicolina through this lens reflects on the idea of sex work as heritage while supplying an intersectional perspective to sex work history in the Netherlands.Show less
Deze scriptie onderzoekt de Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) in de periode van 1936 tot aan het begin van de Tweede Wereldoorlog. De scriptie richt zich specifiek op de...Show moreDeze scriptie onderzoekt de Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) in de periode van 1936 tot aan het begin van de Tweede Wereldoorlog. De scriptie richt zich specifiek op de positionering van de WILPF ten opzichte van gender en pacifisme. Het onderzoek is gebaseerd op de analyse van circulaires van de WILPF die in de periode van 1936 tot aan het begin van de Tweede Wereldoorlog verstuurd zijn.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
Cassius Dio's 'Roman History' contains multiple colorful anecdotes concerning women with significant political power. Dio depicts powerful women in the act of mutilating corpses, cheating on their...Show moreCassius Dio's 'Roman History' contains multiple colorful anecdotes concerning women with significant political power. Dio depicts powerful women in the act of mutilating corpses, cheating on their husbands and pursuing money and power at all cost. The question I set out to answer in this thesis is: how does Dio characterize women close to the seat of Roman power? And, more precisely, what gender stereotypes does he deploy in depicting these women? The women on whom this thesis will focus are Messalina and Agrippina, who were both married to emperor Claudius at one point, as well as Fulvia, the wife of Mark of Antony. The characterization of women in Cassius Dio’s work and the part that gender norms play in Dio’s negative characterization of someone have received little scholarly attention so far. While Cassius Dio’s portrayals of Agrippina and Messalina have been compared to each other, Fulvia has not been compared to either of these women before, although there are grounds for doing so: both Agrippina and Fulvia are accused of defiling the heads of political opponents. Each chapter of this thesis is dedicated to one of these three women. The most important part of each chapter will consist of close readings of passages I have chosen to highlight because they contain Dio’s most preposterous claims about these women. Such close readings can highlight not just how ancient ideas of gender are expressed within a large narrative structure, but also how they are reflected on a small scale, such as the choice of vocabulary. We will see how Cassius Dio incorporates the previous historiographical tradition concerning these women in his own narrative, while also innovating this tradition by exaggerating certain claims and adding elements to his narrative that have no precedent in the extant literary tradition. Fulvia, Messalina and Agrippina are all portrayed as crossing the boundaries of their female gender because they were involved in politics to a degree that was not acceptable for a Roman matron. But whereas Agrippina and Fulvia are explicitly ‘masculinized’ and their political involvement is stressed, Cassius Dio’s Messalina appears as an apolitical woman in the grip of vices that were considered to be typically feminine.Show less
The aim of this paper is to investigate cozy video games and their implementation of care into their mechanics, narrative and aesthetics with a special focus on how it can influence their target,...Show moreThe aim of this paper is to investigate cozy video games and their implementation of care into their mechanics, narrative and aesthetics with a special focus on how it can influence their target, primarily female, audience. Cozy games, as a very new phenomenon, have not been thoroughly explored and it is important to analyze what influence they could have on the forming of their players’ gender identities. The second chapter contributes to the ongoing debate around the nature of cozy games and their defining elements. This paper uses Spiritfarer (2020) and Adorable Home (2020) as a base for the analysis of the incorporation of care in cozy video games. The findings of this analysis indicate that games targeted towards women have an unintentional tendency to perpetuate traditional, patriarchal values surrounding care. However, there are examples of games which use these values intentionally to foster empathy and existential self-reflection.Show less
There is a general consensus in the academic and non-academic sphere that women should participate in health systems strengthening. Yet, implementable models that can facilitate this remain absent....Show moreThere is a general consensus in the academic and non-academic sphere that women should participate in health systems strengthening. Yet, implementable models that can facilitate this remain absent. Amidst attempts to open up International Relations (IR), intercultural health systems present compelling cases to examine what could impact women’s agency in health policymaking. This contrasts with approaches centered on theoretical human rights rhetoric. This thesis analyzes how the Holistic Care Model, developed by the dr. Denis Mukwege- and Panzi Foundation, impacts women’s participation in global health policymaking. An exploratory qualitative primary source analysis was conducted with postcolonial theory. The findings show that through developmental innovation and knowledge facilitation, the Holistic Care Model enhances the agency of women treated by it. The creation of agency has a multiplying effect: women actively tailor the model according to their health needs, which in turn makes them participants of the health system’s development. The evidence also highlights health systems’ relevance for postcolonial debates on international health governance. Though the research only analyzed one case, the findings provided an in-depth understanding of how a healthcare model can implement what theoretical formulations lack to execute. This makes the present singular case relevant for future innovations and shows that knowledge concerning health from the global South should be examined increasingly in IR and Women, Peace, and Security studies.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Film- en literatuurwetenschap (BA)
closed access
In deze scriptie worden verschillende vormen van mannelijkheid en vrouwelijkheid belicht en bevraagd aan de hand van populaire culinaire films, alsmede hoe deze dynamieken zich meten aan bestaande...Show moreIn deze scriptie worden verschillende vormen van mannelijkheid en vrouwelijkheid belicht en bevraagd aan de hand van populaire culinaire films, alsmede hoe deze dynamieken zich meten aan bestaande machtsverhoudingen en representaties van gender in de culinaire industrie.Show less
Er zijn veel soorten beroepen die mensen kunnen uitoefenen. Boer, kokkin, chef, journaliste of minister? Het is slechts een greep uit de grote getale waarin beroepsaanduidingen voorkomen. Op...Show moreEr zijn veel soorten beroepen die mensen kunnen uitoefenen. Boer, kokkin, chef, journaliste of minister? Het is slechts een greep uit de grote getale waarin beroepsaanduidingen voorkomen. Op redacties wordt grondig gediscussieerd of hierbij gendermarkerende of genderneutrale beroepsaanduidingen gebruikt moeten worden. Dit onderzoek richt zich op het huidige debat rondom deze kwestie en op welke manier dit debat zich afspeelt binnen de redacties van Nederlandse kranten. Aan de ene kant van de discussie bevindt zich de groep die vindt dat er geen onderscheid tussen genders gemaakt moet worden en er een vaste beroepsaanduiding voor alle genders gehanteerd moet worden. Dit komt vaak al snel neer op de beroepsaanduiding die oorspronkelijk mannelijk is. De andere partij in deze discussie vindt dat vrouwen daarmee zichtbaarheid verliezen in de taal en dat heeft nadelige gevolgen voor vrouwen. Redacties moeten keuzes maken hoe ze hiermee om willen gaan. De meeste redacties leggen dit vast in een, al dan niet openbaar, stijlboek. Dan is het nog de vraag of deze voorschriften nageleefd worden in de praktijk en wat de medewerkers binnen de redactie van deze voorschriften vinden. Dat vraagstuk resulteert in de volgende hoofdvraag: Hoe gaan Nederlandse kranten om met gender in beroepsaanduidingen? Deze vraag wordt in deze scriptie beantwoord aan de hand van twee deelvragen: 1. Welke keuzes maken Nederlandse kranten in de praktijk wat betreft gender in beroepsaanduidingen? 2. Wat zijn de opvattingen van de stijlboeken, hoofdredacteuren, eindredacteuren en ombudspersonen van de kranten over gender en beroepsaanduidingen? Om de eerste deelvraag te beantwoorden is een kwantitatieve analyse van artikelen van Nederlandse kranten uitgevoerd. Hierin werden beroepsaanduidingen gezocht en gecodeerd aan de hand van vijf hoofdcategorieën met bijbehorende subcategorieën die uit de literatuur zijn ontstaan. Om de tweede deelvraag te beantwoorden zijn hoofdredacteuren, eindredacteuren en ombudspersonen van NRC Handelsblad, de Volkskrant, Trouw, Algemeen Dagblad en De Telegraaf geïnterviewd aan de hand van topiclijsten die zijn ontstaan aan de hand van de wetenschappelijke literatuur. 3 Uit de resultaten blijkt dat Nederlandse kranten moeite hebben met gender in beroepsaanduidingen. Er is geen duidelijke norm die handvatten biedt aan de redactie. Hierdoor is een grote mate aan inconsistentie in het gebruik van gender in beroepsaanduidingen. Zowel in de artikelen, als in de opvattingen van de medewerkers van de Nederlandse kranten.Show less
Directly or indirectly, diplomacy affects us all, it is thus important to have diverse representation. However, this is not an easy feat. This research focuses on the reasons for the low percentage...Show moreDirectly or indirectly, diplomacy affects us all, it is thus important to have diverse representation. However, this is not an easy feat. This research focuses on the reasons for the low percentage of women in senior diplomacy compared to the number of women in the field altogether. This was researched by conducting a case study in the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where 12 employees were interviewed. A literature review combined with in-depth interviewing showed three main obstacles that prevent equal representation in senior diplomacy. Diplomacy is still associated with men, who are associated with having hard skills. Women are associated with soft skills and thus less likely to be seen as suitable candidates for leadership. Moreover, women carry out gender specific actions that add pressure on top of their work, which can increase the likelihood of women leaving the field. Gender specific actions are related to dealing with misidentification, undervaluation, and the lack of access to old-boys’ networks. Networking is essential in promotion rounds and as women are often kept out of these circles, levelling up becomes a challenge. In addition, the career of a women can differ from that of a man, around which diplomacy is structured, due to part time work related to family responsibilities or due to maternity leave. This takes a gap out of a woman’s career path and can make it difficult for women to catch up to men and reach the senior levels. Based on the findings, research must be done to combat these challenges to create equal opportunities for women in diplomacy to reach the diplomatic top and break the glass ceiling.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
Natalie Haynes' 2019 novel A Thousand Ships (ATS) rewrites several classical texts from a female perspective. In doing so, the novel specifically engages with the epic genre and the epic tradition....Show moreNatalie Haynes' 2019 novel A Thousand Ships (ATS) rewrites several classical texts from a female perspective. In doing so, the novel specifically engages with the epic genre and the epic tradition. Inspired by the field of reception studies, this thesis aims to describe the (re)definition of epic offered in ATS, to understand where it comes from, and to critically assess it in the face of the ancient text(s) it is based on.Show less
Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
open access
Athena's aegis, her characteristic magical garment, often features a scaly texture, a fringe of snakes, or the head of the gorgon Medusa. These attributes sometimes make Athena look like a hybrid...Show moreAthena's aegis, her characteristic magical garment, often features a scaly texture, a fringe of snakes, or the head of the gorgon Medusa. These attributes sometimes make Athena look like a hybrid monster in ancient Greek art and literature. This thesis explores the scope of literary and artistic representations of Athena in which her aegis constructs her body as a monstrous, boundary-crossing hybrid. I explore four contexts or themes in which Athena’s body interacts with the monstrous through the medium of the aegis: gender, costume, monster battles, and image ontologies. In each context, the monstrous aegis places Athena’s body in multiple categories simultaneously: masculine and feminine, hybrid and humanoid, god and monster, image and moving body. It is an agent of transformation. I argue that this polymorphism grants Athena a similar fantastical or unrealistic body to a hybrid monster. She is an excellent vector for artistic and literary explorations of the nature, limits, and transgression of cultural and ontological taxonomies. Rather than only signifying dominion over the monstrous, as is conventionally argued, the hybridity of the aegis allows Athena to function in a similar fashion to a monster.Show less
Research master thesis | Linguistics (research) (MA)
open access
Discussions concerning syntactic aspects of code-switching (CS) phenomena are currently ongoing. This thesis looks at two such phenomena, nominal ellipsis (NPE) and linear adjacency, and shows how...Show moreDiscussions concerning syntactic aspects of code-switching (CS) phenomena are currently ongoing. This thesis looks at two such phenomena, nominal ellipsis (NPE) and linear adjacency, and shows how empirical investigation of CS contexts helps inform linguistic theory. This was accomplished by presenting 23 Belgian Dutch/French (BD/FR) bilinguals with a two-alternative forced choice judgment task and comparing their choices through t-tests to check for significance. Experiment 1 examines whether the choice of grammatical gender on adnominal ellipsis remnants reveals a morphosyntactic link between a FR elided noun with a BD antecedent. The results show that no such link can be observed for NPE in this language pair; this is contra González-Vilbazo and Ramos (2015), Merchant (2015) and Nee (2012), who have found evidence of a such a link between elided elements and antecedent in code-switched clausal and VP-ellipsis, as well as general evidence against structural theories of ellipsis (e.g., Merchant, 2001; 2004). Experiment 2 explores the Matrix Language Framework (MLF) (Myers-Scotton, 1993; 1995), a popular model that predicts that the determiner language will match the matrix language (ML) in code-switched DPs. However, effects of linear adjacency between the determiner and the inflection on the main verb (which determines the ML) have not yet been considered within the MLF. The DP was given as a post-verbal complement (adjacent), and as a post-verbal adjunct and a pre-verbal complement (non-adjacent). The results show that linear adjacency has no effect on determiner language. Moreover, the results also do not fit into the MLF. This thesis is the first empirical study to examine NPE theory in a code-switched environment, as well as the first to investigate linear adjacency effects on code-switched DPs. This work also provides insight into CS patterns in the BD/FR language pair, a relatively understudied bilingual population that frequently employs CS but is not a close-knit community. Taken together, these findings show that gathering empirical CS data from distinct bilingual populations is crucial, adding new and contrary insights and aiding the construction of linguistic theory.Show less
My thesis investigates the problem of contrasting image-making of politicians in the 1970s and 1980s in the Netherlands. It studies the image-making of politicians, which saw the changing of norms...Show moreMy thesis investigates the problem of contrasting image-making of politicians in the 1970s and 1980s in the Netherlands. It studies the image-making of politicians, which saw the changing of norms in the political arena, professionalisation of journalism and wider social-cultural changes. Strikingly, during this period of emancipation of women and more women entering politics, the writing about female politicians stays partly stereotypical, whilst their self-presentation also follows stereotypical narratives in specific instances.Show less
