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
In recent years, the Western world has experienced a heightened interest in addressing troublesome heritage, especially with the rise of global anti-racism movements. In relation to the public...Show moreIn recent years, the Western world has experienced a heightened interest in addressing troublesome heritage, especially with the rise of global anti-racism movements. In relation to the public space it means that monuments that are connected to racial oppression often have become the target of iconoclastic acts of activists. An example of such a contested monument is the statue of James Marion Sims. Instead of attacking the actual statue, which is usually done in iconoclastic acts, artist Doreen Garner responded to the controversies surrounding Sims by harming a replica of his statue in her performance Purge (2017). This research paper investigates how the usage of this replica problematizes the existing definitions of iconoclasm and to what extent it can shed a different light on iconoclastic practices. To answer this question, anthropological theories on voodoo will be used, as the creation of a representation with the purpose of harming it, reminds of voodoo practices. By investigating the concept of iconoclasm in relation to voodoo, this research reveals the significant overlap between voodoo and iconoclasm, as both concepts function on the basis that a representation is targeted for its similarities with the referent.Show less
Casa do Fernandez or Ilojo Bar was a National Monument in the heart of Lagos Island, Nigeria. It was built by the returnees who came back from Brazil to Africa, the homeland that the Transatlantic...Show moreCasa do Fernandez or Ilojo Bar was a National Monument in the heart of Lagos Island, Nigeria. It was built by the returnees who came back from Brazil to Africa, the homeland that the Transatlantic Slave Trade had taken their forefathers away from. Although it was a National Monument and should have been protected under Nigerian heritage law, it was illegally demolished on 11 September 2016. How could this prime example of Brazilian-style architecture have been destroyed in broad daylight? This thesis uses Casa do Fernandez as a case study to explore the challenges of preserving built heritage in Nigeria. In the process, it tries to figure out why there is so little knowledge about the history of a building declared a National Monument over sixty years ago. The story of the monument turns out to be different than always assumed. After researching the building’s history, the focus is turned to heritage: the way the present interacts with the past. Could the way Casa do Fernandez has been defined as heritage have something to do with its sad end? The thesis argues that the rigid definition of Casa do Fernandez as strictly Afro-Brazilian heritage detached the site of its cultural meaning to other groups in society and sowed the seeds of the eventual demise of the National Monument. It is a plea for a wider and more inclusive interpretation of this heritage-site in particular and of heritage in general.Show less
The lingering dispute between Cambodia and Thailand over the ancient Temple of Preah Vihear has still not been resolved. This may seem strange from the point of view of international law. In 1962,...Show moreThe lingering dispute between Cambodia and Thailand over the ancient Temple of Preah Vihear has still not been resolved. This may seem strange from the point of view of international law. In 1962, the International Court of Justice made a ruling on this issue, which should have resolved the dispute between the two countries. The ongoing dispute is, in fact, an indicator of the more comprehensive problem of demarcation of the past. The origins of the Preah Vihear Temple border conflict date back to colonial times and the subsequent decolonization period. During those times, both Cambodia and Thailand made efforts to augment their territorial sovereignty and to promote nationalism. The conflict thus created unfortunately continues to this day. The temple dispute has always been ready to erupt under the right circumstances if it suited Thai and Cambodian politicians. Moreover, the negative images and memories between Thailand and Cambodia have never ceased to exist, but are instead carefully maintained for political purposes. Such perspectives make it highly unlikely that the Preah Vihear issue will be resolved any time soon. Thai and Cambodian leaders have become stuck in a cycle of distrust about border issues that has been going on for many decades. The Preah Vihear dispute shows just how fragile Thai-Cambodian relations really are. The painful historical background, along with nationalist sentiments in the unfinished development of nation-building in both countries, is thwarting the formation of good relations. Preah Vihear, the temple on the border, has remained at the center of bilateral anxiety. This place of consecration has thus become a bone of contention.Show less
This thesis is concerned with the influence of nationalism, disneyization, and disneyfication on the representation of history and heritage in the Korean historical TV drama Mister Sunshine....Show moreThis thesis is concerned with the influence of nationalism, disneyization, and disneyfication on the representation of history and heritage in the Korean historical TV drama Mister Sunshine. Through an examination of the storyline, costumes, and historical accuracy this thesis has tested the different theories.Show less
This thesis focuses on the past, present and future of hawker centres in Singapore. Hawker centres are essentially communal dining spaces that allow Singaporeans from different ethnic backgrounds...Show moreThis thesis focuses on the past, present and future of hawker centres in Singapore. Hawker centres are essentially communal dining spaces that allow Singaporeans from different ethnic backgrounds to enjoy a wide range of hawker foods for an affordable price. Singapore’s hawker culture has been able to exist alongside Singapore’s rapid urban development, beginning with street food sold by itinerant hawkers and transformed into hawker centres. Over the years these hawker centres have become more than just dining spaces and have become an indispensable part of Singapore. Changes in Singapore’s near future have triggered questions about the continuity of the hawker trade and the preservation of traditional dishes. Taking matters in their own hands, Singapore has nominated hawker culture for UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as they believe this is an intrinsic part of Singaporean identity and should be preserved and passed down to future generations. The aim of this thesis is to study the meaning of hawker culture in contemporary Singapore by discussing three periods of time, while discussing food as intangible heritage and its contribution to identity and belongingness.Show less
On September 12, 2015, an indigenous tribe, the Kaviyangan married their ancestral pillar to the president of the National Taiwan University (NTU). The pillar Muakaikai was taken from its tribe by...Show moreOn September 12, 2015, an indigenous tribe, the Kaviyangan married their ancestral pillar to the president of the National Taiwan University (NTU). The pillar Muakaikai was taken from its tribe by the Japanese colonizer to the anthropology museum of NTU during the colonial period (1895-1945). As a national treasure, Muakaikai bares the colonized history of its tribe and the possibility of a new cooperative approach between the museum and the source community. Although the authorized heritage discourse still guides the practices of heritage in Taiwan nowadays, the Kaviyangan resisted it with their traditional cultural practice, and eventually came up with an innovative way of dealing with Muakaikai’s repatriating issue. In the heritagization process of Muakaikai, the Kaviyangan people not only built a long-term relationship with the museum but also strengthened their collective identity and intimacy to the tribe.Show less
In this thesis I question the role of photographs in relation to Dutch national identity, regarding traditional costumes specifically. I set forth how sentiments of Dutch (national) identity can be...Show moreIn this thesis I question the role of photographs in relation to Dutch national identity, regarding traditional costumes specifically. I set forth how sentiments of Dutch (national) identity can be expressed, questioned, challenged or reinforced through photography. In doing so, I lay bare contrasts between national and local cultural expressions, between othering and elevating people, between feelings of distance and unification, between past and present. The case studies on which I build this research concern two photo series of inhabitants of Marken – a former Dutch island, now a peninsula – photographed by Cas Oorthuys and Jimmy Nelson. In this research the focal point is the argument that a Dutch national identity is reinforced through their photographs of people in Marken traditional costumes. This reinforcement is achieved through constructing identities and by invoking symbolic and indexical relations of nostalgia, idealization, pride, ‘Dutchness’ and heritage.Show less
In the following thesis, the following research question was analyzed What kind of images and representations regarding women were depicted through monuments in Flanders after (and during) the...Show moreIn the following thesis, the following research question was analyzed What kind of images and representations regarding women were depicted through monuments in Flanders after (and during) the First World War and why such depictions came to the existence? Through the means of the MCDA analysis, it was concluded that women are represented in the gendered terms in the literal and figurative terms. Women’s “feminine” traits and biological preconditions justify the notions of nationhood and the reasoning of the nation to enter the war, neglecting more accurate representation of the history and role of the women in the war.Show less
The Ryūkyū archipelago, in Southern Japan, is home to some ancient techniques for crafting (Kijōka-bashōfu) and dyeing (Bingata) textiles which are not found elsewhere in mainland Japan. The...Show moreThe Ryūkyū archipelago, in Southern Japan, is home to some ancient techniques for crafting (Kijōka-bashōfu) and dyeing (Bingata) textiles which are not found elsewhere in mainland Japan. The Kingdom of Ryūkyū was annexed to the Japanese empire only in recent times (1879), after centuries of relative independence, and the Japanese governments of the first decades of the 20th century has made considerable efforts to reshape and silence the local identity. This process of neutralization of local culture also affected the visibility and the perceived identity of those crafts within the national cultural discourse throughout the whole century. My thesis inspects different issues related to the intercurrent relations between heritage and nation. I will reconstruct what has been done to the Ryūkyū local heritage in the past and what the latest developments have been. I will also highlight the differences existing between the ways the identity of these crafts, Kijōka-bashōfu in particular, are presented in documents aiming at the international, rather than domestic, public. By doing so, I will offer an insight on the cultural policies implemented by the Japanese governments in this respect. Finally, I will operate an audiovisual analysis on a documentary made by entities independent by Japan, representing the everyday life and the activities of local craftspeople involved in the production of these textiles. With that, I will also assess how the local discourse on identity differs from the national discourse.Show less
Seoul has continuously been reshaped by nation-building strategies that project the image of the nation through urban space. From the 1970s onwards, this image has drastically changed by rapid...Show moreSeoul has continuously been reshaped by nation-building strategies that project the image of the nation through urban space. From the 1970s onwards, this image has drastically changed by rapid industrialization and the creation of a ‘national heritage’ canon under the Park Chung Hee government. Subsequent governments have invested in the 'politics of memory' to strengthen their regimes: complete urban compounds were demolished and replaced by monuments, museums, public plazas, and impressive urban projects that have recently turned Seoul into a 'soft’, playful and global city. However, current Seoul Mayor Park Won Soon has shifted his focus on urban revitalization instead of demolition. His ‘Seoul Future Heritage Program’, in which ‘Industrial Heritage’ plays a crucial role, reflects the approach of ‘heritagization’, the creation of heritage, to revitalize decaying structures in the city. Seoullo 7017, a deteriorating traffic overpass turned into a green walkway, and Again Sewoon, an old arcade ‘revived’ by inviting startups and creative events, were elevated as ‘Industrial Heritage’ and imagined alongside the nation’s ‘traditional’ heritage in a naturalized narrative portraying the nation’s culture and progress. Both projects were designed to attract daily citizen activity and engagement with their heritage value through information signs, public campaigns, and pedestrian accessibility. Altogether, Mayor Park’s policy shows a crucial shift in attention towards experiential heritage, in which industrial architecture is firmly placed within the national heritage narrative.Show less
This thesis focuses on the way nationalism has influenced the development of heritage politics in South Korea during the presidency of Park Chŏng Hŭi, Kim Yŏng Sam, and Lee Myŭng Bak, and how...Show moreThis thesis focuses on the way nationalism has influenced the development of heritage politics in South Korea during the presidency of Park Chŏng Hŭi, Kim Yŏng Sam, and Lee Myŭng Bak, and how nationalism in heritage politics has affected the Kyŏngbok palace.Show less
In this thesis, I have traced the evolution of Borobudur from a sanctuary to a sacred landscape to show the role played by heritage in the production of, and resistance to, social inequalities....Show moreIn this thesis, I have traced the evolution of Borobudur from a sanctuary to a sacred landscape to show the role played by heritage in the production of, and resistance to, social inequalities. Moreover, I have looked at how all of this affects the space and connects heritage to broader agendas of sustainability. I have done so by focusing on a set of social actors such as Indonesian bureaucrats and NGOs workers related to the difference perceptions of the site as: a monumen nasional (national monument) to a taman nasional purkabala (archaeological park), to a taman wisata (tourism park), to a World heritage site, but also, from a site of kearifan lokal (local wisdom) to a saujana (cultural landscape), and particularly to a mandala saujana (Borobudur cultural landscape).On this background, I will attempt to answer the following questions: how notions of heritage are mobilized by social actors at Borobudur in such a way to produce, as well as to counter, social inequalities such as the social and cultural evacuation of the space? What limits and challenges do these social actors face? What lessons can be learned in terms of sustainability? My argument is that processes of heritage involve continuous re-negotiation of perceptions through encounters, alliances, and creative appropriations. If we want to understand to what extent the power of culture is taking over the culture of power in the contemporary historical moment in any given context, we should look at the dynamics of such articulations.Show less
Although there are a myriad of heritage topics, this thesis will be focusing on one major topic within it: Cultural Heritage and its management type. This paper is meant to explain what impact...Show moreAlthough there are a myriad of heritage topics, this thesis will be focusing on one major topic within it: Cultural Heritage and its management type. This paper is meant to explain what impact management has on the sites themselves, the locals, the economy and the environment. This thesis will focus on two case studies, Lijiang and Dali, both ancient cities in Yunnan. In particular it will research two models of cultural heritage management, which are the government and government/private combination led models, and then proceed to discover what model appears to have the most seemingly ‘positive’ impacts the aforementioned aspects.Show less
This thesis relates to the linguistic situation in Asia, in particular to East-Timor. Untill today, at least a small part of the population speaks a variety of the Portuguese language, as well as a...Show moreThis thesis relates to the linguistic situation in Asia, in particular to East-Timor. Untill today, at least a small part of the population speaks a variety of the Portuguese language, as well as a Portuguese-based creole. The purpose of this work is to analyze this linguistic situation. I will take into account the Portuguese heritage, as well as the future of the languages influenced by the Portuguese language. The history of East Timor will be discussed, where I will take notice of the Portuguese-based creoles and the Portuguese variety spoken in that area. By means of a linguistic analysis I will justify traces of the Portuguese language and explain what measures are taken to maintain these traces. Of the many languages in Asia influenced by the Portuguese language, some have disappeared for different reasons. Therefore, I’m greatly interested in analyzing if the Portuguese language will have a future in East Timor.Show less
