In this thesis, I try to answer the research question “How were the samurai satirized through the usage of anthropomorphic animal imagery in visual art during the Bakumatsu period”. I aim to...Show moreIn this thesis, I try to answer the research question “How were the samurai satirized through the usage of anthropomorphic animal imagery in visual art during the Bakumatsu period”. I aim to explore the use of animals in visual art to depict samurai and the connection between the use of animals and the concept of parody. During these turbulent times from the 1840’s to the 1860’s an increase in political satire is seen in visual art, as such the usage of animal imagery to convey this satire is also seen during these years originating from the Tenpō reforms. Through the concepts of parody, historical context, and various analyses I will have enough material to formulate a conclusion. It shows that the decline of the shogunate did not result in a consistent nationwide rise in grotesque animal portrayals of the samurai. Factors such as place and the level of authoritative power also played significant roles.Show less
De Tweede Boerenoorlog in Zuidelijk Afrika aan het einde van de negentiende eeuw bracht veel teweeg onder de gemoederen in Nederland. Veel mensen steunden de Boeren, die grotendeels afstammelingen...Show moreDe Tweede Boerenoorlog in Zuidelijk Afrika aan het einde van de negentiende eeuw bracht veel teweeg onder de gemoederen in Nederland. Veel mensen steunden de Boeren, die grotendeels afstammelingen waren van Nederlandse kolonisten. Door middel van een bottom-up benadering van nationalisme richt dit onderzoek zich op de steun die van onderaf ontstond voor de Boeren, zowel als het gaat om liefdadigheidsinitiatieven als om advertenties voor de Boeren en hoe die tot uiting werd gebracht. Concluderend toont dit onderzoek aan dat, ondanks onderlinge verschillen, mensen uit allerlei verschillende zuilen, klassen en hoeken van Nederland steun betuigden aan de Boeren. Het is het bewijs dat het Nederlandse nationalisme was gegroeid en uitgebreid naar gebieden en mensen die buiten de welgestelde, protestantse en stedelijke elite van Holland vielen.Show less
China had garnered so much success with the exportation of porcelain in Europe around the late 16th century, however much later towards the end of the 17th century there is an abrupt downfall. This...Show moreChina had garnered so much success with the exportation of porcelain in Europe around the late 16th century, however much later towards the end of the 17th century there is an abrupt downfall. This thesis aims to show how European ideology and advancement played a key role in the downfall of Chinese porcelain in Europe. China was a role model when it came to the making of porcelain, with their mysterious techniques and the use of ingredients not yet known to the Europeans. They were placed on a pedestal and regarded as one of the best at this craftsmanship. However, that mystery surrounding the production of porcelain died down after the Europeans figured out the techniques and the ingredients used. China was also highly regarded at one point in time by the Enlightened thinkers of Europe. However as the years progressed more negative views were brought to light and the once highly regarded China was now seen as inferior and backwards.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
In 2015 former president Reuven Rivlin claimed that Israel needs a redefinition of Israeliness to preserve the Israeli society. According to him, a new national identity must be created, with which...Show moreIn 2015 former president Reuven Rivlin claimed that Israel needs a redefinition of Israeliness to preserve the Israeli society. According to him, a new national identity must be created, with which all citizens can identify. When looking at the Israeli educational system, it becomes apparent that such a redefinition is necessary. As multiple studies have shown, the Arab- Palestinian community in Israel is not only marginalized in terms of the quality of the educational system, but also with regards to the contents of the education, mainly -but not limited to- in the field of history education, which amongst others ignore Palestinian perspectives on the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict and which deny Palestinian belonging to the country. As this thesis shows, bilingual schools in Israel offer a radical alternative historical narrative that includes Palestinian perspectives, that treats Jewish and Palestinian identities on an equal basis and that at the same time creates an overarching narrative (or if you wish Israeliness) which connects both communities. At the same time however, this thesis argues that the success of the alternative historical narrative at bilingual schools is limited due to the same inequalities the education tries to counter, namely the lack of classes on Palestinian/Middle Eastern history, the continuing dominance of Jewish-Israeli frameworks for teaching history and the dominance of the Hebrew language. Nonetheless, although progress can still be made, the alternative approach to education of bilingual schools provide an inspirational basis for redefining Jewish-Palestinian relationships in the future.Show less
Ilminjuŭi is generally known for an ideology that President Syngman Rhee attempted to use in the early years of the First Republic in order to create a single-minded unity. There are many writings...Show moreIlminjuŭi is generally known for an ideology that President Syngman Rhee attempted to use in the early years of the First Republic in order to create a single-minded unity. There are many writings about Syngman Rhee, and he is often portrayed as a nationalist and staunch anti-communist. However, the part where he tried to promote Ilminjuŭi and how this ideology functioned during his rule, often gets overlooked. Ilminjuŭi has been only a minor focus of studies on Syngman Rhee and his long career of fighting for an independent Korea and for what he thought was right. Most of the existing literature explain what Ilminjuŭi is, who created it, and that Rhee tried to use this idea of creating a single-minded unity during the early years First Republic, before the start of the Korean War. This thesis therefore distinguishes from existing literature by looking at primary sources from Korean news articles during the time of the entire First Republic. The news articles are used to give an idea how Ilminjuŭi was reported through media and how this idea was being disseminated. The ideology seems to have died out shortly after the Rhee period. Therefore, I went on an academic journey to analyze how and where this ideology was most influential, and where was the turning point that led to Ilminjuŭi becoming less influential in Korean society. The research questions of my thesis are therefore, “How was Ilminjuŭi spread and reported through media, and spread by the government during the First Republic?” and secondly, “What were possible indicators that led to the vanishment of Ilminjuŭi?”.Show less
This thesis examines political attitudes towards different groups of migrants arriving in Britain between 1948 and 1971. Specifically, it examines how the creation of the National Health Service ...Show moreThis thesis examines political attitudes towards different groups of migrants arriving in Britain between 1948 and 1971. Specifically, it examines how the creation of the National Health Service (NHS) in 1948 influenced attitudes towards different migrant groups. It pays close attention to racial inequalities comparing the different receptions of predominantly black and brown migrant groups from the New Commonwealth states and the predominantly white migrant groups from continental Europe and Old Commonwealth states. Methodologically it uses a combination of close and distant reading techniques on parliamentary transcripts and civil service records, particularly from the British Ministry of Health. The central finding is that far from migrants being treated with universal scepticism, there was a very clear hierarchy of desirability into which different migrant groups were sorted, and further that this hierarchy was structured around perceived racial difference.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 compares the property rights and inheritance rights of women in the Germanic laws of the Visigoths, Lombards and Anglo-Saxons from the sixth to the ninth century AD.
Since the Xi leadership, the Communist Party lays significantly more emphasis on the importance of history and its education, which is reflected in the party’s overall discourse, institutional...Show moreSince the Xi leadership, the Communist Party lays significantly more emphasis on the importance of history and its education, which is reflected in the party’s overall discourse, institutional changes and the compiling of a new series of unified textbooks. Education is key in the national socialization process, and can be utilized for fostering patriotism. This study is concerned principally with the discursive construction of a key period in Chinese history in the new junior high school textbooks: the “century of humiliation”. Through combining one of the approaches within the critical discourse analysis school and ethnographic research methods, this study dissects the discourse within in the textbooks and examines the transmission process of the discourse in the classroom environment. Furthermore, the research also analyses the contextual environment in which the textbooks arose, taking into consideration the broader official discourse and relevant recent trends. This study reveals the applied discursive strategies and demonstrates their significance in creating a historical truth.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
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The period between 1840 and 1890 was a tumultuous era for Damaraland society (present-day Central Namibia). In this pre-colonial timeframe, strife over resources determined the prevailing status...Show moreThe period between 1840 and 1890 was a tumultuous era for Damaraland society (present-day Central Namibia). In this pre-colonial timeframe, strife over resources determined the prevailing status quo between local groups, while foreigners increasingly started to exert influence over sociopolitical and socio-economic arrangements as well. There are important continuities between this timeframe and the subsequent eras (1885–1915, when the territory was part of the German colony of Deutsch Südwestafrika; and 1919–1990, when the territory was known as the South African-controlled Mandate State of South West Africa); and numerous structures and traditions that are rooted in the pre-colonial period, still have an impact on Namibian society today. Even so, the pre-colonial timeframe (1840–1890) is largely being neglected in the historical representations in Namibian society today. Instead, Namibians and foreign visitors alike get confronted with an incomplete and manipulated image of Namibian national history: a ‘preferred image’ that is tightly connected to the nation building project of the SWAPO Party, Namibia’s ruling political party. In this thesis, the (pre-colonial) past is being connected to the current state of historical and sociopolitical affairs in the Republic of Namibia, to discover how and why the situation described above came into being.Show less
This thesis analyzes song lyrics by Nina Simone, James Brown, and Public Enemy, and questions how they are radical in the context of the diachronic development of black civil rights activism. It...Show moreThis thesis analyzes song lyrics by Nina Simone, James Brown, and Public Enemy, and questions how they are radical in the context of the diachronic development of black civil rights activism. It straddles both very broad context and detailed analysis.Show less
