This thesis examines why BRICS emerged among Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, despite the dissimilarities between these countries. Following a constructivist approach, this thesis...Show moreThis thesis examines why BRICS emerged among Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, despite the dissimilarities between these countries. Following a constructivist approach, this thesis assumes that regions are not fixed but rather constituted and constructed through ideational factors. As such, BRICS is considered a ‘virtual region’. The aim of this thesis is to explain the process through which a collective identity paved the way for cooperation among the countries. The analysis shows that the BRICS identity is rooted in the longer-standing narrative about the Global South. The shared identity facilitated the alignment of their interests. Despite some variation, a development-multipolarity discourse is identified. The countries not only seek economic development within BRICS and the Global South, but also a greater voice in global governance. The creation of a collective identity and the alignment of interests paved the way for BRICS to emerge as virtual region, embedded in the Global South narrative.Show less
The current study aimed to investigate the development of commitment, reconsideration, and self concept clarity in adolescents aged 11-24 at three different time points. Moreover, it examined the...Show moreThe current study aimed to investigate the development of commitment, reconsideration, and self concept clarity in adolescents aged 11-24 at three different time points. Moreover, it examined the relationship between the variables and the development of the specific relationship over time. It was expected that commitment and self-concept clarity would be related positively with age, while reconsideration would be related negatively. In addition, it was assumed that commitment would have a positive correlation with self-concept clarity and that the relationship would develop positively throughout adolescence. Lastly, it was assumed that reconsideration would relate negatively with self-concept clarity and the relationship would develop negatively throughout the different time points. Adolescents (N = 198, M age = 16.6) completed the 12-item measure of self concept clarity (SCC) and the single-item version of the Utrecht Management of Identity Commitments Scale (U-MICS). A repeated measures ANOVA showed no evidence of development in the SCC (p = .46), commitment (p = .34), and reconsideration (p = .20). A Pearson correlation coefficient analysis performed a positive correlation between commitment and SCC (r = .19) and a negative correlation between reconsideration and SCC (r = -.21). Α nonlinear development in the relationship between SCC with commitment and SCC with reconsideration was found within the three different time points. Future research on the relationship and development between the above variables should include a larger and more diverse sample and questionnaire items that will provide more insights and detailed data about identity formation and SCC. In addition, future research should also consider other developmental factors that influence the sense of self and identity formation.Show less
This thesis has sought to answer how gara, a type of embroidery embellished on traditional sari, works as a communicative tool of Parsi identity to both non-Parsi and Parsi. In order to achieve...Show moreThis thesis has sought to answer how gara, a type of embroidery embellished on traditional sari, works as a communicative tool of Parsi identity to both non-Parsi and Parsi. In order to achieve this, we shall see first how dress is able to communicate identity to oneself and others through a process this thesis dubs embellishment, before focusing in on the social, historical, and religious aspects of gara, and uncovering what collective Parsi identity is communicated through gara exactly. This thesis concludes that the process of embellishment communicates an identity that is Parsi through applying an identity narrative on dress which is interacted with by others to formulate a temporarily fixed identity of the wearer. This identity narrative embellished on gara has social, historical, and religious roots, all of which are discussed in the thesis at length. This thesis thus answers two important questions in the study of identity communication through dress, by explaining how identity can be transmitted though dress, as well as how this identity is formulated.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
This ethnographic research takes an in-depth look at the identities of refugees (and other border-crossers), refugee communities and politics of belonging. Through the ethnographic method of...Show moreThis ethnographic research takes an in-depth look at the identities of refugees (and other border-crossers), refugee communities and politics of belonging. Through the ethnographic method of narrative approach, it explores the perceptions of refugees on their identity, communities and work and shows how these affect and are affected by politics of belonging. Using ethnographic methods of participant observation and informal interviews in the geographic area of Athens and Piraeus, Greece, I explore contested refugee narratives about refugee identity, refugee communities and work. I use “refugee communities” and “work”, as the main lens through which to discuss what protects, supports or helps them outside and aside of the humanitarian and the asylum system. I discuss the terms of “refugee” and “refugee community”, showing the complex ways people and theory make sense of them. The main argument of my analysis is that, dealing with the so called “refugee crisis”, also means examining our perceptions on the contested narratives around refugee identities and making the choice to “stay close” to people, who already make up part of our societies.Show less
In November 2014, India’s newly elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the “Act East Policy” (AEP), which aims to increase economic and strategic cooperation with Indo-Pacific countries and...Show moreIn November 2014, India’s newly elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the “Act East Policy” (AEP), which aims to increase economic and strategic cooperation with Indo-Pacific countries and deepen cultural relationships. It does so on a regional, multilateral, and bilateral level. Although there is academic literature on this policy, most of the literature looks at the AEP through a realist lens, thereby considering it a mere “balancing” effort against China’s increasing influence in the region. This thesis opts to diversify the literature on the AEP by taking a constructivist approach. In doing so it seeks to understand how the ruling Hindu Nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) conceptions of India’s state identity have shaped the AEP. Using the value-action framework and process-tracing method, this thesis finds that there are three identities which create values that shape the BJP’s preferences for the AEP. Firstly, the “challenged state” identity gives rise to the ‘increasing national security’ value. The second identity, a “once-thriving civilization”, gives rise to two closely connected values: ‘creating an economically stronger India’ and ‘ensuring India gets its rightful place in the comity of nations and international institutions’. Lastly, the “democracy shaped by Hinduism in a changing Asian landscape” identity gives rise to the ‘establishing a democratic and rules-based international order’ value. However, through assessment of India’s wider foreign policy behaviour this thesis finds that these values do not all carry equal weight. It argues that the pursuit of national security, prosperity and indirectly the pursuit of India’s “rightful place” on the international stage were the main factors leading to the establishment of the AEP. Thus, concluding that the “challenged” state and “once-thriving civilization” identities have more influence on the AEP under BJP rule than the “democracy shaped by Hinduism in a changing Asian landscape” identity.Show less
The country of Iran is currently governed by an Islamic regime and religion is a significant notion not only in the ruling system but also in the social and private life of the citizens. The field...Show moreThe country of Iran is currently governed by an Islamic regime and religion is a significant notion not only in the ruling system but also in the social and private life of the citizens. The field of linguistic landscape concerns the visibility and salience of languages on all the signs in a given territory or region and the landscape of cities as social constructs are deeply affected by the two forces: the governments from the top and the people from the bottom. This research explores the religious signs in the linguistic landscape of the city of Najafabad in Iran. The aim of this research is to see how religion manifests in the city and how it functions in the landscape of the city. In order to conduct the research, the signs with religious content are collected, and studied in terms of language use, font, theme and agency. The results reveal that the number of top-down signs surpasses the bottom-up signs. In analysis, it is concluded that in the landscape of the city of Najafabad, religion functions as an ideological tool for managing the landscape and promoting the ideology among the citizens.Show less
On December 17, 2021, the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation published two draft treaties that demand various security guarantees from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the...Show moreOn December 17, 2021, the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation published two draft treaties that demand various security guarantees from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United States. This meant that Russia wanted to reform the post-Cold War European security architecture. Upon the rejection of these proposals, Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Despite extensive scholarly research on Russia’s stance regarding European security, the debate revolves around realist and neo-realist perspectives which are not sufficient in comprehending the fundamental reasons behind why Russia wants to do so. For that reason, this thesis introduces a new theoretical approach called the ontological security theory. By adopting a post-structuralist methodology and discourse analysis, it argues that Moscow feels ontologically insecure due to the divergence between Moscow’s identity and its role in the post-Cold War European security architecture. Therefore, Russia sets its foreign policy for the “recognition” of its Self by the West, which is necessary for ontological security. The findings of this thesis also reveal the significance of identity in international relations and politics, as it brings alternative explanations to arguments put forward by grand IR theories regarding a phenomenon.Show less
For 20 years, studies have been underlining a decrease in the attachment of young diaspora Jews with the State of Israel. While a broad majority of young Jews supports the existence of a Jewish...Show moreFor 20 years, studies have been underlining a decrease in the attachment of young diaspora Jews with the State of Israel. While a broad majority of young Jews supports the existence of a Jewish state in Palestine, an increasing minority develops an opposition to Israeli policies, especially concerning the occupation of Palestinian Territories. As Jewish organisations advocating for Palestinian rights flourish in the Western world, where the Jewish diaspora is in majority located, the process according to which young Jews are increasingly distancing themselves from an Israeli- centred Jewish identity seems important to inquire. Indeed, growing diaspora support for a just political solution to the Middle East conflict might have empiric repercussions on the Israeli government. Therefore, this thesis seeks to inquire the identification process of young progressive Jews in France and Britain relating to the Zionist project, and aims at answering the following question: What drives critical French and British Jewish youth’s identification choices in the construction of a non-Israel centric identity? This paper argues that young Jews self-identify in a nexus between the Jewish community, overwhelmingly Zionist, and external norms and values of human rights and social justice, which creates conflicting dynamics. When left-wing values out-weight the community’s narrative, it creates or strengthens a feeling of alienation among progressive Jewish youth, that is slowly turning into criticism and distancing from the State of Israel. This youth, therefore, seeks to navigate new spaces of identification and revive a Jewish identity able to reconcile this internal struggle. To demonstrate so, this thesis will firstly conceptualise identity and discuss historical debates on Jewish identity. It will then analyse the distancing hypothesis, and the debates it created among scholars about its accuracy and potential factors. In the last two chapters, it will study the self- identification process of four young British and French Jews advocating for Palestinian rights. Through life-long interviews dealing with their attitudes towards a Zionist Jewish identity, this paper underlines the dynamics characterising their progressive alienation from the State of Israel: a primary discomfort, followed by a de-Zionification process, creating important fractures with friends, families, and their Jewishness, and finally the identification with a revived diasporic identity, able to reconcile Jewishness and anti-Zionism.Show less
BIJ1 has recently joined the political arena with one seat in Parliament. This marked the formalization of a movement that has risen worldwide but mainly originated in the United States. This anti...Show moreBIJ1 has recently joined the political arena with one seat in Parliament. This marked the formalization of a movement that has risen worldwide but mainly originated in the United States. This anti-racist movement aims to create awareness of institutional social and racial inequality. This research analyses the reasons for members of the Dutch electorate chose to vote for BIJ1. By conducting a binary logistic regression this research strives to shed light on the propensity of citizens with a migration background to vote for BIJ1. This results in a strong relationship between voting for the party and ethnic background. Furthermore, fifteen semi-structured interviews with BIJ1 voters and people who have considered voting for the party. These were used to examine the reasons behind voting for BIJ1 along the three dimensions in Dutch politics: namely the socioeconomic, cultural and moral dimensions. The socio-economic and cultural dimensions proved to be paramount to BIJ1 supporters. Although BIJ1 voters and non-voters mentioned reasons that fell within the three dimensions these categories seem to provide incomplete explanations in connection to other issues that were discussed. The results of the interviews with BIJ1 voters, as well as non-voters, have demonstrated that their reasons for voting and considering the party were predominantly connected to identity. The group of voters who considered voting for BIJ1 were often held back by the identity of the party and did not identify with these issues as deeply as BIJ1 voters did.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
This article addresses the way LGBTQ+ athletes use sport as a tool for resilience. Preliminary research on resilience through sport focuses on sport as a pre-facilitated space, intentionally...Show moreThis article addresses the way LGBTQ+ athletes use sport as a tool for resilience. Preliminary research on resilience through sport focuses on sport as a pre-facilitated space, intentionally created for resilience building, rather than sport as a regular space but used by the athlete as an independent tool for resilience without interference by external organizations. This research explores the experiences of LGBTQ+ athletes in sport by conducting visual ethnographic research, keeping the social ecology theory in mind. This article reflects on how the process of fieldwork has changed the course of this research, and how audio-visual methods and making a film have led to these changes, thereby providing new insights regarding sport as a tool for resilience.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
In the past decade, the relationship between the United States and Iran has been through significant changes, particularly playing out in the realm of nuclear proliferation. The establishment of...Show moreIn the past decade, the relationship between the United States and Iran has been through significant changes, particularly playing out in the realm of nuclear proliferation. The establishment of the landmark Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) under the Obama administration, thought to be the start of a new chapter of US-Iran relations, was uprooted by the Trump administration almost immediately after the change in leadership. In order to understand how this radical policy shift is possible, this thesis analyses and compares the policy discourses on Iran of the Obama and Trump administration in terms of Self-Other identity construction. Taking a poststructuralist approach to policy discourse analysis, the ontological link between discursive identity and policy decision making is the central subject of study. The thesis concludes that the decisions to establish and withdraw from the JCPOA are constituted by discourses which in fact construct a highly similar radical Self-Other relationship between the US and Iran, within which the US is positioned as having to change the behaviour of the Iranian regime as arbiter of the Middle East and ally of the Iranian people. Crucially, they differ when it comes to the use of orientalist binaries, the capacity for change attributed to the Iranian regime (temporal identity) and the position of the US vis-a-vis the international community (ethical-spatial identity), which is congruent with the diverging policy decisions on the JCPOA.Show less
In this interdisciplinary thesis, I use history and anthropology to research the influence of migration history on the identity construct of Hindostani people in the Netherlands. The work is...Show moreIn this interdisciplinary thesis, I use history and anthropology to research the influence of migration history on the identity construct of Hindostani people in the Netherlands. The work is anthropological because I created data by interviewing 23 participants about their lives and experiences, and historical because I used a framework of scholars who have researched the complex fields of identity, colonialism, migration, and transnational history or have specifically researched Hindostani people and their history. Combining these datasets, I present a case study that goes in depth to find out what the influence of colonial migration is on Hindostani people in a ‘postcolonial’ society such as the Netherlands. The conclusion is a careful but meaningful one, as it offers insights into both the people I interviewed and the society in which they live. This study shows that identity is so complex and personal that migration history has divergent meaning and effect on the lives of individual Hindostanis, so that even pointers such as age and gender cannot indicate the importance of that history to a Hindostani person. The only exception to this was religion, as religious participants ascribed more meaning to their migration history. Their history played a large part in the constructing of their identity and in the raising of their children. Lastly, I argue that both interdisciplinary and microhistory, even though small-scale, are key to historical research, especially of colonial history, by creating data and writing with the people who are the embodiment of that history.Show less
This thesis provides an analysis on the J-horror film Kairo (Kurosawa Kiyoshi, 2001) and Studio Ghibli's Pom Poko (Takahata Isao, 1994) and their connection to the concept of furusato. Furusato, a...Show moreThis thesis provides an analysis on the J-horror film Kairo (Kurosawa Kiyoshi, 2001) and Studio Ghibli's Pom Poko (Takahata Isao, 1994) and their connection to the concept of furusato. Furusato, a nostalgic longing for the countryside as metaphorical "old home", is expressed very differently in these films: while Pom Poko heavily emphasises this nostalgia, furusato is implicitly present in Kairo through its absence.Show less
How did the distinct cultural, ethnic, and linguistic groups, who originated from valleys separated by natural barriers, and their cultural traditions, become one 'homogenous' constitutional monarchy?
This thesis critically approaches the notion of nostalgia as a site for negotiating the way communities in Ladakh reproduce the past in the present. Multiple nostalgias are explored and the various...Show moreThis thesis critically approaches the notion of nostalgia as a site for negotiating the way communities in Ladakh reproduce the past in the present. Multiple nostalgias are explored and the various nostalgic postures are unpacked as they encounter and engage with modernity. The aim is to understand through ethnographic analysis, the temporalities within which nostalgia occurs and the interplay between nostalgia and cultural practices that provide a site to study how the past is maintained in the present.Show less
