The focus of this research is to determine if there is a junior or equal partnership between the Nederlandse Spoorwegen, department Veiligheid & Service and the Nationale Politie. This study...Show moreThe focus of this research is to determine if there is a junior or equal partnership between the Nederlandse Spoorwegen, department Veiligheid & Service and the Nationale Politie. This study aims to answer the research question: “What partnership approach governs the relationship between Veiligheid & Service (Nederlandse Spoorwegen) and Nationale Politie?”. The research focuses on two partnership types, junior and equal, in five categories: responsibilities, information sharing, network position and legal framework, training, and perception of professionals. The research uses a single case study design and applies qualitative data collection methods, including interviews and document research. The research sample consists of multiple individuals in different relevant positions from both actors and a coordinating actor. The research indicates that Veiligheid & Service primarily has a junior partnership with respect to the Nationale Politie due to limited responsibility and information sharing, limited legal power and training. However, findings with regard to network position and professional perceptions suggest an equal partnership amongst the actors. Multiple interviews were conducted. However, the interviews were conducted with respondents positioned at a tactical or policy level, potentially under-representing local operational levels. Further research could explore the impact of external factors and the effectiveness of partnerships in achieving their goals.Show less
The importance of VR technology is increasing in many fields, yet current literature regarding personal characteristics and their ability to influence VR experiences is very limited and ambiguous....Show moreThe importance of VR technology is increasing in many fields, yet current literature regarding personal characteristics and their ability to influence VR experiences is very limited and ambiguous. In order to have a better understanding of these dynamics, this study analyses the relationship between Sense of Presence and interaction with VR environments in relation to certain personal characteristics such as personality type and mental rotation ability. For this purpose, 22 participants are recruited to experience the presented virtual environment. They are able to interact with certain objects within it, for example by lifting them up and throwing them around. Each interaction is counted and their answers on the Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI), Igroup Presence Questionnaire (IPQ) and a Mental Rotation task are measured. A correlational design is used and scores are analysed by means of multiple linear regression models. Results show no significant effects for any of the factors after correcting for multiple testing, however Neuroticism shows a positive pattern for Spatial Presence (p<.05) and Mental Rotation demonstrates a possible positive relation with Realism (p<.05). In conclusion, it is postulated that personal characteristics might play a role in feelings of presence in virtual spaces, however due to limited power and other methodological factors, significance was not reached. In alignment with our aim, this study aids in enriching the scarce literature that is currently available by presenting its own results and by further offering interesting clues for future research into the relationship (neuro)-psychological factors might have with our experiences of VR.Show less
Studies show that during the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantining, lockdowns and a palpable shortage of outdoor activities led to increased media consumption as a means for audiences to keep themselves...Show moreStudies show that during the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantining, lockdowns and a palpable shortage of outdoor activities led to increased media consumption as a means for audiences to keep themselves occupied, as they cope with the psychological consequences of extended periods of social isolation. Not only did the quantity of consumption increase, but the nature in which audiences engaged with media has changed also. For instance, many have started listening to podcasts during the pandemic. This appears indicative not only of a desperation to try new things, but also that new listeners were attempting to mimic social interaction somehow. Para-social interactions, the one-sided interactions between mediated personalities and their audiences, have existed long before the Web 2.0 era of media. This specific development is a hint that audiences were not only increasingly subjected to these interactions, they may have been actively seeking them out. Cum Town, a vulgar podcast featuring three comedians who have basically become niche micro-celebrities, is one such podcast that saw its audience grow during the pandemic. Given the mischievous character of this show, it seems pertinent to ask whether an increase in such interactions is a good thing, as well as what other repercussions come with this type of consumption.Show less
Interjections such as 'wow', 'mhm' or 'oh boy', can be defined as conventionalized lingui,stic items that typically constitute a non-elliptical utterance of their own and express a speaker’s...Show moreInterjections such as 'wow', 'mhm' or 'oh boy', can be defined as conventionalized lingui,stic items that typically constitute a non-elliptical utterance of their own and express a speaker’s attitude towards a situation. Many studies have debated about topics like the extent of the interjection class, or the semantics of different types of interjections. However, the context of conversation is needed to truly grasp the way interjections are used in spoken language. This study investigates the interjections of Avatime, a Kwa language of Ghana, focusing specifically on how they are used in interactional discourse. I construct an inventory of the interjections used in a collection of Avatime conversations.I then analyze the functions, positions and multimodal properties of these interjections. The great majority of attested interjections are phatic in function (e.g., backchanneling or expressing agreement), while there is relatively little room for interjections expressing emotions. Most interjections occur on their own (as is part of their definition) or turn-initially. Avatime speakers also regularly communicate in sequences that consist of only interjections. Furthermore, conversation is not unimodal, and neither are interjections. A quarter of the Avatime interjections occur with a gesture (with hand, head or other body parts), although facial expressions are rarely involved in producing gestures. Furthermore, there seems to be great areal convergence of interjections in Avatime and surrounding languages, which are all influenced by the regional lingua franca Ewe. To better understand these areal patterns, and to place interjections in a wider typological perspective, more empirical studies like the present one are needed. Only with comparable data from diverse languages can we understand the use of interjections in conversations around the world, which ultimately is fundamental to understanding human interaction.Show less
Touch and interactivity is becoming increasingly popular in museums countering decades of traditional museum styles and creating new ways to experience culture. This paper examines five cultural...Show moreTouch and interactivity is becoming increasingly popular in museums countering decades of traditional museum styles and creating new ways to experience culture. This paper examines five cultural heritage institutions in the Netherlands and specifically focuses on the use of handling and interactivity with collection and display objects for the general public. Niel Kotler's 2004 article "New ways of experiencing culture: the role of museums and marketing" provides the basis for the ideas on where museums fit into a cultural framework and the importance of experience for education. By exploring this idea this paper answers questions about what modern museums and collections are doing to meet the growing public demand and general necessity of increased accessibility to and understanding of objects with importance to cultural heritage. How these methods for allowing touch and interactivity contribute to the learning and understanding of participants about the objects and their cultural importance is one of the main focuses. Each institution is discussed thoroughly under a division of themes between how handling is introduced through an educational lens and an exhibition lens. The paper concludes that museums are far more open to interactivity with collection objects than is often assumed by both museum studies and by the public. A positive outlook is concluded on behalf of the efforts which provides an understanding of the importance of the work being done to increase public knowledge and understanding of historical and cultural objects through the ability to handle and closely interact with objects. These efforts will be essential for the continued preservation of objects as well as technqiues, stories, cultures, and histories for years to come.Show less
This research paper analyses Katja Kwastek’s aesthetic theory that can be used to analyse interactive, digital artworks within both the physical and digital space. The theory is built on four...Show moreThis research paper analyses Katja Kwastek’s aesthetic theory that can be used to analyse interactive, digital artworks within both the physical and digital space. The theory is built on four actors: the artist, the assistant, the recipient and the technical system, as well as spatial and temporal parameters. The actors and parameters together form a set of tools that can be used to study interaction in digital art. This research paper will expand this theory, as display does not play a determining role within the theory. The expanded theory will be applied to two case-studies: the Companion (EXPANDED) (2020) and Companion (EXPANDED) (2022) that were included in the KAWS: New Fiction exhibitions. One of these exhibitions took place in the physical Serpentine North Gallery, London, the other is still accessible in videogame Fortnite. The application of the theory will provide insight on the role display plays within the analysis of interactive art within the physical and digital space.Show less
This thesis describes the linguistic innovations of pronominal self-reference and particle usage of cisgender women and third-gender (transgender, non-binary) speakers in Thailand, using Thai talk...Show moreThis thesis describes the linguistic innovations of pronominal self-reference and particle usage of cisgender women and third-gender (transgender, non-binary) speakers in Thailand, using Thai talk shows and series as a source of data. The study finds that both groups of speakers innovate self-reference strategies and index their gender/sexual identities through gender-neutral pronouns, zero anaphora, kinship terms, nicknames and the frequent use or avoidance of feminine forms. Additionally, the study looks into how other people refer to women and third-gender persons in a discursive context.First, this paper begins with an introduction to the relevant theoretical framework regarding language, gender/sexuality, and identity. Following that is background information concerning the current reconceptualizations of gender/sexual identities in Thailand. Next, the traditional Thai pronominal reference strategies and gendered status particles are introduced, followed by the case study about the pronominal self-reference strategies and other particle choices made by cisgendered women, transgender women, and non-binary persons in Thai talk shows and series. I conclude with a discussion of these innovative linguistic practices in the context of changing gender roles in Thailand, and of how speakers use these features to establish new gender identities in day-to-day interaction.Show less
Food, as a basic element of people’s daily lives, is closely related to its society. In terms of Chinese food culture, many scholars have done plenty of research about various related topics. This...Show moreFood, as a basic element of people’s daily lives, is closely related to its society. In terms of Chinese food culture, many scholars have done plenty of research about various related topics. This thesis takes the example of Wei Jin Nan Bei Chao period (ca. 220 CE – 581 CE), when the Han Chinese and non-Han people cohabited in a large scale, led by continuous wars and massive migrations. With the method of literature analysis, this thesis focuses on hubing (胡饼), a kind of flatbread, yangpanchang (羊盘肠), a kind of blood sausage and the grape, as three examples non-Han-originated foods, to explore the influence of non-Han dietary practice on the Han cuisine. Further, by relating the food culture to other sociopolitical factors at the time, this thesis analyses how the development of food reflected its wider society, in terms of class and ethnicity. With such analyses and discussions, this study helps in filling the omission in studies of Chinese food history, as well as better understanding the people and society during that time.Show less
