Linkages between nature and nationalism are re-emerging, gaining momentum on the political agenda of far-right actors. To examine this intersection, this research employs the theoretical framework...Show moreLinkages between nature and nationalism are re-emerging, gaining momentum on the political agenda of far-right actors. To examine this intersection, this research employs the theoretical framework of Forchtner and Kølvraa (2015), focused on the aesthetic, material and symbolic dimensions of nature in nationalism. Considering the aforementioned elements, this analysis offers insights into the field of right-wing rhetoric using Poland as a case study. This paper finds that although these categories can be analytically productive, the reality of far-right communication showcases the interplay of these dimensions. In essence, this research displays how the far-right actors find justification for the nationalist narratives within the concept of nature by referencing the nation’s resource sovereignty, national identity, history or beauty of unspoiled natural landscapes.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
This research explores the embodied and enskilled experience of cold water swimming, utilizing methods such as 'swim-along' interviews, participant observation, and task groups. While initial aims...Show moreThis research explores the embodied and enskilled experience of cold water swimming, utilizing methods such as 'swim-along' interviews, participant observation, and task groups. While initial aims to compare gender differences were limited by participant demographics, findings reveal that the embodiment of cold water swimming is deeply connected to the natural environment and offers significant physical and mental health benefits. Additionally, it examines the concept of community within cold water swimming groups in the UK and the Netherlands. These communities are characterized by shared experiences, support, and non-judgmental attitudes, fostering strong bonds among participants. Within these groups, the research aimed to delve into the gender composition and group interaction. It additionally considered how cold water swimming integrates into participants’ lifestyles, noting the positive impacts on personhood and lifestyle development. Overall, the study provides an extensive portrayal of cold water swimming.Show less
As urbanization rises, increasing studies have been focusing on the restorative effects of nature and the benefits nature has on physical health and well-being. Exposure to nature is interlinked...Show moreAs urbanization rises, increasing studies have been focusing on the restorative effects of nature and the benefits nature has on physical health and well-being. Exposure to nature is interlinked with prosocial tendencies such as helping behaviour and generosity. However, little is known about the relationship between nature and other prosocial behaviour. The current research studied the link between exposure to nature and social mindfulness, a specific and effortless form of prosocial behaviour. Additionally, we tested how restoration and dispositional awe relate to it. We hypothesized that a walk in nature would make people more socially mindful. Our sample (N=16) did not show a significant difference. We expected restoration and dispositional awe to relate positively with social mindfulness after the walk. A marginal effect was found that restoration increased social mindfulness. No evidence was found that dispositional awe affected the relationship between nature and social mindfulness. Findings and limitations are discussed.Show less
In recent years, the Japanese anime industry has undergone a remarkable transformation in the academic world. In the past two decades, Japanese anime has evolved into a commercial success genre, as...Show moreIn recent years, the Japanese anime industry has undergone a remarkable transformation in the academic world. In the past two decades, Japanese anime has evolved into a commercial success genre, as it has allowed for films like Japanese director Makoto Shinkai's Kimi no Na Wa (2016) and Tenki no Ko (2019) to gain global recognition and breathe new life into the Japanese animated film industry. Thus, anime has become a cultural export of reflecting the unique perspectives and values of its creators and audiences worldwide. This research aims to explore how anime, specifically the two films mentioned above, portrays natural disasters and phenomena under the greater context of the Anthropocene. By examining the portrayal of the human-nature relationship, this investigation provides novel insights into the field of anime studies, specifically that of Shinkai. In particular, the thesis focuses on the themes of body and technology, offering an analysis that delves into the mesmerizing world interwoven with profound ideals depicted in Shinkai's works.Show less
In the last twenty years new forms of socially engaged art have globally emerged aiming to address the impellent environmental perils. Contemporary Japan, where the belief in an ancient harmonious...Show moreIn the last twenty years new forms of socially engaged art have globally emerged aiming to address the impellent environmental perils. Contemporary Japan, where the belief in an ancient harmonious human-nature cohesion is presented as an authentic heritage, provides an intriguing starting point for investigating the emergence of such ecologically committed art forms. How are contemporary art initiatives attempting to sensitize the public to sounder relational and “ecosystemic” ways of living? What are the proposals that are currently being set forth? The comparison and contrast of two initiatives, the Echigo-tsumari Art Field and the Tokyo-based teamLab project, will allow me to move towards the central hypothesis of this thesis, that is, that self-consciously labelling certain artistic practices as “eco”, can sometimes be a pretext for a variety of economic, social and cultural purposes rather than just an artistic concern. The Japanese conception of nature (shizenkan), which inspires both initiatives will be proposed here as a double-edged sword: on the one hand, it can be exploited to market and sell a static, fictionalized idea of nature, but it also has the potential to become a valuable representational idea from which to depart to develop something new.Show less
In the twenty-first century, many artists show an interest in early modern collections, and this fascination has manifested itself in their artistic practice. Especially the cabinet of curiosity is...Show moreIn the twenty-first century, many artists show an interest in early modern collections, and this fascination has manifested itself in their artistic practice. Especially the cabinet of curiosity is frequently reintroduced, cited and reappropriated, with underlying concepts and visual tactics resurfacing. It will be determined to what extent visual or conceptual phenomena are reinterpreted or referenced by discussing the work of Steffen Dam, Damien Hirst, Marc Dion, and Marc Quinn. In their art, there is a revival of the traditions of collecting, classifying, categorising, ordering and displaying the natural world. Furthermore, the interrelationship between art and science forms a prominent factor. This study aims to identify the main influences, strategies and connections to the curiosity cabinet and explore to what extent these are reflected in work by these artists. Various case studies will be discussed using visual analysis. Primary and secondary sources will be used to support this visual analysis to uncover possible connections and gain insight into the artists' sources of inspiration and intent. It will be considered how far their methods are tied to curiosity collections. The goal is to determine the collective characteristics present in those case studies. This will add to the comprehension of the main historical influences on these artists and the interconnection between their artistic practices.Show less
According to Kaplan's (1995) Attentional Restorative Theory and Stress Recovery Theory (1981), nature has restorative effects on Mental Fatigue (MF). A report published by Urbanization and Health...Show moreAccording to Kaplan's (1995) Attentional Restorative Theory and Stress Recovery Theory (1981), nature has restorative effects on Mental Fatigue (MF). A report published by Urbanization and Health showed that in 2010, more than half of the world's population lives in urban areas and that this percentage will only increase. In addition, more and more people report suffering from MF (Cox et al., 2017). This study examined whether a natural environment has restorative effects on subjective MF in a videogame as well. 86 participants were pseudo- randomly assigned to a natural (N = 41) or urban (N = 45) environment while playing the videogame. The PANAS-X fatigue questionnaire was used to determine the MF levels before and after participants played the videogame. Subjective MF was expected to be significantly lower in the nature group. The results were compared using repeated-measures ANOVA. Participants in the natural condition and the urban condition both reported lower MF mean differences. The difference did not appear to be due to the condition in which they were assigned. In both conditions, the reported MF mean levels were significantly lower after playing the videogame.Show less
Empirical evidence shows that exposure to natural environments can improve affect and stress, especially for people suffering from depressive symptoms. Research on the restorative effect of natural...Show moreEmpirical evidence shows that exposure to natural environments can improve affect and stress, especially for people suffering from depressive symptoms. Research on the restorative effect of natural environments in relation to depressive symptoms may prove useful for urban populations in which depressive symptoms are relatively more prevalent while natural environments are less accessible. The present study aims to offer insight into how depressive symptoms influence the restorative effects of natural environments on affect and stress compared to urban environments. An online questionnaire was used to measure depressive symptoms as well as affect and feelings of stress before and after exposure to a series of photographs of either natural or busy urban environments. Participants (N = 230) were divided in four groups based on presence of depressive symptoms (depressed, nondepressed) and type of environment (natural, urban). A Kruskal-Wallis test with post-hoc procedures was applied to assess differences between groups in affect and stress change. Results show no difference in affect and stress change between depressed and nondepressed groups. Negative affect and stress decreased in the nature condition. Positive affect decreased while stress increased in the urban condition. The findings suggest that natural environment can indeed improve affect and stress while urban environments can be detrimental, regardless of depressive symptoms.Show less
Empirical evidence shows that exposure to natural environments can improve affect and stress, especially for people suffering from depressive symptoms. Research on the restorative effect of natural...Show moreEmpirical evidence shows that exposure to natural environments can improve affect and stress, especially for people suffering from depressive symptoms. Research on the restorative effect of natural environments in relation to depressive symptoms may prove useful for urban populations in which depressive symptoms are relatively more prevalent while natural environments are less accessible. The present study aims to offer insight into how depressive symptoms influence the restorative effects of natural environments on affect and stress compared to urban environments. An online questionnaire was used to measure depressive symptoms as well as affect and feelings of stress before and after exposure to a series of photographs of either natural or busy urban environments. Participants (N = 230) were divided in four groups based on presence of depressive symptoms (depressed, nondepressed) and type of environment (natural, urban). A Kruskal-Wallis test with post-hoc procedures was applied to assess differences between groups in affect and stress change. Results show no difference in affect and stress change between depressed and nondepressed groups. Negative affect and stress decreased in the nature condition. Positive affect decreased while stress increased in the urban condition. The findings suggest that natural environment can indeed improve affect and stress while urban environments can be detrimental, regardless of depressive symptoms.Show less
Background - The Generalised Unsafety Theory of Stress, a novel stress explanation, considers the stress response as a default mode of the body, which is always active independently from stressors...Show moreBackground - The Generalised Unsafety Theory of Stress, a novel stress explanation, considers the stress response as a default mode of the body, which is always active independently from stressors unless it is inhibited based on perceiving safety. GUTS suggests there are compromised domains where stress is chronically released despite a lack of clear stressors, and the organism is unable to inhibit the stress mechanism mostly because of perceiving generalised unsafety around. One of these compromised domains is believed to be urban environments as they cannot provide sufficient signs of safety, and they mainly consist property of strangers. Natural environments in contrast are believed to provide signs of safety and therefore decrease stress levels. Using meta-analysis, this current research aimed to find and summarize evidence from existing studies reporting that urban environments are associated with increased levels of stress, Method - In total, 12 studies, collected from Web of Science database, were included in six meta-analyses conducted on heart rate variability (high frequency, low frequency/high frequency), saliva cortisol, blood pressure (systolic and diastolic), and heart rate data of healthy adult participants during and after exposure to urban and natural environments. Results - Statistically significant increased heart rate was found after a walk in the urban environment (g = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.20; 0.50, p <0.0001). High frequency heart rate variability was significantly lower after an urban walk(unknown baseline balance group: g = -0.33, 95% CI: -0.55; -0.11; baseline balanced: g = -2.52, 95% CI: -3.25; -1.78). Low frequency heart rate variability was significantly higher during the urban walk (unknown baseline balance group: g = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.49; 1.80; baseline balanced: g = 2.52, 95% CI: 1.78; 3.26). Subgroup analyses and funnel plots for heart rate variability showed a possible small-study effect in the baseline balanced groups. Blood pressure and cortisol measurements showed no significant effect and were ambiguous because of high heterogeneity and small number of included studies. Conclusions - Heart rate variability and heart rate measures indicated a higher stress level in urban than in natural environments providing an example of prolonged stress without stressors, explainable by GUTS. For blood pressure and cortisol no such evidence was provided. However, the results should be carefully interpreted because of high between-study heterogeneity and other limitations of these studies. Further research into stress measurements and effects of natural and urban environment on stress are required to provide reliable evidence.Show less
Humanity’s excessive consumptive behaviour is the primary cause of ecological destruction. Yet, neither lowering consumption nor production levels seem to be addressed in environmental policies and...Show moreHumanity’s excessive consumptive behaviour is the primary cause of ecological destruction. Yet, neither lowering consumption nor production levels seem to be addressed in environmental policies and thus remain notably high. Therefore, this dissertation investigates the psychological roots of humanity’s ecologically destructive consumptive behaviour. My hypothesis is that ecological alienation and self-alienation are the main, compounding factors of ecologically destructive consumptive behaviour. Ecological alienation leads to devaluation of nature. As environmental values are paramount to sustainability-driven behaviour, devaluation of nature decreases the prevalence of such behaviour. Additionally, I argue that humanity’s excessive consumption is driven by consumptive addiction whereby individuals substitute their authentic physical, mental and emotional needs with consumption; and that this consumptive addiction is rooted in self-alienation. I suggest that ecological alienation and self-alienation are themselves rooted in the modern industrial worldview and its related value systems, and that these factors influence and reinforce each other. Ultimately, what is necessary to counter ecologically destructive addictive consumptive behaviour might be exactly what runs the risk of being indefinitely destroyed because of it: humanity’s reconnection with nature.Show less
In this thesis, I argue that the folklore in Alan Garner’s The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and The Moon of Gomrath is an active part of the landscape in which the protagonists live (Alderley Edge,...Show moreIn this thesis, I argue that the folklore in Alan Garner’s The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and The Moon of Gomrath is an active part of the landscape in which the protagonists live (Alderley Edge, Cheshire). I use Jung and Macfarlane to define the concepts of mythology and ecocriticism. Chapter 1 focuses on locality and the concepts of time and place. Bakhtin’s chronotope links archaeology to the imagination and to literature, which results in an analysis of the development of magic through place and time. This leads to the conclusion that Garner uses maps as time-machines. Chapter 2 applies my research to The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and discusses how the book uses landscape descriptions to create an awareness of local folklore and nature. All mythical creatures have their own place in the landscape, and the protagonists are pulled into the magical world through exploring this landscape. In chapter 3 applies these concepts to The Moon of Gomrath, in which not only the mythical creatures live in the landscape, but the landscape itself comes to life as the Old Magic, based on moonlight and natural energy, is woken. Both novels allow readers to be immersed in the landscape of the area without being there, and confirm that nature speaks to the imagination.Show less
The Japanese Government, since the establishment of the Kyoto Protocol, has failed in effectively addressing climate change. Research has shown that the Japanese Government’s failure in combination...Show moreThe Japanese Government, since the establishment of the Kyoto Protocol, has failed in effectively addressing climate change. Research has shown that the Japanese Government’s failure in combination with its control over the media developed a misleading conception among the Japanese population of its efficacy in implementing environmentally-friendly policies, thus different kinds of communication are needed. This study aims to determine how employing art as a surrogate form of communication might raise awareness on the necessity and urgency of tackling environmental issues in Japan. Building on an alternative conception of the human-nature relationship arising from Zen Buddhist and Shinto values, this study asks: “To what extent can ecological art in Japan promote a message of sustainability that raises awareness and enhances the action of everyday actors?” By means of process-tracing combined with a case study analysis, this study illustrates the causal mechanisms between the Japanese religio-cultural inspired conception of the human-nature relationship, ecoart, and the establishment of a more environmentally friendly society. The case study analyses on the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field (ETAF) initiative showed that, by means of ecoart focused on community, locality and emotions, ETAF represents a viable model for Japan to increase ecoart initiatives and stimulate grassroots efforts towards environmental protection by means of art. Further research is needed on the initiatives engaging with the Japanese public aimed at delivering a message of environmental betterment by means of art and culture, as well as to determine the effects of ecoart in other parts of the world.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
By advertising nature based recreation, companies associated with the winter sport industry are inherently reliant on reinscribing a dualistic nature/culture opposition. While nature is advertised...Show moreBy advertising nature based recreation, companies associated with the winter sport industry are inherently reliant on reinscribing a dualistic nature/culture opposition. While nature is advertised as something ‘out there’, the practise of nature based recreation, offered by skiing resorts, is excessed in fully regulated human made spaces. By turning an infrastructural lens on the high alpine region, the practical ontologies of human and nonhuman co-creation are examined. While the practise of nature based recreation has positive effects on the environmental attitudes of practitioners, the ecological irony of winter sports tourism is stretched. By employing the techniques of audiovisual research and infrastructural inversion as analytical strategies, the hidden workings of regional infrastructures are explored. By analysing infrastructural changes within and outside the skiing resort Kitzsteinhorn (AT) a correlation between infrastructural arrangements and environmental attitudes was examined. This is a multimodal thesis submitted in the course of the Master Specialisation in Visual Ethnography at the faculty of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology of Leiden University. Its results are presented in the form of this written thesis and an ethnographic short-film Surfing Frozen Oceans (26 min.)Show less
In the course of history, the once reverent and humble man, subordinated to natural forces has changed his relationship to his natural environment, leading to our current geological age, in which...Show moreIn the course of history, the once reverent and humble man, subordinated to natural forces has changed his relationship to his natural environment, leading to our current geological age, in which human activity is the dominant force on climate, earth’s geology and ecosystems. The depiction of man’s relationship to nature has been expressed in countless representations of landscapes within the discipline of the arts, nevertheless, the Land Art movement, which originated around the 1960s in the US took this artistic approach to the theme of the landscape on a whole new level, by incorporating their vision into already existing, physical landscapes. American artist Alan Sonfist was one of the first artists to engage with those human-centred changes in our behaviour with nature, by producing Time Landscape in the city of New York. The project had been proposed to the municipality of New York City already in the year 1965, however, it took almost thirteen years to realise due to difficult negotiations. Time Landscape, a project which still exists in downtown Manhattan today and recently turned fifty years old, is an attempt to recreate a pre-colonial forest that once existed on the same site before man’s interference into the natural landscape. Serving on the one hand as a memorial to extinct species of plants, vanished due to urbanisation, and on the other hand as a visual inspiration for renewing the city’s natural environment, it is an artwork that reflects ecological concerns towards the well-being of the planet, which has been endangered by a changing relationship between man and nature.Show less
This thesis analyses the uses of nature in the creation of an Israeli national image. It traces the uses of nature from early Zionist thinking through to the modern day. It exIt examines how nature...Show moreThis thesis analyses the uses of nature in the creation of an Israeli national image. It traces the uses of nature from early Zionist thinking through to the modern day. It exIt examines how nature was used as a tool to create a nation, to claim land from Palestinians and how it has been used as a dividing factor between Ashkenazim and Mizrahim, through the kibbutz and ma'abara. Films and music are analysed in order to assess how these ideas and discourses have lasted through until the modern dayShow less
This thesis analyzes the way in which the development of environmental protection is represented in mainstream Chinese cinema by examining the different societal players in Chinese films with an...Show moreThis thesis analyzes the way in which the development of environmental protection is represented in mainstream Chinese cinema by examining the different societal players in Chinese films with an ecological theme. Such societal players are the Chinese government, or Chinese minority groups. Moreover, this thesis explores the way nature itself is presented in these films, as well as what tools are used in promoting environmental messages.Show less
Over the early modern period Europe saw great change in its practices of the studies of nature as a result of the invention of the printing press, the opening up of the new world and trade systems,...Show moreOver the early modern period Europe saw great change in its practices of the studies of nature as a result of the invention of the printing press, the opening up of the new world and trade systems, and the invention of the microscope. At the same time, artists began incorporating the bodies of insects and small animals into their works. Small animals and insects became their own major subjects of study for philosophers of nature and artists. In addition, the line between artist and philosopher of nature blurred, leading to artists and philosophers of nature collaborating over their findings. This thesis seeks to answer the question of how the changing ideas on small animals and insects in Europe during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries can be seen in the works of artists of the same period, and how did these works influence European naturalist views on small animals and insects.Show less
