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
Starting around the twentieth century, technological innovations and shifting ideas in self-portraiture resulted in more body-focused self-representations, because access to every aspect of the...Show moreStarting around the twentieth century, technological innovations and shifting ideas in self-portraiture resulted in more body-focused self-representations, because access to every aspect of the body has become significantly easier. The relationship between the material self and social self has changed since artists started to incorporate medical procedures in their artistic practices, which allowed them to represent themselves through their internal body. Three self-portrait series that have been produced by incorporating medical procedures in the creating process will be discussed. These concern Body of Work (2019) by Itamar Gilboa, Self (1991-current) by Marc Quinn, and Self-Portraits (2012) by Angela Palmer. These artists have used the representation of their bodies as a starting point to produce sculptural self-portraits. The incorporation of medical procedures comes with its implications. By discussing these series, it will be demonstrated how the use of medical procedures goes hand in hand with a more scientific, transparent and malleable view on the body and the manners in which this challenges the notion of the self in self-portraiture. To get to a deeper understanding of the artworks, an analysis is performed using theoretical sources that reflect upon the intersection between the fields of art history and (medical) science. This analysis will provide a deeper understanding of how contemporary artists make use of procedures that derive from the medical field, how these explore the boundaries of self-portraiture, and how a new domain is opened up within the genre that challenges more traditional modes of representing the self.Show less
There is increasing awareness of the importance of the body in psychology and philosophy of mind. Embodied accounts of the self are promising in explaining the perceived unity and continuity...Show moreThere is increasing awareness of the importance of the body in psychology and philosophy of mind. Embodied accounts of the self are promising in explaining the perceived unity and continuity characteristic of it: the body provides spatiotemporal locatedness, and embodied experience provides relationships to and interaction with the environment. Given this emphasis on the body, it is surprising to find a lack of consideration of how the embodied self persists through time: as a three-dimensional entity, or rather as a four-dimensional one with temporal parts as well as spatial parts? Conversely, in discussions on persistence over time, a purely mental approach is dominant. I set out to detail the metaphysical debate on persistence, how it is typically applied to persons, and develop a novel account merging various influential lines of thought. The result is an embodied self as a perduring, bio-processual entity.Show less
Carbon Nanomembranes (CNMs) are two-dimensional materials made by cross-linking (interconnecting) the molecules of a Self Assembled Monolayer (SAM). CNMs can be chemically tailored on one or both...Show moreCarbon Nanomembranes (CNMs) are two-dimensional materials made by cross-linking (interconnecting) the molecules of a Self Assembled Monolayer (SAM). CNMs can be chemically tailored on one or both sides leading to a variety of possible properties (e.g. mechanical, conductive, chemical, etc.). Once these properties are understood and controlled, CNMs might be a candidate for (among other things) functional devices based on molecules. In this thesis, it is described how to create laterally patterned CNMs by cross-linking aromatic based self assembled monolayers. Cross-linking is done by in situ low-energy electron irradiation with low energy electron microscopy (LEEM). This novel method allows for new types of experiments giving a brand new perspective. We show that a new structure (possibly CNM) was created after electron irradiation of SAM followed by annealing, furthermore, we have learned that our SAMs show an electron irradiation induced effect. This effect is most accurately described as a front shaped like the irradiated area, slowly shrinking in size until its disappearance. This effect was observed right after irradiation if certain conditions on the illumination time and electron energy were met. This phenomenon was imaged live and down to micrometer scale. These measurements have brought us to the conclusion that this front is not shrinking with a constant speed but is accelerating just before its disappearance. Furthermore, our measurements hint for a connection between the parameters illumination time & electron energy and the visibility and speed of a front.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
In a world of aging, dementia becomes a more and more common disease. Step by step, this disease unravels someone's personality, with consequences for his/her personhood. By following four guests...Show moreIn a world of aging, dementia becomes a more and more common disease. Step by step, this disease unravels someone's personality, with consequences for his/her personhood. By following four guests of the caring home the Herbergier in Arnhem, we will discover the many effects this has on the person him/herself and his/her social environment.Show less
