Master thesis | Classics and Ancient Civilizations (MA)
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This thesis is an analysis of the aromatics industries in the Ancient Near East in the 3rd millennium BCE with a particular focus on the records from the archive of the e2-mi2 ("House of the Woman"...Show moreThis thesis is an analysis of the aromatics industries in the Ancient Near East in the 3rd millennium BCE with a particular focus on the records from the archive of the e2-mi2 ("House of the Woman") in Girsu (modern Tello). The topic of aromatics production, the people involved in it, and the materials used has been studied extensively through the records of later periods (Ur III onwards), but earlier sources have largely been unused, citing their relative scarcity as a reason. In this sense, this thesis collects the earlier sources and makes them available for discussion. The main research questions are: who were the people involved in the aromatics production in Girsu? What were their tasks other than making scented substances? To what extent are the sources of Girsu representative in a broader context? The methods used are those of social history. A corpus of sources is presented and analyzed, with particular emphasis on the people's social status, activities, and the way in which the documentary practices of Ancient Mesopotamia shape our knowledge about this period. The result is a description of diverse practices, with locally specific characteristics, nonetheless all being a part of a wider, shared tradition of production and use of aromatics.Show less
Research master thesis | Middle Eastern Studies (research) (MA)
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This thesis traces the development of the kafala system in Bahrain from its modern origins in the British protectorate era until its reform in the first and second decade of the twenty-first...Show moreThis thesis traces the development of the kafala system in Bahrain from its modern origins in the British protectorate era until its reform in the first and second decade of the twenty-first century. It conducts a historical analysis based on archival evidence to elucidate the intricate interlocking of this trajectory with multiscalar, overlapping, and often competing social, economic, and political transformations. Material incentives, as well as domestic and regional political pressures, played a key role in this formulation. The history uncovered sheds important light on the critical shortcomings of recent reforms to Bahrain’s labour migration regime and the fundamental obstructions to change. It demonstrates that the persistent vulnerability of migrant workers under contemporary structures of kafala is inextricably linked to the workings of the global economy under the capitalist mode of production. Privileging this interconnection as the vantage point from which to consider labour migration regimes in the Gulf is crucial if we are to understand and assess the challenges to and opportunities for change.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
This thesis describes how Wuthering Heights is a social novel, which analyses the cause and effect of class, gender and communal conflict in a late eighteenth-century rural community. Socio...Show moreThis thesis describes how Wuthering Heights is a social novel, which analyses the cause and effect of class, gender and communal conflict in a late eighteenth-century rural community. Socio-political developments, like the rise of the middle classes, shape and form the community and the characters in the novel These forces give rise to ideologies, and create conflict within the Earnshaw and Linton families. This leads to a cycle of conflict, with inflicted suffering and revenge. The root of conflict in the novel is Mutual incomprehension, caused by ideological differences, prejudice, and characters' upbringing in closed cultures.Show less
Research master thesis | Asian Studies (research) (MA)
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Until the present, the history of Chinese bells has mainly been studied through archaeological findings, most prominently Eastern Zhou bell chimes, and serious studies in which bells are the main...Show moreUntil the present, the history of Chinese bells has mainly been studied through archaeological findings, most prominently Eastern Zhou bell chimes, and serious studies in which bells are the main topic remain scarce for periods after the Han. However, bells demonstrably continued to play a significant role in different contexts, most strikingly as a component of Buddhist material culture. Despite the lack of archaeological material for later periods, the importance of these instruments can be deduced from written sources. This thesis traces the history of Buddhist temple bells during the Song dynasty (960-1276), through bell inscriptions that have been preserved despite the disappearance of the majority of the bells themselves. It pays attention to their practical and symbolic functions, as attested in the inscriptions, as well as to the context and local social history of bells, which can be reconstructed from the names that occur in the inscriptions.Show less
This Master Thesis is written for the master Arts and Culture at Leiden University, with the specialization Early Modern and Medieval Art. In 2013, the canals of Amster-dam celebrated their 400th...Show moreThis Master Thesis is written for the master Arts and Culture at Leiden University, with the specialization Early Modern and Medieval Art. In 2013, the canals of Amster-dam celebrated their 400th birthday, a fact that inspired several authors in publishing books on this subject, most of them discussing several houses on the canals. This Thesis focuses on one canal house in Amsterdam, with address Amstel 218. This specific canal house is nowadays the location of one of Holland's largest and most important private art collections, the Six Collection. This collection has been located on Amstel 218 since 1915, and this study handles the period before this time. The chosen period is 1665-1800, from the moment the house was built until the end of the eighteenth century. This focus on the eighteenth century derives from, first of all, the fact that the Dutch seventeenth century or Golden Age has been rewarded much more attention in the existing (art)historical literature. Next to this, in the literature that does focus on the eighteenth century, a strong opinion is visible deeming this century less interesting from cultural historical viewpoint than its predecessor. This Thesis aims to bring focus to this period and hopefully uncover the lives of the people that owned a canal house in Amsterdam. The aim is to find out who lived in such a house, and to complete the face of these people, questions are asked such as: what did these people do professionally, were they born in a rich milieu or were they self made rich? What did their social surrounding look like, both professionally and in terms of family and friends and what were their interests, what did they do for recreation and education. To answer these questions, original eighteenth century archival documents are investigated to see what these home-owners did and what possessions they had. The goal of this Thesis is to give a face to these people, and see how the studied per-sons fit into the view that exists in current literature on the eighteenth century. This study will be carried out with the help from terms as formulated by French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. These three terms are introduced in his book 'Distinction', that mainly deals with the topic of social stratification. The formulated terms are social, cultural and economic capital and are important in distinguishing a persons personal properties on a social, cultural and economical level. Abbreviated, social capital consists of the entire social network that a person has, both professionally and personally. Cultural capital is the collection of ones educational properties, together with for instance musical or creative talents, or the ability to speak different languages. Economic capital is the entire concrete possession of money, property and other goods or affairs that can instantly be translated into monetary value. These three terms are inextricably connected, because the growth in one specific area can influence that of the others. For example, expansion of economic capital can provide the owner with more social status. The other way around, social status or connections can provide jobs or other financial support and thus influence the economic capital. The first chapter elaborated these terms further, as well as it discussed Bourdieus influence on (art)historical literature. It also discussed the work of histori-ans Maarten Prak and Thera Wijsenbeek-Olthuis, whose literature on the Dutch eighteenth century is very important in this Thesis’ aim to draw an image of the lives of people in this period. ` The second chapter discussed the house itself and the entire history of its inhabitants. Amstel 218 was built in circa 1665, and archival documents show who owned the house from that day until today. As well as the history of the inhabitants, the chapter discussed all known architectural adjustments that the house has seen through the ages. This chapter unveiled that there were large differences in the duration of the ownership. Some owners stayed for six years, while others could last for thirty. In terms of the architectural history of the house, the extent to which the owners made adjustments to the house also differed greatly. The third chapter presented all the information found in archival documents, per owner. It discussed marriage, children, professional functions and religion of these owners, all discovered in original sources. Differences became clear in all aspects. While everyone got married, some families remained childless where others had five children. Amongst the owners were roman-catholics, Calvinists and a Baptist. The chapter discussed what these religious viewpoints meant at the time, as well as what their jobs represented. Several of the inhabitants were merchants, others had functions with the VOC and one of them worked as an auctioneer. This chapter also reviewed the information about their financial situation, derived from testaments or other financial documents. The fourth chapter discussed the lives of these people in their social historical context, guided by Bourdieus terms. In this chapter, it becomes clear that these people are exemplary of the social historical context, as formulated by different historians. The eighteenth century was defined by interest in science, a great divide between the poor and the rich, a longing for peace and quiet outside of the city and a great care for the exposition of status. Based on the original sources is concluded that these owners probably suited their time. This Thesis has tried to sketch an image of the lives of the people that lived in a grand canal house in Amsterdam, in the eighteenth century. Based on archival documents, we have learned what these people did for a living, what their social net-work could look like and what they had in terms of possessions. Although these people came from different social standings, they all owned the same house at some point. The sources disclosed that these people had more in common than just the house, for they shared some of the same interests and possessions, such as almoner ship, literature, religion, a love for the countryside and, most of all, the tendency to show off their social, cultural and economical status.Show less
