This research aims to analyze the influence of exposure to graffiti in the home environment while taking into account other influential factors, specifically: engagement with graffiti, recognition...Show moreThis research aims to analyze the influence of exposure to graffiti in the home environment while taking into account other influential factors, specifically: engagement with graffiti, recognition of graffiti's role in representing a city's character, contributing to a country's dirtiness, representing citizens values, and affecting citizens' comfort in their urban environment. An extensive literature review attempting to define graffiti and its surrounding contexts and influences builds the foundation for the research. The data was collected using self-report online questionnaires. The questionnaire was distributed through personal communication and social media platforms. The survey received 217 replies, and of those, 197 participants completed the questionnaire. The results suggest that there is a positive correlation between exposure to graffiti during the developing years and citizens' desire for graffiti. Furthermore, street art is examined as an influential factor in graffiti and the publics’ relationship. This research project shows the diversity and complexity of graffiti and its perceptions.Show less
Illegal oil theft, also referred to as “huachicoleo”, constitutes one of the major policy issues today in Mexico. Although organized crime shapes the contemporary political landscape of the country...Show moreIllegal oil theft, also referred to as “huachicoleo”, constitutes one of the major policy issues today in Mexico. Although organized crime shapes the contemporary political landscape of the country, political science academia has largely failed to research crime and its impact on the state. This thesis particularly investigates the phenomenon of huachicoleo in Mexico and why it has become the new public priority. It draws upon academic contributions from cultural studies, criminology, sociology and political science to provide an alternative narrative about the conflict in Mexico. The thesis proposes that huachicoleo erodes the legitimacy of the Mexican state and poses a threat to the government as such. It emphasizes the agency of non-humans, i.e. the cultural power of oil and the symbolic value of the state-owned oil company PEMEX. Moreover, the thesis looks into the huachicolero subculture, which has developed around the activity of illegal oil theft and shares similarities with narcoculture. It demonstrates how “huachicultura” challenges the state’s legitimacy through its cultural artifacts and actively takes part in the on-going process of the social construction of legitimacy in Mexico. These findings suggest for future research to acknowledge the importance of material objects and non-human entities in conflict situations and how those engage with the human entity as a network of agency.Show less
Among the vast variety of cultural categories in Japan, there is one that has been growing in strength and popularity since the 1970s and is now one of the most sought-after professions among...Show moreAmong the vast variety of cultural categories in Japan, there is one that has been growing in strength and popularity since the 1970s and is now one of the most sought-after professions among teenagers in Japan: seiyū (voice actor). Annually, hundreds of students apply for vocational schools and agencies in order to get training to become a voice actor. The profession is highly romanticized, but the reality of it includes many problematic aspects as well. This research focusses on the seiyū industry of Japan, its educational properties, and the way it supports the anime market and vice versa.Show less
