In the fall of 2012, in reaction to proposed legislation by the Canadian government, the actions of four women, three of which of First Nations descent, led to a grassroots activist movement called...Show moreIn the fall of 2012, in reaction to proposed legislation by the Canadian government, the actions of four women, three of which of First Nations descent, led to a grassroots activist movement called ‘Idle No More’. This movement has since inspired many people to take action for Indigenous rights and environmental preservation. In this thesis I will research which historical, social, economical, environmental and political factors contributed to the origination and the continuing impact of the Idle No More movement to answer the question: who is Idle No More, and what does being Idle No More mean to those involved?Show less
This thesis will reveal that The Road contains many literary techniques, motifs and themes that can be traced back specifically to Romantic texts in the apocalyptic tradition, as well as...Show moreThis thesis will reveal that The Road contains many literary techniques, motifs and themes that can be traced back specifically to Romantic texts in the apocalyptic tradition, as well as philosophical ideas concerning human ethics that were developed within Romantic and later science fiction literature, initially in response to Kantian ethics. These specific themes and ideas will serve as the framework of reference for this research, to be introduced and placed in context in the following subsections.Show less
“The Third Eye. Understanding Raghubir Singh and Raghu Rai” is focussing on the work of two Indian photographers. The research revolves around the question whether the work of Raghubir Singh and...Show more“The Third Eye. Understanding Raghubir Singh and Raghu Rai” is focussing on the work of two Indian photographers. The research revolves around the question whether the work of Raghubir Singh and Raghu Rai contains specific cultural characteristics concerning the selection of subject matter and photographic genre. This involves the purpose of their work, the influence of visual culture, and the technical approach. Chapter One offers a description of specific features of Indian visual culture and perception in order to put Singh and Rai in context and outline their distinctive position as photographer. Elements from Indian spiritual life and arts are being connected to findings in neuroscience research related to perception of people. This concerns the question whether the photography by Raghubir Singh and Raghu Rai contains specific Indian visual and cultural elements. The work of Singh and Rai is varyingly described as street photography and documentary photography. In Chapter Two various definitions and descriptions of these genres are analysed and compared. Researched is if Singh and Rai have an approach that can be identified as either street or documentary photography. Both photographers once met and were inspired by Henri Cartier-Bresson. Having determined the visual context and denominated the photographic genre of Raghubir Singh and Raghu Rai, Chapter Three investigates whether and how Cartier-Bresson influenced both photographers, in which the concept of the ‘decisive moment’ inevitably is a point of attention as well. The research indicates that Singh and Rai’s photographic work is authentic. They have adapted photographic genres developed in Western culture to suit the Indian context and the purpose of their work. The implications however are that not all viewers will perceive their work. Comprehension is dependent on the level of familiarity with Indian culture. Furthermore, researchers applying Western theories of photography should be aware of potential bias in these concepts. As specific Indian historical and comparative research and theorization regarding Indian photography is not yet initiated further research in this field is recommended.Show less
In this thesis I investigate the development of a supplementary design in Chinese ceramics, the plantain leaf design. I propose that the triangles on archaic bronzes do not represent (plantain)...Show moreIn this thesis I investigate the development of a supplementary design in Chinese ceramics, the plantain leaf design. I propose that the triangles on archaic bronzes do not represent (plantain) leaves and thus should not be referred to as jiāoyèwén ‘plantain leaf design’. During the Yuan dynasty, however, one specific type of banded leaf design is developed that can be consistently referred to as jiāoyèwén ‘plantain leaf design’. I map out the developments of the different banded leaf designs, and seek to show that the triangle design on archaic bronzes played an integral part in the development of the plantain leaf design of the Yuan dynasty. These developments are discussed in light of ‘the uses of the past’ initially described by David Lowenthal.Show less
In deze these wordt de verhouding tussen verschillende takken van onderzoek onderzocht. Daarbij komt niet alleen de verhouding tussen verschillende vormen van wetenschappelijk onderzoek aan bod,...Show moreIn deze these wordt de verhouding tussen verschillende takken van onderzoek onderzocht. Daarbij komt niet alleen de verhouding tussen verschillende vormen van wetenschappelijk onderzoek aan bod, maar ook de verhouding tussen wetenschappelijk onderzoek in het algemeen en onderzoek zoals zich dat voltrekt in de kunsten. Aan de hand van Dewey en Heidegger wordt een begrip van de structuur van de onderzoeksactiviteit ontwikkelt. Deze dient als alternatief voor het gangbare begrip, waarmee een onderscheid gemaakt wordt tussen verschillende takken van onderzoek (het bekendste: het onderscheid geesteswetenschappelijk en natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek). Dat gangbare begrip van de structuur van onderzoek ontvangen we van Dilthey, het onderscheid volgt bij Dilthey uit een fundamenteel onderscheid dat hij maken moet (onder druk van Kant) tussen twee wijzen van ervaren. Het is de mogelijkheid om dit onderscheid te maken, tussen een "innerlijke" en een "uiterlijke" wijze van ervaren, die in deze these wordt geproblematiseerd.Show less
In his later work Heidegger introduces a mirror play of four spheres, something which in the first instance seems enigmatic and incomprehensible. This design, what he calls the Geviert (Fourfold),...Show moreIn his later work Heidegger introduces a mirror play of four spheres, something which in the first instance seems enigmatic and incomprehensible. This design, what he calls the Geviert (Fourfold), seems to appear out of nowhere. But on second thoughts it becomes clear that it is a continuation of his earlier work, and it is an answer to the problems of the European thinking. The main question of my study: ‘What includes Heideggers Geviert?’ The thesis consists of four chapters. The first focuses on the conception of the design of the Geviert in Heideggers earlier works, such as Sein und Zeit and Urpsprung des Kunstwerkes. The second one talks about two spheres, the earth and the sky. The third one focuses on the other two spheres, the mortal and the godlike. The fourth chapter treats the relationship and the dynamic between the four spheres. One of the insights is that each sphere contains the dynamic of Heraclit’ phusis-concept. Herewith Heidegger harks back to the origin of the Western thought to address to problems that have sprung into this thinking at the root.Show less
This is a study of a colonial economy from an agricultural perspective, focusing on the interaction and conflicts between rice and sugarcane production in Java during the late colonial period. Rice...Show moreThis is a study of a colonial economy from an agricultural perspective, focusing on the interaction and conflicts between rice and sugarcane production in Java during the late colonial period. Rice is the most important staple food, while sugarcane has been the principal cash crop between 1870s and 1920s. Since the natural habitats for two crops are similar in many respects but large-scale intercropping was precluded due to different irrigation practices, rice and sugarcane have been competing for the limited resource of land since the dawn of mass production at the end of the nineteenth century. This thesis attempts to answer whether the proliferation of sugar plantation contributed to the rice shortage in Java, and how the shortfall in rice might influence the distribution and expansion of sugar plantation in the tropical island. Besides the quantitative analysis with agricultural statistics, it also investigates the process of policy-making, in which the colonial government exerted regulatory influence over different interest groups as far as the production of rice and sugar were concerned in the 1910s and 1920s.Show less
Hoe religie en de natuur op bepaalde punten samen lijken te komen volgens Charles Dupuis en George Faber. Twee perspectieven uit dezelfde tijd. Een Franse en een Engelse gedachte zien verbanden...Show moreHoe religie en de natuur op bepaalde punten samen lijken te komen volgens Charles Dupuis en George Faber. Twee perspectieven uit dezelfde tijd. Een Franse en een Engelse gedachte zien verbanden maar ook verschillen, hoe is dit verklaarbaar?Show less
Literature on wartime removal and incarceration of Japanese American describes the opposition and resistance to the governmental policies mostly in terms of deficiency. This interpretative bias is...Show moreLiterature on wartime removal and incarceration of Japanese American describes the opposition and resistance to the governmental policies mostly in terms of deficiency. This interpretative bias is characterized by privileging the governmental account of the removal and incarceration over the Japanese American accounts while disregarding any incident short of civil disobedience as unimportant. Moreover, Japanese Americans' cooperation is seen as contributing greatly to the success of the procedures that ultimately deprived them of their liberty. This view, though widely held, does not provide an accurate description of Japanese American attitudes and actions during the fateful months after the Pearl Harbor attack. I will argue that the number of strikes, the extent of community organization, and the scope of individual and group protest inside the relocation camps testify that Japanese Americans' reaction to their wartime removal and incarceration was anything but passive. Japanese Americans protested against the injustice of their evacuation and incarceration, but they were systematically silenced, intimidated, and punished by the government. Moreover, the relocation program officials and generations of relocation scholars contributed to the marginalization of Japanese American resistance by uncritically accepting the governmental account of mass removal and incarceration which refused to recognize evacuee resistance as legitimate protest.Show less
This thesis examines the cinematic cyborg as a figure which embodies technophobic fears expressed in film. By exploring the cyborg's representation, I will show how its portrayal in film expresses...Show moreThis thesis examines the cinematic cyborg as a figure which embodies technophobic fears expressed in film. By exploring the cyborg's representation, I will show how its portrayal in film expresses these technophobic fears, which are, as I will show, interwoven with xenophobia. The cyborg is viewed here as a figure in which technophobia and xenophobia collide. I will examine the so-called preferred meaning expressed in my case studies, which are eight films featuring a cyborg protagonist released in a period of three decades. Moreover, I will compare these messages to see if and how the expressions of technophobia differ and whether they change over time.Show less
In one way or another, the civilizations who ruled over Egypt in antiquity could all boast a close connection to the concepts of 'law' and 'justice'. Balance, justice, and order - all personified...Show moreIn one way or another, the civilizations who ruled over Egypt in antiquity could all boast a close connection to the concepts of 'law' and 'justice'. Balance, justice, and order - all personified by the goddess Ma'at - were the cornerstones of Ancient Egyptian religion and society. The Greek Ptolemies, who ruled over Egypt between 323 and 30 BC, would become famous for their advanced and intricate bureacracy, which also featured a highly effective law enforcement system. The Romans, more than any, prided themselves on their laws, which remain influential in modern societies to this day. This thesis sets out to discover the manner in which criminal justice in Egypt developed from the times of the New Kingdom, through the Ptolemaic era, and under Roman rule. Not only for the abovementioned anecdotal reasons, but also because the capability to deal with crime and to maintain order can serve as an indicator for a successful administration in general. Because criminal law forms an integral part of a legal system as a whole, which, in turn, is inseparable from the general administrative system of a country, all of these will be taken into account. The following questions will be answered in this thesis: how were the various legal and administrative systems organized?; which actions were considered to be crimes by the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans?; who possessed the legal authority to deal with these matters?; and in what manner were criminal transgressions dealt with in practice? In the end, the aim is to not only find out how criminal justice developed in the course of nearly two millennia, but also to offer an explanation as to why these developments took their specific course.Show less