The aim of the research was to uncover the question: “how did colonialism impact cultural and legal views on homosexuality in Uganda?”. This question was answered through the employment of...Show moreThe aim of the research was to uncover the question: “how did colonialism impact cultural and legal views on homosexuality in Uganda?”. This question was answered through the employment of qualitative research and postcolonial historiography. This dissertation intended to underscore the West’s role in the increasing heterosexism in Uganda, as this is an aspect of the situation that is not addressed enough. The research suggested that the criminalisation of homosexuality in Uganda was directly linked to British colonial rule. Before the advent of British imperialism, there were no laws that prohibited same-sex relations in what is now known as Uganda. Moreover, the application of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill and the Sexual Offences Act was influenced by the American evangelist group The Family and Ugandan pentecostal pastors. Furthermore, the support of these two laws are plausibly also a strategic tool for politicians in order to gain religious legitimacy and so they can use queer people as scapegoats. Additionally, the laws justifies violence towards queers, are a violation to human rights, and poses risks to the public health.Show less
To answer the question posed by the title of this thesis, which is "In what ways is China's rising influence in the Lebanese economy and society altering the identity formation of the militant...Show moreTo answer the question posed by the title of this thesis, which is "In what ways is China's rising influence in the Lebanese economy and society altering the identity formation of the militant group Hezbollah?," this thesis employs a social-constructivist method. Accordingly, it concentrates on the overlap and interaction between domestic society and foreign policy, which is defined in the overall aims of this seminar. In recent years, China has established commercial links with a number of the nations in the region, and the One Belt, One Road program is intended to foster further collaboration in the future(Gresh, 2016). OBOR is focused on securing a stable energy supply for China's rapid economic development and comprises a wide range of investment projects that might be advantageous to the region (Horesh, 2016). China participates in the politics of neighboring countries on a very seldom basis and has no intention of unseating the United States. Despite the fact that the emergence of an increasing Chinese influence is easily recognised, the implications of this influence on identity and culture are rarely mentioned in constructivist literature on the Middle East and Lebanon. That is because the body of constructivist analytic literature is still relatively limited when compared to the neoliberal approach, which is the predominant school of thought in the field of international relations. It was discovered that this is the case in each and every one of the domains that were examined, including constructivism and IR theory, constructivism in the Middle East, and China and the Middle East. Constructivist research in the subject of International Relations theories has garnered the attention of an ever-expanding corpus of published work since the 1990s. This thesis will build on the work accomplished by Raymond Hinnebusch, David Campbell, and Alexander Wendt adopting constructivism as perspective, and therefore will primarily involve Joseph Alagha and Pol Bassedas in the research on the identity formation of Hezbollah. There is still a great deal of ambiguity regarding the connection between international politics and the role that the influence of China plays in the process of identity creation inside Hezbollah. With the use of Hezbollah as a case study, the purpose of this study will be to make a contribution to the existing body of knowledge in an effort to address a knowledge gap relating to expanding Chinese participation and identity creation in the Middle East.Show less
This research investigates the impact of Leiden University College on students their social community and connections within The Hague and the Anna van Buerenplein campus. The Leiden University...Show moreThis research investigates the impact of Leiden University College on students their social community and connections within The Hague and the Anna van Buerenplein campus. The Leiden University College is a university located in The Hague within the Anna van Buerenplein campus. The campus holds the obligatory housing studios for the first and second years, classroom and workgroup spaces for the students their academics, and other amenities, forming an enclosed community within the building. By using floor plans, results of a survey regarding the Leiden University community, and mental mapping of The Hague, this research reveals how the community of the Anna van Buerenplein campus is internalized by both the system of the University and the students, and how various results indicate a longing for more connections outside of the campus community. This paper revisits the importance of placemaking and developing a sense of space within on-campus student housing, positively affecting the students their wellbeing and satisfaction.Show less
This thesis seeks to explore the potential of creative mapping as a psychogeographic research approach to garner an increasingly nuanced understanding of the production of belonging among...Show moreThis thesis seeks to explore the potential of creative mapping as a psychogeographic research approach to garner an increasingly nuanced understanding of the production of belonging among international students in The Hague. Building on the theoretical approach of psychogeography and an avantgarde conception of the urban, as outlined by the Situationist International, this work explores the spatial configuration of belonging. Through collaborative and creative mapping of the mundane and everyday spaces of the urban environment, traces of belonging and home making are explored. The work is studying the subject of international students detached from the university setting and putting it into the context of the urban environment. Through juxtaposing the results of the research with critique put forward by the Situationist International in the 1960s, their contemporary relevance is reinforced. Additionally, the employment of a psychogeographic research approach illustrated the potential of visual methodologies for exploring and representing alternative narratives, subjective perspectives, and embodied experiences.Show less
This thesis examines a collection of drawings by Abraham Delfos (1731-1820), an eighteenth-century engraver and draftsman from Leiden. Housed in the Print Room of Leiden University Libraries, these...Show moreThis thesis examines a collection of drawings by Abraham Delfos (1731-1820), an eighteenth-century engraver and draftsman from Leiden. Housed in the Print Room of Leiden University Libraries, these drawings predominantly consist of reproductions made after seventeenth-century paintings. Despite the fact that reproductions were a common practice and a typical eighteenth-century phenomenon, they have received limited attention from researchers. By examining Delfos' drawings within the broader context of his time, including his role as a director and his involvement in the establishment of drawing academy Ars Aemula Naturae, as well as his art dealership, this research uncovers the historical significance of these artworks. The study explores the factors that influenced changing attitudes towards reproductions and their growing popularity in the eighteenth century. Through a comprehensive analysis of Delfos' drawings, insights are gained into the influences shaping his artistic approach, the role of art education, and the perception of reproductions. These drawings serve as valuable windows into the past, offering a unique perspective on the interplay between art, education, societal development, and the evolving status of reproductions in the eighteenth century. The exploration not only highlights Delfos as an artist but also enriches our understanding of the artistic and cultural landscape of the time.Show less
In 2021, Japan's gender wage gap was among the highest of all OECD countries. A big factor of this economic gender inequality lies in the fact that female participation in regular-work is...Show moreIn 2021, Japan's gender wage gap was among the highest of all OECD countries. A big factor of this economic gender inequality lies in the fact that female participation in regular-work is comparatively low to the participation rate in the more insecure and lower-paying irregular work jobs. Previous research has shown that there are three main obstacles to increased female participation in regular work positions. Those being the long-working-hours culture, a lack of enforcement of policies by the government, and the societal expectation that women are supposed to focus on housework and child-rearing. This paper examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced these obstacles and if there has been any positive change to the female participation rate in regular work. Using the concepts of exogenous shocks and critical junctures as a theoretical framework, this paper argues that the COVID-19 pandemic might have set the stage for real change in the Japanese labour market through the promotion of telework as a legitimate business practice. However, the pandemic has also highlighted or reinforced the existing obstacles to increased female participations in regular work due to the closure of schools and businesses in the hospitality industry, disproportionally affecting women.Show less
This thesis studies the connection between suffering and sentience in Karel Capek’s R.U.R. (1921) and the first season of Westworld (HBO, 2016). Both R.U.R. and Westworld present suffering as a...Show moreThis thesis studies the connection between suffering and sentience in Karel Capek’s R.U.R. (1921) and the first season of Westworld (HBO, 2016). Both R.U.R. and Westworld present suffering as a catalyst for the emergence of a human form of consciousness in artificial people. Initially, however, organic human characters in both texts are convinced that artificial people feel no pain and are unable to suffer. The organic human characters use this supposed inability to justify the inhumane treatment of the artificial characters. This thesis demonstrates how R.U.R. and Westworld reflect on the ways that theories about differences in sensitivity to pain were and continue to be used to justify the mistreatment of Others in real life. Additionally, the thesis shows how R.U.R. and Westworld offer illustrations of the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas, in which one’s suffering in response to the Other’s suffering is the foundation of becoming a fully human subject. The thesis shows how R.U.R. and Westworld interweave these opposite ways of responding to the suffering Other, and thereby contribute to a better understanding of the role of suffering in the ongoing negation of what it means to be human.Show less
