The advent of new technologies is continually changing the dynamics of political communication, making social media (especially Twitter) a direct linkage between politicians and the public,...Show moreThe advent of new technologies is continually changing the dynamics of political communication, making social media (especially Twitter) a direct linkage between politicians and the public, different from, for instance, TV interviews. Thus, it is generally believed that parties can take advantage of these new channels to spread their messages, and populist Eurosceptic parties are particularly expected to utilize them as a way to expand their support and visibility within the political field. Given this, further considerations could be raised on how these parties use social media. While some may argue that social media acts only as a complementary platform to maximize the reach of proposals, many scholars have pointed out that these parties use social media to make their discourse even more colloquial, mobilizing and radical. The research question to be addressed is: what is the discursive strategy of populist Eurosceptic parties on Twitter compared to the one on TV interviews?Show less
In 2008, the World Bank developed the State and Peacebuilding Fund (SPF) to deal with post-conflict countries. The financial institution has been involved in post-conflict reconstruction since the...Show moreIn 2008, the World Bank developed the State and Peacebuilding Fund (SPF) to deal with post-conflict countries. The financial institution has been involved in post-conflict reconstruction since the late nineties. However, its adoption of the political concepts of state and peacebuilding seems to represent a shift towards a comprehensive position of the World Bank regarding post-conflict situations (World Bank, 1998, p. 4). The emphasis is put on the political aspects of state and peacebuilding as they imply the building of ‘institutional capacity and legitimacy’ and the management of ‘the internal and external stresses that increase vulnerability to conflict’ in ‘fragile and conflict-prone and -affected situations’ (World Bank, 2019a). At the same time, the World Bank has reminded the importance of not interfering in politics and the necessity to stick to its role of economic actor as stated in its Articles of Agreement. The organisation appears torn between a supposedly comprehensive approach concerning state and peacebuilding and its economic mandate. The evolution of the paradoxical discourse of the World Bank on post-conflict reconstruction is therefore considered in this thesis by examining the power-knowledge and the associate regime of truth at stake in the production of its discourse. The method selected is a critical discourse analysis and the SPF is the case-study for this research. This thesis allows to unpack the problematic handling of state and peacebuilding by the World Bank.Show less
Although hip hop first set foot in South Korea 25 years ago, the genre has received exponential popularity over the last 5 years. Korean hip hop takes after its American counterpart in many ways,...Show moreAlthough hip hop first set foot in South Korea 25 years ago, the genre has received exponential popularity over the last 5 years. Korean hip hop takes after its American counterpart in many ways, including the use of the English language. Within the Korean hip hop scene there are many ethnical Koreans that were American born, or lived in America for years. These ethnical Koreans are fluent in Korean as well as English. So how does the English use of these Koreans compare to the English use of hip hop artist that are only fluent in Korean in terms of vocabulary or slang, poetic devices, grammatical preferences and frequency? This paper will analyze Korean hip hop lyrics by both artists that speak fluent Korean and English as well as artists that speak only fluent Korean. Through register analysis and literary analysis this paper will quantitatively determine the differences between English usages of the two groups. This paper provides numeric data as well as examples that show that these differences in proficiency level are also apparent in relatively short texts like song lyrics. In this way this research will assess differences in English use between Korean English bilinguals and Korean monolinguals.Show less
Advanced master thesis | Political Science (Advanced Master)
open access
In 2001, the killing of a young Kabyle student in Algeria sparked Berber anti-Arab protests in Algeria and France, marking decades of intermittent conflict positing Berber identity against the Arab...Show moreIn 2001, the killing of a young Kabyle student in Algeria sparked Berber anti-Arab protests in Algeria and France, marking decades of intermittent conflict positing Berber identity against the Arab-Islamic policies of the Algerian state. Explanations for a growing Berber movement and the resulting conflict point to historical categorical divisions of “Berber” and “Arab” in colonialism and cultural groups. This thesis challenges the historical consistency of these explanations and examines how identity is constructed; it asks how this categorization of “Berbers” and “Arabs” has mobilized a Berber identity movement. Instead of linking this movement to a legacy of “Berber” against “Arab,” this thesis aims to show that the Berber identity movement as understood today is a relatively recent phenomenon. The following analysis develops two main arguments to support this claim: First, a historical discourse analysis of four periods shows that the category “Berber” has served different functions in different contexts. Second, the analysis develops a genealogy of “Berber” to present an alternative understanding for how categorization has shaped Berber identity, arguing that this movement is better understood as a product of interacting national discourses based on exclusive concepts of membership. These arguments are developed using insights from securitization theory to model identity formation, conceptualizing “Berber” as a term used with a purpose that produces a context dependent effect.Show less
This thesis researches to what extent Indonesian online based media create a discourse that emphasize the Chinese-Christian identity of Basuki Thjahaja Purnama (Ahok) as a minority during the...Show moreThis thesis researches to what extent Indonesian online based media create a discourse that emphasize the Chinese-Christian identity of Basuki Thjahaja Purnama (Ahok) as a minority during the Jakarta gubernatorial elections of 2017. The thesis employs a qualitative discourse analysis method that researches online articles of news portals Tempo.co, Kompas, and The Jakarta Post. To understand discourse on the Chinese-Christian identity in its proper context, first is researched what the Chinese identity means within Indonesian society by taking a historical perspective. Secondly, this thesis explores the role of religion in modern Indonesian politics as well as the political and religious context of the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial elections. News articles linked to Ahok’s blasphemy case, demonstrations against Ahok, and the elections are selected for analysis. In total 42 articles have been analyzed. The results show that there is difference in writing styles between English and Indonesian language based online news portals. Whereas the Indonesian language based news portals remain neutral to Ahok’s identity as Christian-Chinese by not referring to it, the English language based The Jakarta Post creates a narrative in which Ahok is emphasized as part of a Christian-Chinese minority.Show less
This thesis argues that there is a hegemonic and inflexible discourse on Tibetan identity, though there are examples of dissent. This identity discourse constructs a narrative on ‘Tibet’ which...Show moreThis thesis argues that there is a hegemonic and inflexible discourse on Tibetan identity, though there are examples of dissent. This identity discourse constructs a narrative on ‘Tibet’ which Tibetans claim. In turn, by claiming ‘Tibet’, Tibetans are claiming their own identity. ‘Tibet’ is represented by the government in exile. This constitutive relationship between ‘Tibet’ and ‘Tibetanness’ results in a narrativising of history and an Othering of Shugden practitioners and Chinese, in order to define a coherent national identity.Show less
This thesis provides an analysis of the use of language within the collective memory of 9/11. It studies different commemorative areas -the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, presidential...Show moreThis thesis provides an analysis of the use of language within the collective memory of 9/11. It studies different commemorative areas -the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, presidential speeches, and 9/11 documentaries- through a discourse analysis in order to establish the dominant discourse of 9/11.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
Conservation discourse continues to shift, which is apparent in a Tanzanian context. In the past, conservation discourse relied solely on biology, focusing primarily on the idea that nature and...Show moreConservation discourse continues to shift, which is apparent in a Tanzanian context. In the past, conservation discourse relied solely on biology, focusing primarily on the idea that nature and culture must be kept separate. This is known as a “fortress” approach to conservation. Although the biology behind such initiatives was right, conservation continued to fail. Therefore, a new paradigm developed: community-based conservation (CBC). This new model of conservation concentrated on community-centered initiatives, where biological and social benefits were the main objective. In Tanzania, a conservation policy change in 1998 introduced Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) to the nation - a form of CBC. A WMA intends to empower communities and allow them to have control over their own conservation initiatives. This ethnography explored how the implementation of a WMA in a Maa-speaking pastoralist community related to national WMA discourse. Through qualitative methods with a research assistant translating Swahili and Maa to English, evidence was provided that the national WMA discourse is perceived differently in a Maa-speaking pastoralist setting. Furthermore, the persistence of a “fortress approach” to conservation continues to be apparent in the WMA discourse through a separation of livestock and wildlife. Lastly, a new paradigm shift should be considered, where an emphasis on the intrinsic value of natural resources should be at the core of the conservation practice. Only by understanding such a shift can conservation initiatives in a Maa-speaking pastoralist setting be successful.Show less
Despite economic progress, Mexico is commonly illustrated by mainstream US media and many politicians in terms of extreme brutality of Mexican drug cartels. It further juxtaposes vicious cartels...Show moreDespite economic progress, Mexico is commonly illustrated by mainstream US media and many politicians in terms of extreme brutality of Mexican drug cartels. It further juxtaposes vicious cartels against the virtuous United States, which has devoted billions of dollars to fighting organized crime in Mexico. However, the mainstream account is misleading; the United States has also used its aid programs to strengthen its hegemony over Mexico. This paper argues that the United States’ involvement in the Mexican War on Drugs has been to a significant degree motivated by political and economic interests, whose advancement strengthens US hegemony over Mexico, and which have also helped exacerbate the drug-related violence. Implicit interferences of the United States in Mexico have been legitimized through discourses of Mexican racial inferiority, criminality, and vice. This thesis looks at three broad areas - culture, politics, and economics - and tries to elucidate US interests in respect to the Mexican War on Drugs.Show less
The Dutch historical narrative on slavery and slave trade is part of a debate in which ignorance tends to be painted as the source of contemporary disputes. This refers to the debate around racial...Show moreThe Dutch historical narrative on slavery and slave trade is part of a debate in which ignorance tends to be painted as the source of contemporary disputes. This refers to the debate around racial inequality that arose in early 2020 in which racism was claimed to be institutionalized. With slavery being an obvious example in history that shows how racism took on a structural and institutionalized form, it is essential to critically analyze how the narrative on the inhumane and degrading treatment of black Africans is told. In this thesis, two senior year havo-level secondary school history textbooks, Feniks and Geschiedeniswerkplaats, will be analyzed using a Critical Discourse Analysis. The storyline on the slavery period will be assessed critically, focusing on the selection of narratives and phrasing. The results show the presence of the Color-blind discourse, in which storylines take on a passive voice, and Racially essentialist discourse, where the selection of black Africans is biologically justified. Both textbooks lack a description on the wider social opinion towards the black community and therefore fail to address these racist attitudes.Show less
For China, 2013 was the year of anti-corruption. The starting point of my research is that anti-corruption is not just a process of punishing political or economic crimes or improving supervision...Show moreFor China, 2013 was the year of anti-corruption. The starting point of my research is that anti-corruption is not just a process of punishing political or economic crimes or improving supervision mechanisms, but also a process to reconstruct the Party’s legitimacy. Therefore, from the perspective of political legitimacy, questions concerning how to tell the story of corruption become crucial. My central research question focuses on (1) what the discursive range of anti-corruption reporting by different Chinese media was and (2) how these narratives related to the Party’s legitimacy.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
closed access
The thesis is based on empirical fieldwork that investigated a disaster-induced relocation project in eastern Indonesia. Choosing an actor-focused approach that followed development brokers of a...Show moreThe thesis is based on empirical fieldwork that investigated a disaster-induced relocation project in eastern Indonesia. Choosing an actor-focused approach that followed development brokers of a Christian NGO in the course of the project, enabled the author to expose multiple conflicting interests and agendas between and within government, the NGO and the 'host-community'. In this complex and contested discursive arena, brokers were strategically translating and shifting interests to create common realities and alliances from heterogeneous networks. By adapting and transforming objectives of the 'good governance' discourse, they were able to unify groups and win over supporters, despite the poor implementation of the project. How these translations competed with interpretations of other actors and how they influenced the brokers' positioning towards the goverment was of particular interest within this research. Applying visual methods has shed light on the performative and emotional dimensions of these translation processes. The ethnographic film 'Fighting for Nothing to Happen', which is the main part of the thesis, is accompanied by the multi-media pdf file that employs different interacting media and provides historical, political and socioeconomic background to selected sequences of the film. The different media inform and contest each other in a rhizomatic structure that produces a multi-layered and comprehensive understanding of the complexity of brokerage and development in Indonesia.Show less
The study explores the shift in anti-immigrant discourse of the French far-right party leadership with regard to the Ukrainian refugee crisis. A discourse analysis of the tweets and their...Show moreThe study explores the shift in anti-immigrant discourse of the French far-right party leadership with regard to the Ukrainian refugee crisis. A discourse analysis of the tweets and their accompanying media for Marine Le Pen (RN) and Éric Zemmour (R!) was conducted for the presidential campaign and election period of February to April 2022. The material selected was coded through ATLAS.ti into themes informed by the literature review and the theoretical framework. The findings indeed confirm a shift in emerging discourse, whereby solidarity towards and welcoming of Ukrainian refugees is grounded on the pretense of the traditional Christian spirit of providing asylum as well as their cultural and geographic proximity. Simultaneously, the limits of the Christian spirit towards non-European asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants was justified through discourse relying on neo-racist rhetoric based on ‘cultural differentialism’. These arguments often encompass non-European refugees fleeing from Ukraine.Show less
Since the Xi leadership, the Communist Party lays significantly more emphasis on the importance of history and its education, which is reflected in the party’s overall discourse, institutional...Show moreSince the Xi leadership, the Communist Party lays significantly more emphasis on the importance of history and its education, which is reflected in the party’s overall discourse, institutional changes and the compiling of a new series of unified textbooks. Education is key in the national socialization process, and can be utilized for fostering patriotism. This study is concerned principally with the discursive construction of a key period in Chinese history in the new junior high school textbooks: the “century of humiliation”. Through combining one of the approaches within the critical discourse analysis school and ethnographic research methods, this study dissects the discourse within in the textbooks and examines the transmission process of the discourse in the classroom environment. Furthermore, the research also analyses the contextual environment in which the textbooks arose, taking into consideration the broader official discourse and relevant recent trends. This study reveals the applied discursive strategies and demonstrates their significance in creating a historical truth.Show less
This thesis aims to analyse the divergent forms of temporalities and spatilaities within the discourse of soft war. Temporality and spatiality are explored against the greater construct of historic...Show moreThis thesis aims to analyse the divergent forms of temporalities and spatilaities within the discourse of soft war. Temporality and spatiality are explored against the greater construct of historic and cultural identities. By doing so, this paper opens the space for questioning the relation between identity, discourse and time-space as structural elements of narrative. By using a deconstructionist framework, soft war discourse is analysed from a new post-positivist perspective that seeks to understand the instability and constructive nature of the soft war narrative. This paper concludes by suggesting that the different articulations of spatiality and temporality reveal soft war narrative as non-homogenous and disjunctive.Show less
