This thesis’ objective is to gain an understanding of how American popular culture impacts the Dutch youth’s perception of and resonance with American culture, taking the sitcom Modern Family as...Show moreThis thesis’ objective is to gain an understanding of how American popular culture impacts the Dutch youth’s perception of and resonance with American culture, taking the sitcom Modern Family as its case study. In this thesis, ‘perception’ refers to the way that American culture is viewed, and ‘resonance’ indicates the experienced affinity with American culture. This thesis statement is confirmed through the employment of a survey targeted at Dutch youth aged 16-25, in which the Dutch attitudes towards American culture are measured according to the reaction of the Dutch youth to the characterization of American culture as described by Wright and Rogers. They constitute five American values; ‘Freedom’, ‘Prosperity’, ‘Efficiency’, ‘Democracy’ and ‘Fairness’; and some features: ‘Individualism’, and ‘Cultural Pluralism and Tolerance’, which are present in Modern Family. The key finding of the quantitative research is that higher exposure to American popular culture through TV leads to a higher level of normalization of American values. The analysis of exposure levels to American popular culture and its relation to Dutch attitudes towards American culture is performed by comparing the watch histories of respondents: 81% have watched Modern Family whereas 19% have not. Expanding on the concept of ‘Perception’, this thesis demonstrates that the more one is exposed to American popular culture (like the viewers of Modern Family), the more one has normalized the American values, which impacts the Dutch perception of American culture. ‘Resonance’ builds upon this and finds that this normalization of American values among viewers of Modern Family has reached such high extents that they have become incorporated into Dutch culture. American popular culture has boosted the omnipresence and normalization of American values, which has, in turn, impacted the way Dutch youth resonate with American culture.Show less
Research master thesis | African Studies (research) (MA)
open access
This thesis aims to explore African identity through a popular culture lens. It uses a comparative approach between Morocco and Senegal and focuses on three main components of popular culture:...Show moreThis thesis aims to explore African identity through a popular culture lens. It uses a comparative approach between Morocco and Senegal and focuses on three main components of popular culture: football, music and fashion. This research examines how the latter may or not promote a shared African identity between Morocco and Senegal. This thesis is based on an ethnographic study in Ifrane, Rabat and Essaouira in Morocco and Dakar in Senegal. It relies heavily on qualitative data resulting from seven month’s fieldwork in both countries. The research explores African identity through the stories of the people directly concerned, Africans. In the first instance, and as a way of understanding one population segment – the youth – semi-structured interviews were conducted with Moroccan students from Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, which demonstrated the influence of some aspects of popular culture, but also of education in shaping their identities as Africans. In the same measure, interviews were also conducted with Senegalese students from University Cheikh Anta Diop in Dakar. Furthermore, this research also relies on interviews with older generations in both Morocco and Senegal, as well as participant observations by attending events related to music, fashion and football. Part of the research also relies on surveys conducted during the African Cup of Nations. This thesis showcases how popular culture promotes a shared African identity between Morocco and Senegal by, first, promoting African unity illustrated by football games, second, by promoting African history, through a music - Gnawa - that has traveled from Sub-Saharan Africa to North Africa to recall their stories, and third, by promoting African roots, highlighted by Moroccan young designers who use fashion as a tool to assert their African identity. Finally, this research aims to contribute to a larger academic debate on the separation of North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, by outlining popular culture as an important factor when studying and comparing the latter. Therefore, on a academic level, it aims to raise awareness with regards to paying more attention to North Africa as part of the African continent - thus part of African studies; and second, on a social level, as a way of promoting African identity and unity through the power of popular culture.Show less
This essay aims to show how Hallyu (the South Korean Wave) can be considered a soft power tool, and to answer the question, “What have been the results of Hallyu’s influence on North Korean society...Show moreThis essay aims to show how Hallyu (the South Korean Wave) can be considered a soft power tool, and to answer the question, “What have been the results of Hallyu’s influence on North Korean society?” By introducing the theory of ‘soft power’, I illustrate how Hallyu can be used as a political instrument. I use Chomsky’s ‘propaganda model’ and Elull’s concept of ‘horizontal propaganda’ in order to describe how North Korean society is structured by the Kim regime’s use of propaganda, and how this manufactures consent for the acceptance of social, economic and political policies. Furthermore, by using the ‘uses and gratification’ approach, and the ‘cultivation theory’ I explain the reasons for and effects of Hallyu consumption in North Korea. In doing so, I outline the opportunities and limits of Hallyu as a soft power tool. While the North Korean regime uses (the threat of) violence to maintain control of its citizens, there is also a large amount of public support that bolsters its power. The influence of Hallyu is contradicting the propaganda that is pervasive in North Korean society, thereby undermining consent. This in turn can lead to destabilizing the various institutions upon which the regime relies for influence and control. We cannot predict that this will occur, but we can identify a number of changes that we can relate to the influence of Hallyu.Show less
This thesis examines the gender representation in the animated series Avatar: the Last Airbender by analyzing several male and female characters of the series. Gender theories by Judith Bulter...Show moreThis thesis examines the gender representation in the animated series Avatar: the Last Airbender by analyzing several male and female characters of the series. Gender theories by Judith Bulter served as the main sources for this thesis.Show less
In this thesis I will discuss the politics behind Japanese anime and manga. In particular, I will try to elucidate the motivations behind the use of Nazi-inspired characters and Nazi symbolism in...Show moreIn this thesis I will discuss the politics behind Japanese anime and manga. In particular, I will try to elucidate the motivations behind the use of Nazi-inspired characters and Nazi symbolism in popular fiction. My research will be loosely structured around Hiroki Azuma’s infamous “Otaku; Japan’s Database Animals”, in which he discusses the effects of postmodernity on the way in which fiction is produced and consumed. Starting with Hiroki Azuma’s theory on the decline of a “grand narrative” and the increased importance of “moé” in fiction, it is my goal to see if Azuma’s theory holds up against the large variety of Nazi representations in contemporary Japanese popular culture.Show less
This thesis explores how the media mix, the Japanese equivalent of the media franchise, influences the entertainment experiences of its fan audiences through a case study. It not only analyzes in...Show moreThis thesis explores how the media mix, the Japanese equivalent of the media franchise, influences the entertainment experiences of its fan audiences through a case study. It not only analyzes in what ways the anime media mix of Yuri!!! on ICE functions as a system, in which media content is dispersed and consumed in different media forms, but it also explores the ways Yuri!!! on ICE is experienced as a world of its own that is interrelated with various other existing worlds, such as the world of professional figure skating, the online and temporary (event) spaces centered on fan culture and its communities, and the various existing cities on which the world of Yuri!!! on ICE is based. By analyzing not only a specific franchise, but also the variety of texts that relate with it from different theoretical perspectives, this thesis looks for gaps that can be filled in between different but related theories on media, semiotics, culture and space, particularly on the (re)construction of arbitrarily systematized worlds (both actual and virtual) through cultural production, signification and play.Show less
When creating his main character, Arthur Conan Doyle could never have thought that centuries later the detective stories would still invoke such strong reactions. Although Sherlock Holmes has...Show moreWhen creating his main character, Arthur Conan Doyle could never have thought that centuries later the detective stories would still invoke such strong reactions. Although Sherlock Holmes has indeed been a commercial success over the past hundreds of years, it has had its struggles dealing with its popularity. The 19th century audience already practically forced Doyle to write a sequel to the novel. Since then Sherlock Holmes’ audience and their surroundings obviously have changed dramatically. Technological advancements are not the least important influencers of the original detective stories. The most recent adaptations are the Sherlock Holmes movies with Robert Downey Junior and Jude Law and the BBC series Sherlock with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. Both have again reached millions of fans worldwide resulting in a growing demand of new episodes. With that comes a third technological development, the Internet, where an enormous fan base was created and Sherlock Holmes got an online identity of its own. The question arises how a character and his detective stories can still be so popular today. Apart from using facts and numbers that indicate its popularity, this thesis will investigate the developments in British television that has supported the reinvention of the character of Sherlock Holmes.Show less
In dit onderzoek wordt er gekeken naar de verschillen in genderrollen tussen animeseries uit de jaren ’80 en recente series rond 2010 op basis van vier case studies. De verwachting was dat huidige...Show moreIn dit onderzoek wordt er gekeken naar de verschillen in genderrollen tussen animeseries uit de jaren ’80 en recente series rond 2010 op basis van vier case studies. De verwachting was dat huidige animeseries sterk geseksualiseerd zijn ten opzichte van series uit de jaren ‘80. De uiteindelijke conclusie is dat genderrollen iets zijn veranderd, en dat recente animeseries inderdaad sterk geseksualiseerd zijn, maar ook dat de mannelijke identiteit problematisch is geworden.Show less
This thesis posits that the construction of a Japanese identity in government produced popular culture is inconsistent. The contradictory values within a constructed ‘Self’ portray Japan as a ...Show moreThis thesis posits that the construction of a Japanese identity in government produced popular culture is inconsistent. The contradictory values within a constructed ‘Self’ portray Japan as a ‘superior victim’ with regard to the abductions of Japanese citizens by North Korea. By utilizing a value-action framework it can be determined that the values portrayed in the narratives of the analysed popular culture have indeed been affected by the lines of action in the production process, and can therefore be concluded to be, in this study, the dominant values in North Korea policymaking. These values can be found throughout the narratives analysed in this thesis. By positioning these values in a model of culture in action, it becomes clear that the perceived ‘Japanese identity’ is in a transitional phase.Show less
The post-punk period of 1979 to 1982 saw significant cultural transfer between elements of the Dutch, German and Anglo-American alternative music scenes. In the Netherlands, most of this cultural...Show moreThe post-punk period of 1979 to 1982 saw significant cultural transfer between elements of the Dutch, German and Anglo-American alternative music scenes. In the Netherlands, most of this cultural transfer revolved round the members of the ULTRA scene. ULTRA stood for “ultramodern” and promoted avant garde post-punk music that used new or unconventional instruments and performance modes. ULTRA was mainly based round weekly “ULTRA” nights at the Oktopus club in Amsterdam and the music released on the Amsterdam-based Plurex and Torso record labels; though similar scenes flourished in Den Bosch, Nijmegen and Eindhoven. ULTRA drew a great deal of its creative impulse from the art schools such as the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, and had close links to the both squatting and punk scenes then active in the Netherlands. However, ULTRA was transnational in outlook and often looked outside the Netherlands for inspiration and support. And a number of its most successful proponents, such as the Amsterdam band Minny Pops, garnered international critical acclaim. Using Simon Frith's principles for studying popular music (alongside content from the publication most associated with the ULTRA scene and its musicians, Vinyl magazine, as well as interviews with key actors in the ULTRA scene) the paper looks to evaluate ULTRA's cultural worth; and how its Dutch origins affected the scene in the wider rubric of international popular music.Show less
Never before in the history of popular culture has a nation been able to draw so much attention worldwide to its music, drama and movies in such a short period. From the moment that South Korea was...Show moreNever before in the history of popular culture has a nation been able to draw so much attention worldwide to its music, drama and movies in such a short period. From the moment that South Korea was forced to open its markets by the IMF and America as a result of the Asian financial crisis, their popular culture has been gaining worldwide recognition. On every continent we can find k-pop fans and Korean dramas on television. This phenomenon got the interest of the media, politicians and scholars. In this paper I’ve been trying to answer the questions who are behind the success of the Korean wave and how do they think about the Korean wave? It turns out that the Korean wave deliberately was created by the Korean government. In 1998 the government decided that the movie industry would be their key industry of growth. The idea was that the exports of movies would bring in a lot of money. The policies of the 1980s had an indirect effect on the drama and music industries. Korean entertainment companies used the popularity of Korean movies and dramas in other countries to successfully export k-pop. For entertainment companies it is essential to export their music to other countries, because the Korean music market is too small to sustain itself.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
De thesis is een zoektocht naar de manier waarop hiphop vanaf eind jaren ’80 begin jaren ’90 in het overwegend islamitische Indonesië vorm heeft gekregen en welke rol de populaire cultuur speelt in...Show moreDe thesis is een zoektocht naar de manier waarop hiphop vanaf eind jaren ’80 begin jaren ’90 in het overwegend islamitische Indonesië vorm heeft gekregen en welke rol de populaire cultuur speelt in het dagelijkse leven van jongeren in steden. Hierbij ligt vooral de nadruk op de achtergrond, motieven en muzikale producties van de artiesten (voornamelijk rappers) die hiphop muziek en cultuur maken en uitdragen, en niet in het bijzonder op de cultuurindustrie en de jonge consumenten van zowel binnen- als buitenlandse hiphop en bijbehorende stijlen. Bijzondere aandacht gaat in de case studies naar 'islamitische hiphop' in Jakarta.Show less
