Media power, multiculturalism, and representation are closely related. This thesis analyses how the media portrayed multiculturalism in Schilderswijk between 1970 and 1990. This period offers...Show moreMedia power, multiculturalism, and representation are closely related. This thesis analyses how the media portrayed multiculturalism in Schilderswijk between 1970 and 1990. This period offers insight into the influx of diversity into the Netherlands and the emergence of multicultural neighborhoods, like the Schilderswijk. Academic literature on multicultural frameworks in the media reveals forms of media power as; social integration, political debate, and immigrant rejection. Various theories regarding media power are used as a basis for this thesis. In this study, a discourse analysis is conducted based on newspaper bias regarding three cases: Boarding house Riots (06/06/1969), Housing education (07/07/1971), and The First Hindu School in the Netherlands (08/08/1988).Show less
Dating violence is increasingly becoming a problem in South Korea, however little research has been done into how the issue is represented in the media. Using narrative theory, this research looks...Show moreDating violence is increasingly becoming a problem in South Korea, however little research has been done into how the issue is represented in the media. Using narrative theory, this research looks at representations of the issue of dating violence in South Korean investigative journalism programs. Both the informative content as well as the entertainment elements present in the programs are taken into account. It finds that all seven broadcasts analyzed describe dating violence as a social issue that needs to get the attention of the public, the programs hereby challenge the common perception that dating violence is a private issue. The content of the programs revolves around four key themes: serious problem, institutional failure, the victim, the perpetrator. The representations of the issue on the basis of these themes are found to promote both positive as well as negative beliefs about the issue of dating violence.Show less
This thesis aims to provide an overview of how certain gendered narrative tropes have made their way from action-adventure film and television into video game stories of the same genre, of the...Show moreThis thesis aims to provide an overview of how certain gendered narrative tropes have made their way from action-adventure film and television into video game stories of the same genre, of the differences that have arisen between these types of media, and of why we can recognise these differences. It does so through an analysis of the 21st century in television and film, in order to outline gendered tropes regularly found in these media. This is followed by a discourse analysis of three case studies: Tomb Raider (2013), Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) and The Last of Us: Part II (2020).Show less
The topic of Socially Withdrawn Loners (SWL) has seen a surge in coverage by South Korean media in the past few years. This coverage is not always accurate and many SWL express feeling stigmatized...Show moreThe topic of Socially Withdrawn Loners (SWL) has seen a surge in coverage by South Korean media in the past few years. This coverage is not always accurate and many SWL express feeling stigmatized by society. This thesis explores how SWL are portrayed in Korean drama and if this portrayal coincides with academic literature on this topic. In order to research this, this thesis analyzed and compared four Korean dramas and with the literature as foundation, established a thematic understanding of SWL in dramas. It finds that SWL-characters are generally portrayed positively and sympathetically. Instead dramas are found to have the tendency to trivialize SWL and misrepresent the severity of it.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Film- en literatuurwetenschap (BA)
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An interdisciplinary study dissecting the (mis)representation of child abuse in popular modern films and film's medium specific influence on the viewer and the representation on the basis of...Show moreAn interdisciplinary study dissecting the (mis)representation of child abuse in popular modern films and film's medium specific influence on the viewer and the representation on the basis of spectatorship and the appparatus theory.Show less
Abstract Purpose: This thesis aims to understand, clarify, and further explore the mechanism underlying the relationship between gender and corruption. The objective is to test and develop theory...Show moreAbstract Purpose: This thesis aims to understand, clarify, and further explore the mechanism underlying the relationship between gender and corruption. The objective is to test and develop theory about the link between gender representation in the legislature and corruption levels. Design and methodology: The research design is qualitative. Eight (8) semi-structured interviews with municipal councillors were conducted, coded, and analysed. Through the interviewees’ lived experiences, patterns of attitudes and relationships can be explored, and causation can be established. Findings: The results find that marginalisation is the mechanism that mediates between high corruption levels and low female representation in the legislature. Women are not less corrupt than men. They have fewer opportunities to engage in corrupt behaviour. The lack of accessibility in corrupt networks mediates the link between gender and corruption in the legislature. Research contribution: The existence of an association between gender representation in the legislature and corruption levels has already been established. This thesis answers the call for more research on the mechanism underlying the link between gender and corruption. Practical implications: The findings are relevant for policymakers in Greece. Marginalisation leads women to leave the political scene, further exacerbating the issue of lack of representation. On the contrary, a high female representation may not lead to lower levels of corruption, but it may encourage diverse views for the society’s benefit to be expressed.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Film- en literatuurwetenschap (BA)
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Why do boys seem to prefer the films rather than the books? In this thesis I try to come up with an answer by comparing the representation of gender within two Young Adult books and their...Show moreWhy do boys seem to prefer the films rather than the books? In this thesis I try to come up with an answer by comparing the representation of gender within two Young Adult books and their adaptations (The Hunger Games and Divergent). And analyse the way in which stereotypes are being represented and if these stereotypes are in any way appealing to the young boy or girl reader.Show less
The Western media’s representation of Africa has primarily consisted of Afro-pessimistic portrayals, though the emergence of Afro-optimistic portrayals is arguably increasing. Black is King is an...Show moreThe Western media’s representation of Africa has primarily consisted of Afro-pessimistic portrayals, though the emergence of Afro-optimistic portrayals is arguably increasing. Black is King is an example of the attempt to increase Afro-optimistic depictions of Africa in Western media. This BA International Studies thesis evaluates how Beyoncé Knowles-Carter’s visual album contributed towards the representation of the African continent in Western media. The literature review discussed five processes of African representation that have been identified in the academic discourse. Literary and film analyses were the primary methods used to examine the case study Black is King. The theoretical frameworks of wakandification and anti-antiessentialism were also used to highlight the film’s role in African representation. This BA thesis paper concludes that Black is King primarily misrepresents the African continent through depending on the stereotypical descriptions of Africa, the hyper-emphasis on royalty and social status, and on the primary observation of Africa through an African American perspective.Show less
This thesis aims to explore whether the song WAP (2020) by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, exemplifies a paradigm shift in feminism. WAP caused much outcry and grew rapidly in fame because of its...Show moreThis thesis aims to explore whether the song WAP (2020) by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, exemplifies a paradigm shift in feminism. WAP caused much outcry and grew rapidly in fame because of its sexually provocative imagery and lyrics, unlike other similar songs. The question arises: If Cardi and Megan’s song is so unique that it might be the start of a feminist paradigm shift, or whether it follows an already established trend? First, the song is looked at scene by scene, scouting for reoccurring elements. Then, general representational tactics of women in media are analyzed, which help evaluate the elements in WAP further, determining feminist or non-feminist tactics. Lastly, the music of other female artists like Madonna, Lil Kim and Christina Aguilera are studied in order to determine whether WAP is following a trend or stands on its own. After exploring these different aspects, it is possible to see that WAP is a starting point for a feminist paradigm shift in media, of which there are likely more artists or songs to follow.Show less
This study examined how the film industry, Israeli and Palestinian in particular, can be used to promote intergroup dialogue and foster peace in the context of the long-lasting intractable conflict...Show moreThis study examined how the film industry, Israeli and Palestinian in particular, can be used to promote intergroup dialogue and foster peace in the context of the long-lasting intractable conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. I focused on content analysis of two films, one produced by Israeli and the other by Palestinian filmmakers. The reason for choosing these films is that both films were released after the Oslo Accords during a dynamic period. The analysis is based on the way each group represented each other, whether they encourage intergroup dialogue within the films, and what their view was on the ongoing peace negotiations. These questions paved the way for answering the question of whether the film industry can promote peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The analysis was grounded on Gordon Allport’s concept of Contact Hypothesis – further advanced by Ilfaz Maoz – which designates that intergroup contact can be effective in reducing negative stereotypes between groups in conflict and mutual prejudices. My findings reveal that the Israeli film contributed to creating one of the necessary conditions to reach peace. Although, the Palestinian focus is still on forming a national identity and longing for the past. This investigation adds to our understanding that film industries can serve as a platform that can provoke dialogue and contact among conflicting groups. Nevertheless, Israeli and Palestinian films released within the Oslo Process failed in choosing for this opportunity. Based on these examples, it is possible to conclude that changing conflict-driven narratives and stereotypes of the Other is a major challenge that societies face if they are willing to work towards peacemaking.Show less
This research aims to answer the question “How gender representation in politics affects the outcome of policymaking in the federal government of Nigeria”. And to help answer the questions, two...Show moreThis research aims to answer the question “How gender representation in politics affects the outcome of policymaking in the federal government of Nigeria”. And to help answer the questions, two hypotheses were formulated which are H1: greater women's representation in politics and decisionmaking positively affects the outcome of policymaking leading to economic growth and development of a country; H2: increasing the number of women decision-makers in politics leads to an outcome that is beneficial for women as well as their male counterparts. To test these hypotheses, a combination of desk research and informal/unstructured interview was carried out. It is emphasized that the gender representation in this research is focused on politics at the federal government level. Gender representation in politics at the federal level is selected because laws, policies, and decisions made at the federal government supersede all other levels (states and local government levels) of governance in Nigeria. The findings of this research support the two hypotheses as the desk research shows that the few women in politics who served on the federal level have positively impacted life’s in diverse ways while contributing to the economic growth of the country; from empowering the poor and vulnerable, providing jobs, developing new policies, challenge previous unfavorable status quo and above all alleviating poverty and thereby boosting the economic situation of the country. These findings were also supported by the interviewees. When women are included in political affairs such as decision making, it led to the development of laws and regulations that every inhabitant of the country benefit from. The research also contributed to knowledge by enumerating factors limiting the political representation of women at the federal government level. These main factors identified include religion, culture, marriage, fear, perception, education, and less or no fund. The dominant factors seem to be religion, culture, and marriage; these factors were further substantiated by the interviewees.Show less
“Women rights are human rights” of “the future is female”, dit zijn inmiddels veel gehoorde uitspraken. Er is steeds meer aandacht voor gelijkheid tussen vrouwen en mannen. Ook diversiteit in de...Show more“Women rights are human rights” of “the future is female”, dit zijn inmiddels veel gehoorde uitspraken. Er is steeds meer aandacht voor gelijkheid tussen vrouwen en mannen. Ook diversiteit in de media is erg belangrijk, schrijven Hoks & Eliasar (2017), diversiteit zorgt voor een meer open blik en acceptatie van diverse standpunten van verschillende groepen. Bovendien is het de taak van de media het goede voorbeeld te geven: wanneer media bestaande verschillen versterken en bevestigen, zal dit bijdragen aan genderongelijkheid (Segijn, et al., 2014: 309). Naar gelijkheid tussen vrouwen en mannen is al veel onderzoek gedaan, zowel in Nederland als in het buitenland. Deze onderzoeken gingen over de aanwezigheid van vrouwen in de media, maar ook over de aanwezigheid van vrouwelijke wetenschappers in de media. Bij eerder uitgevoerd onderzoek werden vooral offline uitingen onderzocht. Zoals aanwezigheid van vrouwelijke wetenschappers in de krant, op tv of in wetenschappelijke magazines. In deze scriptie wordt onderzoek gedaan naar de online berichtgeving van de drie grootste Nederland- se nieuwsmedia onderzocht op representativiteit. Het doel van dit onderzoek is een beeld krijgen van hoe de verhouding tussen vrouwen en mannen in online berichtgeving van de grootste Nederlandse nieuwsmedia is. Maar vooral hoe de vrouw met wetenschappelijke achtergrond wordt gerepresenteerd in online berichtgeving en inzicht krijgen in hoe representatief de grootste Nederlandse nieuwsmedia zijn. Om hier achter te komen is voor deze scriptie de volgende onderzoeksvraag opgesteld: Hoe worden vrouwen met een wetenschappelijke achtergrond gerepresenteerd in online berichtgeving van de grootste Nederlandse nieuwsmedia? Dit wordt in deze scriptie onderzocht door middel van kwantitatieve en exploratieve kwalitatieve inhoudsanalyse. De kwantitatieve inhoudsanalyse is uitgevoerd door middel van een zogeheten samengestelde week. Berichten uit een periode van 30 juni t/m 31 december 2019 zijn onderzocht. Bij de exploratieve inhoudsanalyse wordt in de gevonden data gezocht naar patronen en overeenkomsten. De inhoudsanalyse toont aan dat vrouwen in online berichtgeving veel minder aan het woord zijn dan mannen. Van de gevonden rollen werd 63% gevuld door mannen en 20% door vrouwen. Vrouwen zijn in alle onderzochte rollen minder aan het woord dan mannen, het hoogste aandeel vrouwen is 30%, namelijk in een rol als prominent persoon of journalist. Ook zijn vrouwen minder in beeld bij online berichtgeving dan mannen. Bovendien zijn vrou- wen anders in beeld dan mannen, blijkt uit de exploratieve kwalitatieve inhoudsanalyse. Vrouwen zijn vaak meer close-up, meer casual gekleed en minder vaak in een werksetting in beeld dan mannen. Van het aantal personen met een wetenschappelijke achtergrond was meer dan drie kwart van de personen mannelijk en iets meer dan een kwart (19%) vrouwelijk. Ook de manier van presenteren van vrouwen met een wetenschappelijke achtergrond verschilt met die van mannen. Mannen worden vaker bij hun achternaam genoemd en de functie van mannen wordt vaker genoemd. Vrouwen worden juist vaker ook bij hun voornaam genoemd. Dit betekent dat vrouwen met een wetenschappelijke achtergrond niet goed gerepresenteerd en gepresenteerd worden in online bericht- geving van de drie grootste Nederlandse nieuwsmedia. Sterker nog, van geen enkele andere onderzochte rol is er sprake van representativiteit in de nieuwsmedia. De verhoudingen tussen vrouwen en mannen aan het woord en in beeld in online berichtgeving zijn scheef en deze komen niet in de buurt van de werkelijke verhoudingen in Nederland. Een eventueel vervolgonderzoek naar vrouwen met een wetenschappelijke achtergrond in online berichtgeving, kan zich richten op het verzamelen van data via social media, hierbij kan dan ook meer visuele data verzameld worden. Voor het vervolgonderzoek is het dan ook belangrijk om data te verzamelen van alle nieuwsmedia uit Nederland. Zo kan het corpus veel verder worden uitgebreid en ontstaat een vollediger beeld.Show less
This thesis was inspired by a film. While watching James McTeigue’s V for Vendetta (2005), I came to notice the similarities between the film’s dystopian society and twentieth century totalitarian...Show moreThis thesis was inspired by a film. While watching James McTeigue’s V for Vendetta (2005), I came to notice the similarities between the film’s dystopian society and twentieth century totalitarian regimes—the Third Reich (1933-1945), Fascist Italy (1922-1943), and Soviet Russia (1922-1991)—and their respective treatment of art. In order to answer the question of how art is represented in films about totalitarianism, and contextualize this relationship historically, six films have been analyzed. These films have been selected for their depiction of fictional totalitarian regimes which bear resemblance to the aforementioned three historic ones. A discussion is created which analyzes how art and material culture in the films are used to indoctrinate the people and reaffirm the government’s power. This includes not only propaganda posters and images, but the use of symbols and sigils, as well as the use of art to establish the regime as a new religion. The desire for a “one true art form” to replace the degenerate arts and promote the regime, as seen in the Third Reich and Soviet Russia especially, is not seen in the films, which instead focus more on a holistic ban on art and culture. Finally, the way degenerate art is represented in the film shows it to provide support for the narrative. Most art seen in the films belongs to the characters who embody the rebellion or those with enough power and resources to exist above the illegality of art ownership.Show less
In the last few decades, there has been an emergence of feminist texts that relate themselves to Homer’s renowned myths, The Iliad and The Odyssey. Inspired by these feminist narratives that...Show moreIn the last few decades, there has been an emergence of feminist texts that relate themselves to Homer’s renowned myths, The Iliad and The Odyssey. Inspired by these feminist narratives that revolve around the centring of the female characters within a myth, this thesis poses an analysis of the emergence and importance of mythmaking by women writers. In my research, I have focused on Pat Barker’s The Silence of the Girls Madeline Miller’s Circe, two of the most recent examples of feminist mythmaking. Both Barker and Miller are able to give a voice to women that have often been silenced in ‘classic’ myths: Briseis and Circe. The texts foreground the complexity of their female protagonists by relating their stories to the patriarchal world surrounding them. Building onto this, both texts reflect on mythmaking and storytelling on an overarching level, thereby offering us a subtle critique on the way myths have been written and read in the past. Strikingly, scholars have recently studied these feminist mythmakings as mere ‘rewritings’ or ‘fictionalisations’ of Homer’s ‘classics’. The effect is a limiting analysis in which the true intertextuality of the stories gets lost in a restricting methodology. In this thesis, I propose a new way to analyze these mythmakings in an appropriate and respectful way, by using the concept of ‘mosaic mythmaking’.Show less
