China and the European Union have, for a long time, sustained a cooperative, yet at the same time, antagonistic relationship. The surge in Chinese FDI in Europe, after the global financial crisis,...Show moreChina and the European Union have, for a long time, sustained a cooperative, yet at the same time, antagonistic relationship. The surge in Chinese FDI in Europe, after the global financial crisis, exacerbated unfavorable opinions of China, due to skepticism surrounding the intentions behind this investment increase. There is in place the belief that Chinese investment is negatively contributing to EU cohesiveness, by putting member states against each other to curry for China’s favour and secure investments, thus putting at risk the European order. The period post-2008 financial crisis saw Portugal becoming an important recipient of Chinese FDI, and as such, this paper analyzes the impact Chinese FDI has in Portuguese foreign policy and its integration in the EU. Portugal proves to be a unique case in comparison with other member states, due to its long-lasting relationship with China, and positive track record as a member of the EU. This dissertation examines this issue by using liberal intergovernmentalism and motivations behind Chinese investment, to argue that Portugal’s domestic interests play an important role in how it handles both China and the EU, as well as to defend that Chinese investment in Portugal as shown to be economically motivated. The results suggest that Portugal maintains a consistent and unchanged, for the most part, China policy. Furthermore, since most of Portugal’s domestic interests are met by the EU, according to liberal intergovernmentalism, in this way, it continues to contribute to its integration in the union. All in all, Chinese FDI in Portugal shouldn’t pose as a concern to the EU, seeing as the data reveals that Portugal’s top investors continue to be fellow member states, with China comprising a modest and slowly decreasing percentage. Therefore, the novelty of Chinese FDI in Europe continues to perpetuate an exaggerated anxiety, along with often unnecessary concerns, regarding the impact of said investment in Portugal.Show less
This thesis considers the role of social capital in the post-disaster recovery of fishermen and farmers in a coastal and rural region. Primarily focusing on two towns in Miyagi prefecture which...Show moreThis thesis considers the role of social capital in the post-disaster recovery of fishermen and farmers in a coastal and rural region. Primarily focusing on two towns in Miyagi prefecture which were affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the resulting tsunami in 2011, this thesis considers how the possession of cultural and social capital can hinder or enable recovery and company growth. Through the use of three case studies involving local fishermen and farmers who were affected by the disaster, this thesis argues that social capital plays an important role in enabling the recovery and growth of affected individuals and companies. In addition, not only the possession, but also the characteristics of said social capital determines to what extent and for what purposes social capital can be used to achieve recovery.Show less
This thesis examines female consciousness and self-identity in six films by Chinese female directors from the Sixth Generation. This study compares three films from the independent sector to three...Show moreThis thesis examines female consciousness and self-identity in six films by Chinese female directors from the Sixth Generation. This study compares three films from the independent sector to three films from the commercial sector by using the method of social semiotics.Show less
Privacy has become the subject of heated international debate in recent years. In particular the privacy of personal data has emerged in the centre of discussions about privacy. Some argue that...Show morePrivacy has become the subject of heated international debate in recent years. In particular the privacy of personal data has emerged in the centre of discussions about privacy. Some argue that privacy is not a universal concept, and that people from different countries differ in their attitude towards privacy. There is a contested notion that Japanese people have little to no sense of privacy. Existing research has focussed on how Japanese people conceive privacy and their attitude towards privacy, but privacy protection behaviour is not examined, nor is the translation from the conception of privacy and attitude towards privacy to protection behaviour discussed. This thesis examines influencing factors on the privacy protection behaviour of Japanese people through interviews. The analysis of the interview data uses a model of privacy-related behaviour, developed by Beldad, De Jong et al. (2011) as a comprehensive replacement for existing less complete models. Participants in this study mainly conceived privacy as their personal information. The chief method of protection was withholding information. The influences on privacy protection behaviour concentrated in participants' concerns about their information privacy and their ability to perceive risks to their information privacy.Show less
In this paper language attitudes of native Japanese speakers towards native Hakata dialect speakers are researched, to find out about the interdependency between spoken language and linguistic...Show moreIn this paper language attitudes of native Japanese speakers towards native Hakata dialect speakers are researched, to find out about the interdependency between spoken language and linguistic stereotypes, which tends to heavily influence interpersonal relationships as well as the process of establishing biases. Research was conducted by application of the matched-guise experimental technique in combination with a questionnaire. The main questions were: Are Hakata dialect speakers consistently perceived differently in comparison to standard Japanese speakers as a consequence of linguistic stereotyping? If so, then what are the prevalent stereotypes held by native Japanese speakers about people who speak Hakata dialect?Show less
Social media and videoblogging, or vlogging, are taking over the internet and North Korea is joining this trend. While doing so, the state is reaching out to the international community through...Show moreSocial media and videoblogging, or vlogging, are taking over the internet and North Korea is joining this trend. While doing so, the state is reaching out to the international community through relatable media content and soft power tools. One of the examples, in which North Korea reached out to the international viewer, is the Youtube channel ‘Echo of Truth’. This research aims to answer the question as to how soft power tools are applied in the videos of ‘Echo of Truth’. By using a qualitative visual discourse analysis, it analyzes the videos of ‘Echo of Truth’ to answer this question. This thesis argues that soft power tools, such as cultural and culinary diplomacy, are applied in the videos in order to make these videos more relatable to the international audience. However, not all the videos were found to have used these soft power techniques as traditional propaganda videos were still uploaded to the channel. The sheer differences found in the channel’s videos raised the question of a power dilemma the channel seemed to be facing.Show less
Being multi-ethnic seems to be something of a contradiction. How can someone be Japanese, yet not be Japanese at the same time? The fact that multi-ethnics have access to two or more cultures,...Show moreBeing multi-ethnic seems to be something of a contradiction. How can someone be Japanese, yet not be Japanese at the same time? The fact that multi-ethnics have access to two or more cultures, languages, and consequently two or more sets of values can influence how they identify themselves according to the situation, resulting in multiple possible identities. This study will explore multi-ethnic identities from the perspective of multi-ethnic Japanese individuals themselves. The focus lies on tracking down and exploring multi-ethnic adolescents’ experiences of being Othered in Japan and look at the key elements that need to be examined when analyzing multi-ethnic identity. How do multi-ethnics manage feeling a constant mismatch between how they identify themselves and how others identify them? How do they then find a means to feel ‘normal’, like they belong? These are the main questions that I will focus on answering in this thesis.Show less
With the demise of communism as a unifying ideological force, the contemporary Chinese leadership is in a rather dire situation. As economic performance alone proves insufficiently capable of...Show moreWith the demise of communism as a unifying ideological force, the contemporary Chinese leadership is in a rather dire situation. As economic performance alone proves insufficiently capable of binding all citizens in the PRC territory to its political center, China's leaders have turned to nationalism for the solution. A major problem with promoting nationalism as a state-sponsored and state-guided ideology is that it too easily slides down to just being chauvinism for and by the majority Han ethnicity. The danger here is that this will alienate China's numerous so-called ethnic minorities. This thesis looks at one of the possible solutions to this existential problem to the Chinese nation state. The promotion of "zhonghua minzu" as a method of detaching ethnic connotations, and attaching more political connotations, to Chinese nationalism is the focus of the present work. It deals with efforts by the Chinese leadership since the rise of Xi Jinping to the position of Chairman to instill a sense of being Chinese in all China's citizens without depending on rhetorics of common blood, language, or religion. The author has tried to assess, and to an extent predict, the meassure of success these policies may have in keeping the PRC a unified nation and state.Show less
The thesis focuses on medicine policy in the PRC from 1949 until 1962. The aim of the research is to decide whether or not deteriorating Sino-Soviet relations have contributed to the remarkable...Show moreThe thesis focuses on medicine policy in the PRC from 1949 until 1962. The aim of the research is to decide whether or not deteriorating Sino-Soviet relations have contributed to the remarkable change in Chinese medicine policy that took place throughout the designated time period. The author analyzes all available issues of both English and Chinese versions of the leading Chinese Medical Journal to demonstrate policy change, political development and a change in Sino-Soviet relations.Show less
Television possesses the power to frame people’s lives and activities on a scale that no other form of media has ever been able to enjoy. This paper explores the various political missions of the...Show moreTelevision possesses the power to frame people’s lives and activities on a scale that no other form of media has ever been able to enjoy. This paper explores the various political missions of the Chinese television broadcast, and examines the modern type of propaganda publicized and disseminated throughout contemporary TV formats. Since its first introduction to China, the domestic digital box has become one of most efficient media for the spread of a new form of propaganda, thus helping the Party in its attempts to construct people’s identities. Given the findings that the media have always acted as mouthpieces of the government, this research points out that some particular television formats have been widely employed as thought work distributors. This thesis focuses primarily on TV serial dramas, which, despite often appearing to be the most innocuous and entertaining of broadcasts, are instead practically brimming with political discourses. More specifically, the main aim of this study is to explore the social and political contexts that have given rise to Dynasty dramas, which have emerged as the most conspicuous genre present on prime time TV thus far. Which sorts of political messages are concealed behind historical dramas? And for which reasons is the Party so committed to promulgating these types of ideas? Do these messages serve to legitimize the Party’s mandates? This research departs from the well-researched trend of exploring governmental media use in broad terms, turning its attention instead to television in particular. This essay widely examines the use of television in modern society, and epitomizes it as the new platform upon which the Party is able to construct or mold “politically educated” and “spiritually civilized” identities. Ultimately, the active engagement of dramas with cultural and political issues is proved, through the analysis of two of the most renowned contemporary Dynasty series “Yongzheng Dynasty” and “The Great Han Emperor Wu”-.Show less
Morning drama series, asadora, attract one of the highest number of viewers watching programmes on Japanese television. These serialised drama series broadcasted by state broadcaster NHK over the...Show moreMorning drama series, asadora, attract one of the highest number of viewers watching programmes on Japanese television. These serialised drama series broadcasted by state broadcaster NHK over the course of half a year, have induced large-scale tourism to sites related to the film locations in the series. The success of such “contents tourism” has a significant economic effect, inspiring producers to choose rural areas coping with depopulation and economic loss. This thesis takes the series Hiyokko, broadcasted in 2017, as an example to explore the field of contents tourism and its cultural framework and history. By investigating the content and narrative of asadora, as well as the economic impact of rural revitalisation, this thesis provides an extensive study on asadora from a socio-cultural and economic perspective.Show less
At the time of writing almost five years have passed since Japan's triple disaster on March 11th 2011, when an earthquake triggered a tsunami which in turn triggered a nuclear crisis. With the...Show moreAt the time of writing almost five years have passed since Japan's triple disaster on March 11th 2011, when an earthquake triggered a tsunami which in turn triggered a nuclear crisis. With the initial shock having passed, how are people looking back at it? How have the tragic events that transpired settled into history, into national consciousness, into victims’ personal memories? Although on the grander national and global scales 3.11 is all but forgotten and being digested in the background, for most of the victims this disaster is still affecting daily life in numerous ways. The question this thesis focuses on is: What exactly has been disrupted through this disaster on a social level; how do communities and individuals that have been abruptly uprooted by a nuclear disaster cope; how do they reconstruct their collective and individual memories and identities; and how do they reframe nuclear energy, something that initially brought them prosperity but eventually led to them losing their homes indefinitely. This thesis analyzes the case of a specific uprooted nuclear host community, using documentary films as source material. The following discussion shows that a firmly rooted and once proud community has all but fallen apart, and their entire shared narrative, central to their collective identity, is shattered. Individual cases prove that there are many different ways in which memory is bound to either a place, people, or objects. Where the highest importance is placed is an individual issue that depends on the person and the context, and how flexible they deem their own identity. As a result some evacuees move on and some remain with the core community, hoping to return to their hometown someday, even though it seems unlikely to be possible within their lifetime. Further links between individuals and collective memory are discussed.Show less
Economic and bureaucratic reforms have shaped China's political economic framework since 1978. Although these reforms made long periods of economic growth possible, new challenges arose in the form...Show moreEconomic and bureaucratic reforms have shaped China's political economic framework since 1978. Although these reforms made long periods of economic growth possible, new challenges arose in the form of often collusive corruption. This dissertation will explore the relationship between economic and bureaucratic reforms and shifting types of corruption in China between 1992 - presentShow less
This thesis closely examines the North Korean film Hong Kildong, which is a film adaptation from 1986, based on the tale of Hong Kildong. It then compares the film version with a pre-modern...Show moreThis thesis closely examines the North Korean film Hong Kildong, which is a film adaptation from 1986, based on the tale of Hong Kildong. It then compares the film version with a pre-modern literary version of Hong Kildong Chŏn. The research field of North Korean cinema lacked a nuanced deconstruction of the ideological message conveyed in Hong Kildong. Consideration of the background motifs and themes was found to be generally overlooked. This thesis aims to provide for this lack. By analyzing the North Korean film version, while using the Confucian Five Moral Relationships and virtues as a yardstick, this thesis identified how close the story followed or deviated from the Confucian ethics. The comparison between Hong Kildong (film) and Hong Kildong Chŏn (pre-modern fiction) pointed out what (ideological) changes had been made, changes mostly found in the character traits and the development of the storyline towards the end of each story, and helped to identify Juche ideological elements. Through the hypothesis, “Hong Kildong reflects the same ideological changes as have been made to create the yunsaek type kodae sosŏl,” I was able to lend credit to the implications that come with the ideological changes I detected, since they then do not apply merely to this film. My research results confirmed that the hypothesis was indeed correct. Art theory in North Korea has taken on a unified form which is broadly applied to every artistic activity, including both film and literary adaptations of pre-modern works of fiction. The same ideological development can be discerned in both types of adaptation. The central theme, or “seed,” of Hong Kildong can be defined as the revolutionary transformation from the old, corrupt Chosŏn society to the new, liberated Chosŏn, which is promised to those who move towards the sun, which is symbolism for Kim Il-Sung and his Juche thought. Elements that suggest ideas contrary to Juche ideology were consistently found within the realm of Confucian thought. Confucian thought however was not condoned, nor completely condemned in the film, but rather improved to make a smooth transformation to Juche ideology possible. This suggests that Confucian thought remains, however limited, a component in the North Korean people’s belief system. However, hidden elements that reflect anti-Juche or anti-Party Line thoughts, which might have been an influence of Shin Sang-Ok’s own ideas, could not be found.Show less
This thesis is a sociolinguistic study of the phenomenon of 'fanspeak', the use of Japanese words by English-speaking fans of Japanese manga and anime, in computer mediated communication. The...Show moreThis thesis is a sociolinguistic study of the phenomenon of 'fanspeak', the use of Japanese words by English-speaking fans of Japanese manga and anime, in computer mediated communication. The internet has enabled fans from all over the world to communicate with each other and form an online subculture of sorts. The abundant use of loanwords from Japanese in this online discourse is striking. Using data collected from various manga and anime related websites and message boards, and interviews with the fans who use this kind of language, this thesis aims examine the characteristics of fanspeak from multiple angles. First its origins and social functions are discussed; why does fanspeak exist? Next, the semantics of fanspeak are analyzed; are the borrowed words used in the same meaning as in Japanese, or have their meanings and connotations shifted in the adaptation for use in English? Lastly, the morphological properties of fanspeak are addressed; what kind of grammatical transformations do Japanese words undergo in their adaptation? By addressing these issues I hope to clarify to what extent Japanese fanspeak has been incorporated into English internet discourse, and why and how this is diversifying the subcultural language of English speaking manga and anime fans.Show less
