Research master thesis | Asian Studies (research) (MA)
closed access
Hong Kong, a former British colony and now Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, has a long standing tradition of well networked political protest. Particularly the pro...Show moreHong Kong, a former British colony and now Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, has a long standing tradition of well networked political protest. Particularly the pro-democracy movement had gathered wide ranging public support in the years following the 1997 handover. In recent years this movement and the spectrum of the political opposition split and diversified. This thesis argues that the responsibilities and the question of leadership in the activist network of Hong Kong are contested and that existing hierarchies complicate protest action. This became particularly visible during the 2014 'Umbrella Movement'. Based on this example this thesis takes on the question whether contemporary pluralist networks can overcome power hierarchies. Through an analysis of original interviews with activists from the 'Umbrella Movement' the contesting narratives of leadership in the movement are explored and mapped. This helps to understand how the activists position others and themselves within a broader network, and shows how existing hierarchies affect the image of leadership in the network. The analysis also highlights other factors that influence the activists' understanding of power. Eventually it is shown that a number of leaders existed in the movement, which processes were perceived as complication for equal participation opportunities for all activists, and that hierarchies were neither absent nor static.Show less
Research master thesis | Asian Studies (research) (MA)
closed access
Until the present, the history of Chinese bells has mainly been studied through archaeological findings, most prominently Eastern Zhou bell chimes, and serious studies in which bells are the main...Show moreUntil the present, the history of Chinese bells has mainly been studied through archaeological findings, most prominently Eastern Zhou bell chimes, and serious studies in which bells are the main topic remain scarce for periods after the Han. However, bells demonstrably continued to play a significant role in different contexts, most strikingly as a component of Buddhist material culture. Despite the lack of archaeological material for later periods, the importance of these instruments can be deduced from written sources. This thesis traces the history of Buddhist temple bells during the Song dynasty (960-1276), through bell inscriptions that have been preserved despite the disappearance of the majority of the bells themselves. It pays attention to their practical and symbolic functions, as attested in the inscriptions, as well as to the context and local social history of bells, which can be reconstructed from the names that occur in the inscriptions.Show less
Research master thesis | Asian Studies (research) (MA)
open access
The aim of this thesis is to critically analyse four Hindi short stories and to explain whether they can be considered examples of literature about ageing. The research questions that this thesis...Show moreThe aim of this thesis is to critically analyse four Hindi short stories and to explain whether they can be considered examples of literature about ageing. The research questions that this thesis tries to answer are the following: Can the selected short stories be considered literature about ageing? If so, why and how this process of ageing is depicted in Hindi Literature? In order to answer these questions, the research of Mike Hepworth (2000) on literature about ageing in British Literature is used as theoretical framework. Indeed, the parameters given by Hepworth for recognising examples of literature about ageing can be used as general criteria for the analysis of literary texts worldwide. Differences and similarities between Hepworth’s analysis and the description of ageing in selected Hindi short stories are taken into account for this critical analysis. According to the study of the four selected short stories, it is observed that one of the main focus of Hindi literature about ageing is the pursuit of denouncing elderly abuse, in all the form they are perpetrated. This work also suggests that literature about ageing is also present in Hindi Literature and it can be recognised as a literary theme on its own.Show less
Research master thesis | Asian Studies (research) (MA)
open access
In contemporary Western academic publications, the name ‘Tangut’ refers almost exclusively to the dominant ethnic group of a so-called ‘conquest dynasty’, best known by its Chinese name, the Xixia...Show moreIn contemporary Western academic publications, the name ‘Tangut’ refers almost exclusively to the dominant ethnic group of a so-called ‘conquest dynasty’, best known by its Chinese name, the Xixia 西夏 (‘Western Xia’; 1038-1227). However, the name has had different connotations for our medieval and early modern forebears, which might prompt the question: What did medieval and early modern Europeans mean when they used the name ‘Tangut’? Given its present-day use, a corollary question ought to be: Did medieval and early modern Europeans have a similar understanding, or concept, of the Xixia Tanguts as we do today? It is this thesis’s main contention that the name ‘Tangut’ and the early understanding of this name in Europe stems from the same source as our current conception, that is, a Mongolian ethnonym cum toponym. Yet, in Europe it was long understood as mostly a toponym and it was not clearly connected to the concept of the Xixia Tanguts. Indeed, it will be argued that the Tanguts of the Xia are, albeit surprisingly, largely absent in early European descriptions of Chinese and Mongol history, compared to other ethno-historical references in European sources.Show less
Research master thesis | Asian Studies (research) (MA)
open access
Under the title ‘seeing culture by ear’, this thesis discusses what radio and radio studies is able to ‘show’ academia, what Japanese radio listeners get to ‘see’ when they tune in to their...Show moreUnder the title ‘seeing culture by ear’, this thesis discusses what radio and radio studies is able to ‘show’ academia, what Japanese radio listeners get to ‘see’ when they tune in to their favourite (community) radio stations and why these stations can be eye-opening for scholars researching radio and communities. The main argument is that radio is able to (greatly) contribute to the socialisation and cultivation of its listeners (especially on a local level) and that it is an appropriate medium for creating a sense of locality. To show how this could possibly be achieved, this thesis uses George Gerbner’s “Cultural Indicators Approach” and applies it to two community radio stations in northern Japan, namely FM Wappy in Wakkanai (Hokkaidō) and BeFM in Hachinohe (Aomori). By looking at the institutions involved with the creation of broadcasts and the messages which actually fill the airwaves, it becomes easier to see how the cultivating (and socialising) capabilities of these radio stations are realised. A few of the results are the large emphasis on the experiences of people, the participation of the station with local events and the opportunity for members of the community to create their own (short) shows. Also, especially in the case of BeFM, a continuous referral to local history, culture and language adds to the idea of radio being a tool for strengthening communal sentiments and local identity. Besides secondary (academic) literature, this thesis also contains fieldwork done by the author in 2015, an interview held with Mrs. Katō Yumi, the chairwoman of the board of directors at FM Wappy, and a message analysis of radio programmes broadcast during the summer of 2016.Show less
