https://thesis.eur.nl/col/7038/ List of Publications en https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/74603/ Fri, 23 Jun 2023 00:00:01 GMT <div>Hoekstra, Gijs</div> The integration of Mediterranean migrants in Dutch society has received significant scholarly attention, but it has rarely been approached from a bottom-up perspective. This is especially true for migrants in Rotterdam. In this thesis I have partly filled this gap by applying a qualitative analysis to primary sources that reflect migrants’ own experiences. My aim has been to analyse migrants’ social lives to see to what extend their lives overlapped with Dutch society and how (and why) this changed during their stay (and in some cases settlement). I have done so by focusing specifically on Mediterranean migrants that worked in the Rotterdam port, mainly because the port industries were one of the biggest employers. An implicit question that my thesis poses is whether this bottom-up perspective leads to different conclusions than those drawn in earlier historical works on Mediterranean migrants’ integration. The short answer to this is: not necessarily. The general conclusions that I make are the same as those presented in earlier works. Namely, the social lives of migrants became more ‘parallel’ to Dutch people from the 1970s onward. Consistently high recruitment numbers followed by an economic crisis – which hit port industries especially hard – made migrants’ stay more difficult. Their social lives in part turned inward as a protective measure to rising discrimination, but also because this was promoted by failing Dutch policy aimed at helping migrants integrate. However, the bottom-up approach has allowed for more nuance: it shows that there are cases of continuity between the 1960s (the period of early settlement) and the 1970s. The resulting image of migrants’ social lives is more diverse, shows that migrants were not unwilling to integrate and that their lives were never fully ‘parallel’. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/74612/ Sat, 24 Jun 2023 00:00:01 GMT <div>Nouwen, Tom</div><div>Jacobs, E.</div> The first part of this thesis analyses the imageries of Dutch shipping posters that share a link with the Dutch East Indies and were created in the period 1870-1940. This link was either expressed visually – the imagery depicts colonial life in the Dutch East Indies – or by alluding to the colony, in which case the imagery does not depict the colony, but the relationship is made clear in other ways, for example through textual elements. The set of primary sources that forms the base of this research is a set of 39 shipping posters, from the collection of the Maritime Museum Rotterdam. The set includes posters from Dutch shipping companies that were active in the Dutch East Indies: the Rotterdamsche Lloyd, the Stoomvaart-Maatschappij Nederland, the Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij and the Java-China-Japan Lijn. The aim is to reveal why these companies advertised with posters and what factors determined their imagery. This research has revealed a common thread in the imageries of Dutch shipping posters with a link to the Dutch East Indies, which is; the combination of underlying commercial messages of the companies and whatever was popular amongst the public. These commercial messages – which could be hidden for the receiver – mostly focussed on placing the shipping company in a positive light, for example by hinting at; a high standard, safety, the speed and/or relaxation of the journey and the power and technological prowess of the ocean liners. To attract as much gazes as possible, the posters also often reflected the trends that were popular amongst the targeted public. Which is why the art styles of these posters shift in accordance with the changing tastes of the Western public, but also why the colonial aspects in these posters were heavily romanticized. In this work, the over-romanticization of colonial life was proven to be, partly, the result of the ability of the Dutch tourism sector to recognize a certain Western tendency; the romanticist feelings of longing back to a more ‘authentic’ and ‘traditional’ society. These posters reflect popular themes and ideas of the time they were made and provide insight into the commercial messages of shipping companies. These aspects make them useful primary sources for historical research and fascinating objects for an exhibition. Therefore, the second part of this thesis focuses on a potential exhibition that could be made with these primary sources. The goal – amongst others – of this exhibition is to have people reflect on the tendency of shipping companies to use shipping posters, and advertisement in general, to over-romanticize colonial life, and in doing so, might have played a role in the maintenance of colonial stereotypes and the colonial system in general. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/74625/ Sat, 24 Jun 2023 00:00:01 GMT <div>Strieder, Fay</div> This thesis is about ‘women employed at ships of the Holland-America Line (HAL) between 1951-1971’. The HAL stopped with passenger lining in 1971, and the twenty years before that marked a period of broadening of entertainment, and thus job opportunities on board. Furthermore, this period was marked by female emancipation in Dutch society. The relevance of this topic is the lack of discussion of women’s efforts in (maritime) history writing overall. The research question is: Which factors determined the social position of women who were employed at the Holland-America Line between 1951 and 1971? In which one’s social position is determined through power, resources, and hierarchy. This question is researched through the archival method, with primary sources such as enrolment books from the Rotterdam City Archive, together with Dutch newspaper articles, and objects from the Maritime Museum Rotterdam. The main findings are that women made less wage than men. Even if they had the same job or tasks on board. They were usually young, worked long days, and chose a career on board motivated by a search for adventure, needing money, or to accompany a relative. Later, women were allowed to be admitted into seafaring schools, and the HAL started to allow women in steerswomen positions as the first Dutch shipping company, leading to more opportunities to work in jobs that were earlier only destined for men. The reached conclusion is that wage, motivations, education, age, marital status, and the content of the work are factors that determined the social position of women employed at the HAL between 1951 and 1971. This thesis is accompanied with an exhibition plan that is written for the Maritime Museum Rotterdam. This exhibition plan is focused on ‘Women employed in passenger shipping from 1946 until 1971’. The difference in demarcation is to cover the whole afterwar period, until passenger shipping became less popular, and to show a greater broadening of the developments in jobs for women, that matches the objects of the museum. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/74607/ Sun, 25 Jun 2023 00:00:01 GMT <div>Kriebl-Bruno, Oliver</div> This master's thesis explores the history of Carnisse, a neighborhood in the south of Rotterdam, from the perspective of its current inhabitants. To do so, it makes use of data collected during a series of 10 walking interviews with current residents of Carnisse, aiming to understand which places and stories residents perceived as most important to the neighborhood's history. Through qualitative thematic analysis, the study uncovered three major themes related to important locations: food/drink, public outdoor spaces, and cultural spaces. It was determined that residents valued places that served as social hubs, fostering connections and community engagement. The study also identified themes in the stories shared by participants, including transitions, (dis)connection to the neighborhood, and perceived gaps in the neighborhood's amenities. Although the small sample size of the project limits the conclusions of the research, it serves as a proof of concept for a new, participatory approach to engaging with Carnisse’s history. Furthermore, the results of the research are adapted into a proposal for a walking tour through Carnisse to help residents discover the offerings in their own neighborhood. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/74606/ Fri, 07 Jul 2023 00:00:01 GMT <div>Koole, Sophie</div> This thesis examines the way Iranian protests have been mediated since the Iranian Revolution of 1979. It hereby draws upon media theory in relation to activism, (historical) visual and textual analyses, and perception analysis through video elicitation. The study compared historical protests mediated in newspapers and the recent protests of 2022, focussing particularly on TikTok. In this way, it scrutinises the role of affordances, censorship, and remediation in this process. Data were gathered through various online sources, including a library of historical Iranian newspapers and the TikTok search engine. The results of this study demonstrate how both older and newer media forms use symbolism to frame their narrative and that though newer media forms have been presented as more democratic, both forms have to adhere to certain rules and regulations. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/74600/ Mon, 17 Jul 2023 00:00:01 GMT <div>Helmink, Thom</div> The Netherlands and Dutch East Indies Under Attack: How American comic creators represented the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies during World War 2. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/75128/ Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:01 GMT <div>Mare Dermaux</div> ‘Agent de toute confiance et de tout premier ordre’ Anne-Marie van Oost, a case study of a woman’s participation in the Belgian resistance during the Second World War Abstract This thesis explores the multifaceted roles and contributions of a woman in the Belgian resistance during the Second World War. The research is based on the case study of Belgian resistance agent Anne-Marie van Oost. While historical narratives have often sidelined the participation of women, this research aims to highlight their critical involvement and the diverse capacities in which they served. Through a comparative analysis of Anne-Marie’s recognition files with those of her male relatives, her personal biography and additional literature, this study examines a woman’s experience and participation in the resistance in an occupied country in Western-Europe. The research reveals that women were instrumental in communication, safeguarding fugitives, and the provision of supplies to resistance fighters. Their efforts were crucial to the success of the resistance operation and it allowed women to transcend gender norms and work with the men on a similar level. It even provided opportunities for female agents to fulfil leadership roles. This thesis also delves into the gender-specific challenges faced by these women, including the difficulties of their recruitment and how societal expectations hindered their position within a resistance group. In addition, the research nuances the contested claims by historian Fabrice Maerten about women’s mere ‘supportive’ roles in the resistance. By shedding light on the contributions of this courageous woman, this study aims to rectify historical misconceptions and provide a more inclusive overview of the Belgian resistance movement. The findings contribute to the Belgian studies on the Second World War and the under researched Belgian resistance historiography. The research highlights the need to re-evaluate traditional historical narratives and recognize the indispensable role of women in shaping the outcomes of wartime resistance efforts. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/75130/ Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:01 GMT <div>Anne Knoop</div> The legacy of companies involved in the Holocaust, especially those in the public transport sector, has become a focal point of scrutiny, with the train symbolising the mass deportations to concentration and extermination camps. This thesis examines the Nederlandse Spoorwegen’s (NS) engagement with its historical role in the Holocaust from 1945 to the present. The main question guiding this research is: How has NS managed its public image concerning its role in the transportation of Jews, Sinti, and Roma during World War II in the context of Dutch memory culture since 1945? Utilising historiographical analysis, archival research, interviews with experts and stakeholders, and supplementary historical web research, this study traces and outlines the developments of NS’s public image strategies, with Dutch memory culture of World War II serving as a contextual framework. The research findings illustrate NS’s initial efforts to shape a post-war narrative of resistance while downplaying its wartime collaboration, followed by strategic redirections of public attention and an eventual critical but cautious engagement with its past. The findings highlight NS’s navigations through selective memory and corporate communication strategies to construct and revise its public image. They demonstrate NS’s responses to external scrutiny and internal cultural influences, showcasing shifts from denial to acknowledgment, and the complexities of addressing historical accountability amidst societal expectations and developments. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/75126/ Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:01 GMT <div>Tom Moreland</div> In 1933, Standard Oil of California (Socal) purchased the exclusive concession for the extraction of Saudi Arabian oil, through the subsidiary California-Arabian Standard Oil (Casoc). After a decade marked by initial exploration difficulties and World War II disruptions, Casoc rebranded to Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco) in 1944. By 1948, the Aramco ownership comprised four of the seven major oil firms (colloquially known as the Seven Sisters) that dominated world oil - Standard Oil of New Jersey, Socony Vacuum, Texaco, and Socal. This increased ownership reflected a massive expansion in Aramco’s operations which, underpinned by soaring global demand, saw Aramco become the largest producer in the Middle East by the early 1950s. This thesis investigates the sophisticated array of public relations strategies that Aramco employed to maintain its burgeoning position as one of the largest and most lucrative oil operations in the world before the company’s eventual nationalisation by the Saudi Arabian government beginning in 1973. Such strategies were reflective of evolving methods of shaping discourse and narrative through cultural production, which were becoming increasingly common as the twentieth century wore on. This analysis focuses on three prominent themes of Aramco’s public relations strategies: exceptionalism, development and modernization, and relationship management with the Saudi monarchy and labour force. 1. Aramco constructed a distinct cultural identity of exceptionalism, in part by appropriating pre-existing narratives of American exceptionalism, portraying itself as an enlightened and mission-driven entity. The company sought to entrench this corporate identity within American and Saudi cultural imaginaries, in order to distinguish themselves from accusations of imperialism and exploitation. 2. Aramco’s public relations output also heavily focused on the themes of development and modernization, positioning the company as a partner in growth. This narrative was also articulated within the broader context of American developmentalism, ubiquitous during the cold war period. Aramco’s development posture emphasized technological superiority and the transformative effect of western modernity, which they represented, on Saudi Arabia. These depictions served to dramatize Aramco’s role as a catalyst for Saudi progress, fostering a sense of technological paternalism. 3. Aramco crafted a positive image of the Saudi monarchy, particularly through the valorised depiction of Saudi Arabia’s founding monarch, King Ibn Saud. Aditionally, the company sought to construct an internal corporate culture to influence its American employees, and by extension its Saudi labour force, attempting to shape a perspective aligned with that which the company sought to inculcate in its workforce. In doing so they sought to mitigate political and industrial opposition within the kingdom. Overall, this thesis provides insight into the strategies of cultural production that underpinned Aramco’s attempts to maintain control over Saudi oil resources, highlighting the enduring relevance of these tactics in contemporary global energy dynamics. Understanding the construction of these cultural narratives is crucial as ever, as the world grapples with continuing oil dependency. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/75127/ Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:01 GMT <div>Nadja Pudar</div> Yugonostalgia refers to a longing for the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY), a state that existed from 1945 to 1991. This research investigates How is Yugonostalgia experienced and expressed by the second generation Bosnian diaspora in the Netherlands? Through the use of life-history interviews with ten participants, this research explores how Yugonostalgia influences the identities and experiences of individuals with no direct memories or lived experience of the SFRY, yet retain a sense of belonging and attachment to a perceived Yugoslav past. This research examines, therefore, how they navigate and balance their Bosnian heritage, Dutch upbringing and Yugonostalgic identities. It further looks into the role of inherited family memories, engagements with the homeland, the presence and influence of diasporic associations, as well as cultural connections to the SFRY, particularly Yu-Rock music. Additionally, this research discusses how the unique relationship between BiH and the Netherlands, influenced by collective guilt regarding the legacies of Srebrenica, affects the diaspora's identity formation. Overall, this research shows that Yugonostalgia has a strong presence among the second generation Bosnian diaspora in the Netherlands, which is maintained in light of individual negotiations and criticism. Yugonostalgia serves as a means to grapple with the impossibility of return to the SFRY, reconciliation with a violent past and the aftermath, as well as fostering a sense of belonging for individuals who position themselves outside of the dominant frameworks of ethno-national belonging. Crucially, however, Yugonostalgia in this research emerges as a placeholder for a utopian hope for a future Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH); one that meets the second generation’s ideals of unity, stability, and prosperity void of ethnic divisions. As a result, this research largely touches on the emancipatory and political potential of Yugonostalgia in shaping a new future, in light of weak, stagnant and divisive conditions in present-day BiH. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/75129/ Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:01 GMT <div>Julia Sirkin</div> This research analyzes how girl zines in the 1990s United Kingdom constructed femininity. These self-publications offered girls and women an alternative channel wherein they could challenge traditional patriarchal depictions of femininity. The study situates these zines within the larger field of third wave feminism, which is characterized by a greater freedom of gender expression, a reclamation of hyperfemininity, and DIY (Do-It-Yourself) activism. Within the pages of these zines, femininity is constructed as a multifaceted and layered concept; women are constructed as beings in their own right rather than objects for the ‘male gaze.’ This analysis is framed through the lens of Mikhail Bakhtin’s carnivalesque literary theory, which posits that such materials hold a revolutionary potential to overturn the dominant world order. Through a qualitative analysis of fifteen zines from the 1990s United Kingdom, this research aims to understand how these materials utilized the carnivalesque elements ‘the grotesque body’ and ‘the upside-down world.’ It additionally examines how these zinesters explored realms which have historically been reserved for men, such as anger, humor, profanity, and obscenity. Through this qualitative analysis, certain recurring themes are identified, such as body image, eating disorders, ‘girl power,’ menstruation, and more. Key findings reveal that the constructions of femininity in these girl zines contributed not just to an ever-evolving feminist body of work, but to a carnivalesque canon of literature. Through this analysis, a nuanced picture comes into focus about how ‘90s third wave feminists enacted a wide range of visual and linguistic resistance. Although the girl zine movement of the 1990s had declined by the end of the decade, their constructions of femininity continue to hold significance for modern day feminists. By reconceptualizing this media as a subversive, feminist, and revolutionary art form, these 1990s publications can act as a guide and inspiration for fourth wave feminists to understand how their struggle fits into the larger feminist discourse. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/75131/ Wed, 10 Jan 2024 00:00:01 GMT <div>Noah Dekker</div> Contemporary museums increasingly use of the term diversity as a means of self-presentation, often using it as a symbol to align with current morality and societal values. The use of the term is extensively debated by policymakers and politicians, yet these institutions seldom provide a definition of diversity within their museological context. Consequently, this thesis seeks to examine how ethnographic museums in the Netherlands define and implement diversity within their exhibition narratives. Museums have been subjected to extensive research in the realms of visitor-studies, identity construction and decolonisation processes. Despite research into institutional diversity, there remains a gap in understanding how diversity is defined within in the overarching narrative and public perception of museums. To address this gap, this thesis uses a threefold approach that analyses textual elements, displayed objects, and spatial elements in the the exhibitions ‘Colonialism and Rotterdam’ and ‘Out Colonial Inheritance’. Through this approach, the thesis aims to explore how ethnographic museum in the Netherlands utilise the notion of diversity within their exhibition narratives. Three sections have been chosen from each exhibition to illustrate how diversity influences the presentation of colonial history in both local and urban, as well as national contexts. This research adopts a structural and content-based approach, using empirical evidence that consists of interacting with the exhibition, photographing the elements and setting up visual plans for the layout. These methods provide new insights into the nuanced ways in which diversity is implemented. The study challenges the notion of labelling exhibitions with the term ‘diversity’ or proclaiming its value means its presence. The museum of Rotterdam centres its narrative on migration, utilising colonialism as the main driver for cultural diversity within the city. This approach highlights intercontinental migration, resulting in the fusion of foods, languages, and interpersonal interactions. Diversity shifts from a means to highlight uniqueness and differences among people to promoting unity and the acceptance of societal differences. Similarly, Amsterdam reflects these shifts but employs objects and spatial elements to convey them. Unlike Rotterdam’s chronological structure, Amsterdam adopts a thematic approach, allowing a more fluid integration of contemporary and historical aspects. Rotterdam’s chronological focus, while informative, limits the inclusion of more diverse examples. Both museums intertwine historical narratives with contemporary issues, advocating for decolonisation to address present-day issues. They emphasise the need to reevaluate historical memories. Furthermore, diversity presents itself in the need to reclaim and decolonise identities, evolving from a tool to highlighting uniqueness into becoming a unifying force in society. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/76841/ Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:01 GMT <div>Bax, Ruben</div> Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN) is an internationally renowned maritime institute that finds itself at the cutting edge of maritime expertise. From the 1960s to the 1980s Shipbuilding would shift away from Europe to countries in Asia with lower wages. In the Netherlands this led to a shrinkage in the shipbuilding sector of about 60%. At the same time the 1970s and 1980s would be a bad time for shipbuilding in general as the 1973 oil crisis would be followed by the 1980s oil glut. This raises the question of why MARIN survived all this turmoil? This question was answered by gathering data from MARIN's annual reports and other sources like newspapers to establish three key facts: Firstly in how much trouble MARIN really was, secondly how reliant MARIN was on income from Dutch sources and lastly what core competence the institute built up to face the new market. The coming hardships where not apparent to MARIN's executives in 1968 when they decided to build a large and expensive new testing facility in Ede called the vacuum tank. The vacuum tank, while certainly pushing MARIN's technical and scientific pedigree of Ship powering forwards, did provide the revenue was hoped for. Unable to generate the profits needed to pay back its loans MARIN started making heavy losses. These losses where however not due to the Dutch shipbuilding collapse, but instead due to a general malaise in the shipbuilding sector combined with strong foreign competition. MARIN's core competence in Ship powering and Ocean engineering allowed it to tap into relatively healthy segments of the Dutch shipbuilding market when it needed to. After a looming bankruptcy the Dutch government provided emergency relief and set up the CRONSP to provide a long term solution. This would result in MARIN merging with the NMI and receiving an annual subsidy. MARIN's situation was still not sustainable in the long term, but this annual subsidy combined with government loans ensured MARIN's survival for now. The subsidies MARIN would have needed to reach sustainability were significantly less than some of its fellow GTI's were receiving. This means that while MARIN relied on government funding for survival, this amount was less than expected for a public institute of its size. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/77731/ Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:01 GMT <div>Dury, Anne</div> This thesis analyses how the legacy of Algerian decolonisation has visually resonated in history textbooks published in France since 1970. With increasing tensions between Algeria and France and the role of colonialism remaining a central point of contention in French public debates, the memories of the Algerian War of Independence are as relevant as ever. Their transmission in textbooks has long been a source of controversy in France. As they are multifaceted mediums subject to political, economic, and social interests, this thesis aims to highlight that historical narratives in textbooks are in constant flux - and that visuals are not neutral conveyors of history. The main question guiding this research is: how have French history textbooks visually represented Algerian decolonisation since 1970? How has that representation evolved? Through a qualitative approach, this study analyses textbook iconography over 50 years to trace and outline the development of how textbooks visually engage with the history of the Algerian War of Independence. The research reveals that the visual representation of Algerian decolonisation gradually shifted to depict the more controversial and obscured events of the conflict, continuously anchored in a French context. The findings highlight a cautious and non-linear remediation of the war according to contemporary societal self-descriptions and issues. They demonstrate how politics of memory, through the demands of external actors, has shaped visual representations, and the role of various textbook elements in constructing overarching narratives. This thesis contributes to existing research on French textbooks through its visual approach and analysis of recent textbooks, and emphasises the need to study how visuals contribute to the construction of historical narratives in this educational medium. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/76501/ Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:01 GMT <div>Franssen, Onne</div> Globally, Rights of Nature is proposed and implemented as a potential innovative tool of biodiversity governance to curb the global biodiversity crisis. Inspired by the global movement, the Dutch Rights of Nature (RoN) movement aspires the similar goal. Analysing the pre-implementation phase of the Dutch Rights of Nature (RoN) movement, no implementation has occurred as of yet but the Dutch RoN discourse does substantially influence Dutch human-nature relations. Analysing the discourses of the Rights of the Scheldts (RoS), Rights of the North Sea (RoNo) and Rights of the Wadden Sea (RoW), the overall Dutch RoN discourse influences such human-nature relations in the Netherlands in four predominant ways, I argue. First, the discourse generally paves the way and contributes to the gradual normalisation of ecocentrism. Enabled by promoting and normalising both ecocentric thought and by ecocentric governance through RoN. Second, the discourse makes Dutch society aware of the historic and contemporary harmful role of anthropocentrism in the respective natural areas on a societal and institutional level. Third, because of the novelty of both RoN and the idea of ecocentrism, normative resistance is evident. Mainly in the discourse of the Scheldts and the Wadden Sea, where the resistance is similarly prevalent on both an institutional and societal level. Deeply entrenched anthropocentric logic, culture and systems are at the backbone of this, I argue. Moreover, the democratic and cultural value of consensus-building in Dutch governance is argued to additionally hinder in Wadden Sea governance. Last, the discourse promotes and proposes the institutionalisation of RoN to enforce and integrate more harmonious and ecocentric human-nature relations in the respective natural areas. Across the Dutch RoN discourse, legal personhood and adhering human guardianship are the main RoN form proposed to do so. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/76515/ Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:01 GMT <div>Bruijn, Michou de</div> This paper examines the evolution of visual representations of conflict in Dutch newspaper media throughout the twentieth century. Drawing on visual imaginaries by analysing changes in photographic practices, such as framing, subject positioning, signifying elements, and the use of space, this research reveals how visual patterns contribute to shaping shared cultural understandings of conflict and how these have changed over time. Employing a combination of multimodal artificial intelligence and semiotic analysis, the study conducts a quantitative visual examination of the "Koninklijke Bibliotheek Kranten - 1 Miljoen" dataset, which includes 1.6 million digitised images and captions from Dutch newspapers published between 1922 and 1994. This approach enables a longitudinal perspective on Dutch conflict reporting and its evolving visual language. The inspiration for this thesis was provoked by observations surrounding current conflict reporting, which often uses domestic fragments and environments to narrate. These archetypical domestic elements, representing Russian-Ukrainian and Israeli-Palestinian wars, are widely recognisable across Western societies. As such, they foster empathy by mirroring the viewer's own most private spaces, offering an emotional bridge between distant conflict and everyday life without directly documenting human suffering. These findings sparked a wonder about how such conventions have developed historically and how changing cultural, political, and technological contexts have shaped the visual imaginaries of conflicts published in Dutch newspaper media. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/76516/ Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:01 GMT <div>Balducci, Daniele</div> What justice is, and how we can achieve it, is a persistent academic question. Today, it seems that justice is even more contested by the appearance of all different kinds of justice: transitional justice, climate justice, criminal justice, future justice, etcetera. The thesis, aims to uncover the processes of constructing notions of justice within the biggest international court of the world, the International Court of Justice (ICJ or Court), asking the following question: How were concepts of justice contested and deployed in key ICJ cases, and how did these contestations reflect and shape broader political transformations across different historical moments? Applying a conceptual history to the materials produced by the Court, particularly majority judgments and individual opinions, the thesis analyzes two specific cases: the Corfu Channel case (1949) and the Continued Presence of South Africa in Namibia (South West Africa) case (1971). Within the first case, the concept of justice illuminates competing conceptions of international justice, shaped by individual understandings of history, perceived authority, and Cold War dynamics. International justice is particularly contested across the bench with regard to the Court's use of indirect evidence to accuse Albania. The concept implies the idea of pursuing equality among states. Advocated by Judge Alvarez, the idea of social justice also appears, having a broader scope and implications for international arbitration. In this case, the existence of two different law-making attitudes is argued: present-oriented and future-oriented. In the former perspective, international law should continually adapt to the present; for instance, given the acknowledgment of interdependence among states by Judge Alvarez, international law should entail duties towards the community of states itself. In the latter attitude, the future is embedded and taken into account in legal reasoning. In the majority judgment as well as in Judge Krylov's opinion, the law is thought to avoid an event from happening in the future. In the Continued Presence of South Africa in Namibia (South West Africa) case, time plays the most prominent role in shaping the idea of justice. The majority of the Bench supports a progressive conception of justice, which argues that law should adapt to the present by rejecting discriminatory policies and supporting self-determination and decolonization. Another example of a present-oriented way of reasoning. Aligned with this idea, the position of Judge Padilla Nervo advocates social justice, which is associated with the principles of freedom, equality, and independence. On the other side, this progressive idea of justice is contested by a more static one, where a strict separation between law and politics is argued, and justice is not affected by the passing of time. In this case, the negotiation of justice reflects broader shifts within the Court itself, as its composition and authority evolved in response to global political change. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/76564/ Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:01 GMT <div>Vader, Marnix</div> This thesis examines how populism in the twenty-first century of the United States evolved from the decentralized Tea Party Movement in 2009 to the leader-centered political style of Donald J. Trump during his presidential campaign from 2015 to 2016. While both movements share a distrust of elites, emotional appeals to 'the people,' nostalgic visions of a lost national ideal, and a utopian dream of restoring that nostalgic past, they differ in structure, style, and rhetorical strategy. This study asks: How have nostalgia, utopian ideals, and populism evolved from the Tea Party Movement to the first presidential campaign of Donald J. Trump? The context for this transformation is rooted in economic, political, and cultural anxiety. The Tea Party Movement emerged as a grassroots protest movement grounded in anti-establishment sentiment and constitutional nostalgia but lacked centralized leadership. Trump absorbed these energies and turned them into a media-driven, charisma-based movement now referred to as Trumpism. To analyze this evolution, the thesis uses a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative analysis with qualitative analysis on books, social media posts, and televised performances. Theoretically, the study draws on the definition of populism by Paul Taggart in combination with populism as political style by Benjamin Moffitt, and the concept of charismatic leadership as explored by Clemens van Herwaarden. The analysis reveals three major transformations. A shift from decentralized protest to personalized leadership. An evolution from anger and opposition to emotionally resonant, future-oriented charisma. And from spontaneous, reactive media engagement to sustained political performance across platforms. While the Tea Party Movement was fragmented and anti-institutional, Trump rebranded this style of conservative populism into a coherent spectacle of leadership, using nostalgia and utopian ideals to unify grievances under his personal brand. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/76616/ Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:01 GMT <div>Mainer Millan, Nuria</div> This thesis examines the way that migrants have created and maintained their cultural identities through formal and informal integration in Rotterdam. As a country with a long and strong history of migration, the Netherlands has seen various developments in its legislation to control and organise its migrant population. These laws have affected the way in which migrants are expected to integrate into Dutch society and in turn are able to express and define themselves, but how exactly this occurs remains unclear. Using semi-structured interviews with migrants who arrived between 1989 and 2020, this study reveals that migrants see their identities as fluid and, more often than not, split between two cultures. Social connections are crucial in their ability to become independent and self-reliant, but also to connect to the cultures they interact with. Meanwhile, integration programmes are well organized and have positive effects on the self-sufficiency of migrants, but is solely focused on assimilation rather than integration. These findings provide practical guidelines and possible outlooks for integration programmes that account for migrant experiences to achieve more successful participation and a sense of belonging in Dutch society. The research suggest that integration programmes strengthen their networking guidance so that migrants can develop strong social bonds together with the native population and through that explore their cultural identities to better adapt. https://thesis.eur.nl/pub/76640/ Fri, 10 Oct 2025 00:00:01 GMT <div>Kooij, Noah</div> This thesis explores the evolution of waste management visual communication in Rotterdam from 1876 to 2013, focusing on how municipal campaigns reflected and shaped public attitudes toward sustainability, civic engagement, and environmental responsibility. Through a qualitative analysis of visual materials, including posters, pamphlets, and public advertisements produced by Rotterdam's waste management services (notably Roteb), the study traces how messaging evolved from authoritative, regulation-based appeals to more inclusive, awareness-driven strategies that encouraged voluntary participation and civic pride. An applied component of this research is the design of an exhibition, Dirty Work, Clean City: A Visual History of Waste and Citizenship in Rotterdam, which translates the academic findings into an interactive public history format. The exhibition aims to engage a broad urban audience, fostering reflection on the historical relationship between waste, citizenship, and environmental ethics, while inspiring dialogue on contemporary urban sustainability.