This thesis study 260 Arabic inscriptions from the Arabian Peninsula, corresponding to modern-day Saudi Arabia, dating to the first four centuries AH/ 7th to 10th centuries CE. In total, 260... Show moreThis thesis study 260 Arabic inscriptions from the Arabian Peninsula, corresponding to modern-day Saudi Arabia, dating to the first four centuries AH/ 7th to 10th centuries CE. In total, 260 inscriptions are studied, 145 of which are published here for the first time. The corpus pertains to four families whose ancestors are considered, from the literary sources, to be the Prophet Muḥammad's companions. Three of the families belonged to the tribe of the Prophet, the Quraysh, namely the descendants of al-Mughīra al-Makhzūmī, ʿUmar son of al-Khaṭṭāb, and al-Zubayr son of al-ʿAwwām. The fourth family is that of the descendants of Abū ʿAbs, from al-Anṣār. The corpus includes 106 personal names and was collected from different regions of Saudi Arabia, with most of the inscriptions found in the Medina region. Furthermore, the inscriptions extend our knowledge of these families beyond the genealogical sources since they provide us with knowledge of previously unknown individuals, which helps us reconstruct various family trees. The thesis also discusses why individuals whose names are found in the inscriptions are absent from the genealogical sources. There is also discussion of the epigraphic habit of the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula which was popular in the early Islamic period. It also shows that different members of one family left inscriptions at one site for around two centuries. The thesis concludes that inscriptions constitute an essential source for genealogical studies. Show less
This thesis gives a systematic interpretation of the maritime trade and transportation of Chinese ceramics in a historical perspective from the ninth-century Tang dynasty up to the middle of the... Show moreThis thesis gives a systematic interpretation of the maritime trade and transportation of Chinese ceramics in a historical perspective from the ninth-century Tang dynasty up to the middle of the 17th century. The focus is on the Dutch demand for porcelain, which types and shapes were ordered and what the Dutch East India Company (VOC) transported. The study is based on three distinct areas of research: maritime trade,Chinese export ceramics, and the history of the VOC. Items salvaged from shipwrecks are testimony of the shapes and quantities shipped by Western traders; these are also illustrated in the Appendices. What the Dutch ordered is based on the VOC commissions and cargo lists kept in the National Archives. A particular type, known in art-historical publications as Kraak-type porcelain, is given a sharper definition and a clearer chronology. Dutch demand for porcelain was decisive in activating the porcelain production in China; archaeological data shows that mass-production was undertaken to meet the demands for Western customers. The VOC was the main company ordering and storing Chinese porcelain, shipping it not only to Europe, but also within Asia and the Middle East during the first half of the 17th century. Show less
The purpose of this thesis is to examine the "landscape theory" (Fukei-ron), which has given rise to much debate. This theory was proposed by the anarchist film critic Matsuda Masao at the end of... Show moreThe purpose of this thesis is to examine the "landscape theory" (Fukei-ron), which has given rise to much debate. This theory was proposed by the anarchist film critic Matsuda Masao at the end of 1969 and developed by the director Adachi Masao, the screenwriter Sasaki Mamoru and the photographer Nakahira Takuma, among others. She wishes to re-study this theory of landscape not only to re-evaluate it from an artistic point of view or within the framework of the history of cinema, but also to bring out its political and revolutionary value. The "landscape theory" was born following the film A.K.A. Serial Killer (1969), co-directed by Matsuda, Adachi and Sasaki. This work is a documentary about Nagayama Norio, a nineteen year old man who never appears in the film although he was the author of a series of indiscriminate shootings in the cities of Tokyo, Kyoto, Hakodate and Nagoya between October 1968 and April 1969. This documentary is entirely composed of all the landscapes that Nagayama is said to have seen during his wanderings from his birth to his arrest. This thesis attempts to demonstrate the context in which the term and concept of "landscape" (fukei) was introduced into Japan to translate the Western word "landscape" into Japanese during the modernization process of the Meiji Restoration in the late 19th century, as well as the peculiarity of the "landscape theory" developed by Matsuda and Adachi in a totally different approach from the existing one. Show less
This dissertation investigates the relationship between waste recycling and social change. Instead of complying with a prevailing notion of recycling as an environmental solution, or as material... Show moreThis dissertation investigates the relationship between waste recycling and social change. Instead of complying with a prevailing notion of recycling as an environmental solution, or as material conversion and trade, this research maintains that recycling is about people, their relation to objects and environments, their networks of interaction and modes of thoughts. The empirical focus of this dissertation is Tzu-chi recycling: a volunteer-operated, community-based, Buddhism-associated national movement in Taiwan since the 1990s. This research analyzes Tzu-chi recycling at three levels: individual, communal and institutional. It studies Tzu-chi recycling against the backdrop of Taiwan’s drastic social change: the economic and demographic restructuring, a movement of political localization, and the dynamic powers of religious phenomenon. By doing so, the dissertation shows post-authoritarian Taiwan through the lens of waste recycling, and understands waste recycling through Taiwan. Overall, it contends that in different forms of action and ways of seeing, Tzu-chi-associated members redefine recycling as a past-oriented strategy and a redemptive tool to deal with different consequences of modernity. From the vantage point of waste, this research sheds light on the entanglement between a society’s development and its waste as an examination of its continuum and rupture between present and past. Through the chapters of this dissertation, it becomes clear that, above all, rubbish is at the core of meaningful and coordinated social activity; it makes us who we are. Show less
This dissertation contributes to the reinvention of Chinese political history with a comprehensive account of Wang Anshi’s 王安石 (1021-1086) political theory, touching also upon its practice, arguing... Show moreThis dissertation contributes to the reinvention of Chinese political history with a comprehensive account of Wang Anshi’s 王安石 (1021-1086) political theory, touching also upon its practice, arguing that it was centered on transforming human nature with statist values against the mid-eleventh century humanist mainstream. Intellectual historical studies of Wang Anshi over the past three decades have been focused on how he envisioned the relationship between government and society. Aiming to go beyond this, this study focuses on the “what” in Wang’s learning, i.e., his writings on daode 道德 and xingming 性命 (literally, the way and its power, nature and destiny), most concentratedly found in volumes 63-70 of Collected Writings of Mr. Linchuan 臨川先生文集. Regarding this body of work in Wang’s oeuvre, scholars like Yu Yingshi take them as being about moral self-cultivation in the Confucian tradition. Through close analysis of key concepts in context and differentiating rhetorical strategies from what was meant, I argue in chapter 2 that Wang’s discussions of human nature were integral to his political thought on governance and that what he advanced as the gist of his learning was an anti-humanist soulcraft centered on using statist values to transform self-regarding humans into subjects who would unreflectively think in the interest of the state. It was cultivationist rather than self-cultivationist, as Wang designed a full procedure to firmly establish these values – otherwise foreign to humans in his view – into people’s hearts through externally imposed behavioral regulations. Show less
This dissertation provides a description and analysis of the Mandarin copula shì and copular structures containing it. On the basis of a comprehensive description of the syntactic distribution of... Show moreThis dissertation provides a description and analysis of the Mandarin copula shì and copular structures containing it. On the basis of a comprehensive description of the syntactic distribution of shì and properties of different types of copular sentences (predicational, specificational, and equative), this study proposes a unified structural analysis for predicational and specificational copular sentences in Mandarin.It is proposed that shì is a functional element in the structure of the clause. Importantly, shì is not a verb, and copular structures in Mandarin contain no verb phrase at all, which is consistent with proposals about pronominal copular elements in other languages. Specificational copular sentences are analysed as inverted predicational copular sentences, derived via predicate inversion. This analysis captures both the underlying similarities and the differences between the two types of copular sentences. It is also pointed out that the third type of copular sentences, equatives, is clearly distinct from both predicational and specificational copular sentences and should thus be analysed in a different way.The dissertation also proposes that tense is not always syntactically expressed in Mandarin copular structures. While sentences with a stage-level predicate express tense syntactically, those with an individual-level predicate do not. Show less
This PhD thesis studies the emergence of a new type of female image in ukiyo-e in the early to mid-nineteenth century (late Edo period), with a focus on the bijin-ga, or “pictures of beauties,”... Show moreThis PhD thesis studies the emergence of a new type of female image in ukiyo-e in the early to mid-nineteenth century (late Edo period), with a focus on the bijin-ga, or “pictures of beauties,” designed by Keisai Eisen (1791–1848). Compared to many bijin-ga produced before his time, Eisen’s bijin-ga express a more sensuous, sexually-charged ethos and a sense of self-resilience in the portrayal of female subjects. My study contextualizes the new images of women within the socio-historical milieu of this era.In the context of gender studies, my investigation also explore the social function of Eisen’s bijin-ga. Commercial media such as ukiyo-e seemingly contribute to the general discourse on female gender roles in its bijin-ga depictions of women. In other words, Eisen’s bijin-ga images of women play in the creation of a new feminine ideal in the late Edo period. I also explore in what ways was this expressed in the bijin-ga of Eisen and his circle of artists, writers, and publishers of the demimonde that formed the vortex of commoner society and culture of the late Edo. Show less
With the Constitutional Revolution of 1906, Iran experienced a monumental shift from rule by absolute monarchy to governance based on a constitution. The effects of this revolution were felt not... Show moreWith the Constitutional Revolution of 1906, Iran experienced a monumental shift from rule by absolute monarchy to governance based on a constitution. The effects of this revolution were felt not only on a national level but also globally; internationally, even influencing political relationships between some of the European great powers. Revolutions are born out of theories and ideas; the study of key figures who propagated those ideas is an essential part of historiographical research.The theoretical foundation of the Constitutional Revolution of 1906 gradually developed out of an emerging discourse which reflected the changes Iran was undergoing due to increased contact with the outside world on a scale which had never been experienced before. Having begun with colonialist developments in the seventeenth century, the eighteenth century witnessed a gradual deepening of the threat to the Islamic states by European powers. As contact with the world outside the Islamic states’ territory began to be considered increasingly necessary, Islamic countries were forced to seek a solution to prevent the dominating power of Europe. New technologies gave nations the upper hand and those who lagged behind in terms of scientific and technological development were at a distinct disadvantage. These less developed countries had first to try to understand the developments before they could tackle how to stop the spread of this new threat; the threat from this new kind of power was not based on religious ideology but rather its strength originated from science. It took some time for countries such as Iran to be able to make distinctions between power derived from scientific developments and the power of religion, to accept that development was open to all peoples regardless of their religion, nationality or race. Development towards modernity was equated with European/Western science which was considered at odds with Islamic or non-European identity. This led to discord and the clergy who had been in charge of shaping their followers’ beliefs naturally had to declare their position in response to these changes. Some clergy took reactionary positions; others were more convinced that new changes were necessary for the survival of Islam in the Islamic countries whose population was predominantly Muslim. But it was not only the clergy but also politicians, writers and intellectuals among others who began to express their thoughts and ideas about what should be done in relationship to these changes. Seyyed Hassan Taqizadeh was one such man.Taqizadeh was one of the key Iranian intellectuals who played a significant role in developing and shaping the discourse of change in Iran. As such, the aim of this research has been to provide a deep and nuanced assessment of the life and career of Taqizadeh and how that helped to influence and direct the movement towards change. Taqizadeh was not the only intellectual who was engaged in the discourse of modernity or as it has been referred to in the Iranian context, “Tajaddod”. What gives Taqizadeh particular prominence, however, is the fact that, unlike others, he remained constantly on the scene, and despite many obstacles, rarely veered from his goal of steering Iran along the path towards modernity. This research uses Taqizadeh’s biography as a mirror to reflect the discourse of change in Iran and analyses his role and relationship to that discourse of change. Taqizadeh lived a long life; 91 years. His lifetime (1878-1970) connects to a long and significant period in contemporary Iranian intellectual history; he witnessed the reign of six Shahs; four of whom he had close dealings with. During Taqizadeh’s life important changes took place in Iran and throughout the wider world, including two world wars.Taqizadeh was a politician and intellectual who has left behind many works relating to history, culture and literature. Enough of his writings and records of his thoughts remain to allow his ideas and deeds to have become a living legacy for Iranian intelligentsia. In a country still largely divided over how best it should be run, Taqizadeh’s ideas have become part of the discourse of a desire to modernise the country. Taqizadeh has not always been objectively written about and there is much polemic based around his place in Iranian historiography. Some support Taqizadeh’s ideas and thoughts; for others who scorn western democracy, his ideas have been used, in contrast, to exemplify an approach which ultimately failed. For those who favour political Islam, Taqizadeh is still considered an evil representative of the corrupt West and for the more radical even an agent of the West, whose aim was to ensure the surrender of Iran to the hostile non-Islamic West.Maybe because of the controversy around him and his deeds, although there exist numerous articles and monographs based on Taqizadeh’s life, there is a paucity of published research that focuses on and highlights the importance of his life and work in the formation of a national Iranian identity and his crucial role in the narration of modernity in the Iranian context. This research endeavours to focus on details of and influences on Taqizadeh’s life that may have been previously overlooked and provide an objective and nuanced record of the legacy he has left on Iran and the journey towards modernity in that nation.This study of Taqizadeh’s life and thoughts may also go some way towards facilitating a better understanding of contemporary Iran. After experiencing two revolutions in one century, the Iran of today is overshadowed by an overriding feeling of disquiet and uncertainty about the future. Scholars and indeed some of the general public are searching for reasons that might account for and explain the current situation that the country finds itself in, particularly following the 1979 Revolution. Much discourse revolves around how the country should or should not be ruled and the best routes for its continued development; studying Taqizadeh’s life and career may help to provide some answers. Show less
During the Second Intermediate Period (ca. 1775-1550 BC) period, Egypt was politically and culturally divided into regions, and it was characterized by the presence of groups from modern-day Syria... Show moreDuring the Second Intermediate Period (ca. 1775-1550 BC) period, Egypt was politically and culturally divided into regions, and it was characterized by the presence of groups from modern-day Syria-Palestine and Sudan. To better understand the relationships between the Egyptian sites during this period, I have analysed the objects (beads, stone vessels, scarabs and seals, metal weapons, and two particular types of pottery) that the relevant sites have in common, through network analysis. This quantitative and statistical methodology, which makes use of digital tools, is ideal to examine the relations, as well as the flow and circulation of objects, resources, information, or knowledge between different entities, based on what these entities have in common (or not). During the Second Intermediate Period, contacts can still be detected between different areas, even though they were weaker and happened mostly through desert routes. Two phenomena can be detected: the growing importance of Tell el-Dab’a/Avaris in circulation of objects and resources, and the role played by the communities of Pan-grave culture, known only form archaeological remains and featuring connections with Nubia (modern-day Sudan). Show less
This dissertation is the first research project that investigates the totality of the Greek anti-Manichaean corpus and the anti-Manichaean Roman imperial legislation to reconstruct the history of... Show moreThis dissertation is the first research project that investigates the totality of the Greek anti-Manichaean corpus and the anti-Manichaean Roman imperial legislation to reconstruct the history of the Eastern Roman Manichaeans, from the time their first missionaries arrived in the territory of the Roman East (late 3rd to early 4th cent.) until the disappearance of Manichaeism from the Eastern Roman Empire (6th cent.). By the systematic comparative examination and analysis of the sources of the two above corpora with other anti-Manichaean texts (Latin, Syriac, etc.), and with genuine Manichaean sources, the emergence of a more complete and inter-subjective image is achieved. The thesis is also in constant dialogue with the secondary bibliography taking into account the latest research findings. In this context, it also revises clichés and generalizations present in previous scholarship regarding the value and importance of Greek anti-Manichaica. It contextualizes insufficiently clarified key terms (such as heresy and religion), critical for the correct interpretation of the data, especially on the issue of the classification of the Manichaeans. Βy taking into account the dimensions of the phenomenon of crypto-Manichaeism, this study argues that the death of Manichaeism in the Eastern Roman Empire seems to have been not as abrupt and violent as modern scholarship commonly implies, but was a rather slow process of absorption, assimilation, and dissolution into Christianity. Show less
My dissertation explores how LDS recruitment and conversion occur in two LDS branches in Warsaw, Poland. Regarding recruitment, I focus on the LDS religious and social processes that lead to a... Show moreMy dissertation explores how LDS recruitment and conversion occur in two LDS branches in Warsaw, Poland. Regarding recruitment, I focus on the LDS religious and social processes that lead to a small number of Poles joining the LDS Church through LDS baptism. Concerning conversion, I assess the different types of (committed versus less committed) LDS converts that Polish LDS members become after LDS baptism. My dissertation also explores how pre-LDS background/ experience and wider social issues may help or hinder Polish LDS recruitment/conversion. Of particular interest here is how the Catholic Church may influence the political situation in Poland, and how, in turn, this may have a bearing on LDS recruitment/conversion in Poland.Besides focusing on Polish LDS converts, I assess how long-term investigators can stay within the Warsaw/ Polish LDS world for lengthy periods of time without joining the LDS Church.In terms of methodology, I combine participant observation and (structured and unstructured) interviewing to gain insights into how wider social issues; pre-LDS background; LDS social interaction/ networking; and LDS religious training all influence Polish LDS recruitment/conversion. Show less
This study describes how the interpretations, aspirations and school identity development of Islamic primary schools developed in the period 1988-2013. It gives an overview of the most important... Show moreThis study describes how the interpretations, aspirations and school identity development of Islamic primary schools developed in the period 1988-2013. It gives an overview of the most important turning points for Islamic education and how these turning points have influenced identity development.In this study, the administrators and directors of Islamic primary schools who have at least 10 years of experience in identity development are interviewed. This research shows how complex and diverse the identity of Islamic primary schools is. The main internal and external factors and actors that have influenced the development of school identity are discussed. National and international events have led to a social debate in which the role of Islamic primary schools regarding the integration of Muslims has been questioned. Partly because of this negative attention, Islamic schools have changed from introverted to extroverted organisations. This discussion has also led to unequal treatment of these schools. This research shows precisely how important these schools are for the emancipation of Muslims in the Netherlands. After all, Muslims themselves take the responsibility for education. Islamic primary schools are typical Dutch schools that make an important contribution to a safe pedagogical climate. Show less
This study is about the literary infrastructure in West Sumatra, Indonesia. The components of this infrastructure are: (1) publishing houses, (2) literary clubs, (3) bookstores, used bookstores,... Show moreThis study is about the literary infrastructure in West Sumatra, Indonesia. The components of this infrastructure are: (1) publishing houses, (2) literary clubs, (3) bookstores, used bookstores, and lending libraries (taman bacaan), and (4) support provided by government and non-government institutions and individuals. I chose these components to be examined in this study based on their contributions to the literary field in the province, as well as the actual impact of their contributions. The primary research question which is examined in this thesis is: what is the literary infrastructure in West Sumatra, what are its roles with regard to literature, and what kind of literary practices does it facilitate?These literature-related components build a system that enables the production process of work as a whole. In this thesis, I describe how the literary infrastructure operates in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It has revealed the local literary dynamics in West Sumatra through its main components, which drive and support the literary journey in the field. With its exploration of the West Sumatran literary field, this study shows how many parties –the main actors being publishers, clubs, bookshops, government institutions, and of course writers- support the literary field. Show less
This thesis is an edition and study of Bujangga Manik, a narrative poem in Old Sundanese composed in the late fifteenth century. It includes detailed analyses of everything from the foliation and... Show moreThis thesis is an edition and study of Bujangga Manik, a narrative poem in Old Sundanese composed in the late fifteenth century. It includes detailed analyses of everything from the foliation and materials of the sole surviving manuscript to the ships, houses, and perfumes, and much else, referred to in the text. Show less
This thesis discusses the ways in which local officials deal with the tensions concerning regulations on Muslim marriage and social practices that emerge as a response to such regulations. By... Show moreThis thesis discusses the ways in which local officials deal with the tensions concerning regulations on Muslim marriage and social practices that emerge as a response to such regulations. By looking at the implementation of legal norms on marriage, the functioning of marriage bureaucracy and the people's attitudes towards state recognition of marriage in the local setting, this thesis suggests that Indonesia is experiencing a continuing process of the penetration of state law into society. At the law-making level, instead of reforming the substance of the marriage law, which would only stir up controversy and debates, the government has used a citizens’ rights approach to control marriage practice. This citizens’ rights approach is helpful in guiding people towards compliance with the state legal framework.Furthermore, the central state is also endeavouring to remove all forms of informality from the procedures involved. Nevertheless, in practice, it seems it is an uphill battle to reduce informal intervention. In the end, the willingness of the state officials to give a less than strict interpretation of legal rules is key to guaranteeing the functioning of the state law and will be good for the legal development of Indonesia in the future. Show less
The Malays engage in a variety of singing and music-related activities. This study deals with the cultural meanings of singing and musical practices by Malays that in this case, in Pahang, Malaysia... Show moreThe Malays engage in a variety of singing and music-related activities. This study deals with the cultural meanings of singing and musical practices by Malays that in this case, in Pahang, Malaysia. This study looks at the ways in which legacies from the past can still be heard in the present and considers the extent to which musical practices in the present are shaped by ideas, beliefs and feelings about the past. The purpose of this study was to uncover and reflect on the fundamental dimensions of singing and musical practices among Malays in Pahang villages. Understanding what people do and how they partake in musical activities help to provide evidence for the nature of music and the function it fulfills in their lives. There are six chapters in this thesis. Chapter 1 elaborates the background of this study. The past musical identity and social environment of the Malay world, of which Pahang is a part, is examined in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 considers two music genres: traditional and regional pop that are considered part of Pahang's musical heritage. Another two music genres: kugiran and punk rock that in many ways are not associated with the songs from the past, are discussed in Chapter 4. In Chapter 5, I focused on social contexts of two Islamic-oriented songs: nazam berendoi and dikir rebana. In the second part of Chapter 5, the participation of young women in music is reviewed. I explore the meanings they impart to the music they practice and/or listen to and to how they relate to different music forms as leisure. In the final chapter, I consider four topics that are crucial to answering the main research question: social status of musicians, continuity and discontinuity in genres; gender-specific songs; and community formation in genres. I conclude my present work by reflecting on Benjamin's works in light of my research findings. Benjamin (2019a and 2019b) was concerned with the different types of Malay music performed by Malay groups and how they encode the cline of Malayness. Creating a sense of Malayness in music as discussed in Benjamin's works, I argue, is an achievement. Benjamin's attempt to evaluate Malayness in songs relies on several generalizations. Some Malay performers acknowledge that a higher degree of melodic ornamentation corresponds to increased Malayness. This association between ornamentation and Malayness, however, is insufficient without adjusting for the performer's competence (singing technique). Show less
Through my investigation, I expose the multiple layers of Kurdish cinema constructed by Kurdish films and directors, by academics working on Kurdish cinema, by Kurdish institutions, and by... Show moreThrough my investigation, I expose the multiple layers of Kurdish cinema constructed by Kurdish films and directors, by academics working on Kurdish cinema, by Kurdish institutions, and by contemporary artists. By employing a content analysis of films in Kurdish languages, identifying Kurdish directors as agents of history making, and investigating attempts to institutionalize Kurdish cinema, I address the Kurdish presupposition of equality to act in an aesthetic regime of art. I structure my research under three chapters: ‘A Foundation of Kurdish National Cinema’, ‘A Re-interpretation of Kurdish Trauma’, and ‘An Aesthetic Regime of Kurdishness’. Based on the detailed discussion, across these three chapters, of national cinema, the art of the un-representable, and digital revolution, I aim to reveal the necessity of exploring the aesthetics regime of Kurdishness in audio-visual terms, in order to articulate the subjectification processes leading to an ethical community in the name of Rancièrian democratic politics.I posit cinema as a home for the communicative act that will empower speech and thought for the Kurdish social body. It does so by folding the future into the present through an aesthetic regime of imperfect, mobile audio-visual assemblages. Show less
In her dissertation Revealing Śiva’s Superiority by Retelling Viṣṇu’s Deeds – Viṣnu’s Manifestation Myths in the Skandapurāṇa, Sanne Dokter-Mersch examines three myths in the Skandapurāṇa, a... Show moreIn her dissertation Revealing Śiva’s Superiority by Retelling Viṣṇu’s Deeds – Viṣnu’s Manifestation Myths in the Skandapurāṇa, Sanne Dokter-Mersch examines three myths in the Skandapurāṇa, a Sanskrit Purāṇa composed in the sixth to seventh century. Although myths about god Śiva and devotion to him are central in the text, it also contains narratives about other gods. This dissertation focusses on those myths in which god Viṣṇu manifests himself as Man-Lion (Narasiṃha), Boar (Varāha) and Dwarf (Vāmana) in order to conquer the enemies of the gods. At the time of composition of the Skandapurāṇa, Śiva and Viṣṇu each had their own religious ideology and devotees, which raises the questions why the composers of this Śaiva Purāṇa dedicated so much attention to Viṣṇu and how these manifestation myths are retold. With the help of different (narratological) methods, Dokter-Mersch addresses these questions by looking at the manifestation myths as part of a literary genre, the Purāṇas. Show less
Did the agency of workers represent a driver for change between the 1979 revolution and the 2009 Green Movement in Iran? On what terms? How did discourses around labor transform relations of power... Show moreDid the agency of workers represent a driver for change between the 1979 revolution and the 2009 Green Movement in Iran? On what terms? How did discourses around labor transform relations of power and domination during this period? Which processes shaped workers’ subjectivity within Iranian society in terms of class, social justice, collective thinking and solidarity-building?The abovementioned questions guide 'Precarize' and Divide: Iranian Workers from the 1979 Revolution to the 2009 Green Movement. This dissertation analyses political changes and social transformations in the Iranian labor realm from 1979 to 2009 through the lens of discursive shifts and transformations in hegemonic relations. Whereas workers were crucial to the success of the 1979 revolution, in 2009 they were absent as a collective force. This dissertation examines the reasons explaining this absence. It shows that—beyond state repression—the processes leading to workers’ precarization, both structurally and discursively, hindered workers’ active role in shaping and determining grassroots politics. On the one hand, legal, economic and social factors marginalized workers. On the other hand, the shifting context mirrored the Islamic Republic of Iran’s official discourse and its necessities to consolidate its power. As a result, workers were not able to develop robust solidarity-building mechanisms and cross-class alliances in 2009 as it was in 1979. Show less
This dissertation is about the Baduy, an adat community in Banten Province, Indonesia. It argues that the conversion of the Baduy was influenced by their self-concept, which requires them to detach... Show moreThis dissertation is about the Baduy, an adat community in Banten Province, Indonesia. It argues that the conversion of the Baduy was influenced by their self-concept, which requires them to detach from modernity and development, the limited size of their land, and the increase of the population. This process of conversion was supported by the politics of religion, which differentiates local beliefs (kepercayaan) from state-recognised religions (agama) where adhering to a local belief was considered irreligious (tidak/ belum beragama) and backward. To make the adherents of local beliefs religious, the government allows followers of major religions to invite the adherents of local beliefs into their faith. Furthermore, to develop the adherents of local beliefs, the government created development policies, in particular a resettlement programme. The programme aimed at Baduy society began in 1977 and lasted until 1999. Besides developing the adat communities, this programme was also aimed at changing their beliefs so that they aligned themselves with “monotheistic views”. The fact that Muslim and Christian missionaries were targeting the same group of people caused tension, contestation, and even violence. Confronted with this situation, the adherents of local beliefs fought back and resisted the policies in various ways. Show less
