Margaret of Burgundy (1374-1441) is known mainly for two reasons. Firstly, her marriage in 1385 to William of Bavaria, eldest son of the Count of Hainault, Holland and Zeeland, laid the foundation... Show moreMargaret of Burgundy (1374-1441) is known mainly for two reasons. Firstly, her marriage in 1385 to William of Bavaria, eldest son of the Count of Hainault, Holland and Zeeland, laid the foundation for the transfer of power in these principalities to the Burgundian dynasty some 50 years later. Secondly, she supported her only child Jacqueline of Bavaria, who fought many battles in order to prevent this. The combination of these two roles points to a conflict of interest. By supporting her daughter as the rightful Bavarian heir, Margaret inevitably came into conflict with members of her own dynasty of origin, the Valois Burgundians. The overarching question in the research presented in this thesis is what tilted the scales for Margaret as a political player in different phases of her life: was it her loyalty to the Burgundian or to the Bavarian dynasty, her connection with the Hook party in Holland, or was she driven mainly by self-interest, as is sometimes suggested? Related to this is the question whether her means were substantial enough to allow her to play her own game. In this biographical study, a chronological and a thematic approach have been combined. The loyalty question serves as guideline for the first part, in which the story of Margaret’s life is told chronologically within the broader context of political developments. The thematic second part is dedicated to her financial position as a widow, her court, and her religious and literary patronage. Show less
External PhD candidate Annette Jenowein investigated how women have changed the meaning of gender by claiming their place in traditionally male-dominated domains. Her research focuses on the life... Show moreExternal PhD candidate Annette Jenowein investigated how women have changed the meaning of gender by claiming their place in traditionally male-dominated domains. Her research focuses on the life of Charlotte Jacobs: the first woman to establish herself as an independent pharmacist in the Dutch East Indies, a profession that was then regarded as a male profession. Since 1866, when girls were allowed to take the apprentice pharmacist's exam, a woman in the pharmacy was no longer a peculiarity. But when the first woman graduated as a pharmacist in 1881, (male) colleagues openly questioned whether a woman could also manage a busy pharmacy and establish business contacts just as well as a man could. Charlotte Jacobs, sister of Aletta Jacobs (1854-1929) - who was seven years younger and was a doctor and advocate for women's suffrage - managed to run her pharmacy in Batavia for nearly thirty years, all of which she managed exclusively with female assistants. Jenoweins research shows that the entry of women into male domains, such as science and higher professional work, has not only changed the meaning of gender, but has also radically changed the meaning of these institutions. After her death, Charlotte Jacobs earmarked a large part of her assets for a study fund for women and girls who wanted to study at a university but could not pay the costs themselves. This Charlotte Jacobs Study Fund still exists and flourishes and annually supports an average of thirty women and girls who want to study at a Dutch university. Show less
There was a time when Melati van Java (1853 – 1927) was a well-known and much-liked name in the Netherlands. Especially around the turn of the century the general public was familiar with her... Show moreThere was a time when Melati van Java (1853 – 1927) was a well-known and much-liked name in the Netherlands. Especially around the turn of the century the general public was familiar with her novels, which remained in circulation in various editions for at least a quarter of a century; people read her contributions to newspapers and magazines or knew that she was active in the Roman Catholic women’s movement. Literary critics reacted with mixed feelings to her novels, from favourable to sympathetic, to disapproving and cynical, but her novels practically always got attention. In short, Melati van Java (pseudonym of Marie Sloot) was an important factor in the cultural society of the day in the Netherlands. The status she enjoyed at the time contrasts sharply with the regard she has today. Show less
Op 7 mei 2011 publiceerde het NRC Handelsblad een essay van Anil Ramdas, waarin hij zich een overtuigd criticus van het Nederlandse minderhedenbeleid betoonde. Hij verweet de overheid een te grote... Show moreOp 7 mei 2011 publiceerde het NRC Handelsblad een essay van Anil Ramdas, waarin hij zich een overtuigd criticus van het Nederlandse minderhedenbeleid betoonde. Hij verweet de overheid een te grote opdringerigheid in de omgang met de eigen culturen van migranten. Rond de eeuwwisseling, en in het bijzonder na ‘9/11’ en de moord op Theo van Gogh in 2004, was er sprake van een slingerbeweging naar het andere uiterste: ‘de overheid voelt zich nu geroepen om niet de eigen culturen te bevorderen, maar om de eigen culturen te bestrijden!’ In Het Land van Herkomst, waarin de banden van Marokkaanse migranten centraal staan, verklaart Bouras de veranderde houding van de Nederlandse overheid. Ook aan Marokkaanse zijde deden zich verschuivingen voor. Met de analyse van het Marokkaanse emigratiebeleid en levensverhalen van Marokkanen laat Bouras zien dat de aard en de omvang van de banden met Marokko in de periode tusse n 1960 en 2010 bepaald worden door meerdere factoren. Show less
