This thesis presents an investigation into how geopolitical change and religious control are reflected in the composition of copper-alloy costume artefacts, recovered from Roman and early medieval... Show moreThis thesis presents an investigation into how geopolitical change and religious control are reflected in the composition of copper-alloy costume artefacts, recovered from Roman and early medieval contexts. It engages with the challenging topic of portable X-ray Florescence Spectrometry use in archaeology, especially as applied to corroded copper-alloy artefacts. The relevance is twofold. Firstly it helps us better understand the globalising effects of the Roman Empire on distant cultures and the emergence of the western economy after the end of antiquity. This is investigated by detecting changes in craft production, considered a proxy for understanding changes in past economies and societies. Secondly it advances a methodology for the study of copper-alloy objects. Subsequently the composition of Roman brooches from Germania Inferior, suggested a strong link between brass and Roman military production. This connection was also seen in other parts of the Roman world, suggesting a degree of centralisation or control. The earliest roman objects found in the Baltic States, far north of the Limes frontier, are also in this 'Roman' alloy. These objects had a lasting impact on the peoples of this region. They adopted and adapted them stylistically to suit their local preferences for centuries after they first appeared. Show less
In 2018 it is 400 years since the first official English Africa company was launched. Yet we know very little about the role of the early trade in the greater history of overseas trade. This... Show moreIn 2018 it is 400 years since the first official English Africa company was launched. Yet we know very little about the role of the early trade in the greater history of overseas trade. This thesis presents and considers the development of England's Africa trade with its traders and companies through the 17th century, and argues for a reevaluation of important moments in the history of overseas trade when seen from the perspective of the Africa traders. By placing a consecutive line of company leaders and directors at the centre of focus - considering their perspective, motivations, experience and long-term aims, this thesis aims to add to our understanding of developments such as the slave trade and its format; the relationship between merchants and the English state; England's involvement with the Spanish Asiento, the relationship between the metropolitan mercantile community and the Atlantic planter society. As an extension it aims to show the malleability of the early modern overseas company, turning on its head the idea of the all-powerful company structure suppressing private enterprise, showing instead that company involvement was not always motivated by monetary profit nor necessarily seen as more than a tool to boost widespread private portfolios. Show less
This is a comprehensive study of Roman literary references to Egypt without preference for one particular period, author or subject, in contrast to most previous scholarship. In doing so, it shows... Show moreThis is a comprehensive study of Roman literary references to Egypt without preference for one particular period, author or subject, in contrast to most previous scholarship. In doing so, it shows that these references vary greatly, are context-dependent, and cannot be rightly understood when interpreted only within the normative and fixated frameworks of negative perceptions of contemporary Egypt or positive perceptions of Egypt’s antiquity. Moreover, this study suggests that approaching Roman literary references from the notion of Roman self-representationis useful for understanding and explaining their multifarious and sometimes contradictory messages. This observation does not imply that every reference to Egypt is therefore ‘Roman’. On the contrary, Egypt was occasionally framed as the Other. Yet the omnipresence of Egypt in Roman literature is of major importance when the Roman identity is at stake. Egypt, then, is neither only the Other, nor only the Self, but always a polyvalent notion in terms of identity-making. Show less
This study discusses the history of a regional cooperation framework, the SIJORI Growth Triangle with a focus on the mutual economic connections between Singapore, Johor and the Riau Islands.... Show moreThis study discusses the history of a regional cooperation framework, the SIJORI Growth Triangle with a focus on the mutual economic connections between Singapore, Johor and the Riau Islands. These long-exiting connections formed the initial shape of local networks which were enlarged, intensified and diversified especially after 1870s, not only economically, but also socially and politically. This study hence provides a survey of two kinds of integration of the growth triangle in the dimension of socio-political evolution, trade, shipping and capital movements from 1870 to 1970: 1. internal integration with the growth triangle; 2. external integration with the world within a wider process of globalization. Show less
Over the past few decades, most OECD countries witnessed a widening of the income distribution. This doctoral thesis collects five studies that provide insight into determinants and political and... Show moreOver the past few decades, most OECD countries witnessed a widening of the income distribution. This doctoral thesis collects five studies that provide insight into determinants and political and economic consequences of income inequality and social policy development in affluent countries. The empirical evidence presented in the first study suggests that the decrease of trade union influence is linked to higher levels of earnings inequality within sectors. The second study focuses on trade competition with China, which is associated with a decrease in wage and employment shares for low-skilled workers in manufacturing sectors in OECD countries. The third study finds no robust associations between economic growth and generic measures of income inequality and redistribution. The findings in the fourth study indicate that individuals exposed to increased job risk resulting from technological change prefer higher levels of redistribution. Based on a comparison of short-term social policies to cope with the recession in 2008 and 2009, the last study concludes that welfare states adopt social and unemployment reactive policies that mirror their institutional legacies. Show less
This rich ethnographic study explores the life and work of successful marabout women in Dakar. it is set against the background of their private family lives, of developments in Senegalese society,... Show moreThis rich ethnographic study explores the life and work of successful marabout women in Dakar. it is set against the background of their private family lives, of developments in Senegalese society, and of global changes. While including female experts in spirit possession and plant-based healing, it also gives a rare insight in the work of women who offer Islamic knowledge such as Arabic astrology, numerology, divination and prayer sessions. With the analysis of marabout women's work this study sheds light on the ways in which women's authority is negotiated, legitimated, and publicly recognised in Dakar. The study focuses especially upon marabout women's strategies to gain their client's trust. Reference to rural areas is a significant element in this process. This study thus contributes to an understanding of a gendered way in which trust ans skepticism are related to marabout's work and of the the role of a connection between Dakar and the rural areas therein. Show less
Since the latter half of the 1980s, a large number of Muslims have come to Japan from countries such as Pakistan, Iran and Bangladesh in order to work. In the 1990s there was an increase in the... Show moreSince the latter half of the 1980s, a large number of Muslims have come to Japan from countries such as Pakistan, Iran and Bangladesh in order to work. In the 1990s there was an increase in the number of Muslims marrying Japanese women and forming families in Japan. The children of these families are now reaching school age and educational problems among second-generation Muslims are emerging. Show less
"He's everything to me. Because when I'm with him, I'm respectable. I'm a success now (jadi orang). Before I was scum, always being taunted by people, being laughed at, being sneered at because of... Show more"He's everything to me. Because when I'm with him, I'm respectable. I'm a success now (jadi orang). Before I was scum, always being taunted by people, being laughed at, being sneered at because of my work, my immoral work. That's why I'm so grateful - truly grateful - to have my husband". Former Indonesian sex worker, Ani. Show less
In today's rapidly globalising world, marriage as a contract between two individuals based on love and commitment to each other is increasingly considered a norm. The degree of women's control over... Show moreIn today's rapidly globalising world, marriage as a contract between two individuals based on love and commitment to each other is increasingly considered a norm. The degree of women's control over their marital decisions and choice of mate, based on individual traits rather than the family's socio-economic status, is seen as a measure of whether a society has embraced modernity. In reality, marriage involves many actors with complex decision-making processes and multiple considerations. In many Asian societies, being and staying married, for both men and women, is a social and family obligation and a criterion of social standing. Kin members, the state, marriage intermediaries (institutional or individual) and commercial sectors are all involved in decision-making. This is particularly the case of cross-border marriages, with the state deciding and controlling who is allowed to marry, whether spouses are allowed to enter or reside in the receiving societies, as well as their naturalisation and assimilation process. Show less
Asian New Religious Movements are attracting converts in every continent. They offer members a comprehensive cultural system of beliefs, rituals, daily routines, diet, dress styles and patterns of... Show moreAsian New Religious Movements are attracting converts in every continent. They offer members a comprehensive cultural system of beliefs, rituals, daily routines, diet, dress styles and patterns of relationship. While often based on pre-modern Asian values and practices, these are accepted by converts from a global sweep of cultures without modification. As agents promoting the truly global application of holistic cultural systems, they warrant our attention. Show less
Last year, almost 9,500 Thai women were living in the Netherlands, many married to Dutch men. Rather than assimilating and transferring their loyalty exclusively to Dutch society these Thai women... Show moreLast year, almost 9,500 Thai women were living in the Netherlands, many married to Dutch men. Rather than assimilating and transferring their loyalty exclusively to Dutch society these Thai women still maintain strong social linkages with their families and local communities in Thailand, in particular through material contribution. Show less
In traditional Chinese society, the older generations of women in kinship relations had more power than the younger ones. However, with the transformation of Taiwanese society and family form,... Show moreIn traditional Chinese society, the older generations of women in kinship relations had more power than the younger ones. However, with the transformation of Taiwanese society and family form, contemporary mothersin- law are often described as the generation of women 'caught in between', no longer commanding the privilege and authority of their mothers-in-law's generation, but with high expectations of their own daughters-in-law. Show less
Globalisation is affecting daily life almost everywhere, so it seemed logical when the 2005 UN Report on the World Social Situation, The Inequality Predicament, reported that economic inequality is... Show moreGlobalisation is affecting daily life almost everywhere, so it seemed logical when the 2005 UN Report on the World Social Situation, The Inequality Predicament, reported that economic inequality is dramatically increasing in Asia, as it has been in the rest of the world. This trend is embedded in spatial and social patterns reproduced over the last two centuries - patterns that comprise a deeper, more pervasive 'inequality predicament' than the UN dares to recognise. Show less
