In this article, we examine how religious minorities in the densely populated Netherlands manage burial norms in the face of scarcity of land. Using legal pluralism, we explore how local and... Show moreIn this article, we examine how religious minorities in the densely populated Netherlands manage burial norms in the face of scarcity of land. Using legal pluralism, we explore how local and national authorities; funeral agents; and three religious minority communities deal with the spatial and temporal dimensions of death and burial, both inside and outside the Dutch conurbation The Randstad, in a context where the Dutch tradition of consociationalism lingers on. Based on fieldwork and legal analysis, our findings show that religious burial norms have peripheral existence, both within Dutch law where they are treated as exceptions, and geographically, as religious cemeteries still remain situated outside The Randstad. Furthermore, tensions can emerge not only between communities, but also within them, as exemplified by challenges faced by non-believers. In a context of migration, Dutch cemeteries become spaces where multiple normative orders concerning emotion, (non)belief, religion, society and the state intersect. This turns the space for the dead into a place where some members of minority groups can find the rest they are longing for, while others cannot. Show less
Ongoing health challenges, such as the increased global burden of chronic disease, are increasingly answered by calls for personalized approaches to healthcare. Genomic medicine, a vital component... Show moreOngoing health challenges, such as the increased global burden of chronic disease, are increasingly answered by calls for personalized approaches to healthcare. Genomic medicine, a vital component of these personalization strategies, is applied in risk assessment, prevention, prognostication, and therapeutic targeting. However, several practical, ethical, and technological challenges remain. Across Europe, Personal Health Data Space (PHDS) projects are under development aiming to establish patient-centered, interoperable data ecosystems balancing data access, control, and use for individual citizens to complement the research and commercial focus of the European Health Data Space provisions. The current study explores healthcare users' and health care professionals' perspectives on personalized genomic medicine and PHDS solutions, in casu the Personal Genetic Locker (PGL). A mixed-methods design was used, including surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Several meta-themes were generated from the data: (i) participants were interested in genomic information; (ii) participants valued data control, robust infrastructure, and sharing data with non-commercial stakeholders; (iii) autonomy was a central concern for all participants; (iv) institutional and interpersonal trust were highly significant for genomic medicine; and (v) participants encouraged the implementation of PHDSs since PHDSs were thought to promote the use of genomic data and enhance patients' control over their data. To conclude, we formulated several facilitators to implement genomic medicine in healthcare based on the perspectives of a diverse set of stakeholders. Show less
This article analyzes the attitudes of Dutch employers toward social policyin the early twentieth century. Recent literature has evolved from an emphasis onpower to an emphasis on preferences.... Show moreThis article analyzes the attitudes of Dutch employers toward social policyin the early twentieth century. Recent literature has evolved from an emphasis onpower to an emphasis on preferences. Moving away from the traditional view thatunions and social democrats forced social laws on employers, recent scholars suggestthat firms saw specific advantages in the introduction of social laws.However, I showthat the attitudes of Dutch business representatives, rather than seeking these specificadvantages, merely reflected a willingness to consult, inspired by their macroeconomicview. Employers expressed the wish to attain an organized form of capitalismand accepted regulated forms of codetermination. Once the consultative platformswere in place, employers pursued strategic goals, such as labor peace and discipliningthe unions. This paved the way for accepting welfare state expansion. In sum, midtwentiethcentury business interests were strongly oriented toward coordinatedcapitalism. Show less
Tresfon, J.; Langeveld, K.; Brunsveld-Reinders, A.H.; Hamming, J. 2023
Physical restraints are viewed as potentially dangerous objects for patient safety. Contemporary efforts mainly focus on preventing bad outcomes in restraint use, while little attention is paid... Show morePhysical restraints are viewed as potentially dangerous objects for patient safety. Contemporary efforts mainly focus on preventing bad outcomes in restraint use, while little attention is paid under what circumstances physical restraints are applied harmlessly. The aim of this research was to understand how physical restraints are used by neurology/neurosurgery ward nurses in relation to the protocol. In ethnographic action research, the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) was used to map and compare physical restraints as part of daily ward care against the protocol of physical restraints. Comparison between protocol and actual practice revealed that dealing with restlessness and confusion is a collective nursing skill vital in dealing with physical restraints, while the protocol failed to account for these aspects. Supporting and maintaining this skillset throughout this and similar nursing teams can prevent future misguided application physical restraints, offering valuable starting point in managing patient safety for these potentially dangerous objects. Show less
Any analysis of histories and cultures of remembrance, bears testimony to the witnessing of humans who have either lived through the experiences as insiders or who have not lived through the... Show moreAny analysis of histories and cultures of remembrance, bears testimony to the witnessing of humans who have either lived through the experiences as insiders or who have not lived through the experiences of the past as outsiders. The possibility of bearing witness to (remember) the horrors, trauma, and destitution of the human condition and to consider its implications for human rights education is what this anthology of essays is about. The editors, Anne Becker, Ina Ter Avest and Cornelia Roux, portrayed as insiders, cogently accentuate how human rights violations in South Africa and the Netherlands ought to be expiated through teaching and learning to justify and preserve dignity, self-respect, and freedom towards the advancement of affective life and humanity. Hopefully, through education, it is averred that degradation, inhumanity, and irresponsibility will be undermined and eradicated. The possibility that dignity and decency will remain in place and that it ought to be preserved at all costs even beyond the imagination, and rightfully so, seems to be at the centre of the editors’ concern for the cultivation of human rights education. In this way, apartheid, colonialism and other pervasive torments of human and non-human life should be distanced from genuine educational encounters. Show less
Karel, E.; Heyne, D.A.; Weerd, M. de; Halberstadt, R. 2022
Research signals the importance of promptly identifying and responding to emerging absenteeism, to prevent severe and chronic absenteeism. Prompt identification and response relies upon a good... Show moreResearch signals the importance of promptly identifying and responding to emerging absenteeism, to prevent severe and chronic absenteeism. Prompt identification and response relies upon a good system for recording, reporting, and using data related to students’ school attendance and absence. The current article provides an overview of law, policy, and practice in the Netherlands regarding the recording, reporting, and use of school attendance data. We then consider the ways in which current law, policy, and practice help and hinder the work of school personnel as they endeavour to promote attendance and reduce absenteeism. Thereafter, we propose modifications to current policy and practice that could enhance the prompt identification and response to emerging absenteeism. When school personnel have easy access to reliable attendance data, and when they become accustomed to using the data to inform their work to promote attendance and respond to absenteeism, they are in a stronger position to support positive developmental outcomes among young people. Show less
Voluntary associations played a role in processes of politicisation that are visible in Europe in the nineteenth century. This is not in itself a new insight, but we lack a good understanding of... Show moreVoluntary associations played a role in processes of politicisation that are visible in Europe in the nineteenth century. This is not in itself a new insight, but we lack a good understanding of how and why this was the case. In my contribution I will reflect on various ways in which associational life broadened popular participation as well as broadened people’s understandings of politics between 1820-1860. Middle-class reformers of all sorts and stripes played an important role in reinventing voluntary associations as tools for political pressure. Using examples from such organizations as the Irish Catholic Association and British antislavery societies in the 1820s, and from a Dutch temperance society in the 1840s and 1850s, it will become clear that mass organization in politics could be very attractive, and was sometimes successful. Show less
McDonald, S.A.; Wijhe, M. van; Gier, B. de; Altes, H.K.; Vlaminckx, B.J.M.; Hahne, S.; Wallinga, J. 2022
Background. Scarlet fever, an infectious disease caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, largely disappeared in developed countries during the twentieth century. In recent years, scarlet fever is on the... Show moreBackground. Scarlet fever, an infectious disease caused by Streptococcus pyogenes, largely disappeared in developed countries during the twentieth century. In recent years, scarlet fever is on the rise again, and there is a need for a better understanding of possible factors driving transmission. Methods. Using historical case notification data from the three largest cities in The Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague) from 1906 to 1920, we inferred the transmission rate for scarlet fever using time-series susceptible-infected-recovered (TSIR) methods. Through additive regression modelling, we investigated the contributions of meteorological variables and school term times to transmission rates. Results. Estimated transmission rates varied by city, and were highest overall for Rotterdam, the most densely populated city at that time. High temperature, seasonal precipitation levels and school term timing were associated with transmission rates, but the roles of these factors were limited and not consistent over all three cities. Conclusions. While weather factors alone can only explain a small portion of the variability in transmission rates, these results help understand the historical dynamics of scarlet fever infection in an era with less advanced sanitation and no antibiotic treatment and may offer insights into the driving factors associated with its recent resurgence. Show less
With peak numbers on Spotify and doing well on the charts, Dutch rap/hip hop music has captured the attention of Dutch audiences in recent years. Its current commercial success and immense... Show moreWith peak numbers on Spotify and doing well on the charts, Dutch rap/hip hop music has captured the attention of Dutch audiences in recent years. Its current commercial success and immense popularity have sparked academic interest, resulting in studies that analyse Dutch Neerlandophone rap/hip hop music in the local context of the Netherlands ‐ paying attention to its specific political and cultural characteristics. In this review article, the author outlines the current state of Dutch hip hop studies, identifying its prominent research themes. By uniting the research field on paper, the author aims to permanently put it on the map and encourage further hip hop research in the Dutch context in the future. Show less
Ethnic diversity and interethnic contact are increasing in Europe. Intergroup contact theory suggests interethnic contact to improve interethnic attitudes, but for young children, parental... Show moreEthnic diversity and interethnic contact are increasing in Europe. Intergroup contact theory suggests interethnic contact to improve interethnic attitudes, but for young children, parental attitudes toward child interethnic relations might be an important factor determining whether they are exposed to these potentially positive contact effects. This study therefore examined maternal attitudes toward child contact with different ethnic outgroups among 251 mothers (137 White Dutch, 69 Turkish-Dutch, and 45 Afro-Dutch) of a 6- to 10-year-old child (M = 7.51, SD = 0.98). Furthermore, associations between maternal attitudes toward child interethnic relations and child outgroup rejection were examined, as well as mediation effects of child actual outgroup contact. Neutral to positive maternal attitudes toward child interethnic relations were found, with relatively more negative attitudes among Turkish-Dutch than White Dutch and Afro-Dutch mothers, and toward child relations with Muslims as compared to another outgroup among White Dutch and Afro-Dutch mothers. Furthermore, results did not indicate that maternal attitudes were related to child actual outgroup contact or child outgroup prejudice and no support for the intergroup contact theory was found. These results suggest that intergroup contact theory does not easily apply, highlighting the need for more research on children in various populations and contexts using different measures and informants. Patterns from the present study suggest that most improvement in terms of maternal attitudes fostering child interethnic relations can be made in the interethnic relations including ethnic groups in the Netherlands that predominantly identify as Muslim. Show less
Most European Roma and Sinti achieve such low levels of education that they have basically no chance of moving up the social ladder. This study compares the educational positions of Roma and Sinti... Show moreMost European Roma and Sinti achieve such low levels of education that they have basically no chance of moving up the social ladder. This study compares the educational positions of Roma and Sinti in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, based on more than fifty biographical interviews with Roma and Sinti.Compared to the Netherlands, the poverty and social segregation among Czech Roma is more severe. Discrimination and racism against Czech Roma are virulent and ubiquitous. Yet, Roma and Sinti in the Netherlands have developed a similar suspicion of people outside their own circle and a similar negative attitude towards education, in response to their common history of deprivation, expulsion and even twice a genocide, in the eighteenth century and in the Second World War.Those Roma and Sinti who did receive an education were no longer seen as Roma or Sinti. This is why the highly educated did not function as role models until recently. Yet, this study shows there is a cautious turnaround. In both countries, the Roma and Sinti parents of the young generation of highly educated people, often low-educated themselves, had come to regard better education as the only way towards a better life. Show less
Political science in the Netherlands has a long tradition and a history of institutionalization. It developed as a broad discipline, together with public administration, and grew into separate... Show morePolitical science in the Netherlands has a long tradition and a history of institutionalization. It developed as a broad discipline, together with public administration, and grew into separate research and education programmes. Does this segmented nature of political science appear in the external activities of those scholars concerned? Or is the overall consensus-style and neo-corporatist (‘polder’) advisory system in which political scientists are placed a more important determinant? What about developments in the policy advisory system itself, pressures on institutions and trends in the environment and their consequences for the supply and demand of scholarly political science advice? These are the central questions we examine in this chapter. We first present the development of the discipline in the country. Then we look at the main features and trends of the advisory system and the niche occupied by political scientists. As we will show on the basis of the survey results, political scientists in the Netherlands gauge their visibility and their social and political impact as relatively high, and a large majority of them engage in advisory activities. Our findings also highlight that the effects of the segmented structure of political science on the type of advisory role are relatively limited. Show less
The article discusses Hans Jørgen Lundager Jensen’s view of the relationship between the study of religion as an academic discipline and religious education in Danish high schools. For Hans Jørgen,... Show moreThe article discusses Hans Jørgen Lundager Jensen’s view of the relationship between the study of religion as an academic discipline and religious education in Danish high schools. For Hans Jørgen, the societal relevance of our discipline lies in the education of high school teachers who can communicate solid knowledge of the world’s religions and challenge stereotypes and prejudices. Hans Jørgen’s ideas on the study of religion as academic teacher training were formed during his own studies in the 1970s of what was then called the Study of Christianity (kristendomskundskab), but they are equally relevant today. His views have inspired the author of the present article in his work on improving religious education in the Netherlands. Show less
Arnoldussen, S.; Huisman, H.; Os, B. van; Steffens, B.; Theunissen, L. 2022
Using a corpus of over 370 compositional analyses of Dutch Bronze Age and Iron Age (c. 2000 BCE AD 0) copper alloy artefacts, long-term patterns in the types of alloys used for specific bronze... Show moreUsing a corpus of over 370 compositional analyses of Dutch Bronze Age and Iron Age (c. 2000 BCE AD 0) copper alloy artefacts, long-term patterns in the types of alloys used for specific bronze objects are identified. As the Low Countries are devoid of copper ores and alloying elements, a combination of typo(chrono)logical and compositional analysis is used to identify through which European contact networks (such as Atlantic, Central European or Nordic exchange networks) these alloys were obtained. We employ a methodology that (following Bray et al., 2015) defines alloy groups by presence of As, Sb, Ag and Ni over 0.1 %wt, but expanded this classification to include Pb and to track high-impurity (>1%wt) alloys. Due to interfering soil-derived iron hydroxides, and preferent dissolution of copper from the objects’ surface, the determination of tin is in most cases overestimated when using p-XRF, so Sn was not systematically reviewed. Objects were assigned a calendar age in years BCE to facilitate chronological sorting. Using this classification, we could show how different alloys (using different base ores) were used in different periods, and in different combinations. Moreover, particular alloys were used for different groups of functional types of objects. Also, we show diachronic differences in the influx of new (or less frequently mixed) alloys and chronological trends in the substitution of As by Sn as main alloying element in the Early Bronze Age as well as the rise of leaded alloys at the close of the Bronze Age. Combining information on the composition of the objects with their typological traits, allowed us to reconstruct the scales and geographic scopes of the European contact networks in which the copper alloys used throughout later prehistory were obtained. Show less
In 16th-19th century Holland young ladies of the aristocracy and upper middle classes were commonly educated in French, their second language. They frequented institutions often directed by the... Show moreIn 16th-19th century Holland young ladies of the aristocracy and upper middle classes were commonly educated in French, their second language. They frequented institutions often directed by the wife of the owner of the local French school for boys, or an unmarried lady or in the well-organized nineteenth-century school system, a well-educated female teacher who sometimes was the authoress of a school manual. In the eighteenth century this work was frequently entrusted to a French speaking governess who lived with the family and was duly supervised by the girls’ mother. The aim of their education was not to turn them into bluestockings or coquettes but to prepare them for their role as head of a prominent household, a reasonable and loving wife and mother, an attentivehostess and capable of playing her part in the local community. Show less
Nawijn, F.; Gier, B. de; Brandwagt, D.A.H.; Groenwold, R.H.H.; Keizer, J.; Hietbrink, F. 2021
Background Little is known about the exact incidence of necrotizing soft tissue infections. The few incidences reported in international literature are not directly relatable to the Netherlands, or... Show moreBackground Little is known about the exact incidence of necrotizing soft tissue infections. The few incidences reported in international literature are not directly relatable to the Netherlands, or other European countries, due to geographic heterogeneity in causative micro-organisms involved. This resulted in the aim of this study to map the incidence, mortality rate and hospital course of necrotizing fasciitis infections in the Netherlands to gain insight in the incidence of necrotizing fasciitis in the Netherlands and the associated mortality and health care burden. Methods This nationwide retrospective database study used three distinct data sources to map the incidence of necrotizing fasciitis in the Netherlands between 2014 and 2019, being data from the Dutch Hospital Data (DHD) foundation, data from Osiris-AIZ, which is a database of notifiable diseases managed by regional Public Health Services (GGD) and the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), and previously published studies on necrotizing fasciitis conducted in the Netherlands. Results The incidence of necrotizing fasciitis in the Netherlands is estimated to be approximately 1.1 to 1.4 cases per 100,000 person years, which corresponds to 193-238 patients per year. Of all necrotizing fasciitis infections, 34 to 42% are caused by the group A Streptococcus. Annually, 56 patients die as a result of a necrotizing fasciitis infection (mortality of 23-29%) and 26 patients undergo an amputation for source control (11-14%). Patients stay a mean of 6 to 7 days at the intensive care unit and have a mean hospital length of stay of 24 to 30 days. Conclusion The combination of nationwide databases provides reliable insight in the epidemiology of low-incidence and heterogenic diseases. In the Netherlands, necrotizing fasciitis is a rare disease with group A Streptococcus being the most common causative micro-organism of necrotizing fasciitis. The prior Dutch cohort studies on necrotizing fasciitis report slightly higher sample mortality rates, compared to the population mortality. However, necrotizing fasciitis remain associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, risk at amputation and health care burden characterized by prolonged ICU and hospital stay. Show less
In the art world of the late 18th. and the entire 19th. century, there appeared to have been a widespread notion of sea painting as a bearer of national pride. An idea that was directly related to... Show moreIn the art world of the late 18th. and the entire 19th. century, there appeared to have been a widespread notion of sea painting as a bearer of national pride. An idea that was directly related to the economic prosperity of the 17th-century Republic, which stemmed from the shipping industry of the time. An impression emerged of how the interaction between art and society can take shape. The role of sea painting within 19th. century nationalism was a striking aspect, but the effect that the label of a national genre had on its practice and appreciation also stood out. Sea painters started to work with it and art critics included it in their judgements. For a long time, traditional style criteria were maintained; the 17 th. century was never far away in many respects.This led to a framing of sea painting in an artistic tradition, which resulted in a certain inability to keep up with innovations in painting. The love of the ship and the specialist nautical knowledge of the sea painters were for a long time a unique quality, but they ultimately proved to be their Achilles' heel. When at the end of the 19th century the artistic tradition of the 17th-century Dutch school was definitively broken, sea painting disappeared from the canon of the visual arts. Show less
