This dissertation examines the educational positions of children of immigrants in the Netherlands from 1980 to 2020. In particular, the influence of migration background and socioeconomic factors... Show moreThis dissertation examines the educational positions of children of immigrants in the Netherlands from 1980 to 2020. In particular, the influence of migration background and socioeconomic factors on educational positions is studied. Findings reveal substantial progress in education for migrant children overall, especially among the second generation, younger cohorts, and girls with a migrant background, indicating promising upward mobility within the education system for many of these children. The family environment impacts educational outcomes, with socioeconomic background playing a crucial role. Higher parental incomes correlate with higher education levels for children in both the short and long term. Additionally, the living environment affects outcomes such as school dropout rates, especially among boys from migrant backgrounds in larger cities. They are more prone to leaving education prematurely than their female or non-migrant peers. Despite institutional barriers and discrimination within the education system, these children demonstrate an upward trend in education, highlighting the need for further research incorporating discrimination as a factor. Show less
The East Baltic languages, Lithuanian and Latvian, are well known for their conservative phonology with respect to Proto-Indo-European. This has led to a stereotype that these languages have... Show moreThe East Baltic languages, Lithuanian and Latvian, are well known for their conservative phonology with respect to Proto-Indo-European. This has led to a stereotype that these languages have developed in relative isolation without much contact with other languages. In this dissertation, I take a deep dive into the East Baltic lexicon, peeling away the layers of prehistoric borrowings in the process. As well as significant contact events with known languages, like the Russian dialect of Novgorod-Pskov, Gothic and the ancestors of modern Finnish, Sámi and Mordvin, the lexicon also reveals evidence of contact with unattested languages from which earlier populations must have shifted upon the arrival of the Balts in the Baltic region. The fragments obtained not only shed light on the linguistic features of these lost languages, but also provide a new perspective on the sociolinguistic scenario which led the earlier populations of the region to undergo language shift. Show less
Organisms often need to adapt more efficiently and devise new strategies for surviving difficult ecological circumstances. Mammals indeed spend the winter in hibernation to conserve energy, food,... Show moreOrganisms often need to adapt more efficiently and devise new strategies for surviving difficult ecological circumstances. Mammals indeed spend the winter in hibernation to conserve energy, food, etc., for future purposes. Microbial populations also possess similar characteristics, where organisms enter into a state of low metabolic activity in response to adverse environmental conditions. In plant populations, the analogous strategy is the suspension of seed germination for an extended period of time. Several studies suggest that this bet-hedging strategy has important evolutionary consequences and plays a crucial role in maintaining genetic diversities in a population. In this thesis, we draw motivations from biological populations featuring this trait and investigate its effect in a probabilistic framework. In particular, we introduce a mathematical notion of dormancy in several well-known stochastic interacting systems and study how it changes the qualitative and quantitative properties of the systems by characterizing their behaviors in the long run. The construction of our model is built upon a well-known stochastic process in mathematical population genetics called the Moran model. The Moran model describes the genetic evolution of a single, reproductively active, finite population without seed-bank. We modify the model to include dormancy and extend it to the context of spatially structured populations with varying sizes. Show less
In populations with a seed-bank, individuals can temporarily become dormant and refrain from reproduction until they can become active again. The repository of all dormant individuals in the... Show moreIn populations with a seed-bank, individuals can temporarily become dormant and refrain from reproduction until they can become active again. The repository of all dormant individuals in the population is called the seed-bank. Seed-banks are observed in many taxa, including plants, bacteria and other micro-organisms. Typically, they arise as a response to unfavourable environmental conditions. In this thesis we study the effect of a seed-bank on the genetic diversity in a population. The individuals in the population carry one of two gene types, live in colonies and can be either active or dormant. Active individuals can migrate between the colonies, resample and become dormant. Dormant individuals can only become active: they do not migrate and they do not reproduce themselves. The model is described by a system of interacting Fisher-Wright diffusions. Analysing this system of interacting diffusions, we show that the seed-bank enhances the genetic diversity in a population. If the individuals can become dormant for long enough times, the seed-bank can even prevent that a gene type becomes extinct. Show less
There has never been a more pertinent time to discuss the accountability and the legal responsibility of Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, for fundamental rights violations. In a... Show moreThere has never been a more pertinent time to discuss the accountability and the legal responsibility of Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, for fundamental rights violations. In a period that hosts the first legal actions vis-à-vis the agency and a series of relevant non-judicial investigations, including by the European Parliament, this dissertation aims to address the main problem underlying these accountability efforts, namely the ‘problem of many hands’. As conceptualised by Dennis Thompson, this problem is where the multiplicity of the actors involved obscures the various responsibilities and creates gaps in accountability.To address it, this work contests the dominant ways of looking at the concepts of responsibility and accountability, and reimagines them for their optimal function.It adopts a holistic approach, taking into account not only judicial, but also other forms of accountability, studying not only EU liability law, but also other legal remedies before the CJEU, the ECtHR, and domestic courts, building bridges between international and EU law, and traveling from the empirical to the conceptual, to the normative, and from there to the applied.It creates the foundations for the accountability of the agency inside and outside courts, within the EU borders and beyond. Show less
Environmental degradation in combination with other factors, can lead to forced migration. This multi-causal and complex phenomenon is hard to capture under international law. The protection of... Show moreEnvironmental degradation in combination with other factors, can lead to forced migration. This multi-causal and complex phenomenon is hard to capture under international law. The protection of environmental refugees can be approached as a human rights, security and State responsibility issue. Each approach provides different legal protection regimes, which addresses different actors. The approaches also cover different periods in time and address different types of environmental refugees. In this thesis, current legal regimes are interpreted in the context of environmentally forced migration. Also new protection possibilities are identified through the combined application of international law regimes. Show less
Border control has changed significantly in recent decades. Whereas globalisation appear s to have diminished the relevance of international borders, states have simultaneously sought ways to... Show moreBorder control has changed significantly in recent decades. Whereas globalisation appear s to have diminished the relevance of international borders, states have simultaneously sought ways to regain some form of control over cross-border mobility. In this process, alternative and novel means of border enforcement have emerged. What do these bordering practices look like? How are they implemented on the ground and experienced by those subjected to them? These are the main questions this dissertation aims to answer. To that end, it looks at bordering practices in the Netherlands through the lens of crimmigration, the term used to refer to the growing merger of criminal justice and migration control. Relying on extensive empirical fieldwork – including observations, focus group discussions, surveys, and in-depth interviews – the dissertation examines two border ing practices: intra-Schengen migration policing and the punishment and deportation of criminally convicted non-citizens. The different empirical chapters highlight the various ways these contemporary bordering practices are shaped by and in their turn shape the criminal justice system, and how this ultimately results in considerable challenges for the legitimacy of both the migration control and the criminal justice system. Show less
Controlling mobilities in the EU is increasingly depending on information and information technology. Abolishing permanent border control between Schengen Member States has created the dilemma... Show moreControlling mobilities in the EU is increasingly depending on information and information technology. Abolishing permanent border control between Schengen Member States has created the dilemma of economic benefits versus security issues of the freedom of movement. The solution to this issue is often sought in the development and implementation of information technology. While expectations of information and information technologies are high, empirical research on how such border technologies are used in practice is scarce and subsequently little is known about to what extent the envisioned benefits are actually achieved. This dissertation aims to gain more insight in the use of information and information technology in controlling mobilities in intra-Schengen border areas by using a case study of the Mobile Security Monitor as carried out by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. Through extensive observations of border checks, focus groups with border patrol officers, interviews with Marechaussee staff members, discourse analysis of political debates and policy documentation and quantitative data, this dissertation aims to gain insight in the decision-making process on the political, organizational and street-level and the role of information and information technology therein. Show less
This dissertation studies the indigenous Mexican game of pelota mixteca. In the first part, the possible pre-Columbian origins of the game are examined. The second part focuses on the ways... Show more This dissertation studies the indigenous Mexican game of pelota mixteca. In the first part, the possible pre-Columbian origins of the game are examined. The second part focuses on the ways in which 20th- and 21st-century globalization, labor migration and state politics of indigenism have influenced the way the game is represented and used in political discourse, both by the state and by the players itself. Show less
Dit proefschrift onderzoekt de waarde van CT om de resultaten van cochleaire implantatie te evalueren en zo mogelijk te verbeteren. Hoofdstuk 2 beschrijft de elektrodepositie en het opvallend goede... Show moreDit proefschrift onderzoekt de waarde van CT om de resultaten van cochleaire implantatie te evalueren en zo mogelijk te verbeteren. Hoofdstuk 2 beschrijft de elektrodepositie en het opvallend goede spraakverstaan na herimplantatie met hetzelfde implantaat bij 15 patiënten met een defecte CI door een productiefout. Hoofdstuk 3 toonde retrospectief in 10 van de 35 patiënten (29%), waarbij twee sequentieel verkregen postoperatieve CT-scans beschikbaar waren, elektrodemigraties aan. Deze kunnen blijkbaar ook voorkomen in CI-patiënten zonder klachten van bijvoorbeeld een verminderd spraakverstaan. In Hoofdstuk 4 wordt aan de hand van pre- en postoperatieve CT scans van 336 patiënten de cochleaire morfologie en diens invloed op de elektrodepositie onderzocht. In Hoofdstuk 5 wordt een chirurgisch sturingshulpmiddel ontwikkeld dat in zijn finale vorm ruim 78% van de variatie in elektrodepositie kan voorspellen. In Hoofdstuk 6 kon geen enkele relatie aangetoond worden tussen diverse aspecten van de elektrodepositie op spraakverstaan met CI. Wel werd de invloed van verscheidene uit de literatuur bekende patiënt-gerelateerde variabelen op spraakverstaan herbevestigd. De algemene conclusie is, dat met CT-scans zowel de cochleaire anatomie als de positie van CI-elektrodes goed kan worden bestudeerd, maar dat de relatie tussen deze informatie en het resultaat van CI vooralsnog onduidelijk blijft. Show less
The central question in this book is whether there is a human right to family unification. This book identifies the key elements of the right to family unification. By investigating different... Show moreThe central question in this book is whether there is a human right to family unification. This book identifies the key elements of the right to family unification. By investigating different sources of international, European and domestic law, it assesses whether and how the different legal systems involved affect each other in shaping the right to family unification. By identifying the key elements of the right to family unification, the book can be an important source for immigration lawyers, policy makers and scholars. Show less
Many of the recognition molecules and mechanisms involved in immune responses have no bias towards external stimuli, but also sense and respond to pathological and physiological changes of non... Show moreMany of the recognition molecules and mechanisms involved in immune responses have no bias towards external stimuli, but also sense and respond to pathological and physiological changes of non infectious origin taking place within the body. Aiming at defining potential immuno-therapeutic strategies to treat human atherosclerosis, the focus of this work was the modulation of immune processes determinant of atherosclerosis lesion progression or cessation in mice, such as hematopoiesis, diapedesis and intravasation, leukocyte differentiation, cholesterol uptake apoptosis and cell survival. Modulation of these processes, by using bone marrow transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells with genetic deficiencies or over-expressing human or mouse engineered genes, demonstrated to alter the fate of atherosclerotic lesions at the balance between macrophage accumulation and lesion vulnerability versus resolution of inflammation and wound healing. This thesis demonstrates that processes responsible for the development and progression of atherosclerosis are dynamic and can be modulated to induce lesion stabilization and disease resolution. These results are promising for the development of novel therapeutics and challenge the current notion that atherosclerosis has a predetermined fate towards lesion vulnerability to rupture, which in humans results in thrombosis and clinical manifestations such myocardial infarction or stroke and sudden death. Show less
In dit proefschrift heb ik onderzocht wat de klinische waarde is van migratie van totale knie protheses (TKP) en totale heup protheses (THP) gemeten met Radiostereometrische Analyse (RSA)in de... Show moreIn dit proefschrift heb ik onderzocht wat de klinische waarde is van migratie van totale knie protheses (TKP) en totale heup protheses (THP) gemeten met Radiostereometrische Analyse (RSA)in de context van een gefaseerde klinische introductie. De studies in dit proefschrift tonen aan dat onveilige (hoog revisie percentage voor loslating) TKP en THP met RSA studies kunnen worden ge_dentificeerd in slechts 2 jaar follow-up. Vroege identificatie met RSA van deze onveilige TKP en THP voorkomt wijdverbreide gebruik. De gefaseerde klinische introductie van nieuwe implantaten op basis van RSA studies met 2 jaar follow-up kan leiden tot betere en veiligere pati_ntzorg en tot een reductie van de kosten in de zorg ten gevolge van revisie van TKP en THP. Follow-up in nationale implantaten registers is noodzakelijk om de resultaten van de implantaten te blijven vervolgen, nadat deze op de markt zijn gekomen. Show less
Postcolonial migrants form the largest migrant groups in the Netherlands in the period 1945-2000. The leading question of this study was by whom, when and why discursive strategies were used in... Show morePostcolonial migrants form the largest migrant groups in the Netherlands in the period 1945-2000. The leading question of this study was by whom, when and why discursive strategies were used in political and public debates on the inclusion or exclusion of postcolonial migrants. Which factors influenced the use of these strategies? Approximately 7.000 newspaper articles (mostly non-digitalized) were used, as were political debates, television broadcasts and novels. By the metaphors, arguments, terminology and words that were used in these debates, we can try to grapple with how these postcolonial migrant groups were perceived in the Netherlands. This influenced the government policies that were formulated. The actors that participated in the debates differed per group and period. Especially pressure groups and journalists were successful in changing or justifying policy. Postcolonial migrant groups are especially interesting in this sense as there were discussions on both their juridical and discursive citizenship. These discussions show that not only juridical citizenship is pivotal to admittance, but the discursive citizenship is equally, if not more, important. The second reason to study these groups is that it is also possible to branch out into premigratory influences on admittance, integration and policy making Show less
This thesis analyses the process in which Guatemalan migrants transit through Mexico towards the United States, emphasizing the role played by the financial, human and social capital, and taking... Show moreThis thesis analyses the process in which Guatemalan migrants transit through Mexico towards the United States, emphasizing the role played by the financial, human and social capital, and taking into account the differences in gender and ethnicity. The specific objectives are i) to examine the social demographic profiles and trends of the migrants; ii) to estimate their numeric dimension; iii) to explore the impact of the policy of migration control applied by the Mexican government; iv) to estimate the effect of the vulnerability and poverty levels with respect to the probability of overcoming the transit stage; v) to know who are more exposed to face risks and under what circumstances; vi) to investigate human rights violations and violence experienced by migrants; vii) to analyze the differences in the possession and use of the financial, human and social capital that depend on gender and ethnicity. A methodological triangulation was performed, using quantitative data from the microdata obtained in the Encuesta sobre Migración en Frontera Guatemala-México (EMIF Sur) and the American Community Survey (ACS), among others; as well as qualitative data from interviewed migrants who passed through Mexico. Show less
Patterns of paleomobility in the Caribbean were studied through an inter-disciplinary approach using a combination of archaeological, osteological, mortuary, and isotopic data. Samples of human... Show morePatterns of paleomobility in the Caribbean were studied through an inter-disciplinary approach using a combination of archaeological, osteological, mortuary, and isotopic data. Samples of human enamel from 360 individuals from multiple sites spanning a broad range of geographic and temporal contexts were analyzed for strontium isotope composition. These results were interpreted in reference to a database of strontium isotope variation for the Caribbean biosphere created through the analysis of 288 modern and archeological animal and plant samples. These combined strontium isotope datasets contributed to assessments of the spatial patterning of bioavailable strontium isotopes in the region and to estimations of the local range of isotope variation for the different site populations. These ranges were used to determine whether individuals were of local or nonlocal origin and were then analyzed to examine variability in patterns of migration, with a specific focus on testing possible relationships between residential origins and biological sex, age at death, chronology, grave goods, and dietary practices. Carbon and oxygen isotope analyses of dental enamel were also conducted on a subset of 50 individuals to assess their potential for provenance studies in the Caribbean region and for investigating the origins of suspected long-distance migrants. Show less
Long-Lived Sociality is an ethnographic account of the lives of older persons in Kerala. Through its detailed account of these highly educated, middle and upper class individuals, it challenges... Show moreLong-Lived Sociality is an ethnographic account of the lives of older persons in Kerala. Through its detailed account of these highly educated, middle and upper class individuals, it challenges many popular and academic stereotypical notions of the old. Contrary to such preconceptions for instance, their lives turn out to be interdependent, not at all stagnant, extremely mobile and as far as possible actively shaped by the older persons themselves. Cultural notions about sociality are furthermore explored to understand how meaning is given to social and care relationships with others. These relations are informed by strong expectations and a discourse that stresses the importance of duties. This discourse makes it possible for older persons to explicitly demand care when needed. The investigation of the possibilities and limitations of this discourse provides insights into the older persons__ appreciation of their social lives and their overall wellbeing. Show less
This study focuses on three works by Chinese American women writers. It is an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural investigation of transculturation. The prefixes “inter-,” “cross-” and “trans-”... Show moreThis study focuses on three works by Chinese American women writers. It is an interdisciplinary and cross-cultural investigation of transculturation. The prefixes “inter-,” “cross-” and “trans-” explored throughout suggest dynamism. The narrations of the dynamics of each immigrant culture come from the writers’ dual position of Chinese American cultural backgrounds. In writing, these writers form protagonists in circumstances of compromise and negotiation between the expectations of the two cultural ideologies. The encounter of two cultures produces possibilities and potentials in which cultural subjects (Chinese immigrants and Americans) and cultures adapt to one another and create something new. The term “transculturation” conceptualizes this process of change, which is defined as a mutually influencing process in which Chinese and American cultures transform and are transformed in their constant contact. This study presents the changing process in the motifs of memory, self, symbols, space, allegory, and ambiguity respectively in the six chapters of textual analyses. In a transcultural discourse, the difference from others is embraced as individuality specific to a certain person or culture. Thus, different elements exist when cultural subjects come into contact. This coexistence reinforces the importance of cultural negotiation in the multicultural US. Show less
Op de lijst van potentiële 'hot topics' voor de komende EU-verkiezingen vinden we vergrijzing, economische malaise en de vraag met welke maatregelen Europa's lage geboortecijfers opgekrikt kunnen... Show moreOp de lijst van potentiële 'hot topics' voor de komende EU-verkiezingen vinden we vergrijzing, economische malaise en de vraag met welke maatregelen Europa's lage geboortecijfers opgekrikt kunnen worden. De problematiek van de nog verse 21ste eeuw. Maar die is niet zonder precedenten volgens oud-historici gespecialiseerd in de sociaal-economische en demografische geschiedenis van Romeins Italië. De laatste twee eeuwen voor Christus, toen Rome van een stadstaatje tot een wereldrijk werd, waren roerige tijden voor de burgers van Italië. Zij werden betrokken in oorlogen, waren getuige van grootscheepse politieke veranderingen en leefden met snel groeiende immigranten en slaven in een nog sneller verstedelijkende samenlevering, volop dynamiek, dus. Lang werd gedacht dat het bestaan van de 'oude kern' van Romeinen temidden van deze hectiek van meerdere kanten af werd uitgehold. Met, inderdaad, economische maliase en vergrijzing en ontvolking als gevolg. Deze dissertatie betoogt echter dat het allemaal wel meeviel. Terwijl burgers met in name de landbouwsector in de regio rond Rome getroffen werd, groeiden de kansen in andere sectoren van de Romeinse economie. Gunstige klimaatomstandigheden en de voordelen van imperialise verzachten de problematiek. De economische schade bleef, met andere woorden, beperkt. En die baby's dan? Hier speelden specifieke culturele en sociale omstandigheden een rol. Een 'mamacultuur'en het dorpsleven met familie en buren nabij, ondervingen een goed deel van de potentieel nagatieve gevolgen van armoede voor het Romeinse geboortecijfer. Deze en andere factoren doen vermoeden dat de periode zelfs, in tegenstelling tot wat eerder gedacht werd, ruimte liet voor bevolkingsgroei. Een gedachte die aansluiting vindtin een nieuwe interpretatie van de met raadsels omgeven volkstellingscijfers van Rome's eerste keizer, Augustus. Doemdenkers en pessimisten onder oudere generaties oud-historici lijken daarmee door de geschiedenis te worden ingehaald. Een geruststellend lichtpuntje anno 2009 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
