Radboud Educational Repository (Radboud Univ.)
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The Implementation of SedaDNA Analysis in Roman Archaeology in the Netherlands.
No full textTo research organic components of Roman life archaeologists use archaeozoology and archaeobotany. Organic material from the Roman period is susceptible to decay due to environmental factors. In order to combat challenges found with conventional research techniques, the analysis of sedimentary DNA is developing in the field of Roman archaeology. The aim of this paper was to research the potential contribution of sedaDNA to Roman archaeology in the Netherlands, and challenges found with its implementation. The research question that follows is, “To what extent can the implementation of sedaDNA analysis ensure a more accurate reconstruction of an archaeological site from the Roman period in the Netherlands, in relation to current bioarchaeological research methods?”. To answer the research question a literature study was done, combined with the outcome of three expert interviews with an archaeozoologist, and archaeobotanist, and a sedaDNA researcher. The study found that sedaDNA can currently perform on par with conventional research techniques. In order to improve its potential, more research should be done on the degradation, sampling, and processing of sedaDNA
AI-gebaseerde video-interventies met feitelijke tegenargumenten effectief tegen vermindering van complotgeloof.
No full textDit onderzoek richt zich op het verminderen van complotgeloof door middel van AI-gebaseerde video-interventies. Op basis van een fictief personage met complotovertuigingen (Elsa) zijn vier interventies ontworpen die deelnemers moesten beoordelen op aannemelijkheid. In de voormeting beoordeelden deelnemers Elsa’s impliciete complotovertuigingen. In de nameting werden zij blootgesteld aan één van vier AI-interventies: feitelijke tegenargumenten (1), dialoog (2), stimuleren tot kritisch denken (3) of een combinatie van dialoog en kritisch denken (4). De resultaten tonen dat de interventies feitelijke tegenargumenten (1), kritisch denken (3) en de gecombineerde conditie (4) significant leidden tot een afname in aannemelijkheid van complottheorieën. Tegen de verwachting in had de interventie met feitelijke tegenargumenten het grootste effect (d = 0.90) en verschilde deze significant van de dialoogconditie. De studie laat zien dat AI-gebaseerde video-interventies effectief kunnen zijn in het verminderen van complotgeloof en sluit aan bij literatuur over kritisch denken en gepersonaliseerde communicatie
From Brine to Brussels: Governing the Lithium Value Chain Between South-America and Europe
No full textThe western energy transition is leading to an immense rise in the global demand for lithium. However, lithium extraction raises great concerns about environmental degradation and social justice, especially for South-American Indigenous communities. Through the content analysis of an extensive set of governance instruments, this thesis analyses the extent to which EU and Dutch governance contribute to shaping a sustainable lithium value-chain between the EU and South-America.
The findings show the presence of a diverse set of governance instruments and actors, predominantly from state and civil-society dimensions, but highlight various key limitations. Instruments commonly give priority to economic goals, with sustainability disappearing under attention for trade, international competitiveness, and security of supply. Only a small number of instruments consider sustainability as a non-negotiable priority. Transformative governance is unevenly embedded: while many instruments show inclusive and integrative characteristics, they fall short on the ability to adapt over time, incorporate ‘other’ knowledge systems, and act with caution in new circumstances. Orchestration of sustainable governance is limited by low issue visibility, especially regarding the socio-ecological consequences of lithium extraction, which limits public pressure and weakens governance momentum. Moreover, regulatory uncertainty and fragmented priorities create conflicting incentives for sustainable private governance to emerge
Comparing Continuers: A Multimodal study on Addressee feedback in Yélî Dnye and how it compares to Dutch
No full textAddressee feedback is seen as a building block of every conversation. Small noises like ‘mhmm’ or ‘huh?’ just like proper words like ‘yes’, or ‘sorry?’, also called interjections, have been classified based on their function. There are also gestures, like head nods or squints, that can have similar functions. However, not many studies have been done comparing addressee feedback between languages, and rarely, have there been comparisons using languages outside the western language sphere or done with multimodal utterances in mind. With this, the current study sought out to investigate continuers in the isolate Yele language (or Yélî Dnye) spoken on the Rossel island in Papua New Guinea, to comprise an extensive list of all continuers used and their modalities. Additionally, the study at hand aimed to compare the preference of modalities when using continuers and addressee feedback in general to a Germanic language - Dutch. As Yele has many unique gestures on top of the conventional gestures we know, it was hypothesized that conversation in Yele will have more of a reliance on gestural and multimodal continuers and addressee feedback. 20 dyadic face-to-face conversation recordings were annotated and analyzed
Market Reactions to M&A Announcements During the COVID-19 Crisis: Evidence from U.S. Acquirers
No full textThis thesis investigates whether the COVID-19 pandemic altered investor reactions to U.S. merger and acquisition (M&A) announcements. Employing an event study and regression framework on a large sample of U.S. acquiring firms, the analysis identifies a statistically robust “pandemic premium” in abnormal returns. This premium is concentrated on the announcement day and persists in short- and medium-term event windows, indicating that investors evaluated M&A activity more positively under systemic uncertainty. Cross-sectional tests highlight valuation discipline as the central driver: discounted acquisitions were rewarded. By contrast, firm fundamentals such as leverage, liquidity, and market-to-book ratios were largely insignificant and no systematic sectoral differences emerged. The study provides new evidence on how mergers and acquisitions are assessed during crisis periods
From Participation to Power. A justice-based analy-sis of participatory Urban Planning through policy capacity in Nijmegen
No full textUrban greening is often promoted as a response to climate change and other urban challenges. However, critical literature highlights unequal impacts, raising concerns about procedural justice. Especially in participatory governance, it’s crucial to examine how inclusive, influential, and accessible such processes are in practice.
This thesis investigates whether and how urban greening participation processes can be considered procedurally just. It applies Simcock’s (2016) framework on inclusion, influence, and information, combined with Howlett et al.’s (2015) framework on individual-level policy capacities. A single-case study design was used, focusing on the participatory development of the Gebiedsvisie Stationsgebied Nijmegen. Methods included desk research, semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and participatory observations.
Findings show that while the process was formally open and well-documented, real inclusion was limited, with marginalized groups underrepresented. Influence was consultative, with decisions shaped by institutional agendas. Although information was available, accessibility remained a challenge. Individual-level policy capacities shaped perceptions of fairness.
It concludes that participation doesn’t automatically lead to empowerment. Justice remains fragile when individual skills, institutional agendas, and priorities are misaligned. It adds nuance to existing frameworks by showing that within well-designed participation, uneven reactive competences can undermine fairness. Strengthening outreach, simplifying communication, and other recommendations are essential for equitable urban greening
Being quite certain, very decisive and absolutely wrong: A research into the characteristics of Russian disinformation campaigns and the countermeasures against them
No full textIn this master’s thesis, research is conducted into the characteristics that define Russian disinformation campaigns and what countermeasures there are to combat these. The geographical scope is directed at the European Union, the Netherlands, and Lithuania. By simultaneously using both the theory of disinformation and framing, a picture is created of how these two forms of weaponized information reinforce each other. Methodologically, a qualitative research approach is adopted with the use of semi-structured interviews, conducted with experts in the fields of diplomacy, intelligence, and more, combined with a document analysis on EU and Dutch policy documents. The results demonstrate that Russian disinformation campaigns must not be viewed as innocent, isolated incidents, but as strategically employed weaponized forms of information that undermine democratic societies. The disinformation campaigns are unique, sophisticated, and tough to counter. They are a strategic part of hybrid warfare, with layered positive and negative objectives. Their strategies include igniting fires in society, election manipulation, and the continuous use of malinformation. Framing is essential, as it shapes both the strategies and the messages built on narratives such as historical revisionism and anti-supranational themes. They are characterized by their reliance on quantity, which is ensured by the use of troll factories and social media as spreading mechanisms. Countermeasures range from preventive measures, such as focusing on education, enhancing media literacy, or supporting independent media, to reactive measures, which include fact-checking, debunking, reporting facilities, and more. The targeted societies must increase their efforts to counter these threats, with a preference for the use of both preventive and reactive countermeasures that incorporate the local conditions and appeal to emotions. Effort is necessary as technological innovations will keep enhancing the Kremlin’s disinformation campaigns and pose a greater threat to democratic institutions
CSR Policies and Global Labor Violations in MNCs: The Impact of Home Country Labor Regulation and Labor Union Strength
No full textThis thesis investigates whether the adoption of formal Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policies by multinational corporations (MNCs) is associated with improved labor practices across their global operations. It further examines how this relationship may be moderated by institutional factors in the MNC’s home country, specifically labor regulation and union strength. Using a panel dataset of 3,880 firm-year observations from OECD-based MNCs between 2015 and 2020, the study applies random-effects Tobit regression models to account for the censored nature of labor violation data.
Contrary to expectations, the presence of CSR policies is positively and significantly associated with the number of reported labor violations, suggesting symbolic adoption or increased transparency rather than improved outcomes. The interaction effects of home-country labor regulation and union strength were both statistically insignificant, indicating no clear moderating influence. Robustness checks confirmed the reliability of these findings.
These results point to a persistent implementation gap between corporate commitments and labor conditions on the ground, highlighting the need for stronger enforcement mechanisms and further research into institutional constraints on CSR effectiveness
The 2021 Flood Event As Wake-Up Call In Dutch Flood Risk Management
No full textThis thesis examines if the flood event of 2021 in the Dutch province of Limburg functions as an event triggering policy change in flood risk management, and how. Heavy rainfall in The Netherlands and its bordering countries caused exceptional levels of high water and floodings on a large geographical scope. This study uses factors of stability and change to assess whether and how this extreme event triggered the adaptation of existing policies and the adoption of new policies. Through incorporating policy documents and fifteen semi-structured interviews with different relevant actors, this study demonstrates the impact of the event and its consequences on the short- and long-term. This impact is studied in an institutional context, rather than a societal context. Th results show that while post-flood evaluations underline the urgency for new approaches and mindsets, such as accepting certain risks instead of preventing all flood risks, the practical implication of these evaluations mainly include improving modelling systems and adopting existing programs. This lack of actual paradigm shifts suggests that, while Dutch flood risk management and its actors claim to become more climate change- and flood resilient, this resilience appears to be rather limited and not aimed towards adapting to future climate risks
Linguistic Accommodation in Dutch Academia between Native and Non-native Dutch speakers: will they switch to English when I speak Dutch?
No full textThis study explores linguistic accommodation in multilingual Dutch academia. It investigated whether features of non-native Dutch speech, such as foreign accent, grammar mistakes, code-switching, and slow speech rate, affect comprehensibility and lead to switching to English. Framed by Communication Accommodation Theory (Giles, 1971), an experiment was conducted in which Dutch native speakers listened to a non-native student asking a teacher a question in Dutch. Participants indicated whether they would respond in Dutch (maintenance) or English (divergence), and rated the message's comprehensibility, politeness, and effectiveness. Results showed that linguistic features had no significant effect on message comprehensibility, and most participants chose to respond in Dutch. However, switching to English was perceived as more effective when the student code-switched during her question. These findings suggest that Dutch native speakers may prioritize communicative efficiency over linguistic precision, indicating that Dutch language learners should focus on effective communication rather than perfecting minor languistic details