Radboud Educational Repository (Radboud Univ.)
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The role of WATs in shaping consumers’ athletic identity
No full textThis research investigates how amateur athletes experience wearable activity trackers (WATs) in relation to their athletic identity. Prior research has mainly focused on the functional and health-related aspects of WATs. This study addresses a gap in the literature by exploring their symbolic and emotional meaning to users. The objective was to understand whether and how WATs influence athletic identity. To achieve this, twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with amateur athletes from various sports. The results showed that, although participants mostly acquired the tracker for functional reasons, their continued use led to symbolic and emotional attachments. For some participants, WATs provided motivation, pride, accountability and a sense of belonging within the fitness community. Long-term athletes with consistent practice viewed WATs more as useful tools than as something defining them. In contrast, athletes newer to consistent practice depended more on the tracker to reinforce their athletic identity. To conclude, WATs play both functional and symbolic roles in athletes’ lives. These findings offer theoretical contributions by combining a marketing and identity perspective and practical implications for designing and promoting WATs to athletes
“The investment of climate labels: How climate labels may influence real estate investment behaviour”
No full textAs climate change accelerates, the frequency and severity of extreme weather events pose significant risks to properties. The absence of standardised measures to communicate climate resilience of real estate creates uncertainty for stakeholders, including developers, investors, and municipalities. A recent study by multiple researchers of Dutch banks, asserted that a Climate Risk Resilience Label (CRRL) could better reflect climate-related risks in property value. They advised stakeholders to jointly develop standardised climate risk information for existing housing stock (Bani et al., 2024). The research aimed to provide a holistic perspective of the CRRL’s capacity to impact decision-making in investment behaviour, by utilising a tailor-made game experiment. The empirical results revealed that developers, municipalities and investors adjusted their decision-making processes based on the perceived implications of the CRRL, with variations observed between different stakeholder groups. The study also highlighted the importance of institutional frameworks in shaping these behaviours. The research concluded that the findings indicate that the CRRL has the potential to enhance market transparency and improve climate resilience in real estate development, suggesting a shift towards more informed and responsible decision-making for a resilient real estate market
The impact of Wilders' discourse and policies on refugee well-being in the Netherlands
No full textThis thesis investigates the impact of Geert Wilders’ anti-immigration discourse and policies on the well-being of refugees in the Netherlands. With the rise in support for far-right populism
and an increase in anti-immigration discourse, this research examines how language and law intersect and eventually influence well-being. This study combines the critical discourse analysis (CDA) and the social exclusion theory to explore the relationship between Wilders discourse and policies on refugee well-being. Well-being in this research is examined using eight themes as suggested by the CBS (2021): subjective well-being, material well-being, housing, health, work, safety, society and environment.
This research ultimately suggests that the effects of anti-immigration discourse extend far beyond political speech. Through emotionally charged language, repetition of misleading metaphors, and an appeal to fear, Wilders’ discourse not only shapes public opinion but also legitimises exclusionary policy decisions that directly harm refugee well-being. By integrating insights from cognitive science, discourse theory, and refugee studies, this thesis highlights the urgent need for political communication that is not only effective but also ethical. In an era where misinformation and emotionally manipulative narratives spread rapidly, critically examining the link between words and their consequences is more important than ever. I hope this work contributes to that effort and to a more humane, evidence-based conversation on immigration in the Netherlands and elsewhere
Magic Meets the Mundane in Practical Magic’s Costume Design and Fan Fashion Practices - Implications of subcultural trend and identity formation through the analysis of fan fashion from the film Practical Magic
No full textThis thesis explores how fan fashion inspired by Practical Magic (1998) operates at the intersection of fandom, fashion expression, and subcultural style. It examines how film costume functions both within cinematic narrative and beyond the screen through contemporary online fan practices in TikTok videos under the hashtag #practicalmagicoutfits. Drawing from theories on performativity, identity, and subculture—most notably those of Erving Goffman and Dick Hebdige—this study investigates how fans reinterpret the film’s “everyday” witchy aesthetic to reflect personal and communal identities. Chapter one offers a contrapuntal reading of the costumes worn by Sally and Gillian Owens, revealing how their outfits subtly construct the archetype of the witch through symbolic and narrative significations. Chapter two shifts focus to online fan fashion practices, demonstrating how fans translate these everyday costumes into everyday looks that blur the line between fan and fashion expression. The thesis proposes that such practices constitute a distinct form of “fan fashion,” separate from cosplay, defined by its transformative and everyday nature. By situating fan fashion within broader aesthetic trends such as “witchy” and “whimsigoth” styles, the study argues that fan engagement is also present in subtle, stylized forms of self-presentation. Ultimately, this thesis contributes to emerging discussions in fan and fashion studies by interrogating how everyday costume design and the fan practices that flow from it shape modern subcultural and fan identities.
Key words: Fan Fashion, Everyday Costume, Practical Magic, Identity Performance, Subcultural Identity, The Archetype of the Witch
Cosmic Extractivism. How Space Exploration Technologies Reinforce Unequal Ecological Exchange and Expand Capitalist Extractivism
No full textThis thesis investigates how the growing demand for Rare Earth Elements (REEs), spurred on by space exploration technologies, worsens the effects of unequal ecological exchange and extractivism. By looking at World-Systems theory, unequal ecological exchange and extractivism, this study analyzes how ambitions to conquer space reshape and perpetuate Earth’s extractions mechanisms. Using Critical Discourse Analysis on government, corporate and community documents with Atlas.ti on REE mining and space exploration, this research shows the differences between stakeholder narratives: governments and corporations look at economic growth, security and sustainability while neglecting harms that communities do experience. Although current REE usage in the space industry is minor compared to other sectors, it’s reliance on REEs and the industries potential to scale up in the future may cause more inequalities. The concept of cosmic extractivism is added to the debate as a warning that resource appropriation for space may help to continuate exploitative trends that we see today where the global north acquires benefits and the costs are externalized to the global south
Perceptions of legitimacy and support for the European Union
No full textThe legitimacy of the European Union is under scrutiny. From an empirical perspective, this is visible through events like Brexit and the rise of Euroscepticism across Europe. From a normative perspective, scholars have critiqued the EU’s institutional arrangements and their lack of democratic legitimacy. In response to these developments, scholars have proposed to resolve the EU’s legitimacy issues through enhancing its input-, output- and throughput legitimacy. What remains unclear is how citizens perceive changes in legitimacy variables according to normative conceptions. This research attempt to fill in this gap by operationalising input-, output- and throughput legitimacy and applying them in an empirical setting. It does so by conducting a factorial survey experiment wherein respondents are shown vignettes containing treatments for each of the legitimacy variables, after which their support for the EU is measured. The results of the research are surprising: throughput legitimacy had the most significant positive effect on EU support, implying a revaluation of throughput legitimacy in shaping support for the EU is in order
Inclusive Urban Regeneration through an InterCultural Planning approach: Qualitative research on resident participation in Amsterdam Nieuw-West
No full textIn culturally diverse neighbourhoods, municipalities and housing corporations experience the challenge of involving all residents in urban regeneration projects. Primarily the same groups are heard, resulting in that not all voices existing in a neighbourhood are included. This research seeks for an inclusive approach that ensures that all voices are heard, allowing regeneration plans to be tailored to the needs of a neighbourhood. Using the InterCultural Planning (ICP) framework of Werner et al. (in press), which is based on interculturalism and goes beyond multiculturalism, two regeneration projects in Amsterdam Nieuw-West were studied through a qualitative case study and participatory action research (PAR).
The results show that Amsterdam has taken a positive step by creating policy and legal frameworks on inclusion, anti-discrimination, and participation, and by introducing a neighbourhood-oriented approach. However, the policy on multilingual communication is not yet well-integrated across departments, making it harder for non-Dutch-speaking residents. Residents also feel that uniform citywide policies do not fit their neighbourhoods. Trust between residents and institutions, shaped by past experiences, strongly affects regeneration projects. The study concludes that inclusive governance requires alignment of all elements of the ICP framework so residents’ needs genuinely impact urban regeneration in culturally diverse neighbourhoods
Preserving the Past, Shaping the Future: Introducing Heritage andland Readjustment in Vientiane, Laos
No full textThis thesis examines the way cultural heritage can be preserved within urban redevelopment processes in Laos, by analyzing the potential of LR. The research is oriented on Vientiane, where rapid urbanization puts pressure on spatial planning and heritage protection. While Laos has formal laws for heritage preservation, it lacks a structural framework in which heritage is integrated in urban development plans. Therefore, the current institutional capacities limit the effective application of LR as a policy instrument.
By conducting a comparative case study with China and Japan, both countries with composure to LR and heritage, policy strategies and governance structures will be analyzed. The theoretical frameworks used are the Policy Transfer-framework (Minkman et al., 2018) and the Planning Systems as Institutional Technologies (PSIT)-framework (Rivolin, 2012). This offers insights into the transferability of foreign policy and the institutional anchoring of this policy in the Laotian context.
The findings show that the successful integration of heritage policy and LR is dependent on three core principles: horizontal and vertical coordination, legal anchoring, and societal involvement. In China, heritage policy is used top-down as economic capital in national development goals, while Japan shows how local participation and creating identity through machizukuri-processes, heritage can be anchored in urban development. Laos can be placed in between these models with a centralized system without the implementation capacity of China, but also without the decentralized participation structures of Japan.
This study concludes that policy transfer to Laos is only feasible when it comes with institutional reforms, like the strengthening of local governance capacity, by connecting the heritage policy with urban instruments, and improving its participatory decision-making. Land readjustment could be a valuable instrument under these conditions for realizing sustainable inclusive urban growth. In this case, heritage is not lost, but it plays a significant role in the identity and economy of a city.
This study contributes to the scientific discussion about heritage protection in developing countries and offers policy recommendations for Laos and other countries that are coping with similar urban and institutional challenges
De Aanwezigheid van Perspectiefmarkeringen in Ervaringsverhalen over Kindervaccinaties.
No full textDit onderzoek richt zich op de aanwezigheid en de rol van perspectiefmarkeringen in persoonlijke ervaringsverhalen over kindervaccinaties, waarbij een vergelijking wordt gemaakt tussen antivaccinvatieverhalen en pro-vaccinatieverhalen die zijn gepubliceerd op de website van de Rijksoverheid. Perspectiefmarkeringen zijn woorden of uitdrukkingen die de lezer toegang geven tot de zintuiglijke, cognitieve en emotionele belevingswereld van een personage. Door middel van een corpusanalyse zijn 14 verhalen geanalyseerd op de aanwezigheid en de verdeling van perceptuele, cognitieve en emotionele perspectiefmarkeringen. De resultaten laten zien dat antivaccinatieverhalen alle drie de perspectiefdimensies bevatten, terwijl in pro-vaccinatieverhalen perceptuele perspectiefmarkeringen ontbreken. Wanneer alleen de daadwerkelijke aanwezige perspectiefmarkeringen werden vergeleken, bleek de verdeling tussen de drie categorieën vergelijkbaar. De bevindingen suggereren dat de aanwezigheid van meerdere perspectiefdimensies in antivaccinatieverhalen mogelijk leiden tot sterkere identificatie en betrokkenheid van lezers, wat mogelijk de overtuigingskracht van deze verhalen vergroot
Energiehulp bekeken vanuit energie-rechtvaardigheid
No full textDit onderzoek heeft gekeken naar hoe vier energiehulporganisaties proberen huishoudens te bereiken om energiehulp te geven, aan de hand van het energierechtvaardigheidsframework. Deze organisaties kunnen huishoudens helpen energie te besparen door het uitvoeren van kleine isolatiemaatregelen (door energiefixers) en/of het geven van energieadvies (door energiecoaches). Hierbij is onderzocht wat de doelgroep is (distributieve rechtvaardigheid), welke methodes worden gebruikt om deze groep te bereiken (procedurele rechtvaardigheid), en wat de invloed is van identiteit van huishoudens en energiecoaches/-fixers op de mate waarin huishoudens benaderd kunnen worden (erkennende rechtvaardigheid). Twaalf respondenten van vier energiehulporganisaties (EnergieHuis Slim Wonen (EHSW), de Kierenjagers van de LEV-groep, Huis van Compassie (HvC) en Plan-P) zijn hiervoor geïnterviewd. Deze data is aangevuld met drie documenten van EHSW organisatie. Via open coderen, axiaal coderen en overkoepelend coderen zijn de interviews en documenten geanalyseerd. Dit onderzoek concludeert dat de doelgroep wordt bepaald door de gemeenten en uitgevoerd door de energiehulporganisaties. De methodes verschillen per organisatie. Wie uiteindelijk wel en niet bereikt wordt, hangt niet zozeer af van de identiteit van huishoudens, maar van hun vaardigheden, netwerken en persoonlijke omstandigheden. Identiteitskenmerken van de energiecoaches/-fixers, zoals lokale verbondenheid, leeftijd en culturele achtergrond, kunnen bijdragen aan het bereiken van bewoners