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The Agency of Armed Groups in Prolonging Civil Wars and the Nigerian Case
No full textI explore the ways in which armed groups may prolong violence in civil wars through a comparative case study of two armed groups in Nigeria. Alliances they enter and their perceived legitimacy by local communities are particular challenges. Armed groups may take action as a combination of greed for power and grievances against mistreatment. I conceptualize armed groups as rational actors that prioritize their own survival and use veto player powers. They have agency if state functions cease to exist in at least a part of the country but are still constrained by the structural conditions of the local environment. They can cynically use these conditions to their advantage, as well as genuinely fight for an ideological cause. I examine Boko Haram and MEND as case examples, the historical development of these armed groups and of Nigeria and how they affect the Nigerian society. From there, I draw some general inferences about the influence of armed groups. I close with implications for conflict resolution in civil wars and recommendations for future research on armed groups
THE UNSEEN CONSEQUENCES OF GREEN GROWTH A Study on Indigenous Dispossession in the Greater Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem
No full textMassive protests by Maasai locals have arisen in both the Kenyan and Tanzanian parts of the
Greater Serengeti-Mara ecosystem regarding land repurposing by the national governments.
Although the conflict over land has been going on for over six decades, the Maasai have now
started more formally resisting these land grabs by uniting and suing in court.
In light of this conflict, this paper aims to understand why there has been a ongoing contestation
in the Greater Serengeti Mara Area, between local Maasai tribal communities and the Kenyan
and Tanzanian governments, relating to the use of land, for over 60 years, and what has caused
the conflict to heightened in the past decades, causing increasing resistance from local
communities, by answering the following research question: What explains the continued
contestation of local Maasai communities regarding the use of land in the Greater Serengeti
Mara Area? And aims to answer it by using the Gramscian hegemony framework together with
David Harvey’s accumulation by dispossession theory.
Through the analysis of the data using document analysis as the main method, this explainingoutcome,
critcal research has identified the constant creation of new regimes of accumulation
by the government as the main cause for the continued contestation of the Maasai people for
land repurposing in the Greater Serengeti Mara Area
The Role of Conspiracy Theories in Shaping Populist Ideologies and Movements
No full textThis thesis explores the link between conspiracy theories and the ideology of populist politi-cal parties. After identifying a gap in the literature, namely that thus far the link between con-spiracy theories and populism had not adequately been theorized, a qualitative content analy-sis framework based on four key conspiracy theory elements was developed and applied to the party programs of three left-wing and three right-wing populist parties in Germany and the Netherlands. The findings reveal that conspiracy theories are a fundamental and constitu-tive part of populist ideology. Right-wing populist parties tend to use conspiracy narratives targeting cultural or external “others,” while left-wing populists focus more on economic elites and large corporations. Both groups employ conspiracy theories to delegitimize main-stream parties and political opponents. All four theoretical hypotheses were supported by the analysis. This research is the first to systematically compare party programs regarding the re-lation between populism and conspiracy theories and demonstrates the central role of conspir-acy theories in populist ideology
Creative Writing and Motivation
No full textThis thesis investigates the potential of using creative writing in the Dutch secondary school
curriculum for English. It hypothesizes that the use of creative writing can greatly improve students’
motivation for writing in general as well as learning English as a subject. A pool of 162 second-year
students took part in a series of five short creative writing lessons taught by their own English
teachers. Their opinions of these lessons were assessed through a questionnaire on motivation for the
students and interviews about the lessons with the teachers. This data is supplemented by the
researcher´s own observations, made when executing the lesson plans. The results show that while
teachers display a need and want for more creative writing in secondary schools, it is difficult to
accurately measure whether or not students’ motivation can be increased using creative writing.
Keywords: creative writing (CW), motivation, EFL, secondary school curriculu
Evaluating Spanish proficiency: The validity of the Profgram test and the role of grammar versus vocabulary in language assessment
No full textThis study evaluates the effectiveness and validity of the Profgram test in assessing CEFR-levels of Spanish proficiency, by comparing its results with the established LexTALE-Esp test and an adjusted DELE test. It also explores the relative contributions of grammar and vocabulary knowledge to second language proficiency. The results showed that Profgram had strong validity as a language proficiency test. It demonstrated a moderate to strong correlation with DELE scores (r = .61), indicating that it effectively measures similar aspects of Spanish proficiency. A moderate correlation was found between Profgram and LexTALE scores (r = .48), suggesting that Profgram assesses more than just vocabulary. Regarding the role of grammar and vocabulary in second language performance, both components were equally correlated with LexTALE and DELE scores. In conclusion, the Profgram test is a valid tool for assessing Spanish proficiency, with vocabulary and grammar playing an equal role
Beleidsreacties op de overstromingen in Limburg
No full textNederland heeft een uitgebreid systeem van overstromingsstrategieën, maar de overstromingen in Limburg in 2021 roepen vragen op over de effectiviteit en flexibiliteit van dit beleid. Eerder onderzoek, zoals STAR-FLOOD (Wiering et al., 2017), benadrukt het belang van geïntegreerd overstromingsbeheer, terwijl andere studies laten zien dat beleidsveranderingen vaak moeizaam verlopen. Dit onderzoek analyseert waarom het bestaande beleid niet toereikend was voor kleine rivieren en of dit een window of opportunity creëerde voor beleidsmakers. Via documentanalyse en interviews is onderzocht of het beleid is aangepast of binnen bestaande structuren bleef. Met theorieën zoals het multiple streams framework en padafhankelijkheid draagt dit bij aan inzicht in beleidsdynamiek en de invloed van crises.
De studie toont aan dat er geen fundamentele koerswijziging plaatsvond, maar eerder een versnelling van bestaande beleidslijnen. De overstromingen werden gezien als wake-up call, maar veel kaders waren al vóór 2021 in ontwikkeling. Een concreet gevolg is de oprichting van Waterveiligheid en Ruimte Limburg (WRL). De ramp bracht meer aandacht voor stroomgebiedsgericht denken, integrale samenwerking tussen bestuurslagen en risicodialogen met burgers. Toch blijven ingrijpende maatregelen lastig, door ruimtelijke, maatschappelijke en economische beperkingen. Probleemlocaties blijven ook na de ramp moeilijk aan te pakken
Geschonken vleugels: een kwalitatieve studie naar de esthetische dimensie van zingeving in de praktijk van de geestelijke verzorging
No full textDe esthetische dimensie van zingeving blijft in de geestelijke verzorging, maar ook in het wetenschappelijk discours, onderbelicht. Deze studie verkent hoe zij vorm krijgt in de praktijk van de geestelijke verzorging. Middels een kwalitatieve survey werden zes geestelijk verzorgers gevraagd naar de wijze waarop de esthetische dimensie van zingeving een plaats krijgt in hun werkpraktijk. De esthetische dimensie van zingeving wordt gezien als een vehikel om verschillende bestaanslagen en vermogens aan te spreken, hoofdzakelijk via zintuiglijke ervaring. Geestelijk verzorgers maken gebruik van diverse werkvormen en stemmen hun handelen af op verschillende kenmerken en behoeften van (individuele en groepen) cliënten en patiënten, zonder de ‘gehele mens’ uit het oog te verliezen
Language Through Routines: How Well Do Self-Report Measures Capture Parental Language Input?
No full textEarly language development predicts children's cognitive and socio-emotional abilities, influencing long-term successes. While both genetic and environmental factors matter, parental language input is key, making reliable and valid assessment of this input essential. This quantitative observational study examined the extent to which a parental input quantity score captures the amount of observed parental language input. The study 1) evaluated how well the parental quantity input score reflects recorded child-directed speech, 2) assessed the score’s psychometric properties, and 3) explored its relationship with children’s expressive vocabulary. Analyses show that the parental input score does not directly correspond to observational audio data. However, the score has good psychometric properties and a moderate relation with children’s vocabulary, suggesting that the score may capture meaningful aspects of the language environment that are not similarly reflected in recordings. Nevertheless, more thorough analyses are needed to be able to make strong claims about the score’s validity. These results highlight the value of well-constructed self-report measures as a complementary approach in early language development research
Kunstmatige intelligentie in grondwaardebepaling: lessen uit buitenlandse toepassingen en implicaties voor de Nederlandse vastgoedsector
Full text linkIn deze bachelorthesis wordt onderzocht hoe kunstmatige intelligentie (AI) traditionele methoden voor grondwaardebepaling kan versterken, met bijzondere aandacht voor infrastructurele ontwikkelingen. Aan de hand van internationale case studies (Melbourne, Japan, Thailand, New York, Beijing en Noord-Oost Engeland) en semi-gestructureerde interviews met Nederlandse vastgoedprofessionals wordt duidelijk dat AI-modellen complexe verbanden tussen infrastructuurvariabelen en grondwaarde sneller en objectiever in kaart brengen dan traditionele regressiemodellen. Satellietbeelden en generatieve frameworks illustreren hoe real-time data kunnen bijdragen aan dynamische, nauwkeurige waarderingen. Tegelijk wijzen experts op cruciale randvoorwaarden: kwalitatief hoogwaardige, gevalideerde databronnen, transparantie van algoritmen en lokaal relevante kalibratie.
Uit het onderzoek blijkt dat een hybride aanpak – waarbij de snelheid en schaalbaarheid van AI worden gecombineerd met de betrouwbaarheid en nuance van conventionele taxatiemethoden – de Nederlandse vastgoedsector de meeste meerwaarde biedt. Aanbevelingen omvatten gerichte data-kanalisatie, strikte validatieprotocollen en geïntegreerde, continue monitoringsystemen voor adaptieve grondwaardebepalingen
Till Death do us part: a case study on the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in the Netherlands
No full textThis thesis aims to provide insight into the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in the Netherlands. The Convention is designed to combat and prevent violence against women and domestic violence. Although the Netherlands is often regarded as a frontrunner in gender equality, it took twelve years after signing the Istanbul Convention for the country to adopt a comprehensive policy targeting the most severe form of gender-based violence: femicide. The Stop Femicide! policy marks a significant step toward preventing violence against women. Nonetheless, the delayed implementation raises questions about why a gender-equal country such as the Netherlands has taken so long to act on a gender-specific treaty. To explore this, the central research question of this thesis is: How has the Istanbul Convention been implemented in the Netherlands? This question is addressed through a single-case study using explaining-outcome process tracing. The findings show that while the Convention has been actively implemented, there is also evidence of distorted translation. Both governmental and non-governmental actors actively engage with the Convention, yet their interpretations of its meaning and implications differ considerably. By identifying and analyzing these divergences, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of how the Netherlands has engaged with the Istanbul Convention and offers insights for more effective implementation moving forward