Erasmus University Thesis Repository
Not a member yet
49263 research outputs found
Sort by
Worden wat je bent
No full textDeze thesis heroverweegt kritisch de pedagogische benadering van het jonge subject aan de hand van
Ricoeurs narratieve mimesis-model (prefiguratie, configuratie en refiguratie). Hedendaagse
opvoedingspraktijken, gevormd door verlichtingsidealen, reduceren het kind tot maakbaar en meetbaar
object, waardoor kernaspecten van vroege subjectiviteit – als relationaliteit, verwondering en ecologische
verbondenheid – worden gemarginaliseerd. Er wordt gepleit voor een verschuiving naar een
ecopedagogiek, gericht op narratieve transformatie, epistemische inclusie en hermeneutische
ontvouwing. Geïnspireerd door de vrijeschooltraditie en diens adagium worden wie je bent, wordt het
jonge subject zodoende begrepen als verweven-zij
Authenticity as a Reputation Building Tool Used to Facilitate Success for Indie Artists
No full textModern indie musicians struggle to earn a livable income from their work; this issue is exacerbated by increasing inflation, dominance of streaming, rise of AI use in the music industries, and growing competition caused by low barriers of entry to access to music making. This thesis intends to find potential solutions to aid the career success of starting indie musicians by exploring the deliberate use of authenticity, hereby defined as "a truthful and sincere presentation of self to one's audience in a way that is in accordance with one's own and the audience's values," among successful indie musicians in aiding to build a reputable and successful career for themselves. This use of authenticity, if used deliberately, is theorised to have the potential to become a tool for success for starting indie artists. Accordingly, the research question posed asks: How can authenticity as a reputation building tool be used by indie music artists to foster career success? The approach taken was thematic analysis of interviews with successful indie music artists, with the data set being composed of two self-conducted interviews and 36 existing media interviews (i.e., magazine articles and video interviews) with 27 indie music artists of various degrees of success, measured by active listener base on Spotify. The coding process was done manually on paper, without the aid of softwares or artificial intelligence. The findings show that indie artists are not consciously curating authenticity or aiming for success. They create music out of a place of genuine self-expression and a love for music (production), without overly concerning themselves with others perceptions of them or their music. Therefore, the paradoxical answer for how indie artists can cultivate success via reputation building with authenticity is to not plan for success and just enjoy the craft without expectations. However, some suggestions for success-building have been provided. This thesis highlights on why 'making it' in the creative industries is often hard to achieve by deliberate planning or hard work
In the Name of Love: Construction of Romance and Gender on Bookstagram
No full textThe knowledge of romance books has slipped through their initial recognition as tales of true love, to now taking shape of full-fledged online communities, stacked with accounts of micro-tropes, character arcs and more than a few attempts made to re-enact the plots of one's favourite books. This space on Instagram popularly known as Bookstagram is a hub of all such content and more, sparking spirited discussions about who is the best male main character of all times, and what trope they cannot digest. This research, situating itself in this buzzing dynamic, sought to examine how romance, romantic relationships, and gender roles are constructed and communicated within the Instagram-based book community. The central research question of this study is - How do Instagram based book communities construct and communicate discourses on romance?
Through purposive sampling, a hundred and fifty reels from Instagram were collected. These reels were then analysed through thematic analysis, while using critical discourse analysis as its analytical framework. The method allowed the researcher to question the implicit meaning behind the data collected and ask questions about how different concepts were being framed, and contested in this community. The findings lead to three key themes: The Discursive Construction of Love, the Representation of Romantic Relationships, and Gendered Discourses within Romance. The findings revealed that the content on Bookstagram is highly curated into stylized plots, tropes, and dramatic aesthetics, all employed to make the narrative consumable. The notions around love reflected a pattern of it being equated to emotional intensity. Relationship dynamics were put forward in a highly performative manner, often using techniques of sensationalisation. On the subject of gender, themes of male obsession, assertiveness and control emerged while the female characters were discussed in a more passive light.
By situating the online book reading community as a digital discursive space, this thesis highlights how platform-specific content, reels, captions, and trends, both reflect and reproduce dominant ideologies about love and gender. Drawing its theoretical foundation from Representation Theory, Critical Discourse Analysis and Feminist Media Theories, this research argues that Bookstagram is a cultural engine, producing, packaging, and propagating gendered narratives under the guise of literary fandoms
What Players See, What Brands Gain
No full textAs the video gaming market continues to expand its commercial reach, freemium and gacha-based sectors have started to emerge as key players in this industry. This opens up a new way for marketers to engage their consumers and build brand loyalty in order to sustain players in an industry where revenue streams come only from dedicated players who are repeat purchasers of the in-game content. Infinity Nikki, a dress-up role playing game that was released in December 2024, offers a compelling case study for how visual design alone can support ongoing user engagement and brand loyalty. This thesis investigates how the visual elements in Infinity Nikki function as engagement strategies that contribute to brand loyalty, focusing on both hedonic and utilitarian gratifications within the frameworks of Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT) and Consumer Brand Engagement (CBE).
The central research question asks: In what ways do the engagement strategies in Infinity Nikki build brand loyalty? To address this, the study examines three sub-questions: how visual elements reinforce brand identity and encourage ongoing engagement, how utilitarian and hedonic gratifications are activated through interface design, and how these strategies align with the cognitive processing, affection, and activation dimensions of CBE.
To conduct its research the study utilizes a qualitative visual semiotic method, with a dataset composed of curated in-game screenshots grouped into five categories: in-game advertising, environmental design, character design, achievement systems, and avatar customization. Screenshots are analyzed using denotative and connotative categories, and structured with semiotic concepts such as salience, attributes and setting.
Ultimately, through the findings of this research it was uncovered how Infinity Nikki integrates hedonic and utilitarian engagement in its semiotic design to motivate enagegment and consequently create a satisfying gaming experience for the players so that they become repeat consumers. The exploration of CBE also revealed that the game carefully crafts it visual presentation in a way that build and improves the relationship the players have with the brand. Through this it was illustrated just how these improved relationships are elicited in a way that promotes engagement and fosters brand loyalty due to how the players feel positive emotions, absorb themselves and dedicate their time to the brand of Infinity Nikki.
The study concludes that Infinity Nikki builds brand loyalty by encouraging engagement through carefully designed visual semiotics that consistently align with player motivations and needs. These cues reinforce an experience that feels both rewarding and satisfying. In doing so, the game turns interaction into investment and offers insights into how visual engagement strategies can be used as brand loyalty fostering tools
Understanding the (non)audience of queer film festivals.
No full textQueer film festivals have become important cultural platforms that celebrate LGBTQ+
identities while also promoting activism, visibility, and community engagement. Despite
ongoing challenges such as global discrimination and recent legal setbacks impacting
queer communities, these festivals continue to function as alternative spaces that
challenge mainstream narratives and heteronormative frameworks. This thesis aims to
understand if queer film festivals successfully function as empowering spaces for the
queer community while engaging non-queer audiences. It explores multiple themes
including festivals as cultural institutions and as sites of activism, community and
cultural space, the public sphere and counterpublic, as well as audience engagement.
This research was conducted using survey, a quantitative method of data collection
Strained Allies
No full textThis thesis analyzes relations between the U.S. and Japan from an American perspective in the 1990s by asking which economic, geopolitical, and public discourse developments shaped U.S. foreign policy towards Japan between 1990 and 1999. The evidence points to a dynamic interaction among these three dimensions. On the economic front, a widening U.S. trade deficit and what Washington considered unfair Japanese trade practices heightened tensions. President Bush relied mainly on diplomacy, but his efforts brought limited results. President Clinton adopted a tougher stance, which secured some concessions, although Japan refused to accept strict import quotas. The creation of the World Trade Organization in 1995 provided an independent forum for resolving disputes and helped reduce frictions. A coordinated response to the 1997 Asian financial crisis encouraged further cooperation. Geopolitically, the end of the Cold War led to a rethinking of the security alliance. Bush urged Japan to assume a larger international role, but Tokyo was unwilling to do so. The rising power of China and the nuclear threat posed by North Korea gave the alliance renewed purpose. After the 1995 Okinawa rape incident, Clinton and Prime Minister Hashimoto worked together to stabilize the partnership. Finally, trade disputes and Japan's limited contribution to the Gulf War fed anti-Japanese sentiment in the U.S., influencing public debate and policy choices. By integrating these three strands, the thesis shows that U.S. foreign policy in the 1990s cannot be attributed to a single factor. Although economic and strategic concerns predominated, public opinion also played a significant role in shaping bilateral relations
A Song of Hopeful and Cynical Hatewatching: Analysing Fan Engagement through Game of Thrones TikTok edits
No full textGame of Thrones is a globally renkowned television phenomenon that left many viewers frustrated, and yet its fandom remains fiercely active on TikTok, where fans rework or critique the series through creative videos. This study dives into this paradox, exploring how fans engage with Game of Thrones through TikTok edits by applying Jonathan Gray's (2020) concepts of hopeful and cynical hatewatching. Considering the idea of convergence culture (Jenkins, 2006), the rise of TikTok has transformed how audiences interact with media content, creating new spaces for fan expression and critique. This research addresses the problem of understanding how these interactions reflect broader patterns of audience behaviour in a participatory digital culture, particularly in the context of fan labour produced for a series that has generated great disappointment among its fanbase. The central research question guiding this study is: How does fan engagement with Game of Thrones TikTok edits reflect patterns of hopeful hatewatching and cynical hatewatching? To answer this question, a qualitative content analysis was employed as its methodological approach, allowing for a nuanced examination of fan engagement and responses. Data was collected from TikTok using specific hashtags related to Game of Thrones, resulting in a sample of 50 videos and the top 10 comments, which were analysed under four main themes: hopeful hatewatching, cynical hatewatching, community engagement, and sustained fandom. Hopeful hatewatching was characterised by fans' creative reclamation of the narrative, where they propose alternative plotlines and defend character arcs, demonstrating a persistent emotional investment despite the show's flaws. Conversely, cynical hatewatching reflects a critical engagement where fans express disappointment and mock the series' perceived failures, often bonding over shared grievances. Additionally, the study highlights the role of community engagement, where fans interact with each other through comments and edits, fostering a sense of belonging and collective identity. The analysis underscores that hatewatching is not merely a negative response but a complex practice that sustains fandom, illustrating how disappointment can fuel creativity and ongoing dialogue about the series. Overall, this research contributes to the understanding of contemporary fandom by demonstrating that even flawed narratives can remain culturally relevant through active fan engagement, thereby reshaping the dynamics between media producers and consumers in the digital age
Too woke or not too woke?
No full textHet woord "woke" is de afgelopen jaren onderdeel geworden van de Nederlandse vocabulaire, zowel in het dagelijks leven als de media en de politiek. Hoewel woke het grote publiek niet al te lang geleden heeft bereikt, is het woord al bijna honderd jaar oud. Woke is ontstaan in de twintigste eeuw als een onderlinge oproep van de zwarte gemeenschap in de Verenigde Staten, om bewust te blijven van systematisch racisme en politiegeweld. Het woord is onder dezelfde gemeenschap gepopulariseerd door de opkomst van de recente Black Lives Matter-movement. Woke sloeg aan, ook onder een breder publiek en als gevolg zijn er verschillende associaties ontstaan rondom woke. Voor sommige mensen heeft woke te maken met het bewust worden en bestrijden van ongelijkheid in de samenleving en die zien dat als iets positiefs, maar anderen zien de huidige woke-beweging eerder als overdreven, of gevaarlijk. Het woord is niet langer specifiek aan de originele gemarginaliseerde groep en dit proces heet epistemic appropriation. Een belangrijke manier waarop de term en de associaties eromheen bij het publiek terecht komen, is via de media. De keuzes die daarin gemaakt worden kunnen dan ook bepalend zijn voor de manier waarop het publiek tegen woke aankijkt. Die keuzes worden beïnvloed door allerlei omstandigheden, zoals het type krant, maar ook de politiek kan daarin meespelen. Woke en anti-woke worden namelijk gebruikt door populistische politici om zichzelf te presenteren als de stem van het volk, en om zichzelf nieuwswaardig te maken. In dit onderzoek wordt dan ook antwoord gegeven op de volgende onderzoeksvraag: "In hoeverre en op welke manier gebruiken Nederlandse populaire en kwaliteitskranten de termen woke en anti-woke in de periode van 2018 tot en met april 2025, en in hoeverre is hierin sprake van epistemic appropriation van woke?" Hierbij is een kwantitatief onderzoek uitgevoerd waarbij gebruik is gemaakt van zowel een automatische als handmatige inhoudsanalyse. In het onderzoek zijn artikelen meegenomen uit de kwaliteitskranten de Volkskrant, het NRC Handelsblad en Trouw, en de populaire kranten De Telegraaf en het Algemeen Dagblad. Ze zijn geanalyseerd op de selectie van het nieuws rondom woke, het brongebruik en het gebruik van framing die wijst op epistemic appropration. De analyses wijzen uit dat kwaliteitskranten consistent meer schrijven over woke en anti-woke dan populaire kranten, wat wijst op meer epistemic appropriation. Uit het onderzoek naar het brongebruik en vooral de framing rondom woke, bleek dat bij beide mediatypes zeer veel sprake is geweest van epistemic appropriation. Toch blijken populaire kranten verder te zijn in het proces van epistemic appropriation en er negatiever over te schrijven vergeleken met kwaliteitskranten. Uit de handmatige analyse en de verdeling van de frames, valt op te maken dat er veel sprake is van onduidelijkheid over wat woke betekent. Bewustzijn hiervan creëren is cruciaal in het begrijpen van de discussie rondom het woke
The Paradox of Influence: Authenticity in TikTok's Blurred Digital Space
No full textThe dynamics of short-form video platform TikTok has created new ways for
marketers to advertise, blurring the lines between regular content and commercial messaging.
In 2022, the European Commission implemented guidelines to protect consumers from
hidden advertising practices. As a result, social media influencers must disclose brand
partnerships with labels such as 'advertising' or 'ad'. However, studies found out that about
80% of sponsored posts were not disclosed after these guidelines. This raises critical concerns
about the consumer perception of authenticity.
The primary objective of this study was to examine how TikTok content types (rogue
marketing and native advertising) and different types of persuasive language devices
(rhetorical question, anaphora, and awareness patterns) influence consumers' perceived
authenticity. This quantitative study conducted an experimental survey (N = 240), in which a
2x3 between-subject design was used. Participants were exposed to one of six stimuli, in
which perceived authenticity was measured using an adapted PASMI scale (sincerity and
truthful endorsement). Data were analysed using a PCA and a Two-Way ANOVA.
The results indicated that PASMI scale item truthful endorsement reached a
marginally significant interaction effect, in which native advertising content with the use of
rhetorical question led to the highest perceived authenticity, instead of rogue marketing as
was initially expected. Additionally, when solely men were selected, a difference in
perceived authenticity was detected concerning persuasive language tools with the use of
anaphora leading to the highest perceived authenticity, while for women the use of rhetorical
question led to the highest perceived authenticity. These findings offer valuable insights for
marketers and regulators seeking to build connections with its audience, and to better protect
from hidden advertising practices