society

GetContact app

GetContact: another threat to our privacy?

Article
Nataliia Vdovychenko
02/03/2018
5 minutes to read

GetContact is a recent app that got its wave of hype in February 2018. The official aim of GetContact is to block spam messages and identify calls on your phone. However, it can also be viewed as another way to threaten our privacy.

Book review "Darkness at noon"- Rubashov illustration

Why you should read "Darkness at noon" (Arthur Koestler)

Review
Nataliia Vdovychenko
12/02/2018
7 minutes to read

Certain kinds of literature cannot be forgotten. Darkness at noon is a must read for everyone who values high quality novels and wants to learn more about the Soviet Union, revolution and history in general.

My Friend is a White Muslim

Article
Bin Chen
03/01/2018
9 minutes to read

With growing sense of negativity and 'othering' of Islam in political sphere, in this article I take the story of a Dutch Muslim convert to explore religious and social factors attributed to his change. 

Ethnicity, masculinity, and patriotism in the US: A personal tale

Column
Christian Chun
02/10/2017
4 minutes to read

I ’m the Tony Manero character played by John Travolta in the film, Saturday Night Fever. I may think of myself as a White working-class guy but is it received as such in US society?Now one may ask, what’s the problem? So what if you are?

Black Pete and Sinterklaas

Why Black Pete should no longer be black

Column
Roeline Machiels
31/03/2017
5 minutes to read

The character of Black Pete is meant to be inoffensive, according to most Dutch citizens, yet others still find the black-faced character highy offensive. It is time to change the looks of Black Pete once and for all.

Fashion as tyranny: beauty standards and social pressure

Article
Meauraine van Gorp
25/01/2017
8 minutes to read

This article looks at the influence of fashion on women from different cultures. This article shows that women can be influenced by the ideals of a society and that fashion can be used in order to be included or excluded.

Captured Between the East and the West

Paper
Jip Havermans
21/11/2016
18 minutes to read

This essay explores how and what an artist like Ai Weiwei can contribute to the discussion on the refugee crisis in Europe and if "political" artworks and artistic expressions can have a certain impact on society.