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Here, Radboud University presents theses written by students affiliated with various bachelor’s and master’s programmes at the university, as well as papers from students of the Radboud Honours Academy and publications in the Radboud journal Ex Tempore.
Recent Submissions
Item The representation of the concept of the American Dream, the New Adam, and the New Woman in two major cinematic adaptations of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby(2024-07-03)This thesis offers an analysis of the cinematic adaptation of one of the masterpieces of American literature, The Great Gatsby (1925), a novel written by Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald. Two major cinematic adaptations of Fitzgerald's text are considered, the 1974 and the 2013 versions of The Great Gatsby. Both films are critically compared against each other and against the original text with a focus on finding out how the two films represent the concepts of the New Adam and the New Woman in the context of the American Dream. The analysis focuses on one male character, Jay Gatsby, as the example of the New Adam, and two female characters, Myrtle Wilson and Jordan Baker, seen as different versions of the New Woman.Item The Golden Gate to Opioid Abuse: Disparities and Policy Response to the San Francisco Opioid Epidemic(2024-06-15)In 2021, a state of emergency was declared in the city of San Francisco. Since then, opioid overdoses have steadily increased every year. This thesis aims to investigate how socioeconomic factors and state/local policies have contributed, and potentially exacerbated, the situation in the city. This will be done by providing a historical overview of drug epidemics in the US, and establishing how the current opioid epidemic emerged. It will then consider how socioeconomic factors, mainly economic inequality and specific neighborhood conditions contributed to the current state of San Francisco. Finally, it will examine different drug policies the state and city have implemented over time, and the effectiveness of these policies. The aim of the thesis is to shed light on the issues that have prevented the state and city from effectively solving the epidemic, and point towards possible ways to address the problem.Item Forever the Villain? Following the Change in Representation of Arabs and Muslims in TV Shows and Movies in Hollywood(2024-06-25)This thesis investigates the evolution of Arab and Muslim representation in Hollywood following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The 9/11 attacks had a significant impact on American lives, they also had a detrimental impression on how Arabs and Muslims were viewed and displayed in the media. This study aims to ascertain how these representations have changed from before 9/11 to the present. The findings reveal a notable shift: although post-9/11 depictions continued to reinforce discriminatory stereotypes, more contemporary portrayals challenge the existing stereotypes by exhibiting authentic and positive portrayals. This thesis highlights the evolving significance of honest and varied media representation. Moreover, it identifies opportunities for future development.Item Texting while Driving: The Foreign Language Effect in Emotional and Rational Persuasion(2024-06-28)English has become the lingua franca for all over the world, and the same goes for the area of persuasive communication and advertising. For many people, English has become an L2, and it is often used in advertising campaigns in large cities or international settings. The current study set out to investigate whether there is an effect of language (L1/L2) and argument type (fear appeal/rational appeal) on emotionality, attitude, and behavioural intention for road safety advertising messages about texting while driving. Participants were asked to look at English or German and fear or rational stimulus materials in a 2x2 between-subjects design experiment and fill in a questionnaire. Results of this study indicate that there was no significant effect of language or argument type on emotionality, attitude, and behavioural intention. Recommendations for further research and practical applications are presented in the paper.Item Quotative be like in Northern Irish English and English in the Republic of Ireland(2024-06-28)This thesis explores the use of the quotative be like in spoken English in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, examining three linguistic factors: grammatical person, temporal reference, and quote content. The study reveals distinct regional differences in how these factors influence the use of quotative 'be like'. In both regions, 'be like' is more commonly used in first-person contexts than third-person ones. Temporal reference patterns differ, with Northern Ireland English favoring the historical present (HP) and the Republic of Ireland favoring the present tense. Regarding quote content, Northern Ireland English shows a preference for internal thought, while English in the Republic of Ireland favors direct speech. These findings suggest that Northern Ireland English aligns more closely with other English varieties, whereas English in the Republic of Ireland exhibits unique patterns. This research underscores the importance of regional variation in linguistic studies and enhances our understanding of be like in these English varieties.
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