The European Union (EU) and the United States of America (US) are currently negotiating the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). TTIP was launched in 2013. TTIP aims at developing trade rules under investment protection that encompasses arbitration as the method to resolve disputes …

Post-structuralist theory has frequently been discarded because of its theoretical character, extremely pluralist approach and lack of problem-solving attitude (Edkins, 1999 ; Campbell, 2013 ; Harcourt, 2007). Indeed, the main claim of post-structuralism is that reality is a socially-constructed artefact which …

Indebted documents: Empirical research on the comprehensibility of the reminder and the court summons indebt collection cases. Every day, thousands of households receive documents concerning debt collection. Unsurprisingly, these documents have a great impact on the lives of many. Do these documents …

Ecocentrism is the broadest term for worldviews that recognize intrinsic value in all lifeforms and ecosystems themselves, including their abiotic components. Anthropocentrism, in contrast, values other lifeforms and ecosystems insofar as they are valuable for human well-being, preferences and interests. …

In the Netherlands and Europe, there exist approaches to refugee (re)settlement where asylum seekers face long waiting periods, in large-scale centres often isolated from Dutch society, with little-to-no opportunity to structure their day or participate in activities which bring meaning to their lives. …

Terrorism and the threat of terrorist attacks is not a new phenomenon to Western Europe. The United Kingdom and its approach in confronting radical Islam heavily influences the approach of other EU countries, such as the Netherlands, take towards terrorism. Given the significant link between these two …

Human rights groups are increasingly calling for the protection of their right to privacy in relation to the bulk surveillance and interception of their personal communications. Some are advocating through strategic litigation. This advocacy tool is often chosen when there is weak political or public …

The research in this dissertation explores the social significance of local memory websites. Local memory websites offer local residents a platform where they collect and share memories about particular places or experiences in their neighbourhoods and districts. Following a systematic review and a broad …

This small exploratory study aims to reveal the perceptions of female participants in mandatory volunteering programmes and to formulate directions for further research. We analyse how in Rotterdam the transition from labour market re-integration policies to a mandatory reciprocity approach is viewed …

With the introduction of research activities in higher professional education in the Dutch higher education system, the notions of ‘research’ that were previously silently agreed upon among academics in traditional universities also came under pressure. Additionally, both types of higher education actively …