Contemporary Dutch Research Articles

Jewish Enlightenment (almost) without Haskalah: the Dutch example

This contribution offers a comparative perspective on the Prague Haskalah as a movement in its own right, by briefly analysing another tradition that, like Prague, has often been presented as deeply indebted to the project of the Berlin Maskilim: the Dutch Jewish Enlightenment, which flourished during the first quarter of the nineteenth century. Contrary to common opinion, which has always emphasized the German origins of the ‘Dutch Haskalah’, this ‘Haskalah’ was not imported from Berlin but had been inspired first and foremost by contemporary Dutch (Christian) enlightened discourse. Of course one Jew’s Dutch Enlightenment was not the other Jew’s Dutch Enlightenment. To illustrate this, the article briefly compares four ‘enlightened’ publications, i.e. historical biographies, by four prominent Dutch-Jewish intellectuals who operated in the early decades of the nineteenth century. Their varying treatments of Judaism’s role in (universal) history serve to illustrate the complexity of enlightened experience in the Netherlands, where the Jews had received civic equality as early as 1796, thus facing the challenge of building new communal infrastructures and forging a new, at least partly Dutch identity.

Abstract A90: The attribution of lifestyle related risk factors in middle age on breast cancer incidence in The Netherlands: Preliminary results

Abstract Background: Breast cancer, especially postmenopausal, is one of the most common cancers in Western women. Although therapeutic options have improved, there still is a high mortality rate. Several of the known risk factors for breast cancer are lifestyle related and modifiable, providing an opportunity for primary prevention. Middle-aged women still have the chance to modify these factors to lower nearby breast cancer risk. We estimated the fraction of postmenopausal breast cancer cases that is attributable to lifestyle factors as currently present in middle-aged Dutch women. Methods: We estimated population attributable fractions (PAFs) of five potentially modifiable risk factors for Dutch women aged 45-54 years. Risk factors included overweight and obesity, alcohol use, physical inactivity, current use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and oral contraceptives. We based relative risks on literature search including meta-analyses and expert group consensus. Current prevalence rates of the risk factors were derived from several Dutch registration databases and national surveys (2009-2011). Results: Of all 45-54 year old contemporary Dutch women, 46% are estimated to be physically inactive, 43% to be overweight or obese, 42% to drink alcohol, 1% to use HRT and 17% to use contraceptives. These risk factors jointly account for an estimated 20.2% of all future breast cancer cases in these women. Physical inactivity and alcohol use are responsible for the highest population attributable fraction (PAF of 7.0% and 6.8% respectively), followed by overweight and obesity (4.3%), oral contraceptive use (3.4%) and hormone replacement therapy (0.6%). Conclusion: On a population level, lifestyle related factors play an important role in the development of postmenopausal breast cancer. Considering current prevalence rates in the Netherlands, our findings imply that modifiable risk factors present at middle-age are jointly responsible for 1 out of every 5 future breast cancer cases. This is in concordance with other studies in European countries. Our findings thus suggest that incidence rates can be lowered substantially by changing lifestyle habits, even in a woman's later life. Citation Format: WAM van Gemert, SG Elias, RA Bausch-Goldbohm, PA van den Brandt, HG Grooters, E Kampman, LALM Kiemeney, FE van Leeuwen, EM Monninkhof, E De Vries, PHM Peeters. The attribution of lifestyle related risk factors in middle age on breast cancer incidence in The Netherlands: Preliminary results. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2012 Oct 16-19; Anaheim, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Prev Res 2012;5(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A90.

Clinical course of patients diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis in the Rotterdam area: insights from the AVARIJN study

To prospectively evaluate the clinical course of patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) and identify factors associated with treatment selection and patient outcome. Patients diagnosed with severe AS in the Rotterdam area were included between June 2006 and May 2009. Patient characteristics, echocardiogram, brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and treatment strategy were assessed at baseline, and after 6, 12, and 24months. Endpoints were aortic valve replacement (AVR) / transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and death. The study population comprised 191 patients, 132 were symptomatic and 59 asymptomatic at study entry. Two-year cumulative survival of symptomatic patients was 89.8% (95% CI 79.8-95.0%) after AVR/TAVI and 72.6% (95% CI 59.7-82.0%) with conservative treatment. Two-year cumulative survival of asymptomatic patients was 91.5% (95% CI 80.8-96.4%). Two-year cumulative incidence of AVR/TAVI was 55.9% (95% CI 47.5-63.5%) in symptomatic patients. Sixty-eight percent of asymptomatic patients developed symptoms, median time to symptoms was 13months; AVR/TAVI cumulative incidence was 38.3% (95% CI 23.1-53.3%). Elderly symptomatic patients with multiple comorbidities were more likely to receive conservative treatment. In contemporary Dutch practice many symptomatic patients do not receive invasive treatment of severe AS. Two-thirds of asymptomatic patients develop symptoms within 2years, illustrating the progressive nature of severe AS. Treatment optimisation may be achieved through careful individualised assessment in a multidisciplinary setting.

Paternalizing mothers: Feminist repertoires in contemporary Dutch civilizing offensives

The stress in Dutch policy texts and policy practices on the emancipation of migrant women from their family and spouses goes hand in hand with a focus on precisely women’s role within the family: that of the mother. In this paper, we ask the question how this is possible. We aim to shed light on this question by understanding contemporary policy texts and policy practices in the context of 1) a strong domestic motherhood ideology and 2) a Dutch tradition of paternalism. These tensions between notions of autonomy and emancipation from the family and marriage on the one hand, and motherhood on the other hand, lead to paradoxical practices of teaching migrant women to become emancipated within their role as mothers. Feminist discursive repertoires are put to work in paternalist policy practices that focus on autonomy in particular ways. In this article, we analyse these notions in policy discourses and in practices that we recorded in ethnographic research in parenting courses in Rotterdam.

Mind the (new) gap: a selective survey of current law and society research in the Netherlands

This article presents a selective survey of current law and society research in the Netherlands. After a brief historical sketch, it focuses on contemporary Dutch studies on legal effectiveness and several studies on courts and dispute resolution. Based on a review of both fields, I identify two important trends in Dutch law and society research. The first trend is that, since the 1970s, most researchers have been interested in ‘old gap studies’, which primarily focus on the efficacy of law. In recent years, however, public opinion in the Netherlands has become increasingly critical of the Dutch justice system. I argue that this has generated a second trend in Dutch law and society research, which I refer to as ‘new gap studies’. Unlike traditional gap studies, their primary focus is not the efficacy but the legitimacy of law. In the final section, I draw several general conclusions and I look forward to the future of law and society research in de Netherlands.

What native speaker judgments tell us about the grammaticalization of a progressive aspectual marker in Dutch

This paper focuses on native speaker judgments of a construction in Dutch that functions as a progressive aspectual marker ( aan het X zijn , referred to as aan het -construction) and represents an event as in progression at the time of speech. The method was chosen in order to investigate how native speakers assess the scope and conditions of use of a construction which is in the process of grammaticalization. It allows for the inclusion of a large group of participants of different age groups and an investigation of potential age-related differences. The study systematically covers a range of temporal variables that were shown to be relevant in elicitation and corpus-based studies on the grammaticalization of progressive aspect constructions. The results provide insights into the selectional preferences and constraints of the aan het-construction in contemporary Dutch, as judged by native speakers, and the extent to which they correlate with production tasks.

Pushing the Boundaries of Lawful Assisted Dying in the Netherlands? Existential Suffering and Lay Assistance

Two matters that have a significant presence in the contemporary Dutch assisted dying debate, are the nature of the suffering required for an assisted death to be lawful, and the issue of who can lawfully assist. This article explores whether the lawful medical assisted dying model is too restrictive in failing to recognise existential suffering, considering selected case studies involving such suffering and lay assisted death. It addresses the question whether The Netherlands would take a trip down a slippery slope if the lawful model of assisted death were extended to cases where individuals are 'tired of life'.

Nostalgia for empire: ‘Tempo doeloe’ in contemporary Dutch literature

This article focuses on ‘tempo doeloe’, a mode of nostalgia to the Dutch East Indies (colonial Indonesia) in contemporary Dutch literature. The phrase ‘tempo doeloe’ denotes ‘the good old days’ in Pasar Malay, the colloquial colonial language that was used in the Dutch East Indies. The article examines some of the historically contingent dimensions, mnemonic features and ideological complexities of tempo doeloe. Particular attention is devoted, first, to how tempo doeloe is constitutive of a memorial community of repatriates in the Netherlands, and second, to how notions of authenticity and beauty are critically imbued with this particular type of nostalgia. The aim is to gain a better insight into tempo doeloe as a historically contingent Dutch mode of nostalgia for empire and to review some of the recent theoretical perspectives on possible intersections between memory and the postcolonial.

Politics in poetry: epic poetry as a critique of Dutch culture

This article describes a Dutch volume of epic poetry, using a disciplinary strategy (concepts and devices from narrative studies) and a cultural analytical and rhetorical approach. The volume “Roeshoofd hemelt” by Joost Zwagerman (2005) is a political poetic text that raises fundamental questions on issues of mental illness and on consumerism in contemporary Dutch society.

A 17th-century Pikeman's Armour from Antwerp

A recent re-examination of the arms and armour collection at the British Museum has led to the identification of a 17th-century pikeman's armour clearly associated with the city of Antwerp in modern Belgium, the only example of its kind. The three pieces: a pot, breastplate and backplate, are part of a collection bequeathed to the museum by William Burges in 1881. All three pieces can be dated to circa 1635 and are stamped with the arms of Antwerp, a stylised depiction of Antwerp castle between two hands derived from the blazon of the Margrave of Antwerp. The armour is indistinguishable from contemporary Dutch production and it is unclear whether it was made in Antwerp or whether the addition of the arms simply suggests a use in the city.

Teologiese aantekeninge by die jubileum van “ons theologische seminarium” op Stellenbosch

With reference to the jubilee of the Theological Seminary of the Dutch Reformed Church in Stellenbosch in 1909, this contribution emphasises the theological diversity within the Dutch Reformed Church at the time. A careful assessment of the contemporary Dutch Reformed theological and ecclesiastical journals reveals the introduction of the critical theological views of what Bebbington described as the “Liberal Evangelicals.” Younger ministers among the evangelical faction of the Cape Dutch Church played a significant role in this regard. In their academic work they accommodated the results of the historical criticism and reflected on the significance of the human character of Scripture. The article thus tells the story of the initiation of an important — and different — theological conviction that influenced the Dutch Reformed Church throughout the 20th century.

Children and Childhood in Dutch Society and Dutch Sociology

Growing up in the Netherlands means growing up in a country with a strong domestic tradition, which is anchored both in the institutions of the welfare state and in the mentality of the people. In the 21st century, however, this condition hampers the adjustment to changes in family relations and in society at large. One implication is the ambiguous position of children, hanging between the private and the public domain, implying specific tensions and dilemmas. Two issues are significant: the division of responsibility for children between parents and collective institutions; and the search of parents and other educators — peers included — to find a balance between external social control and self-control in the formation of the personality of children. Dutch sociological research on children and childhood is scarce and fragmentary, which may be linked to the ambiguous social position of contemporary Dutch children.

Electroconvulsive Therapy in the Netherlands

To investigate contemporary Dutch practice of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and adherence to national and international ECT guidelines. Among psychiatrists from all Dutch ECT sites in university and general hospitals (n = 24) and psychiatric hospitals (n = 11), a survey was conducted regarding (1) characteristics of practitioners and institutions, (2) clinical practice of ECT, and (3) technical aspects of ECT. Adherence to 16 criteria selected from (inter)national guidelines was scored. Response rate was 94% (all 24 university and general hospitals and 9 of 11 psychiatric hospitals). Most respondents had extensive experience with ECT (median, 10 years; interquartile range, 4-15 years). Annually, approximately 8.5 sessions of ECT per 10,000 inhabitants were administered. In all ECT sites, 24% used exclusively bilateral electrode placement, 26% used ultrabrief pulse width, and 36% used dosage titration methods. Many practitioners had no knowledge of pulse width (42%) or of current characteristics (12%). Of the 16 investigated criteria, 14 were followed in at least 75% of the institutions. Although still increasing, the use of ECT in the Netherlands remains modest. Electroconvulsive therapy is generally practiced according to (inter)national guidelines. Electroconvulsive therapy is mostly started unilaterally, and generally, age-dependent dosage methods are being used. Knowledge on pulse width and current characteristics is limited. The implementation of updated guidelines might offer the opportunity to further improve practice and stimulate availability of ECT.

The effects of time-spatial flexibility and new working conditions on employees’ work–life balance: the Dutch case

Part-time work, flexible working hours, and home-based teleworking are HR instruments which are used to facilitate reconciliation of work and family life. It can be questioned, however, whether these arrangements really enhance work–life balance. This paper examines whether time-spatial flexibility reduces negative work–home interference, and if so, whether this also holds true for the category of ‘New Employees’ working under so-called ‘New Working Conditions’ which are characterised by professional job autonomy, team working by project, management by objectives, and strict deadlines. Employing survey data collected in 2003 among 807 Dutch employees, it is concluded that time-spatial flexibility does affect the work–life balance of workers positively, also under New Working Conditions. Generally, employees holding a smaller part-time job (12–24 contractual working hours per week) experienced a better work–life balance. In particular, female workers gained from more control over the temporal location of their work. Home-based teleworkers and employees holding larger part-time jobs (25–35 hours per week) did not experience a better work–life balance. In the concluding section, the results of the study are discussed in the context of contemporary Dutch labour market developments.

The Power of Dialogue: Religion in Contemporary Dutch Novels for Children

This article examines the approach to God and religion in contemporary Dutch children's novels. It is argued that their representation has changed completely when compared to the Protestant children's books from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Analysis of texts by Sjoerd Kuyper and Guus Kuijer, two of the best-known Dutch authors of children's books in which religion is important to the plot, shows at least two important differences. While earlier Protestant writers were only interested in religious instruction written from one particular stance, these two writers focus on dialogue, respectfully discussing religious issues. Looking at them from Ingarden's perspective on literature the conclusion is that the contemporary texts no longer simplify the complexities of life, thus showing the metaphysical qualities Ingarden considered essential to literature.

Johannes Vermeer y Anthon van Leeuwenhoek: El arte y la ciencia de Delft unidos en su máxima expresión en el siglo de oro holandés

Johannes Vermeer and Anthon van Leeuwenhoek are among the greatest geniuses in Art and Science respectively. During the seventeenth century, they achieved innovative advances. Vermeer, in painting, created a new intimate view of people specially women, developing the treatment of light and details. Leeuwenhoek, friend of Vermeer, influenced him in the use of the obscure camera in his works. In spite of having no formal academic education, he made extremely relevant discoveries with the use of microscope. He showed for first time human spermatozoids, red blood cells, brain, nerve and muscle structures and described many living animals. These two brilliant contemporary Dutch men made a great contribution to our civilization.

Johannes Vermeer and Anthon van Leeuwenhoek: Delft Art and Science together during the golden Dutch century

Johannes Vermeer and Anthon van Leeuwenhoek are among the greatest geniuses in Art and Science respectively. During the seventeenth century, they achieved innovative advances. Vermeer, in painting, created a new intimate view of people specially women, developing the treatment of light and details. Leeuwenhoek, friend of Vermeer, influenced him in the use of the obscure camera in his works. In spite of having no formal academic education, he made extremely relevant discoveries with the use of microscope. He showed for first time human spermatozoids, red blood cells, brain, nerve and muscle structures and described many living animals. These two brilliant contemporary Dutch men made a great contribution to our civilization.

Poetics of Transition — Africa and Dutch Literary Space

This essay discusses current trends and debates on ‘migrant literature’ in the light of historical intersections in Dutch literary space and with particular attention to contemporary publication /reception by writers from Africa. Dutch writing is not monolithic; stratifications and interactions date back well into the past. The position of African writers in contemporary Dutch literature is discussed, particularly writers from the Maghreb (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia). These ‘new Dutch’ writings have created a literary phenomenon since the mid-1990s and have affected – and reacted to – the sociological debate on migrancy, ‘allochtonous’, ‘Dutch Moroccan’, and associated definitional discussions. Strategies connected with growing interest in media and public interest in these new writers are illustrated by the ‘dutchification’ of anglophone manuscripts and the literary case of ‘Yusef El Halal’. The essay concludes by indicating the difficulty involved in naming and positioning writers, via the works of Hafid Bouazza, a writer who adopts an antagonistic attitude towards any definitions that threaten to limit the creative activity of writing by valorizing ‘origins’ and ‘ethnic’ attributes.

Noise and Nostalgia: The Literary Identities of Brussels in Contemporary Dutch Literature

This article focuses on how contemporary Dutch literature uses and produces images of and for Brussels. The stock of images the authors draw on consists of 'universal' images linked to urban literature on the one hand and specific images linked to Brussels in particular. Classic, modernist, and postmodernist urban images are all present in contemporary literature and are used in any combination. The stock of urban images and themes is increasingly being used in a conscious and creative way, to reflect upon the identity or identities of this city, rather than to preserve or establish them.

Effecten van tijd-ruimtelijke flexibiliteit op de balans tussen werk en privé

The Effects of Time-Spatial Flexibility and New Working Conditions on Employees' Work-Life Balance: The Dutch Case The Effects of Time-Spatial Flexibility and New Working Conditions on Employees' Work-Life Balance: The Dutch Case In Dutch organisations, part-time work, flexible working hours and telehomeworking are viewed as solutions to problems employees encounter when they harmonise work and family life. Critics fear, however, that for employees that work under New Working Conditions, characterized by professional job autonomy, team working by project, management by objectives and strict deadlines, time-spatial flexibility may in fact rather enlarge existing combination problems. This paper, therefore, questions whether time-spatial flexibility will lead to a better work-life balance, and if so, does that also hold true for the category of New Employees. Employing data collected in 2003 among 807 Dutch employees it is concluded that time-spatial flexibility indeed affects the work-life balance of workers positively, regardless of them working under New Working Conditions or not. Generally, employees having a smaller part-time job (12-24 contractual working hours per week) experienced a better work-life balance. Especially female workers gained from more control over the temporal location of their work. Telehomeworkers and employees having a larger part-time job (25-35 hours per week) did not experience a better work-life balance. In the concluding section, the results of the study are discussed in the context of contemporary Dutch labour market developments.