�����̨

During the opening of the academic year at the Faculty of Humanities, the awards for the best Master’s and Research Master’s theses were presented. This year, Estel van den Berg and Charlotte Graafland took home the honours.

An ethical dilemma for physicians

Charlotte Graafland (MA Applied Ethics) won the prize for the best Master’s thesis for her work Conditions of Morally Justified Nondisclosure of Diagnosis and Prognosis to Patients. Her thesis explores an ethical dilemma faced by Dutch doctors: when family members of patients with a Moroccan or Turkish background ask that a cancer diagnosis not be disclosed to the patient, should doctors comply with the family’s request? Or should they adhere to the principle of informed consent?

“In my thesis, I argue that cultural exemptions could be applied in such cases,” Graafland explains. “These exemptions can provide a justification for withholding a diagnosis from a patient, as long as the patient has voluntarily expressed a wish to delegate decisions and information to family members.”

“A thorough and accessible analysis”

“The thesis analyses in an very careful, systematic, and well-considered manner,” the jury noted. “All of this is moreover done in such a way that each step is easy to follow even for someone with a background other than ethics: the thesis is written in a very accessible way, convincing in its reasoning, and clear in structure.”

“I am honoured to receive this award,” Graafland says, “and I hope it helps raise awareness of the dilemmas that arise in healthcare within a multicultural society.”

The female body in public debate

Estel van den Berg (RMA Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Studies) won the award for the best Research Master’s thesis with Breasts and Eggs: Reproductive Anatomy in Early Modern Amsterdam. Her research explores how knowledge of reproductive anatomy and the female body spread in the seventeenth century. “This topic was taboo at the time,” Van den Berg says. “There was significant progress in anatomical knowledge, but at the same time, there was increased control over midwives and pregnancies.”

“The pregnant body had become a subject of public debate, partly because it was put on display, in Frederik Ruysch’s anatomical museum, for example. He also used anatomical preparations for his teaching.” Van den Berg sees parallels with today’s situation. “The female body remains a topic of public debate, and healthcare for pregnant individuals is under international pressure, including the right to abortion.”

“A fascinating thesis that captivates the reader”

“This thesis convincingly bridges the gap between cultural, social, and medical history,” the jury writes. “The thesis builds a solid conceptual framework based on insights from each of these disciplines, which is then used for a thorough analysis of no fewer than three different bodies of historical sources. The result is a fascinating thesis that captivates the reader.”

“First of all, I would like to thank the jury for this wonderful recognition,” Van den Berg says, “and for the time they dedicated to evaluating the theses. I was delighted that they appreciated my conceptual framework, choice of sources, and writing style. This award has motivated me to write an article based on my thesis research.”