12 Acknowledgements Standing on the shoulders of giants is a fundamental aspect of academia. This dissertation’s reference section lists the previous research I’ve built upon, but just as crucial are the many individuals who shaped my ideas, cheered me on, and lent a helping hand. Completing a PhD with children, particularly through a pandemic, requires tremendous support. It’s impossible to do it alone. It takes a village to finish a PhD. Here’s to my village, my village of giants. A heartfelt thank you to my parents for raising me to think critically, questioning my youthful assumptions and encouraging me to doubt everything. Our conversations at the dinner table or on the couch have profoundly shaped how I see the world around me. My father, on the one hand, was the first to introduce me to positivist thinking. From a young age, I was enthralled by his stories of experiments with gravity and plant growth, and we had fun together rebuilding the solar system and exploring scientific concepts. My mother, on the other hand, introduced me to interpretivist thinking. She made me aware of how language shapes our thinking and actions, the metaphors we live by, emphasizing that while our perceptions might be constructed, they are very real in their consequences. She was the first to make me think critically about sexism, racism, and classism. Our reflections on the role of religion in society have also influenced my research, a theme in my thinking that has its reflection in this PhD. My PhD-supervisors made all of this possible, from beginning to end. Liza Mügge, thank you for dedicating so much time, effort, and funding to my dissertation. You went out of your way, always pushing me to dream big. One moment when I felt especially cherished during my PhD journey was when I received feedback on my 8-month paper. I remember reading it repeatedly, studying and pondering your handwritten notes. I physically carried that feedback with me for months, referring to it often and feeling incredibly fortunate to have a promotor who invested so much time and effort into helping me succeed and develop my ideas. Floris Vermeulen, thank you for bringing peace and order to my PhD when I needed it most and for guiding it to completion. You have the unique ability to know what I need and when I need it. Your feedback was always clear, concise, and in the right place and at the right time. Armèn Hakhverdian, we had some wonderful lunches and drinks. Thanks to you, I have learned to focus on what is essential, in academic writing, argumentation and just life in general. Daphne van der Pas, you have pushed me to be a better and more thorough researcher, never letting me get away with anything wrong or half-baked. Your attention to detail and commitment to academic rigor have been both challenging and inspiring, and I will recommend anyone to work with you. My work with Boris van der Ham also significantly influenced my thinking. The discussions we had while he was writing his book “De Koning Kun Je Niet Spelen” in 2014 shaped my understanding of representation. At the time, I didn’t realize that
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