PhD supervision

PhD thesis

Understanding support for subversive anti-elite narratives: a mixed-methods study [working title]

Timeline: 2025-2029

Supervision together with Jeroen van der Waal and Kjell Noordzij

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PhD thesis

The spaces that shape us. Analyzing the impact of social and material situatedness on beliefs about inequality and justice in Germany [working title]

Timeline: 2024-2027

Supervision together with Jeroen van der Waal and Jan Goebel

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PhD thesis

Rap and well-being: a cultural-sociological analysis [working title]

Timeline: 2024-2028

Supervision together with Julian Schaap

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PhD thesis

Understanding support for freedom of speech: a cultural-sociological analysis [working title]

Timeline: 2024-2028

Supervision together with Jeroen van der Waal and Samira van Bohemen

PhD thesis

A cultural-sociological analysis of how people understand and navigate stereotypes in porn [working title]

Timeline: 2024-2029

Supervision together with Samira van Bohemen

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PhD thesis

Exploring youth perceptions of pornographic stereotypes [working title]

Timeline: 2024-2029

Supervision together with Samira van Bohemen

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PhD thesis

Inclusive urban greening [working title]

Timeline: 2024-2029

Supervision together with Beitske Boonstra, Roy Kemmers and Joost Oude Groeniger

[ Website ]

PhD thesis

Understanding vaccine skepticism: a cultural-sociological multi-method study on perspectives regarding the Dutch National Immunization Programme

To be defended (manuscript approved)

Supervision together with Jeroen van der Waal

Publications resulting from PhD research

• Ten Kate, Josje, Willem de Koster and Jeroen van der Waal (2024) ‘What is the effect of providing information about the science behind vaccination? A population-based survey-experiment on support for the MMR vaccine’ European Societies, forthcoming

• Ten Kate, Josje, Willem de Koster, and Jeroen van der Waal (2021) ‘Becoming skeptical towards vaccines: How health views shape the trajectories following health-related events’ Social Science & Medicine 293: 114668 [ PDF (open access) ] 
• Ten Kate, Josje, Willem de Koster, and Jeroen van der Waal (2021) ‘"Following your gut" or "questioning the scientific evidence": Understanding vaccine skepticism among more-educted Dutch parents’ Journal of Health and Social Behavior 62(1): 85-99 [ PDF (open access) ]

[ Website ]

[ Google Scholar ]

PhD thesis

Understanding welfare attitudes: a cultural-sociological approach

Defended on November 15, 2024

Supervision together with Jeroen van der Waal

Publications resulting from PhD research

• Lindner, Thijs, Stijn Daenekindt, Willem de Koster and Jeroen van der Waal (2024) ‘What do stances on immigrants' welfare entitlement mean? Evidence from a Correlational Class Analysis’ British Journal of Sociology 75(3): 271-289 [ PDF (open access) ] 

• Lindner, Thijs, Jonathan Mijs, Willem de Koster, and Jeroen van der Waal (2023) ‘Does informing citizens about the non-meritocratic nature of inequality bolster support for a Universal Basic Income? Evidence from a population-based survey experiment’ European Societies [ PDF (open access) ]

• Lindner, Thijs, Willem de Koster, and Jeroen van der Waal (2022) ‘Different understandings of welfare benefits among the Dutch public: A focus group study’ Social Policy & Administration 56(7): 990-1005 [ PDF (open access) ]

[ Website ]

[ Google Scholar ]

PhD thesis

Popular understandings of the European Union: a meaning-centred mixed-methods study

Defended March 15, 2024

Supervision together with Jeroen van der Waal

Publications resulting from PhD research

• Van den Hoogen, Elske, Willem de Koster and Jeroen van der Waal (2024) ‘Filling the EU information deficit mitigates negative EU attitudes among the least knowledgeable: evidence from a population-based survey experiment’ Journal of European Integration, [ PDF (open access) ]

• Van den Hoogen, Elske, Willem de Koster, and Jeroen van der Waal (2023) ‘Does the prospect of further sovereignty loss fuel Euroscepticism? A population-based survey experiment’ European Societies [ PDF (open access) ]

• Van den Hoogen, Elske, Stijn Daenekindt, Willem de Koster, and Jeroen van der Waal (2022) ‘Support for European Union membership comes in various guises. Evidence from a Correlational Class Analysis of novel Dutch survey data’ European Union Politics 23(3): 489-508 [ PDF (open access) ]

• Van den Hoogen, Elske, Willem de Koster, and Jeroen van der Waal (2022) ‘What does the EU actually mean to citizens? An in-depth study of Dutch citizens' understandings and evaluations of the European Union’ JCMS: Journal of Common Market Studies 60(5): 1432-1448 [ PDF (open access) ] 

Current position

Postdoctoral researcher, Political communication and journalism group, Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands

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PhD thesis

No appetite for meddling: the role of anti-institutionalism in educational differences in the receptivity to nutrition interventions [ PDF, open access ]

Defended September 28, 2023

Supervision together with Jeroen van der Waal and Joost Oude Groeniger

Winner of Best Societal Impact Award, Erasmus Graduate School of Social Sciences and the Humanities

Publications resulting from PhD research

• Van Meurs, Tim, Joost Oude Groeniger, Willem de Koster and Jeroen van der Waal (2024) ‘Sugar tax and product reformulation proposals reduce the perceived legitimacy of health-promotion institutions: a randomised population-based survey experiment’ European Journal of Public Health [ PDF (open access) ]

• Van Meurs, Tim, Joost Oude Groeniger, Willem de Koster, and Jeroen van der Waal (2022) ‘Receptive to an authoritative voice? Experimental evidence on how patronizing language and stressing institutional sources affect public receptivity to nutrition information’ SSM - Population Health 20, 101295 [ PDF (open access) ]

• Van Meurs, Tim, Willem de Koster, Jeroen van der Waal and Joost Oude Groeniger (2022) ‘Suggested explanations for the (in)effectiveness of nutrition information interventions among adults with a low socioeconomic status: A scoping review’ Journal of Nutritional Science 11, e50 [ PDF (open access) ]

• Van Meurs, Tim, Feray Coban, Willem de Koster, Jeroen van der Waal and Joost Oude Groeniger (2022) ‘Why are anti-smoking health-information interventions less effective among low socioeconomic status groups? A systematic scoping review’ Drug and Alcohol Review 41(5): 1195-1205 [ PDF (open access) ]

• Van Meurs, Tim, Joost Oude Groeniger, Willem de Koster and Jeroen van der Waal (2022) ‘An incongruous intervention: Exploring the role of anti-institutionalism in less-educated individuals’ limited uptake of nutrition information’ Sociology of Health & Illness 44(2): 432-450 [ PDF (open access) ] 

Current position

Postdoctoral researcher, Cultural Sociology group, Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands

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[ Google Scholar ]

PhD thesis

Who is invited? A mixed-methods study on governments' and citizens' perspectives on invitational governance [ PDF, open access ]

Defended August 31, 2023

Supervision together with Arwin van Buuren

Winner of Best PhD Thesis Award, Erasmus Graduate School of Social Sciences and the Humanities

Winner of Van Poeljeprijs, Award for Best PhD Thesis, Dutch and Flemish Association for Public Administration

Publications resulting from PhD research

• Visser, Vivian, Willem de Koster and Arwin van Buuren (2023) ‘Between suspicion and benevolence: How the social status of initiators plays a role in street-level bureaucrats' assessments of citizens' initiatives’ Administration & Society, 56(3): 227-254 [ PDF (open access) ]

• Visser, Vivian, Willem de Koster and Jeroen van der Waal (2023) ‘Understanding less-educated citizens’ (non-)participation in citizens’ initiatives: Feelings of entitlement and a taste for politics’ Current Sociology 71(5): 924-942 [ PDF (open access) ]

Current position

Assistant Professor of Governance and Pluralism, Department of Public Administration and Sociology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands

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PhD thesis

Revolt of the deplored: perceived cultural distance and less-educated citizens' political discontent [ PDF, open access ]

Defended June 15, 2023 (cum laude)

Supervision together with Jeroen van der Waal

Publications resulting from PhD research

• Noordzij, Kjell, Willem de Koster and Jeroen van der Waal (2024) ‘Politicians' high status signals make less-educated citizens more supportive of aggression against government: a video-vignette survey experiment’ British Journal of Sociology [ PDF (open access) ]

• Noordzij, Kjell, Willem de Koster, and Jeroen van der Waal (2023) ‘Explaining the educational gradient in trust in politicians: a population-based video-vignette survey experiment’ West European Politics 47(4): 784-812 [ PDF (open access) ]
• Noordzij, Kjell, Willem de Koster, and Jeroen van der Waal (2021) ‘A revolt of the deplored? The role of perceived cultural distance in the educational gradient in anti-establishment politics’ British Journal of Sociology 72(5): 1448-1463 [ PDF (open access) ] [ WINNER OF THE BIANNUAL BJS PRIZE ]

• Noordzij, Kjell, Willem de Koster, and Jeroen van der Waal (2021) ‘"They don't know what it's like to be at the bottom": Exploring the role of perceived cultural distance in less-educated citizens' discontent with politicians’ British Journal of Sociology 72(3): 566-579  [ PDF (open access) ]

• Noordzij, Kjell, Jeroen van der Waal and Willem de Koster (2019) ‘The Educational Gradient in Trust in Politicians in the Netherlands: A Status-Based Cultural Conflict’ The Sociological Quarterly 60(3): 439-456 [ PDF (open access) ]

Current position

Assistant Professor of Social Inequality, Department of Public Administration and Sociology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands

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[ Google Scholar ]

PhD thesis

Organizing democracy: power concentration and self-organizing bureaucratization in the evolution of Wikipedia [ PDF, open access ]

Defended January 11, 2019

Supervision together with Justus Uitermark

Publications resulting from PhD research

• Rijshouwer, Emiel, Justus Uitermark and Willem de Koster (2023) ‘Wikipedia: a self-organizing bureaucracy’ Information, Communication & Society 26(7): 1285-1302 [ PDF (open access) ] 

Current position

Design-driven action researcher at Organizing Democracy

[ Website ]

[ Google Scholar ]