scholarly journals The Cultural Politics ofIsseiIdentity and Music Making in California, 1893–1941

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 304-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
SUSAN M. ASAI
Keyword(s):  
First Generation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Japanese Culture ◽  
Social Fabric ◽  
Music Making ◽  
The Social ◽  
Political Forces ◽  
American Society ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
Alternative Identities

AbstractConsidering the aesthetic and social value of music making amongIssei, first generation Japanese in California, opens a line of inquiry into how this immigrant population negotiated their cultural and political identities in a nation that racially marginalized them. As an integral aspect of Japanese culture, music was a medium through which Issei leaders chose to claim a cultural space in the United States. Their efforts to establish themselves within the social fabric of mainstream American society reveal the social and political forces that prevented their acceptance and assimilation. Issei responded by showcasing traditional Japanese music to educate white Americans about their revered heritage, singing songs for comfort and familiarity, and encouraging their children to perform Western music as an acculturative strategy. Caught between two nations, Issei emerged with alternative identities that ultimately failed due to the racist ideology governing American citizenship.

Making Ballet American

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Harris
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
The United States ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Historical Narrative ◽  
Historical Period ◽  
American Modernism ◽  
Art Form ◽  
The Social ◽  
Political Forces ◽  
American Society

George Balanchine’s arrival in the United States in 1933, it is widely thought, changed the course of ballet history by creating a bold and original neoclassical style that is celebrated as the first successful “American” manifestation of the art form. Making Ballet American: Modernism Before and Beyond Balanchine intervenes in the prevailing historical narrative and rebalances Balanchine’s role in dance history by revealing the social, cultural, and political forces that actually shaped the Americanization of neoclassical ballet. Situating American ballet within a larger context of literary, musical, art, and dance modernism, Harris examines a series of critical efforts, most prominently by Lincoln Kirstein and Edwin Denby, to craft new, modernist ideas about the relevance of classical dancing for American society. The book’s unique structure interweaves chapters focused on cultural and intellectual histories of ballet criticism and production with close examinations of three American ballets in the Depression, World War II, and Cold War eras: Eugene Loring’s Billy the Kid (1938), Agnes de Mille’s Rodeo (1942), and Balanchine’s Western Symphony (1954). Through this blend of cultural and choreographic analysis, Making Ballet American illustrates the evolution of modernist ballet theory and practice during a turbulent historical period. Ultimately, Making Ballet American argues that the Americanization of Balanchine’s neoclassicism was not the inevitable outcome of his immigration or his creative genius, but rather a far more complicated process that spanned several authors and continents, always pivoting on the question of modern ballet’s relationship to America and the larger world.

JAPANESE AESTHETICS IN AMERICAN SILVER MASTERPIECES

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-88
Author(s):  
I. A. Peremislov ◽  
◽  
L. G. Peremislov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Decorative Arts ◽  
Japanese Culture ◽  
Aesthetic Movement ◽  
Xixth Century ◽  
Man And Nature ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
Unique Style ◽  
Jewelry Industry

Japanese culture with its unique monuments of architecture, sculpture, painting, small forms, decorative and applied arts, occupies a special place in the development of world art. Influenced by China, Japanese masters created their own unique style based on the aesthetics of contemplation and spiritual harmony of man and nature. In the context of "Japan's inspiration" the work refers to the influence of the art of the Land of the Rising Sun on American decorative arts and, in particular, on the silver jewelry industry in trends of a new aesthetic direction of the last third of the XIXth century, the "Aesthetic movement". The article provides a brief overview of the history of the emergence and development of decorative silver art in the United States. The important centers of silversmithing in the USA and the most important American manufacturers of the XIXth century are described in more detail. The article also touches on the influence of Japanese aesthetic ideas on European creative groups and on the formation of innovative ideas in European decorative arts. At the same time, an attempt is made to trace the origin, development trends, evolution and variations of "Japanesque" style in American decorative and applied art, in particular, in the works of Edward Moore and Charles Osborne (Tiffany & Co jewelry multinational company).

scholarly journals The Color Line Reconsidered

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 309-313
Author(s):  
Michael C. Dawson
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Immigrant Incorporation ◽  
Color Line ◽  
Social Significance ◽  
The Social ◽  
Political Configuration ◽  
American Society ◽  
Rightward Movement ◽  
Moynihan Report ◽  
First Time

It is fitting that in the same issue that we present a previously unpublished article by W. E. B. Du Bois and host a symposium reviewing new major works on his political philosophy, we also present major essays debating the contours of the color line in the twenty-first century. Immigration and a strong rightward movement in American society are rapidly remaking the demographic and political configuration of the color line in the United States. Several essays in this issue debate critical aspects of this reconfiguration such as the relative importance of cultural versus structural causes of continued racial disparities; the role, if any, that racialization plays in shaping the modern immigrant incorporation into U.S. society; and, the legacy of the Moynihan report. Complementing these essays is a symposium on two major new books that provide fresh takes on the philosophical and theoretical relevance of Du Bois's thought for our times. We are also proud, for the first time anywhere, to publish Du Bois's essay, “The Social Significance of Booker T. Washington,” with an accompanying analytical introduction by Robert Brown.

scholarly journals Social and Political Factors Associated With State-Level Legalization of Cannabis in the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Spetz ◽  
Susan A. Chapman ◽  
Timothy Bates ◽  
Matthew Jura ◽  
Laura A. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cultural Economic ◽  
Political Factors ◽  
The Social ◽  
Political Forces ◽  
Marijuana Policy ◽  
Recreational Use ◽  
Levels Of Support ◽  
Shed Light

Thirty-three U.S. states and the District of Columbia (DC) have legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes and 10 states and DC have legalized marijuana for adult recreational use. This mirrors an international trend toward relaxing restrictions on marijuana. This article analyzes patterns in marijuana laws across U.S. states to shed light on the social and political forces behind the liberalization of marijuana policy following a long era of conservatism. Data on U.S. state-level demographics, economic conditions, and cultural and political characteristics are analyzed, as well as establishment of and levels of support for other drug and social policies, to determine whether there are patterns between states that have liberalized marijuana policy versus those that have not. Laws decriminalizing marijuana possession, as well as those authorizing its sale for medical and recreational use, follow the same pattern of diffusion. The analysis points to underlying patterns of demographic, cultural, economic, and political variation linked to marijuana policy liberalization in the U.S. context, which deserve further examination internationally.

Exploring the Implications of Culturally Relevant Teaching: Toward a Pedagogy of Liberation

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-389
Author(s):  
Dari Green
Keyword(s):  
Education Reform ◽  
Premature Death ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Freedom Schools ◽  
Common Trend ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Us ◽  
Academic Enrichment ◽  
American Society

Schools in America may provide opportunities for upward mobility while also perpetuating social inequality. The inequities found in the US public school system probably result in such a highly stratified society. Conditions found in many schools and classrooms are often a microcosm of the same conditions and factors present in the broader American society. Scholars and education reform activists often use the term school-to-prison pipeline to describe what they view as a widespread pattern in the United States of pushing students, especially those who are already at a disadvantage, out of school, and into the criminal justice system. This research explored whether mentorship in the lives of these very students can affect the trajectory that these students take in life by moving toward a pedagogy of liberation that challenges the inequities and contradictions in the institution of education. Building from a model similar to CDF Freedom Schools, but targeting academic enrichment, Farrah and her colleague Hope developed the Sankofa Project at Yin Elementary School (YES). Embracing both the social-emotional and pedagogical aspects of CDF Freedom Schools, the Sankofa Project moved from a mission that sought to instill a love for reading to actually teaching children to read. This aspect was pivotally important to Farrah and Hope as they sought to dismantle the “cradle to prison pipeline,” the concept of funneling masses of people into marginalized lives, imprisonment, and often premature death. Farrah believed that all her predecessors had done “was spot on, but academic enrichment was a key to steering children away from the pipeline.” With the rebirth of a caste-like system in America, black and brown bodies are disproportionately locked behind bars, relegated permanent second-class status if declared a felon and an increasingly common trend toward annihilation at the hands of those of who are designated to serve and protect them.

scholarly journals God in the Barrio?: The Determinants of Religiosity and Civic Engagement among Latinos in the United States

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Allen Gershon ◽  
Adrian D. Pantoja ◽  
J. Benjamin Taylor
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Religious Identity ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Church Attendance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Generational Status ◽  
Social Forces ◽  
The Social ◽  
Church Participation

AbstractIt is often assumed that Latinos in the United States are deeply religious, and that this religious identity plays an important role in shaping their political beliefs and behaviors. A more controversial though unexplored proposition is that Latinos may not be as religious as is commonly believed and that forces beyond their religiosity play more prominent roles in shaping their political engagement. Relying on data from the 2006 Latino National Survey, we examine secularism — measured by church attendance — and civic engagement among Latinos. Our efforts are to analyze the social forces that shape levels of religiosity and find that generational status plays a significant role. Additionally, we further find that while church attendance declines among later generations, second and third generation Latinos have higher levels of civic engagement than their first generation peers, indicating that a decline in church participation does not depress political participation among later generations of Latinos.

scholarly journals The Magical Theory of Politics

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 15-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Egil Asprem
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Social Fabric ◽  
The Social ◽  
Collective Effervescence ◽  
The World ◽  
Political Resource ◽  
Charismatic Authority ◽  
The Right

The election of the 45th president of the United States set in motion a hidden war in the world of the occult. From the meme-filled underworld of alt-right-dominated imageboards to a widely publicized “binding spell” against Trump and his supporters, the social and ideological divides ripping the American social fabric apart are mirrored by witches, magicians, and other esotericists fighting each other with magical means. This article identifies key currents and developments and attempts to make sense of the wider phenomenon of why and how the occult becomes a political resource. The focus is on the alt-right’s emerging online esoteric religion, the increasingly enchanted notion of “meme magic,” and the open confrontation between different magical paradigms that has ensued since Trump’s election in 2016. It brings attention to the competing views of magical efficacy that have emerged as material and political stakes increase, and theorizes the religionizing tendency of segments of the alt-right online as a partly spontaneous and partially deliberate attempt to create “collective effervescence” and galvanize a movement around a charismatic authority. Special focus is given to the ways in which the politicized magic of both the left and the right produce “affect networks” that motivate political behaviors through the mobilization of (mostly aversive) emotions.

Beyond Chrismukkah

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samira K. Mehta
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Young Adult Fiction ◽  
Religious Leaders ◽  
Historical Sources ◽  
Mixed Marriages ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Sixties ◽  
Eye Opening ◽  
Tv Shows ◽  
American Society

The rate of interfaith marriage in the United States has risen so radically since the sixties that it is difficult to recall how taboo the practice once was. How is this development understood and regarded by Americans generally, and what does it tell us about the nation’s religious life? Drawing on ethnographic and historical sources, Samira K. Mehta provides a fascinating analysis of wives, husbands, children, and their extended families in interfaith homes; religious leaders; and the social and cultural milieu surrounding mixed marriages among Jews, Catholics, and Protestants. Mehta’s eye-opening look at the portrayal of interfaith families across American culture since the mid-twentieth century ranges from popular TV shows, holiday cards, and humorous guides to “Chrismukkah” to children’s books, young adult fiction, and religious and secular advice manuals. Mehta argues that the emergence of multiculturalism helped generate new terms by which interfaith families felt empowered to shape their lived religious practices in ways and degrees previously unknown. They began to intertwine their religious identities without compromising their social standing. This rich portrait of families living diverse religions together at home advances the understanding of how religion functions in American society today.

United States Vagrancy Laws

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Risa L. Goluboff ◽  
Adam Sorensen
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Civil Rights ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Fabric ◽  
American Law ◽  
American Society ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
The Many ◽  
Social Upheaval ◽  
The Unemployed

The crime of vagrancy has deep historical roots in American law and legal culture. Originating in 16th-century England, vagrancy laws came to the New World with the colonists and soon proliferated throughout the British colonies and, later, the United States. Vagrancy laws took myriad forms, generally making it a crime to be poor, idle, dissolute, immoral, drunk, lewd, or suspicious. Vagrancy laws often included prohibitions on loitering—wandering around without any apparent lawful purpose—though some jurisdictions criminalized loitering separately. Taken together, vaguely worded vagrancy, loitering, and suspicious persons laws targeted objectionable “out of place” people rather than any particular conduct. They served as a ubiquitous tool for maintaining hierarchy and order in American society. Their application changed alongside perceived threats to the social fabric, at different times and places targeting the unemployed, labor activists, radical orators, cultural and sexual nonconformists, racial and religious minorities, civil rights protesters, and the poor. By the mid-20th century, vagrancy laws served as the basis for hundreds of thousands of arrests every year. But over the course of just two decades, the crime of vagrancy, virtually unquestioned for four hundred years, unraveled. Profound social upheaval in the 1960s produced a concerted effort against the vagrancy regime, and in 1972, the US Supreme Court invalidated the laws. Local authorities have spent the years since looking for alternatives to the many functions vagrancy laws once served.

scholarly journals Forming Future Teachers’ Aesthetic Culture in Foreign Educational Practice

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 20-26
Author(s):  
Galyna Sotska
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Science ◽  
Fine Arts ◽  
Educational Practice ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Teachers ◽  
Cultural Challenges ◽  
Foreign Countries ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
Pedagogical Literature

Abstract The article deals with a theoretical analysis of foreign educational experience in solving scientific problems of forming future teachers’ aesthetic culture. Given the current socio-cultural situation, it has been noted that a teacher who developed his/her aesthetic culture can make a direct contribution to the social and cultural challenges of a changing world. Based on the study of scientific and pedagogical literature, normative and legal support and the content of practical courses, the author has revealed the peculiarities of forming future specialists’ aesthetic culture in foreign countries (Japan, Germany, Canada, the United States, England). Special attention has been paid to the aesthetic potential of fine arts in forming future teachers’ aesthetic culture, which ensures the harmony of intellectual and aesthetic development of personality, enriches the emotional and sensual sphere, develops cognitive and creative activities, aesthetic needs and tastes, stipulates for future teachers’ involving in the process of artistic and aesthetic culture of the nation. The performed analysis proves that the forming of future teachers’ aesthetic culture should be based on the intercultural approach; the ideas of interrelation between aesthetic and ecological in aesthetic education; integration relations between powerful potential of fine (visual) arts, environmental science and aesthetic creativity. The experience of foreign educational practice may be adopted by domestic universities to form individual aesthetic culture of future teachers.

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