Kafka and the COVID-19 epidemic: Why the Sirens’ silence is more deadly than their song

Leadership ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 320-330
Author(s):  
Yiannis Gabriel
Keyword(s):  
Short Story ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Inner Strength ◽  
The Individual

Seeking to examine the implications of social distancing, isolation and the silencing of public spaces brought about by the COVID-19 epidemic, I offer an interpretation of Kafka’s short story ‘The Silence of the Sirens’ contrasting it to the Homeric original. In Homer’s story, Odysseus resists the temptation of the Sirens’ deadly song by having himself tied to the mast of his ship, while his oarsmen, ears blocked with beeswax, sail quickly by. By contrast, in Kafka’s telling of the story, the Sirens fall silent. A solitary Odysseus, indifferent to them, sails by peacefully, his ears blocked, his ‘great eyes’ staring in the distance. Homer’s story has long been seen as a warning against the seductions of Siren voices like those of opportunist demagogues. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus himself offers a complex archetype of heroic leadership, navigating adroitly and prudently the dangers of stormy seas. Kafka’s character, by contrast, proposes a different archetype, one akin to the Stoics’ homo viator, the individual who sails through life’s adversities by accepting them and turning them into a source of inner strength and wisdom. In this way, Kafka offers two things: first, an insightful explanation of why silence and isolation can be deadly when they leaving us alone with our darkest fears and fantasies, and second, an archetype of hope that is attuned to our times on how to cope with pain and anxiety.

Queering Gender Identity Work: A Life History of a Black Transgender Woman

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Esethu Monakali
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Gender Identity ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Identity Work ◽  
Social Identities ◽  
Gender And Sexuality ◽  
Ongoing Effort ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Individual

This article offers an analysis of the identity work of a black transgender woman through life history research. Identity work pertains to the ongoing effort of authoring oneself and positions the individual as the agent; not a passive recipient of identity scripts. The findings draw from three life history interviews. Using thematic analysis, the following themes emerge: institutionalisation of gender norms; gender and sexuality unintelligibility; transitioning and passing; and lastly, gender expression and public spaces. The discussion follows from a poststructuralist conception of identity, which frames identity as fluid and as being continually established. The study contends that identity work is a complex and fragmented process, which is shaped by other social identities. To that end, the study also acknowledges the role of collective agency in shaping gender identity.

IMAGERY AND EMOTIONS IN THE PIANO PIECE „THE SICK DOLL“ FROM CHILDREN’S ALBUM OF P . I TCHAIKOVSKY

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 110-113
Author(s):  
Smilena Smilkova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Short Story ◽  
Special Educational Needs ◽  
Social Pedagogy ◽  
Sound Image ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Right ◽  
The University ◽  
Art Pedagogy

The proposed material examines the creative task of students majoring in Social Pedagogy at the University „Prof. Dr. Assen Zlatarov“ in Burgas, and studying the discipline Art Pedagogy – Part 1 – Music. In the course of the lecture course students get acquainted with the elements of musical expression, as a means of figurative representations and impact of music, with different techniques concerning individual musical activities, with the endless and diverse opportunities that music provides in the use of art pedagogy for social work teachers.Verbal interpretation of music is a necessary component when working with children with special educational needs, at risk and in the norm. Looking at Tchaikovsky’s short and extremely figurative piano piece „The Sick Doll“ from his charming „Children’s Album“, in the form of a short story, tale or essay, students express their personal vision, feeling and transformation of the musical image. The aim of the task is to transcribe the sound image into a verbal one. This requires speed, flexibility and logic in thinking, through imagination and creativity in its manifestation. Children love to listen, especially when they are involved. In search of the right way to solve problems and situations, future social educators could successfully benefit from the conversion of sound into words, according to the needs and deficits of the individual or group.

scholarly journals Harnessing testing strategies and public health measures to avert COVID-19 outbreaks during ocean cruises

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerardo Chowell ◽  
Sushma Dahal ◽  
Raquel Bono ◽  
Kenji Mizumoto
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Contact Network ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Testing Strategies ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

AbstractTo ensure the safe operation of schools, workplaces, nursing homes, and other businesses during COVID-19 pandemic there is an urgent need to develop cost-effective public health strategies. Here we focus on the cruise industry which was hit early by the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 40 cruise ships reporting COVID-19 infections. We apply mathematical modeling to assess the impact of testing strategies together with social distancing protocols on the spread of the novel coronavirus during ocean cruises using an individual-level stochastic model of the transmission dynamics of COVID-19. We model the contact network, the potential importation of cases arising during shore excursions, the temporal course of infectivity at the individual level, the effects of social distancing strategies, different testing scenarios characterized by the test’s sensitivity profile, and testing frequency. Our findings indicate that PCR testing at embarkation and daily testing of all individuals aboard, together with increased social distancing and other public health measures, should allow for rapid detection and isolation of COVID-19 infections and dramatically reducing the probability of onboard COVID-19 community spread. In contrast, relying only on PCR testing at embarkation would not be sufficient to avert outbreaks, even when implementing substantial levels of social distancing measures.

Women’s relational autonomy and the short story cycle: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena Kadmos
Keyword(s):  
Short Story ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Narrative Structure ◽  
Relational Autonomy ◽  
Short Story Cycle ◽  
Distinctive Features ◽  
Shared Beliefs ◽  
Women's Lives ◽  
Story Cycle ◽  
The Individual

Focussing on Elizabeth Strout’s short story cycle, Olive Kitteridge (2008), this article proposes that contemporary collections of interconnected stories open new ways of understanding women’s relational autonomy, and the importance of continuing relationships of interdependence and care. Here, relational autonomy is seen as a framework for shared beliefs that subjects’ situated identities are formed within the context of social relationships and shaped by a complex intersection of social determinants, such as race, class, gender and ethnicity. This discussion proposes that the short story cycle is a particularly productive form for writers interested in exploring how women come to a greater sense of who they are through these relationships – some enduring, others not – as they are experienced through apparently mundane moments in women’s lives. This is partly due to less emphasis on the individual trajectory of an autonomous person, and a greater focus on the shared experiences that shape identities and foster personal growth and collective fulfilment. The article seeks to explore this understanding of the cycle by reflecting on distinctive features of the form – modular narrative structure and narrative openness – seen in Olive Kitteridge, to demonstrate how this mode of storytelling helps make salient women’s relational lives.

Tatau and Malu: Vital Signs in Contemporary Samoan Literature

PMLA ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 121 (3) ◽  
pp. 687-701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juniper Ellis
Keyword(s):  
Short Story ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
English Word ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Cultural Critique ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Theories Of Subjectivity ◽  
Individual Human

In two contemporary Samoan works, Albert Wendt's short story “The Cross of Soot” (1974) and Sia Figiel's novel They Who Do Not Grieve (1999), tattooing produces and proclaims the psychological and social place of the tattoo bearer. The tattoo signals the splitting or doubling of subjectivity, a mechanism by which the individual human subject is produced continually and repeatedly. The Samoan tatau creates not only Samoan subjects but also the English word tattoo and the French tatouage. Wendt and Figiel treat the production and movement of the tattoo in the Pacific and the world; they thus invite a cross-cultural critique of Lacan's theories of subjectivity, which present the tattoo as constitutive of the subject. Whereas Lacan's tattoo is disembodied and nonlocalized, Wendt and Figiel account for the tattoo's material and corporeal effects, its origins in Oceania, and its function in inaugurating a collective Samoan subject. (JE)

scholarly journals STRUKTURASI IDEOLOGI CERPEN “GERIMIS YANG SEDERHANA” KARYA EKA KURNIAWAN

MIMESIS ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 52
Author(s):  
Arif Kurniar Rakhman
Keyword(s):  
Short Story ◽  
Psychological Impact ◽  
Structuration Theory ◽  
Literary Work ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Chinese Community ◽  
Dominant Group ◽  
The People

 The short story "Gerimis yang Sederhana" by Eka Kurniawan is an interesting literary work to be studied, through hegemony and structuration approaches. This short story presents a psychological impact (trauma) after the violence that occurred in the Chinese community in 1998, especially for victims of 1998 who chose to stay abroad. In the context of ideology, there are four ideologies in this short story, namely: the ideology of tyranny, humanism, conservatives, and liberalism. Tyrannical and conservative ideologies became the dominant group. The ideology of liberalism becomes ideological negotiation. The ideology of liberalism also reflects the author's ideology. Regarding the application of the structuration theory, Eka Kurniawan responded to the condition of the victims of 1998, who were still traumatized. This condition has an impact on their lack of participation in public spaces. The ideology of liberalism is expected to encourage that. As a result, five years later there was a deputy governor (subsequently governor) who was directly elected by the people to lead Jakarta from the Chinese community. That is, there is an influence between the agent (author) with the structure of society

scholarly journals Effects and Challenges of the Covid-19 Pandemic on the Beach Economy: The Case of the Tents Business in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2020 ◽  
pp. 263-286
Author(s):  
Julia Valentin Laurindo Santos ◽  
João Vitor Prudente ◽  
Letícia Parente-Ribeiro ◽  
Flavia Lins-de-Barros
Keyword(s):  
Rio De Janeiro ◽  
Public Spaces ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Period 2 ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
Traditional Sector ◽  
The City

In 2020, the rapid spread of Covid-19, a disease caused by a highly contagious virus, led many governments to adopt measures of social distancing, including the suspension of activities considered non-essential and the closure of public spaces. In Brazil, a country that is distinguished by sun, sea and sand tourism (3s), the effects were immediate in the months of March, April, May and June: closed beaches and the suspension of all economic activities linked to it. This article seeks to understand the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on a traditional sector of the beach economy in Rio de Janeiro, the “tent business”. For that, we analyzed: 1) the organization of this sector in the pre-pandemic period; 2) the legal measures adopted to contain the spread of the new coronavirus and which affected the uses of beaches; 3) the effects of the pandemic on the daily lives of beach workers 4) the challenges for the resumption of activities in the post-pandemic period. The data used in this research are the result of surveys and fieldwork carried out in the period before the pandemic and the application, during quarantine, of semi-structured interviews, via social networks, with owners and employees of tents on the beaches of the city’s waterfront. For this study, the normative measures that affected the beaches of the city of Rio de Janeiro during the pandemic were also analyzed. As main results, we highlight, first, the importance of the “tent business” in the economic circuits associated with Rio beaches, as well as the role that tents play as poles of concentration of bathers in the sand strip. Regarding governmental measures of social distance, we noticed that the beaches were one of the areas affected for the longest time by the suspension of activities and that, until the total reopening occurred in October, the activities associated with the solarium, such as the “tent business”, were those that presented a more uncertain horizon of recovery. The impacts on the daily lives of the owners of the tents and their employees were enormous, with the vertiginous decrease of their incomes and the difficulties of finding alternative occupations. These effects were partially offset by the adoption of assistance measures by governments and the creation of support networks involving beachgoers, both Brazilian and foreigner, as a result of a relationship built over the years with stallholders and other beach workers. Finally, from a comparative exercise with other situations in the world, we highlight the challenges that are already being faced for the adoption of new ways of ordering the uses of beaches in the post-pandemic world. Keywords: Coastal management, social distancing, beach workers, beachfront, solarium.

scholarly journals Analysis of Desires of the Main Character in the Short Story “Ein Tisch ist ein Tisch” by Peter Bichsel: A Study of Deleuze and Guattari’s Schizoanalysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
M. Kharis ◽  
Rosyidah Rosyidah ◽  
Sawitri Retnantiti
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Short Story ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Main Character ◽  
Social Formation ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Descriptive Approach ◽  
The Creation ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Recording Techniques

This study aims to describe the desires of the main character ‘der Mann’ in the short story by Peter Bichsel using Deleuze and Guattari’s Schizoanalysis theory. This was a qualitative study with a descriptive approach. The research data were comprised of words, phrases, and sentences. The collected data were subsequently categorized into types of desires. Data were analyzed using reading and recording techniques and described based on the proportion of desires. The results of the analysis showed that the main character receives constant pressures from society, leading to the emergence of paranoid desire, a desire that is formed due to the pressure of particular systems or social codes outside of the main character. This desire is schizophrenic at the individual level. In the short story, this desire is manifested through the creation of a new language by ‘der Mann’. In the end, the main character ‘der Mann’ can use new vocabulary at the levels of phrases and sentences, but unable to influence other language users. As a result, his newly self-created language is unacceptable in society. However, the schizophrenic desire at the individual level has the potential to destruct social formation

scholarly journals Precarious humanity: the double in dystopian science fiction

Gragoatá ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (47) ◽  
pp. 888
Author(s):  
André Cabral de Almeida Cardoso
Keyword(s):  
Science Fiction ◽  
Short Story ◽  
Late Nineteenth Century ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
Kazuo Ishiguro ◽  
Gothic Revival ◽  
Contemporary Science ◽  
Fantastic Fiction ◽  
Fragmented Self ◽  
The Individual

The double is a common feature in fantastic fiction, and it plays a prominent part in the Gothic revival of the late nineteenth century. It questions the notion of a coherent identity by proposing the idea of a fragmented self that is at the same time familiar and frighteningly other. On the other hand, the double is also a way of representing the tensions of life in large urban centers. Although it is more usually associated with the fantastic, the motif of the double has spread to other fictional genres, including science fiction, a genre also concerned with the investigation of identity and the nature of the human. The aim of this article is to discuss the representation of the double in contemporary science fiction, more particularly in its dystopian mode, where the issue of identity acquires a special relevance, since dystopias focus on the troubled relation between individual and society. Works such as Greg Egan’s short story “Learning to Be Me”; White Christmas, an episode from the television series Black Mirror; Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel Never Let Me Go; and the film Moon, directed by Duncan Jones, will be briefly examined in order to trace the ways the figure of the double has been rearticulated in dystopian science fiction as a means to address new concerns about personal identity and the position of the individual in society.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------HUMANIDADE PRECÁRIA: O DUPLO NA FICÇÃO CIENTÍFICA DISTÓPICAO duplo é um elemento comum na literatura fantástica e desempenha um papel importante na retomada do gótico no final do século XIX. Ele questiona a noção de uma identidade coesa ao propor a ideia de um “eu” fragmentado que é ao mesmo tempo familiar e assustadoramente outro. Por outro lado, o duplo também é uma maneira de representar as tensões da vida nos grandes centros urbanos. Apesar de ser costumeiramente associado ao fantástico, o motivo do duplo se espalhou para outros gêneros, incluindo a ficção científica, gênero também preocupado com a investigação da identidade e da natureza do humano. O objetivo deste artigo é discutir a representação do duplo na ficção científica contemporânea, mais especificamente na sua modalidade distópica, onde a questão da identidade adquire uma relevância especial, uma vez que a distopia tem como foco a relação atribulada entre indivíduo e sociedade. Obras como o conto “Learning to Be Me”, de Greg Egan; White Chistmas, episódio da série de televisão Black Mirror; o romance Never Let Me Go, de Kazuo Ishiguro; e o filme Moon, dirigido por Duncan Jones, serão brevemente analisados a fim de rastrear as maneiras como a figuro do duplo é rearticulada na ficção científica distópica como um meio de trabalhar novas inquietações a respeito da identidade pessoal e da posição do indivíduo na sociedade.---Original em inglês.

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