scholarly journals Innocent Texts Conspiring with Imperial Desire: A Critique of Nafisi’s Reading Lolita in Tehran

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-55
Author(s):  
Humaira Riaz
Keyword(s):  
Personal Narratives ◽  
General Rule ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Social Reformer ◽  
Specific Culture ◽  
Hybrid Character ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Mainstream Culture ◽  
Native Informant

'Native informant' acclaims the transmission of stereotypical representation of Muslim society as a general rule and women specifically. The present work provides a comprehensive prospect of women status defined by religion Islam to build consciousness globally. Through qualitative inquiry, the present study critically analyzes Nafisi's Reading Lolita in Tehran (2003). Iranian writer Azar Nafisi assumes the role of 'native informant' who amplifies the narrative to authenticate her account. The study employs 'amplification' as apparatus to scrutinize fundamentalist perspective of religion Islam reflected in Iranian fiction. Spivak's concept of 'native informant' is reproduced in the narratives to establish the narrator's role as a hybrid character whose thoughts regularly record and oppose the assumed fundamentalist obligations set by the Islamic regime. The narrative begins in the narrator's house, who ardently assembles her university students and discusses various classical literary works. The memoir recounts a woman's experience in Tehran before, during, and after the revolution. Names of characters are concealed to keep individuals safe from probable vengeance and degradation. Primarily, the study enquires how knowledge production through writing personal narratives runs into mainstream culture, characterizing the representation of stereotypes. Narratives inform about a specific culture and mirror the role of 'native informant' in amplifying fundamentals of native culture and religion. Nafisi's account of extensive cultural and religious judgments from context-specific attempts to extrapolate that Islamic Republic Iran vehemently formed a desperate unobtrusive region, which maltreated women. Nafisi may have a self-protective standpoint for women, but she emerged more like a "native informant" rather than a social reformer by amplifying the situation.

scholarly journals “Crazy Jack” and the “Gay CEO”: Visions, Entrepreneurship, and the Chinese State in the New Digital Economy

2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-85
Author(s):  
Marina Svensson
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Personal Narratives ◽  
Digital Economy ◽  
The State ◽  
Business Leader ◽  
Online Spaces ◽  
Chinese State ◽  
To Receive

This article analyses the visions, careers, and companies of Jack Ma of Alibaba and Geng Le of Blue City. Jack Ma is a well-known business leader and visionary, whereas the less well-known Geng Le only began to receive more attention since launching a successful gay dating app in 2012. The article focuses on the personal narratives and visions of these two IT entrepreneurs. It provides new perspectives on the role of individual entrepreneurs in relation to the Chinese state’s global ambitions and vision of creating a “strong internet country.” It argues that the commercialisation and platformisation of the Chinese internet, and the growing transnational nature of Chinese IT companies, serve to make them more, not less, co-dependent of the state and its visions. The internet’s emancipatory potential is today increasingly conflated with consumption, and online spaces and social relations are subject to both commodification and datafication.

Possible cues driving context-specific adaptation of optocollic reflex in pigeons (Columba livia)

2012 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 704-717 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henri Gioanni ◽  
Pierre-Paul Vidal
Keyword(s):  
Columba Livia ◽  
Motor Command ◽  
Slow Phase ◽  
Gaze Stabilization ◽  
Specific Adaptation ◽  
Body Vibration ◽  
Fast Phase ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Context Cues

Context-specific adaptation (Shelhamer M, Clendaniel R. Neurosci Lett 332: 200–204, 2002) explains that reflexive responses can be maintained with different “calibrations” for different situations (contexts). Which context cues are crucial and how they combine to evoke context-specific adaptation is not fully understood. Gaze stabilization in birds is a nice model with which to tackle that question. Previous data showed that when pigeons ( Columba livia) were hung in a harness and subjected to a frontal airstream provoking a flying posture (“flying condition”), the working range of the optokinetic head response [optocollic reflex (OCR)] extended toward higher velocities compared with the “resting condition.” The present study was aimed at identifying which context cues are instrumental in recalibrating the OCR. We investigated that question by using vibrating stimuli delivered during the OCR provoked by rotating the visual surroundings at different velocities. The OCR gain increase and the boost of the fast phase velocity observed during the “flying condition” were mimicked by body vibration. On the other hand, the newly emerged relationship between the fast-phase and slow-phase velocities in the “flying condition” was mimicked by head vibration. Spinal cord lesion at the lumbosacral level decreased the effects of body vibration, whereas lesions of the lumbosacral apparatus had no effect. Our data suggest a major role of muscular proprioception in the context-specific adaptation of the stabilizing behavior, while the vestibular system could contribute to the context-specific adaptation of the orienting behavior. Participation of an efferent copy of the motor command driving the flight cannot be excluded.

Advancing the assessment of cultural orientation: A developmental and contextual framework of multiple psychological dimensions and social identities

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 1867-1888 ◽  
Author(s):  
George P. Knight ◽  
M. Dalal Safa ◽  
Rebecca M. B. White
Keyword(s):  
Social Identity ◽  
Cultural Orientation ◽  
Social Identities ◽  
Ethnic Culture ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Contextual Framework ◽  
The Many ◽  
Mainstream Culture ◽  
Psychological Dimensions

AbstractThis paper aims to advance the scientific understanding of the role of culture, particularly cultural orientation, in development and psychopathology. We advance a theoretical framework that conceptualizes cultural orientation as a developmental construct represented by multiple psychological dimensions and social identities, and influenced by the contexts in which individuals are embedded. This perspective suggests that cultural orientation changes within individuals over time as a function of their experiences with and memberships in multiple groups, including the mainstream and ethnic culture groups, as well as a function of their normative developmental changes (i.e., the development of cognitive, social, and emotional capabilities). In addition, this framework places the development of an ethnic culture social identity (e.g., an ethnic identity) and a mainstream culture social identity in broader developmental perspectives that recognize these as two of the many social identities that are simultaneously embedded within the individual's self-concept and that simultaneously influence one's cultural orientation. To support the successful integration of culture into the study of development and psychopathology, we describe how highly reliable and valid measures of cultural orientation, indexed by individuals’ social identities, are essential for generating a scientifically credible understanding of the role of cultural orientation in development and psychopathology. Further, we detail some best research practices associated with our developmental and contextual framework, and note some important considerations for researchers interested in studying cultural orientation, development, and psychopathology.

Learning Black Language Matters

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 360-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
April Baker-Bell ◽  
Django Paris ◽  
Davena Jackson
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Collaborative Research ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Educational Justice ◽  
School Students ◽  
Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy ◽  
The Core ◽  
Black Language

How can and must critical qualitative inquiry be part of ongoing struggles for cultural and educational justice with the communities of our work? We explore this question by reflecting on our collaborative research on culturally sustaining pedagogy centered in the study of Black Language (BL). Building on the core humanizing research notion of dialogic consciousness-raising between researchers and participants, we describe the ways the three of us came to deepened knowledge about the role of BL in our lives and in the lives of the high school students we worked with through a humanizing research as culturally sustaining pedagogy framework. In this framework, the ability to participate in BL, research-based knowledge about BL, and critical collaborative research on BL joined reciprocal inquiry with teaching and learning to center the value of our Black language and Black lives within a schooling and research enterprise that often devalues both.

scholarly journals Talking About Sustainability in Teacher Preparation in Finland and the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-87
Author(s):  
Susan Wiksten
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Preparation ◽  
Teacher Educators ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Us ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Specific Culture ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Scientific Phenomena

This article reports on empirical research findings from a case study of teacher education in Finland and the United States. A sociological perspective was deployed for investigating how the concept of sustainability was addressed in two teacher education programs. One of the programs was located in Finland and the other in the US. The study was carried out in 2015 and 2016. Seventeen semi-structured, open-ended, audio-recorded interviews form the core of the research materials. A thematic analysis of interviews was conducted for identifying articulations related to sustainability in subject-matter specialized teacher preparation. Findings from this study contribute to research on teacher preparation. Notably, by articulating how context-specific culture and social norms contribute to local models of teacher education. Findings from this study indicate that teacher training practices in Finland have encouraged students to articulate sustainability in relation to critical thinking, whereas in the US, sustainability has been articulated in relation to social justice. The key point supported by the evidence is that sustainability was by teachers and teacher educators conceptualized as being about the popularization of knowledge about ecology and biodiversity. The kind of communication that was by teachers and teacher educators described as effective for popularizing knowledge about scientific phenomena were forms of teaching that expanded on content-specific knowledge by connecting it to ethical and civic frameworks of the societies in which students live.

scholarly journals Design for safety in construction in Nigeria: a qualitative inquiry of the critical opportunities

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nnedinma Umeokafor ◽  
Chioma Okoro ◽  
Ikechukwu Diugwu ◽  
Tariq Umar
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Optimum Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Design ◽  
Design For Safety ◽  
Geographic Differences ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the critical opportunities for design for safety (DFS), the potential statutory (and non-statutory) health and safety (H&S) responsibilities of designers including DFS and its workability in developing countries.Design/methodology/approachInterviews were conducted among 28 multi-designers including Architects, Civil Engineers and Builders and the data was analysed thematically.FindingsThe study revealed that the likelihood of designers, clients, etc. inclining to change because of the infancy stage of H&S in developing countries, making it “fallow” for H&S was a barrier. The opportunities for DFS include the willingness of designers to develop DFS skills and knowledge, which results in a welcoming attitude towards DFS. Further, the success recorded by professional bodies on other regulatory matters and designers' greater inclination to comply with DFS when professional bodies are involved in the regulatory process of DFS remain key opportunities for DFS.Practical implicationsFor statutory-backed DFS to achieve the objective at the optimum level, the role of professional bodies in the regulatory and sensitisation processes, geographic differences in DFS legislation enforcement, nuanced and strategic design and enforcement of any legislation that will support DFS should be taken into consideration.Social implicationsA grassroots collaborative approach to developing and implementing DFS in the country and the exploitation of the zeal of designers to have DFS-related knowledge, is recommended.Originality/valueTo the knowledge of the authors, this is the first study that examines the opportunities for DFS in developing countries when it is (or not) supported by statute and the need to advance the understanding of DFS in developing countries through qualitative enquiry.

scholarly journals PhD Students Learning the Process of Academic Writing: The Role of the Rhetorical Rectangle

2021 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
pp. 136-162
Author(s):  
Beverly FitzPatrick ◽  
Mike Chong ◽  
James Tuff ◽  
Sana Jamil ◽  
Khalid Al Hariri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Personal Narratives ◽  
Formal Group ◽  
Scholarly Writing ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Writing Group ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Doctoral Writing

PhD students are enculturated into scholarly writing through relationships with their supervisors and other faculty. As part of a doctoral writing group, we explored students’ experiences that affected their writing, both cognitively and affectively, and how these experiences made them feel about themselves as academic writers. Six first and second year doctoral students participated in formal group discussions, using Edward de Bono’s (1985/1992) Six Thinking Hats to guide the discussions. In addition, the students wrote personal narratives about their writing experiences. Data were analyzed according to the rhetorical rectangle of logos, ethos, pathos, and kairos. Analysis revealed that students were having struggles with their identities as academic writers, not feeling as confident as they had before their programs, and questioning some of the pedagogy of teaching academic writing.

scholarly journals Children coping with COVID-19: Intersectional understandings of film and media access in a crisis

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Justine Atkinson ◽  
Firdoze Bulbulia
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Media Access ◽  
Specific Focus ◽  
Film Education ◽  
The World ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
The Impact

As a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns across the world, digital access has become paramount, as most aspects of education have moved online. Drawing together five case studies located in South Africa, Argentina, the Netherlands, India and Ethiopia, this article assesses the role of film education during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a specific focus on the impacts of digital access. We examine multimodal forms of film education, and how these were used to inform, entertain and educate children during the crisis by the varying work undertaken by the organizations. Applying theories of intersectionality, we address the need for context-specific approaches to film education, focusing upon the impact that the societal and individual contexts had on the dissemination of film education in each country.

scholarly journals Complexities and Context: Women's Peace-Building in Conflict and Post-Conflict Bougainville

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Dylan Page
Keyword(s):  
Peace Process ◽  
United Nations Security Council ◽  
Peace Building ◽  
Peace Negotiations ◽  
Peace Processes ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
Peace And Conflict Studies ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Context Specific

<p>The potential role of women in conflict and post-conflict environments has been the subject of much debate in the field of peace and conflict studies. In 2000 the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1325, which called for a greater involvement of women and acknowledgement of gender issues in conflict and post-conflict environments, and this has led to further discussion about what this might mean and how it might be implemented. Despite this women are continually under-represented in nearly all peace processes and there is no universally agreed upon way to ensure this situation does not come about. The barriers women face range from cultural to logistical and economic, and surmounting them can be hard to achieve.  One case where women have been involved at all levels in the peace process with substantial success is the Pacific island of Bougainville, where a conflict over mining issues and secession from Papua New Guinea was waged from 1988-1997. Women were active in attempts to bring all parties to negotiations during the conflict and have also been heavily involved in the continuing reconciliation and healing processes. For cultural reasons Bougainvillean women were well placed to perform the role of peace-builders but that is not to say that they did not face challenges and barriers to their involvement. This thesis examines the involvement of women in both the immediate peace negotiations and the longer-term aspects of the peace process in Bougainville in order explain how and why they enjoyed these successes and what lessons can be learnt from this case in regards to the potential roles of women in other post-conflict environments. Four factors will be identified as key to women's involvement in the peace process: the history of Bougainville up to and including the conflict; the grassroots mobilisation and organisation of women; the traditional cultural roles of women in Bougainville; and the identification of women with motherhood and its associated traits.  These factors indicate that the involvement of women in peace processes is highly context-specific and although there are policies which can be pursued to encourage their participation the potential barriers to this are imposing.</p>

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