The Sexual Politics of Nature Writing and Lepidoptery: ‘The siren song of entomology’

2019 ◽  
pp. 126-153
Author(s):  
Danielle Sands

Arguing that the discourse of insect collecting is one of objectification and domination, and that entomological classification and practices continue to reflect concerns about sex and gender which were present in its eighteenth- and nineteenth-century instantiations, this chapter aligns the objectification of women with that of insects. It interrogates the notion of aesthetic disinterestedness as licence for such objectification, asking whether aesthetic disinterestedness permits an empathetic disengagement which, at its worst, leads to a sociopathic lack of ethical awareness. The chapter has three parts, focusing on John Fowles’s The Collector, insects (particularly butterflies and moths) in contemporary nature writing and, finally, the role of lepidoptery in the fiction of Vladimir Nabokov. The closing section examines the relationship between ethics and aesthetics, appealing to the simultaneous necessity of both cross-species empathetic engagement and of a distancing that is alert to its own subjective positioning.

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-135
Author(s):  
Giles Whiteley

Walter Pater's late-nineteenth-century literary genre of the imaginary portrait has received relatively little critical attention. Conceived of as something of a continuum between his role as an art critic and his fictional pursuits, this essay probes the liminal space of the imaginary portraits, focusing on the role of the parergon, or frame, in his portraits. Guided by Pater's reading of Kant, who distinguishes between the work (ergon) and that which lies outside of the work (the parergon), between inside and outside, and contextualised alongside the analysis of Derrida, who shows how such distinctions have always already deconstructed themselves, I demonstrate a similar operation at work in the portraits. By closely analysing the parerga of two of Pater's portraits, ‘Duke Carl of Rosenmold’ (1887) and ‘Apollo in Picardy’ (1893), focusing on his partial quotation of Goethe in the former, and his playful autocitation and impersonation of Heine in the latter, I argue that Pater's parerga seek to destabilise the relationship between text and context so that the parerga do not lie outside the text but are implicated throughout in their reading, changing the portraits constitutively. As such, the formal structure of the parergon in Pater's portraits is also a theoretical fulcrum in his aesthetic criticism and marks that space where the limits of, and distinctions between, art and life become blurred.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Beena Prakash

With the present business environment which is creating a strong demand pull for quality and efficient logistics services, core issues are being gradually removed with time but HR issues are still neglected. Motivation can be the key process of boosting the morale of employees to encourage them to willingly give their best in accomplishing assigned tasks. During growth of any sector, dimensions of leadership can have great impact on employee motivation. This research paper analyzes impact of transformational leadership on employee motivation and moderating role of gender. The result shows significant positive correlation between transformational leadership and employee motivation and gender does moderate the relationship.


2021 ◽  
pp. 097168582110159
Author(s):  
Sital Mohanty ◽  
Subhasis Sahoo ◽  
Pranay Kumar Swain

Science, technology and human values have been the subject of enquiry in the last few years for social scientists and eventually the relationship between science and gender is the subject of an ongoing debate. This is due to the event of globalization which led to the exponential growth of new technologies like assisted reproductive technology (ART). ART, one of the most iconic technological innovations of the twentieth century, has become increasingly a normal social fact of life. Since ART invades multiple human discourses—thereby transforming culture, society and politics—it is important what is sociological about ART as well as what is biological. This article argues in commendation of sociology of technology, which is alert to its democratic potential but does not concurrently conceal the historical and continuing role of technology in legitimizing gender discrimination. The article draws the empirical insights from local articulations (i.e., Odisha state in eastern India) for the understandings of motherhood, freedom and choice, reproductive right and rights over the body to which ART has contributed. Sociologically, the article has been supplemented within the broader perspectives of determinism, compatibilism alongside feminism.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 247028972098001
Author(s):  
Rebecca Leeds ◽  
Ari Shechter ◽  
Carmela Alcantara ◽  
Brooke Aggarwal ◽  
John Usseglio ◽  
...  

Sex differences in cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality have been attributed to differences in pathophysiology between men and women and to disparities in CVD management that disproportionately affect women compared to men. Similarly, there has been investigation of differences in the prevalence and presentation of insomnia attributable to sex. Few studies have examined how sex and insomnia interact to influence CVD outcomes, however. In this review, we summarize the literature on sex-specific differences in the prevalence and presentation of insomnia as well as existing research regarding the relationship between insomnia and CVD outcomes as it pertains to sex. Research to date indicate that women are more likely to have insomnia than men, and there appear to be differential associations in the relation between insomnia and CVD by sex. We posit potential mechanisms of the relationship between sex, insomnia and CVD, discuss gaps in the existing literature, and provide commentary on future research needed in this area. Unraveling the complex relations between sex, insomnia, and CVD may help to explain sex-specific differences in CVD, and identify sex-specific strategies for promotion of cardiovascular health. Throughout this review, terms “men” and “women” are used as they are in the source literature, which does not differentiate between sex and gender. The implications of this are also discussed.


1999 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 384-395
Author(s):  
R. W. Ambler

In February 1889 Edward King, Bishop of Lincoln, appeared before the court of the Archbishop of Canterbury charged with illegal practices in worship. The immediate occasion for these proceedings was the manner in which he celebrated Holy Communion at the Lincoln parish church of St Peter at Gowts on Sunday 4 December 1887. He was cited on six specific charges: the use of lighted candles on the altar; mixing water with the communion wine; adopting an eastward-facing position with his back to the congregation during the consecration; permitting the Agnus Dei to be sung after the consecration; making the sign of the cross at the absolution and benediction, and taking part in ablution by pouring water and wine into the chalice and paten after communion. Two Sundays later King had repeated some of these acts during a service at Lincoln Cathedral. As well as its intrinsic importance in defining the legality of the acts with which he was charged, the Bishop’s trial raised issues of considerable importance relating to the nature and exercise of authority within the Church of England and its relationship with the state. The acts for which King was tried had a further significance since the ways in which these and other innovations in worship were perceived, as well as the spirit in which they were ventured, also reflected the fundamental shifts which were taking place in the role of the Church of England at parish level in the second half of the nineteenth century. Their study in a local context such as Lincolnshire, part of King’s diocese, provides the opportunity to examine the relationship between changes in worship and developments in parish life in the period.


2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-52
Author(s):  
Ann Compton

The mid-nineteenth century critical discourse compartmentalized art and industry by crediting each with specific powers. Manufacturing was identified with the development of technologically advanced processes, materials and products, while fine artists were given authority over the aesthetic aspects of industrial design. The idea that the two sectors had separate areas of responsibility has proved extremely enduring, and continues to influence our perceptions of Victorian manufacturing. This article contributes to the wider task of re-evaluating the relationship between art and industry in nineteenth-century Britain by examining the role of design in potteries and art metalworking firms from the manufacturer’s perspective. It shows that contrary to the picture painted by Victorian critics, design was central to the ambitions and commercial operations of manufacturing businesses. Crucially, decisions about the recruitment of design staff were shaped by the close connection between the creation of new products at the drawing board, and their fabrication in the workshop. Since each branch of manufacturing had its distinctive characteristics, there were significant practical, aesthetic and commercial advantages for manufacturers in employing experienced designers who knew the trade, and were fully conversant with production practices. Unless a professional sculptor joined a firm, they were unlikely to have this inside knowledge, which made commissioning one-off designs from artists a riskier proposition. Manufacturers found that one of the best ways to get around this was to make reductions of sculptures, and initial demand for statuettes in Parian suggested they would be profitable for all concerned. In the end, the market did not live up to its early promise, but the publicity given to Parian statuettes compensated manufacturers and sculptors. Overall, it was this increased public exposure for art manufactures that was the prime benefit of the mid-nineteenth century critical discourse for the industrial sector.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fifi Khoirul Fitriyah ◽  
Nur Hidayah ◽  
Muslihati Muslihati ◽  
Im Hambali ◽  
Mursyidul Ibad

Although many studies have examined the relationship between spirituality and empathy, very few studies have focused on demographic and spiritual dimensions in influencing empathy for pre-service teachers. This study analyzes the effect of gender, age, and years of formal education on spirituality and empathy and analyzes the influence of the spiritual dimensions on empathy. This research is a cross-sectional study, with 319 Muslim pre-service teachers as respondents. The data collection technique used an online questionnaire adapted from the Spirituality Assessment Scale (SAS) and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). The results show that age affects spirituality, while empathy is influenced by age and gender. One unanticipated finding was that years of formal education had no effect on either spirituality or empathy. The most important finding of this study is the higher the level of innerness, the more likely it is to have high empathy. This study's findings are useful as an assessment material and creating counseling designs to increase empathy for pre-service teachers. This is a part of forming the ideal profile of counselors in schools later. Integrating Islamic values ​​is also an essential alternative in counseling for Muslims.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheshi Bao ◽  
Bo Shang

PurposeAlthough many studies show that self-efficacy and continuance intention of Web 2.0 platforms are positively and significant correlated, others reveal some different findings. To clarify this line of research, this study further investigates the effect of self-efficacy on continuance intention and meanwhile examines some moderating variables in this process.Design/methodology/approachA meta-analysis method was employed to examine the literature containing quantitative measurements of both self-efficacy and continuance intention of Web 2.0 platforms. A total of 31 effects sizes (N = 9,084) were reviewed.FindingsThe results indicate medium-sized positive correlation between self-efficacy and continuance intention of Web 2.0 platforms. Further moderation analysis shows that such medium-sized link differed across measures of Web 2.0 platform types, target respondent differences and gender of participants. Specifically, this correlation is largest for transaction-socialization platforms and smallest for experience-socialization platforms. For university-student respondents, the role of self-efficacy in affecting continuance intention is less important than general members of Web 2.0 platforms. Finally, as the percentage of female participants increases, a weaker effect size will be observed.Originality/valueThis study clarifies empirical research regarding users' self-efficacy and their continuance intention. Meanwhile, sources of inter-study variability have been identified by addressing moderator variables in the relationship between self-efficacy and continuance intention of Web 2.0 platforms, which provides directions for future explorations in this area.


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