This book is a provocative and fresh look into how Black women display an authentic identity in the face of constant negative images and portrayals of themselves in the media over time. Idrissa N. Snider explores noteworthy occurrences when prominent Black women, including First Lady Michelle Obama, Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis, and Grammy-winning songstress Beyonce Knowles, have used their platforms and notoriety to push back against age-old stereotypes used to justify their subjugation and mistreatment, such as the mammie, angry black woman, jezebel, or the tragic mulatto. Snider emphasizes and honors how Black women uniquely identify as a form of resistance and positive self-actualization and argues that both everyday and socially elite Black women and girls can - and do - utilize self-definition to disrupt and reject inauthentic and harmful representations of themselves.
In the wake of the reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022, Abortion in International Popular Culture: The Decision Heard Round the World examines representations of abortion and reproductive justice across a wide range of popular culture artifacts, literary texts, and activist movements across the world. Contributors analyze examples from Chile, Italy, Malta, Sweden, Canada, France, the U.K., Argentina, Ireland, and Poland to consider the relationships between art and public policy, the impact of American policy on global policy and pro-choice movements, and the transnational influence of cultural representations of abortion.
Creative Responses to Environmental Crises and Aesthetics in Nordic Art and Literature gives a broad perspective on artistic responses to climate change and other environmental crises in the Nordic countries. Showcasing examples of environmental literature, visual art and entertainment from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland and the Faroe Islands, the chapters of the volume reflect the complex interplay of the local, regional and global in environmental art and activism. Authored by established and notable scholars in the field of Nordic ecocriticism, the volume highlights the complex and vital role art, literature, and other creative activities assume in times of crisis.
Child Activist Literature at the Turn of the 2020s: From Kids You Read About to Kids You Read looks at how today's child activists are not just followers in their forekids' footsteps, but blazers of new pathways, employing sophisticated rhetorical strategies that invert and subvert conventional thinking on the roles of children in politics. These young activists situate their work within a dense web of texts-the ones they read, the ones they write, and the ones that they expect adults to deploy to dismiss them. Nance-Carroll analyzes texts authored by child activists alongside narratives of youth activism in literature and media and the stories activists tell about themselves and their work, exploring issues of influence, inspiration, and authorship in child activist literature, as a growing body of work challenges not just adults' assumptions about children and politics, but also some fundamental disciplinary tenets of children's and young adult literature.
The United States is a bastion of commercial surrogacy. Intended parents from all over the globe travel to the United States seeking to build a family. However, they must navigate a complicated, convoluted industry that consists of hundreds of fertility clinics, surrogacy, and egg donor agencies, as well as new forms of business that have appeared to ease the efficiency of a long, drawn-out process. Mobility in North American Surrogacy: A Fertile Global Industry examines the multiple players involved in global surrogacy contracts between international intended parents who opt to create a family with the help and labor of surrogates from the United States. This market remains the final frontier of commercial surrogacy, while other reproductive hubs only allow for altruistic surrogacy. The author considers the mobility and immobility experienced by intended parents, egg donors, surrogates, and professionals whose intimate labor fosters connections across economic, geographic, and social divisions. Based on four years of ethnographic research that also spans the globe, the author argues for a more nuanced consideration of the ethics of surrogacy.
The Indigenous musicians from the surrounding pueblos de indios took on a leading role in urban musical activity. Musical Practices and Mobility in Asunción: Indigenous Musicians in Colonial Paraguay sheds light on dynamics that go beyond the studies centered on the doing of Jesuits in missionary contexts and provides a more thorough comprehension of the urban musical models that were imposed and adapted. Indigenous musicians were transferred to the city from the Jesuit reductions and the pueblos under the care of secular and Franciscan priests for festivals and celebrations. Without them, and without the mobilities that placed them in both contexts, Laura Fahrenkrog Cianelli argues the urban institutional-musical model would not have been possible to maintain in that distant corner of the empire. By transcending the city limits imposed by urban approaches, this book enables a novel reading of musical practices in a city connected with its hinterland, revealing the different musical physiognomies of the empire in distant contexts.
Folkloric Horror in Medieval Literature: New Discussions and Approaches focuses on the medieval and early modern precursors of what is now frequently described as Folk Horror. Part of the argument staged in this book stems from an observation that much of what is currently excluded from the conversation about folk horror, if not all horror generally, could be considered folkloric or folkloresque in many cases and would be worthy of inclusion in the discussion. The argument here is that the recurrent use of medieval literature and tropes as elements of the modern Folk Horror revival in the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries stems in part from a modern repulsion and fascination with the premodern. It is also an outgrowth of traditional narrative fascinations with the abject and the rejected sense of past and place which is present in recognizable forms in premodern literatures globally.
Sectarian Roots of Jihad: Religious Conflicts in the Middle East examines the sectarian dimension of jih¿d and delves into the under-researched sectarian-inspired discursive employment of the notion by radical Islamist groups. It explores the transformation of the basic Islamic principle of "striving in the Path of God" into a radical foundation upon which some of the most fanatic and atrocious organizations are based in terms of thought, ideology, discourse and course of action. This book investigates sectarian-based interpretations and connotations of jih¿d as a concept and practice by means of exploring similarities and differences between Sunni and Shia approaches to the notion and its fundamental principles. It analyzes the way sectarian-guided Islamist organizations employ jih¿d in their propaganda activities and exploit it as a brand to religiously legitimize their cause and emotionally manipulate the recipients of their ideological discourse. It also delves into the development of sectarianism, Islamism, Salafism and Jihadism in order to scrutinize and analyze the rise of sectarian-guided extremism in the Middle East.
Often rejected out of hand as the enemy of clarity and convincingness, ambiguity-in thought, speech, writing, analysis, or theory-should not be overlooked. Donald A. Crosby explores the innumerable positive contributions of conceptual and discursive ambiguity in situations where ambiguity can be the amicable friend of intelligibility and convincingness rather than their sworn enemy. While people have been willing to acknowledge the positive role ambiguity can play in poetry, story, myth, ritual, oratory, and song, Crosby argues that its positive roles extend far beyond these modes of reflection and expression and into the whole of life. Amicable Ambiguity: The Indispensable Value of Vagueness, Open-Endedness, and Uncertainty shows how, why, and when this claim may hold true and needs to incorporated both across academic disciplines as well as in the more ordinary areas of thought and experience.
This book interrogates the altered nominating processes of the 2020 U.S. election, illustrating the importance of the national nominating convention, both as an ongoing custom that speaks to the unique political structure of the nation and as a source of valuable information that goes well beyond the explicit purposes conceptualized by the parties.
Visual Cultures in India: Contesting the Sites of Sights delves into our visual experiences through diverse media, while unpacking how we encounter and interpret the visual, moving beyond simple "seeing" to deeper levels of meaning. This book explores our experience of visual media that reveals the complex interplay between sight, meaning, and contestation. The authors delve into the very "sites" where visuals are born, displayed, and interpreted. This nuanced approach sheds light on how visual media shapes our understanding of the world and ourselves. From the captivating world of film and photography to the enduring artistry of sculpture and dance, and even the visual tapestry of everyday life, this book weaves a compelling narrative of the complex relationship between media and visual culture in India. It is a timely and significant contribution in an age saturated with imagery. This book equips scholars, researchers, students, and media professionals with a framework to navigate the power of sight and gain a deeper understanding of visual cultures in India.
Entanglements, Narratives, and the Environment: Inter-American Perspectives provides an interdisciplinary ecocritical reading of narratives and environmental entanglements from an Inter-American perspective, predominantly providing literary, film, and cultural analysis of texts from the Americas. In light of Amitav Ghosh's (2016) exploration of "a crisis of the imagination" in the face of climate change and environmental degradation, this book addresses the potential of literature, history, and politics in comprehending the profound dimensions and violence of these challenges. The chapters show, among others, that the Anthropocene demands fresh narratives and theoretical perspectives, particularly within the framework of Inter-American Studies, which can offer a new venue to discuss pressing issues and to provide intersectional and inter-regional considerations. Thus, drawing on Inter-American perspective with its hemispheric perspectives opens the possibilities for an ecocritical reading of the complexities and relationalities of the climate crisis in the humanities as well as the social sciences. As a result, the book includes historical and political analysis, as well as literary, cultural and film analysis of texts from the Americas. The chapters engage in deconstructing popular myths, de-centering Western approaches, and eventually show through these critical engagements how the climate crisis demands multi-dimensional readings.
In Social Media Cultures, Dhiraj Murthy provides a theoretically-grounded, historical exploration of the social media landscape. Uniquely tracing the evolution of social media - from traditional media like letters, postcards, and the telephone to new media and platforms - Murthy argues that these contemporary phenomena are not divorced from their analog antecedents. The historical and theoretical frameworks employed in this book allow readers to better understand the intricacies of nuanced modern dynamics like cancel culture, self-expression, and celebrity influence. Focusing on mobility, political discourse, and the power of witnessing from global perspectives, Murthy uses empirical case studies from both the Global South and North to demonstrate the profound impact of social media on culture, politics, and everyday life. Ultimately, Murthy encourages readers to reflect on their roles within the broader social media ecosystem and to consider the far-reaching consequences of social media engagement on a global scale. Scholars of communication, media studies, social media, and sociology will find this book of particular interest.
The Genocide against the Tutsi witnessed the deaths of close to a million Tutsis and non-extremist Hutus within a 100-day period. While the genocide is extensively researched, the war that led to its conclusion is relatively unexplored. The Strategy to End the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda: Understanding the War in Kigali by Jonathan Beloff addresses how the Rwandan Civil War impacted the rate of killings and how the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA)-the military wing of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF)-liberated Rwanda's capital city, Kigali. Through archival research, the testimonies and experiences of eight genocide survivors, and the testimonies of military personnel, this book also provides unique insight into Rwandan history and a chronological examination of the war. Utilizing Strategic Theory as a theoretical framework for warfare, Beloff examines the various tactics and operations used by the RPA to provide critical insights into decision-making during the war and genocide.
In Christian Ethics and Biomedical Innovation, Stephen Goundrey-Smith outlines a strategy for future adoption of human enhancement technologies which will ensure that such technologies are a common good, a strategy which is appropriate for a pluralistic society, yet consistent with Christian ethical principles. Drawing on the history of biomedical innovation to date in pharmaceutical medicine, he argues that technological capability alone is not enough, and that the responsible adoption of enhancement technologies will require active ethical deliberation and robust public policy discourse. Goundrey-Smith argues that biomedical technology, ethics, and public policy together form an essential triad for appropriate future enhancement technology adoption. This approach helps to ensure that biomedical technologies introduced will be common goods, and to reduce the risk of their instrumental use. The use of any technology is closely linked to its sociopolitical and cultural context and, drawing on Augustine's The City of God, Goundrey-Smith presents a theological vision for good biomedical technology innovation in human society.
A guide to the 101 most fascinating, awe-inspiring, record-breaking attractions that Britain has to offer. A must-read for any thrill seeker!
A handbook for aligning personal values with work and sustainability issues, to create profitable, ethical and long-lasting businesses. Sacred Business presents a transformational journey through nurturing personal growth and consciousness interwoven with pioneering business strategies. The goal: to liberate businesses from the fear, scarcity, competition and patriarchy that have long constrained them. Until now business success has been defined almost entirely by financial returns. As a result, businesses are the leading contributors to our climate crisis, mass extinction, rising temperatures, increasing extreme weather and depleting resources. Whilst 'sustainability' has reached boardrooms, necessary efforts are falling short. It's not enough to merely sustain; we must actively rejuvenate our planet, shifting towards regenerative business practices that give back more than they take. Meanwhile, the human toll of business is evident: slave labour, sweatshops across the globe, and the persistent lack of diversity in leadership highlight further systemic issues. The basic connection between planet and human, and their current distresses, is palpable: an unhealthy planet cannot support healthy people, and vice versa. Business can be a great vehicle for change, and we are now in a moment where purpose, mindfulness and sustainability are coming together to redefine the future of businesses and their leaders. This is not a tale of giving up on profit and growth to save the planet; rather, it shares how to unlock the full potential of individuals and businesses so everyone and everything can benefit and thrive together. A 'sacred' business is both deeply respectful of life but also aligned with abundant flow and profitability. Capturing the loyalty of increasingly conscious consumers, providing the tools to navigate market disruptions, reducing risk through ethical practices, and maintaining trust through transparency. The result: fulfilled leaders implementing future-proofed strategies that ultimately boost their organizations ahead of those using traditional models.
Jenna Ray was the Love Interest, but now she's the HERO. Unfortunately, as it turns out, having actual superpowers doesn't make life any easier.For starters, being an official superhero means Jenna and Blaze can work together but not be together, no matter how much they are drawn to each other.Jenna knows she can make it work. She can be 'just friends' with Blaze, keep up with the HPA's intensive training, ignore the country clamouring for the return of King Ron and battle world disasters, all while keeping her own power-triggering panic attacks a secret ... She can be the perfect hero.As the pressure builds, what more will Jenna have to give up in order to save the world?
The remarkable story of a man who eclipsed his own greatness to revolutionise rugby coaching. In the 1950s and 1960s one man dominated rugby coaching like no other: Roy Francis. He led teams to championships and Wembley finals, revolutionised the art of coaching, and inspired his players to incredible achievements. But even more amazingly for the time, he was a Black man. As the illegitimate child of a mixed-race couple who gave him up for adoption, his story recounts his upbringing in a Black family living in the Welsh coalfields, a childhood shaped by memories of the 1919 Welsh race riots and, foremost, his gift for rugby. Aged just seventeen, Roy went on to play professionally for Wigan, and despite facing racism, became the first Black player to play for the British Lions in either rugby code. Roy Francis became Hull rugby league club coach in 1950 where he introduced video-analysis, sports psychology and personalised training - revolutionary methods which turned a mediocre team into championship winners. His crowning glory came as his team triumphed in the famous 1968 'Watersplash' Wembley Cup Final, before heading down under in 1969 as North Sydney rugby league club coach. Through archives, family members' accounts and former players' memories, Roy Francis tells the story of a family's journey from slavery to sporting success, and of a remarkable man who eclipsed his own playing greatness by revolutionising coaching.
The first full account of urban botany in the British Isles - its ecology, history and cultural significance.
Meet ocean explorer Sandy Fin, silver-scaled diver of the deep, puzzler of puzzles and hero of a new madcap middle grade series from Martin Stewart, illustrated in black and white.
The thrilling, unmissable follow-up to Wolves of Winter by Sunday Times bestselling historian, Dan Jones, following the fortunes of ordinary soldiers in the early years of the Hundred Years' War. Three years after the Essex Dogs battled through the Siege of Calais, the Black Death has torn through Europe. Romford, basking in his new riches, now finds himself living as a squire in the glamorous court of King Edward III. Loveday, whose businesses have been destroyed by the plague, is desperate to avoid returning to the life he vowed to abandon: fighting. And Millstone and Thorp enlist themselves on a deadly mission to escort a princess to Castille. Each Dog has scattered in a radically different direction. But something is about to bring them back together... Praise for THE ESSEX DOGS TRILOGY 'Wolves of Winter is a horrible joy to read: horrible because of the vivid, random bloodshed, and a joy because of the easy authenticity of his prose... If you've ever enjoyed a Ridley Scott film, go and buy this book!' ALICE WINN'A book that draws you in page by page. The way Dan Jones writes enemies reminds me of Cornwell at his best, turning up tension click by click.' CONN IGGULDEN 'This is the Hundred Years' War as directed by Oliver Stone with a historian's eye for detail.' ELODIE HARPER'Battle-bloody, brutal and perfectly pitched.' DAILY MAIL
This book looks at why and how states should legally ban LGBTQ+ 'conversion therapy'. Few states have legislated against the practice, with many currently considering its legal ban. Banning 'Conversion Therapy' brings together leading academics, legal and medical practitioners, policymakers, and activists to illuminate the legislative and non-legislative steps that are required to protect individuals from the harms of 'conversion therapy' in different contexts. The book considers how best to address this complex and interdisciplinary legal problem which cuts across human rights law, criminal law, family law, and socio-legal studies, and which represents one of the key contemporary problems of LGBTQ+ equality and national and international human rights activism.
This book explores how constitutional courts have transformed communication and overcome their reluctance to engage in direct dialogue with citizens.How has the information revolution affected the relationship of constitutional courts with the public and the media? The book looks in detail at the communication strategies of the US Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of Canada, and in Europe the German Federal Constitutional Tribunal, the French Conseil Constitutionnel and the Italian Constitutional Court, arguing that when it comes to the relationship between courts and the media, different jurisdictions share many similarities. It focuses on the consequences of the communication revolution of courts both in terms of their relationship with public opinion and of the legitimacy of judicial review of legislation.Some constitutional courts have attracted criticism by engaging in proactive communication and, therefore, arguably yielding to the temptation of public support. The book argues that objections to the developing institutional communications employed by courts come from a preconceived notion of public opinion. It considers the burden the communication revolution has placed on constitutional courts to achieve a balance between transparency and seclusion, proximity and distance from public opinion. It puts forward important arguments for how this balance can be achieved.The book will interest scholars in constitutional law and public comparative law, sociologists, historians, political scientists, and scholars of media law and communication studies.
A unique account of the opening weeks of history's largest, most brutal conflict, told through the eyes of those who were there and based on original source material from across Europe.
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