Contemporary Norms Research Articles

The involved and responsible outsiders: Norwegian gamer-parents expanding and reinforcing contemporary norms of parenthood

ABSTRACT Gaming is a popular activity among both children and adults. However, research on gaming in a family context often frames gaming as the interest of the child that parents must manage. Because gaming is becoming a more mainstream pastime for parents as well, we need knowledge about the ways gamer-parents position themselves as gamers and parents. Drawing on interviews with 29 Norwegian gamer-parents, we explore how they position themselves and how they assemble parenting. Contemporary parenting norms means engaging in risk-management, and public discourse has framed gaming and screen time as risks that need to be managed. How do gamer-parents position and assemble good parenthood to include gaming? Existing research on families and gaming has given insights into family struggles, dynamics, and mediation within the family. We add to this work by studying how gamer parents position themselves in relationships outside the family to other parents, relevant institutions, and to norms of good parenthood.

Normative and Security Challenges of Transborder Ethnic Kinship in Africa: The Case of Ethiopia

Abstract This article extends the study of securitization of cross-border ethnicity beyond its conventional European focus, by analyzing ongoing security challenges surrounding ethnic Somalis in Ethiopia and their relationship to neighboring Somalia. In methodological terms, it looks beyond the irredentist prism through which this case is usually considered, applying newer conceptual and normative frameworks on cross-border ethnicity developed in a European context and assessing their applicability to Africa. Applying Brubaker's “triadic nexus' concept to the Ethiopian case, I discuss how the conclusion of the Ethiopia-Somalia war and Somalia's collapse as an external kin state did not end the securitization of cross-border Somali kinship, but merely repackaged it in new forms. In this regard, the article highlights a continued need to ensure the human security of Somalis in Ethiopia by recognizing and accommodating them as a cross-border ethnic group. From the standpoint of contemporary norms on the regulation of minority issues in interstate relations, the federalization model adopted by Ethiopia after 1991 seems to provide a promising foundation. Thus far, however, the hegemonic nature of the federal project has failed to grant Somalis an appropriate measure of internal self-determination.

Rethinking the Complexities of the Body and Disability: Theological Account

The biological aspect of human embodiment frequently constitutes the primary basis for personal assessment, with an emphasis on rationality, free choice, material well-being, and happiness as fundamental attributes of worth. This perspective is also evident in cultural practices of body modification, which reflect societal standards and identity expression. The promotion of standards of bodily appearance that are often considered unrealistic within contemporary culture has the effect of creating a social environment in which those who do not conform to these standards are rejected and stigmatized. This can include individuals with disabilities, the elderly, or those with chronic illnesses and different bodily appearances. In the majority of cases, the so-called ‘body capital’ culture views the disabled body through the lens of a person’s physical appearance, which is, to a certain extent, associated with a biological dysfunction or reflects a kind of physical disability or vulnerable corporeality. This paper seeks to examine perspectives on the body through the lenses of major discourses surrounding disability, biblical anthropology, and disability theology. These perspectives advocate for the intrinsic dignity and value of the disabled body, challenging contemporary norms and projections upon the body, by underscoring the biographical, interdependent, and spiritual dimensions of human embodiment. This approach stands as an alternative to the reductionist view of the body, which prioritizes physical attributes over a comprehensive understanding of complete personhood.

(Dis)connected parenting: Context control and information management in single adoptive parents’ social media practice

Drawing on grounded theory research with parents who brought children into their lives in non-traditional ways, this article considers how three UK-based single adoptive parents navigate a complex set of risks, benefits and limitations as they construct mutually beneficial connections, friendships and support networks online. The discussion draws on media scholarship suggesting that, in response to contemporary norms of constant connection, digital availability and online context ‘collapse’, many internet users appropriate the affordances of online platforms and technologies to maintain personal boundaries and keep social groups apart. I argue that such tight context control can be particularly important for single adoptive parents, whose children are often vulnerable in multiple ways, who continue to face social stigma and misunderstanding, and for whom privacy can be vital to their families’ safety and wellbeing. The article pays particular attention to single adopters’ strategic deployment of three interconnected practices for managing and curating their networks and information sharing: compartmentalisation, selective sharing and disengagement. As well as pointing to similarities between participants’ practices, the article considers how the nuances of their individual circumstances shape and influence their ways of both connecting with, and disconnecting from, a range of individuals, groups and networks.

„Guarda femina temeraria“

Abstract This article examines the literary self-portrayals of Arcangela Tarabotti, who became known for her denunciations of forced monacazation in 17th-century Venice. The focus is on the self-representation as a bold, transgressive woman („femina temeraria“) who was not afraid to go into battle against men, which the author skillfully combines with her portrayal as an innocent virgin. Against the background of Tarabotti’s transgressions of contemporary norms and her special relationship to the Accademia degli Incogniti, the article discusses in which way this image may have promoted the publication of her writings on the Venetian book market. In a second step, I examine how the author uses various figures of the ‚avenging innocence‘ (avenging angel, virgo virago, etc.) in the Lettere and especially in La semplicità ingannata to enter both the literary and the political debate.

VERB STRESS IN "THE FIRST READER FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS" BY A. KRUSHELNYTSKYI, O. POPOVYCH, B. LEPKYI (1918)

The article traces the peculiarities of verb stress in "The First Reader for Public Schools" authored by A. Krushelnytskyi, O. Popovych, and B. Lepkyi (1918), which was one of the official textbooks for Ukrainian-speaking schools during the time of Austria-Hungary. The proposed publication introduces the textbook by the mentioned authors into the scientific linguistic circulation in the accentological aspect. The article identifies historically formed accentuation models, analyses the degree of their compliance with the norms of the time recorded in Western Ukrainian dictionaries and grammars of the late 19th - early 20th century, determines the possibility of their application in the modern literary language. Research Objective: To define the conformity degree of accentuation in "The First Reader for Public Schools" (1918) by A. Krushelnytskyi, O. Popovych, and B. Lepkyi to the linguistic norms that were in effect in the Ukrainian-language education system of Austria-Hungary on the one hand, and to the requirements of the main Ukrainian Orthographies and grammars of the 20th – 21st centuries on the other. Source Base: "The First Reader for Public Schools" by A. Krushelnytskyi, O. Popovych, B. Lepkyi (1918); "Malorus’ka-German Dictionary" by Ye. Zhelekhivsky and S. Nedilsky (1886); "Grammar of the Rus’ka Language" by S. Smal’-Stotskyi and F. Gartner (1893). The research utilized the following methods: descriptive, comparative, statistical, comprehensive material selection, partially historical reconstruction. Article Structure: Introduction, Literature Review, Presentation of the Main Material, Conclusions. The section "Presentation of the Main Material" includes the following subsections: "Features of Verbs Stress of the First Conjugation", "Features of Verbs Stress of the Second Conjugation", "Features of Irregular Verbs Stress". In the "The First Reader", a total of 900 verb word forms were identified. Of these, 866 usages (96 percent) conform to modern accentuation norms. In the section "Presentation of the Main Material", 34 verb stresses were analyzed, which do not correspond to the norms of modern Ukrainian literary language. It was found that 32 word forms conform to the norms that were in force in Halychyna and Bukovyna at the end of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century. The indicated linguistic and cultural environment could have influenced the stress of certain verbal forms. In the "Conclusions" section, it is noted that the research results attest to the stability of basic verb stress in the Ukrainian literary language across time and space. Practically all accentuations in the "The First Reader for Public Schools" (1918), which differ from contemporary norms, corresponded to the standards of the Ukrainian literary language at that time. Therefore, the "The First Reader" exhibited a high degree of accentuation normativity. The accentuation norms in the "The First Reader" corresponded to the living literary language of Halychyna and Bukovyna at the end of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century.

The Formation of Literary Canons in History of Turkish Literature

The term ‘canon’ is derived from the Greek word ‘kanon’, which refers to a law, criterion, or rule. It implies a criterion for determining what is true or authentic. In the context of literature, the concept of canon is associated with works that serve as examples or criteria for subsequent literary works, and that can become classical masterpieces. The canonization of art typically occurs in two ways. The first occurs through the natural process of people appreciating certain works, leading them to become classics. The second occurs in a ‘guided (goal oriented)’ manner in which certain authorities, such as political parties, governments, or ideologies, shape the canon to serve their interests. It is observed that many countries use literature and art as cultural tools to promote the national identity and ideology to individuals and society, viewing them as a means of cultural control. The inception of contemporary Turkish literature can be traced back to the 'Tanzimat Edict' of 1839, which sought to revitalize various areas, including literature, during the final years of the Ottoman Empire. With the conclusion of the First World War, the Ottoman Empire came to an end and the Turkish Republic was established. During the war years spanning 1911 to 1923, national sentiments and ideas became prominent themes in Turkish literature. Upon the establishment of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, national sentiments and specific ideas continued to exert their influence on the country's literature due to the prevalent awareness of Turkish identity that many felt needed to be instilled in society. The works produced by authors for this purpose are considered as part of the national literature. The newly established state aimed to adopt contemporary norms and, in this context, introduced reforms in every sphere of Turkish life. Literature was utilized as a tool to encourage public acceptance of these reforms, and the literature produced for this purpose was referred to as ‘revolution literature’. When examining the history of Modern Turkish Literature, one can observe literary works that fit within the framework of a ‘national literature canon’ or ‘revolution canon’. These works aim to present new values, ideas, and understandings to society by devaluing or criticizing old ones. This process of guided transformation is also known as ‘dirigisme’. Throughout history in Turkey, various groups (Kemalists, Marxists, nationalists, Islamists) have created ‘guided literature’ to teach or persuade others to adopt their ideologies. Poets and writers who were constrained by the political regimes, ideologies, and dominant powers of their time often reacted through an ‘anti-canon’ or ‘dissent canon’ strategy, resisting the official canon that political powers sought to establish. As a result, literature and art placed increasing importance on irony in language and expression. Utopias were also explored in ‘dissent canonical texts’ as a means of escaping from the unhappy present world. Keywords: Literature, Art, Canon, Dirigism, Guidance

Role of Digital Tools in English Language Teaching

Digital tools play a vital role in teaching English as a second language. Digital tools, especially integrated data management systems, help in systematically organizing, analysing, and retrieving this data. This ensures timely submissions, adherence to data requirements by different regulatory agencies, and a reduced risk of data-related non-compliance. The language classroom has benefited from technological advancements in various academic fields. The advancement of technology should be enthusiastically welcomed by English teachers and use it as a medium to support their goals. Process of teaching and learning. This updated method of instruction has been welcomed and acknowledged by all educators, both the parent and the student. Students exhibit increased enthusiasm and eager to learn things in this novel way. Training has been provided by shifted from being teacher-cantered to being student-centric. Using contemporary technology to actively engage students in language learning and inspire them to practically acquire English language skills is one of the ultimate goals. This can be acquired by means of an open setting for learning that encourages transparency and access to the topics and data via contemporary technology, ways in which pupils are inspired and guided to converse with one another. Regarding the future growth, it’s obvious that multimedia will be essential to the methodical approach to teaching English to contemporary norms. Therefore, the Caliber of instruction and implementation of pupils to contemporary educational frameworks would gain from a thorough evaluation of your English language proficiency to raise general communication skills. In this article,the use of various digital tools which helps in learning and teaching English is elaborately discussed.

My Gender is Precolonial: Transtemporal Minoritarian Aesthetics in “Diwata”

Abstract This paper takes up the visual art piece “Diwata: Queering Pre-Colonial Phillipine Mythology” by the artists Renz (he/him/they/them), Natu (he/him), and Ram (she/her) at the 2021 Southeast Asia Queer Cultural Festival. I argue that in performing tactics of transtemporal minoritarian aesthetics, the artists destabilize contemporary cultural acceptance of anti-queer and anti-trans norms. Engaging the transformative artistic embodiments of pre-colonial mythologies, I highlight these acts of performing within a queer affective spatio-temporal arc. I approach “Diwata” through the provocation that the artists’ embodied art enacts a performative: “My gender is pre-colonial.” Through this focus, I unpack several of the cultural figures embodied by the artists. I attend to the figures in three primary ways: aesthetic reading, mythological/historical reference, and artists’ reflection. Understanding the importance of embodiment to the politics of “Diwata,” I analyze the visual works as both image and performance. Working across studies in folklore, religion, and historiography, I expand the figures in relation to how their practices of gender and sexuality subvert contemporary norms. These artists from the Philippines enact a disobedient epistemological orientation to LGBTIQ expression. The artists do not simply announce that what would now be characterized as queer and trans histories were a part of their culture before colonial oppression; they instead reanimate these oral histories, mythological narratives, and persistent practices as manifest through their bodies. I argue that “Diwata” offers an alternative rendering of queerness and transness that thickens the topography of what counts as queer and trans theory. I also want to suggest that this queer Southeast Asian perspective provides a necessary alternative to the continual focus on the recent past as originary. The recent decades are continually posited as the most vital historical precursors for queer theory. These movements and theoretical formations are genealogically important in the United States and the reach of the US abroad. And, even as there is still much to unpack about the transnational currency of the term queer, the recent decades’ dominance in narratives about where queer theory might come from often reaffirms white Western centrality, even while attending to decolonial and anti-racist commitments. Working through the far distant past, this paper instead builds with transtemporal minoritarian aesthetic tactics animate gender-variant possibilities of embodied queer worldmaking.

Digital activism and citizenship: a case study of “yellow” food influencers and political consumerism in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT Political consumerism is widely assumed to have a positive relationship with civic and political engagement, and much scholarly work has argued that marketplace-based politics align neatly with contemporary norms of engaged citizenship. Current studies of Hong Kong have discussed the rise of the “yellow” (pro-democratic) economy in connection with the 2019 pro-democracy movement, arguing that political consumerism is a new form of political participation. However, few studies have examined how food influencers on social media have mediated political messages and shaped the meanings of political consumerism in an increasingly authoritarian society. Drawing on original data collected from interviews with yellow food influencers, content analysis of their Instagram posts, and a survey of educated young consumers, this study seeks to understand the interactions between food influencers and consumers in the post-movement era, as facilitated by social media platforms. This study shows that the meaning of buying from yellow food shops has changed from expressing support for pro-democratic political parties to conserving unauthorized collective memories of protest as expressions of a new Hongkonger identity. Such practices maintain democratic values in a political context where conventional forms of democratic engagement are no longer possible. (191)

Modern bridal femininity: Navigating niceness as a Princess Bride and a Bridezilla in the United States

Despite the widespread popularity of United States (US) weddings and the cultural significance assigned to modern brides, scant research has examined US bridal femininity—an important site of analysis for understanding contemporary norms and expectations of femininity, more generally. In response to this gap, drawing on constructivist grounded theory and poststructural feminism, the present study examined 18 heterosexual, predominantly White, middle-class, cisgender US brides’ experiences of their weddings. Analyses revealed that brides navigated expectations of niceness, engaging in both Princess Bride-like and “Bridezilla”-like behaviors and emotions. Implications for idealized femininity within a neoliberal context are considered.

Strategic Ambiguity and Article VII: Why the Framers Decided Not to Decide

The U.S. Constitution ratified in 1788 contains a lot of appar-ently ambiguous language—abstract phrases like “executive pow-er,” “judicial power,” and “necessary and proper”—the meaning of which seemed to be reasonably debatable. The array of approaches to constitutional interpretation dubbed “originalist” all share the ambition of eliminating these apparent ambiguities by careful ex-humation of facts about linguistic usage and constitutional purposes in existence when the Constitution was ratified. This article argues that Article VII’s two-stage ratification process is one such original fact suggesting that apparently ambiguous language ought to be construed as deliberately ambiguous. That process gave the drafters at the Philadelphia convention (the first stage) incentives to choose deliberately ambiguous language as a strategy to mollify critics of the Constitution in the state ratifying conventions (the second stage). The drafters at Philadelphia were overwhelmingly drawn from “Federalists”—politicians who favored a strong national government. Because critics of cen-tralization (dubbed “Anti-Federalists” by their Federalist oppo-nents) were simply not present in significant numbers at the draft-ing stage, the Federalists could not use clarifying amendments to determine precisely what their opponents would tolerate in the ratifying conventions. Because Article VII did not permit the state ratifying conventions to approve clarifying amendments, the rati-fication process created a risk that, offended by specific language in an unamendable proposal, Anti-Federalist ratifiers would reject the entire proposal and doom the project of a stronger central gov-ernment that everyone desired. By proposing and approving delib-erately ambiguous language, Federalist drafters and Anti-Federalist ratifiers could sidestep their most intractable disagreements, mak-ing deliberate ambiguity a rational strategy for facilitating ratifica-tion. Moreover, this rational strategy is also normatively attractive. The critics of the Constitution deeply resented the Article VII pro-cess as an unjust device for “driving [the Constitution] down our throats.” By reducing the power of the Federalist agenda-setters to force through specific constitutional language with a reversion threat, the presumption of ambiguity respects contemporary norms of fair dealing, thereby advancing the goal of popular sovereignty with which Federalists defended the Constitution’s legitimacy.

What makes a good mother? Two decades of research reflecting social norms of motherhood.

Over the past two decades, scholars have investigated a multitude of different aspects of motherhood. This article provides a scoping review of research published from 2001 to 2021, covering 115 Social Science Citation Index-referenced papers from WEIRD countries, with the aim of reconstructing social norms around motherhood and mothers' responses to them. The analysis is theoretically based on normological and praxeological concepts. The findings reveal five contemporary norms of motherhood that reflect both stability and increasing differentiation, and are related to five types of mothers: the norms of being attentive to the child (present mother), of securing the child's successful development (future-oriented mother), of integrating employment into mothering (working mother), of being in control (public mother), and of being contented (happy mother). Relying on an intersectional lens, we analyze mothers' heterogeneous responses to these norms of motherhood, and examine how neoliberal demands build on and perpetuate inequalities.

Impacts of Colonial Legacies on the Rights and Security of Sex Workers in Southern Africa

This article will explore the relationship between sex work and the law in four Southern African countries – Madagascar, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe – to shed light on the persistent barriers to promoting the rights and security of sex workers. In these countries, as across Southern Africa, criminal laws on sex work introduced by colonial powers have profoundly shaped contemporary societal attitudes towards sex work and women who sell sex. More recently, the question of sex work has often been linked to HIV and AIDS and decriminalisation has been promoted as part of a wider strategy to protect ‘key populations’, including sex workers, who are perceived as being at greater risk of HIV infection. Based on our research with young women engaged in selling sex, we found that repression continues in various forms within and outside of the law. Though sex work is no longer fully criminalised in most countries in the region, the relics of the colonial past permeate contemporary norms and attitudes to sex work thus locking the selling of sex within the grey areas of the law and contributing to situations of vulnerability for sex workers. Our four case studies demonstrate that transformations in dominant social norms and representations around sex work have been far slower and less far reaching than many assumed they would be, even in the countries which have adopted more progressive laws and policies. The situations of vulnerability experienced by sex workers also escalated during the COVID-19 crisis, highlighting the critical need for state intervention to improve their legal, economic and social position.

Unter Freunden. Nähe und Distanz in sozialen Netzwerken der Spätantike by Seraina Ruprecht

Reviewed by: Unter Freunden. Nähe und Distanz in sozialen Netzwerken der Spätantike by Seraina Ruprecht Lisa Brunet Unter Freunden. Nähe und Distanz in sozialen Netzwerken der Spätantike Seraina Ruprecht Munich: C. H. Beck, 2021. Pp. viii + 360. ISBN: 978-3-406-77399-0 A friend in need is a friend indeed. From philosophical treatises to Euripedian tragedies, friendship is arguably one of the most prevalent themes in ancient Greek writings. Thus, it is unsurprising that friendship in Classical and Late Antiquity has long been at the center of scholarly debate. Whereas earlier studies have regarded terms such as philia and amicitia as "weapons of politics" (Ronald Syme, The Roman Revolution [Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1939], 157), recent work has tended to adopt a slightly broader view, highlighting the relationship with patronage as well as taking into account the emotional dimensions of ancient "friendship." Unter Freunden aligns with these contemporary tendencies but focuses more specifically on friendship in Late Antiquity, and relationships among Christians and non-Christians particularly, topics which have often been overlooked, as Ruprecht rightly remarks. Moreover, with her analysis of the letters written by Libanius as well as Christian authors such as John Chrysostom and the Cappadocian Fathers, she attempts to counterbalance the scholarly emphasis on western authors. Overall, three main research questions are formulated. First and foremost, this book attempts to grasp the social concept of philia in the fourth century. Secondly, specific forms of communication among friends are analyzed, with particular attention paid to expressions of proximity and distance. Finally, the question arises how the concept of philia changed through the increasing Christianization of the Roman empire and its relation to the Christian agape. In Chapter 1, Ruprecht defines friendship as "a cluster of social practices" (15) and she stresses the voluntary and interpersonal nature of this relationship between (near-)peers. Furthermore, she explains her preference to denote friendships in terms of "proximity" and "distance" as opposed to "inclusion" and "exclusion" in order to properly present the various gradations of friendship rather than to think of friendship in terms of absolutes. In this chapter, the problematic interpretation of the term philia as denoting friendship already becomes apparent. As she demonstrates throughout the book, philia does not necessarily correspond to present-day notions of friendship. On the contrary, some examples she provides could be described today as communication among acquaintances at best, frenemies at worst. The epistolary exchanges between Libanius and Anatolius of Berytus, praetorian [End Page 306] prefect of Illyricum, could be seen as examples of the latter (74–83). Chapter 2 concerns the extensive corpus of letters written by Libanius, who is described as a representative of the pagan elite. Following Hans-Ulrich Wiemer, Ruprecht argues that Libanius never rose to the rank of honoratus, for which she convincingly cites fragments from Libanius's corpus. His social prominence therefore ought to be explained through his status as a sophist. Indeed, sophists are known to have had considerable influence within the interactions between the cities of the Greek East and Roman authorities. Libanius's letters reveal his sizeable network of relationships among the social and political elites, ranging from Rome to Milan. A strength of this book is its critical analysis of the epistolary corpus that has survived. That is, most of the sources under analysis are Libanius's letters. Although they most likely were published posthumously, some aspects suggest that Libanius already intended a later publication. Particularly convincing is Ruprecht's theory about Libanius's editorial intervention and that he manipulated the evidence handed down to us. Thus, these letters ought to be understood as a conscious representation of Libanius and his contacts. Still, regardless of their reliability, the letters reveal contemporary norms and expectations of philia. More specifically, they reveal a continuing obligation to exchange favors. As a result, philia relationships contributed significantly to the cohesion of the upper classes. Particularly interesting are Libanius's descriptions of close interactions between friends in everyday life, such as private invitations, dinners and baths. Ruprecht reminds us that these details too were deliberately used for the portrayal of a stable philia in letters. In fact, the letters themselves are exemplificatory of the...

Tort Common Law Future: Preventing Harm and Providing Redress to the Uncounted Injured

Abstract How do courts root themselves in traditional tort principles and policies and also develop tort common law in ways that befit contemporary values? This essay argues that judges should weave classic tort aims of harm prevention and redress with contemporary norms of equality of persons, to provide a fuller accounting to people foreseeably risked and harmed by projects undertaken for financial gain. In essence, common law courts must re-ask the crucial question of who is a neighbor in a shrinking world in which risks and consequences can be traced somewhat farther. The article commends a few recent decisions that compel legal regard for a broader cohort of injured people and promote care for their wellbeing. It also encourages scholars to engage more deeply with the state court decisions that determine tort law’s reach.

Social Reality and Cultural Propagation in Funke Akindele-Bello’s Jenifa’s Diary

Apart from originating contemporary norms and cultures among its viewers, Nigerian television series portray new and emerging constructions and practices that the populace is able to identify with. Recently, one television series that has become popular in Nigeria is Jenifa’s Diary. Its popularity stems from its incorporation of the Nigerian English, the British English and the indigenous Yoruba language, as well as the antics and codification(s) of the eponymous character, Jennifer. Her utility of a distinctive English language which deviates from the Nigerian Pidgin and the British English, has made this series popular among viewers. This has created a new linguistic culture and also appropriated what I term the Jenifanlingua franca. It is not a rarity to see children, teenagers and adults communicate in the same manner as Jennifer. Against this backdrop, this paper examines Funke Akindele-Bello’s television series Jenifa’s Diary as Nigerian social reality and a medium for cultural propagation. This study examines socio-cultural nuances in Jenifas Diary. The research is qualitative as it utilises the literary and content analysis methods. The study reveals that Jenifa’s Diary captures the plight of the African been to in the Western world and that the television serial is rich with its incorporation of the Nigerian Pidgin English, the British English and some indigenous Nigerian languages such as the Yoruba language, as well as the antics and codification(s) of the eponymous character, Jennifer. While Jenifa’s Diary and other Nigerian television series are products of social realities, they also create spaces for new socio-cultural landscapes. The study has been able to explain the imperative of television series on the Nigerian socio-cultural space. Cineastes should produce television serials that will educate and stimulate the populace towards becoming better people in the society.

Under the Pier: Staging Anne Imhof’s Sex

This article examines German artist Anne Imhof’s performance exhibition Sex (2019-20), specifically how the artist draws on a visual representation of hell through the live arts within a history of delegated performance against late capitalistic effects on music, the body, desire, physicality and representation. Sex is initially situated within the context of Imhof’s creative output of the last decade, particularly the role that the dramaturgy and music play in her live work. Beginning from a point of comparison of Sex as opera, the article compares the themes and structure of Imhof’s performance to that of the representation of hell within visual culture and opera. Finally, Coyne argues that Imhof, in Sex, astutely applies these artistic tropes against their grain, and within the experience-fetish society of twenty-first-century late capitalism, queering both historic and contemporary aesthetic norms.

Is Originalism A Fandom?

Within the traditional terms of constitutional theory, the path of originalism and its interpretive community in recent decades is challenging to explain. Why has the number of self-described originalists increased over time despite the flaws and weaknesses of that approach to constitutional interpretation having been well documented over many years? Why do originalists persist in offering up inaccurate or misleading historical accounts after repeated challenges to that practice? Why would scholars seeking to defend recent progressive and inclusive case law want to rebrand evolving contemporary norms as somehow a form of historically grounded originalism? From an interdisciplinary perspective provided by scholarly work in the academic field of fan studies, however, the explanations readily come into focus. For at least the past half-century, originalism has played a prominent role in U.S. constitutional theory. For a quite similar length of time, Star Wars has been a popular culture phenomenon in the United States. Both involve highly contestable issues of interpretation of an iconic text, including the scope and solidity of its initial meanings and the evolution of the text itself over time. Both involve publicly prominent historical narratives that place disproportionate emphasis on certain individuals and influences, nostalgia for an inauthentic past in service of present objectives, and an undercurrent of backlash against changes that bring more inclusion and pluralism. Both demonstrate, in their own ways, the inevitability of interpretive disagreement and the impossibility of divining a singular objectively provable meaning when the text at issue not only contains numerous generalities and indeterminacies, but also carries a profound emotional, cultural, and personal significance to its interpreters and the broader community in which their interpretive analysis occurs. Consequently, while it may be more intuitive to associate a global media franchise like Star Wars with analysis of fandom, the dynamics present in originalist constitutional interpretation are really not so different. When viewed through the lens of this comparison, today’s originalism is not so much a constitutional theory as it is a fandom.

Illness of the Soul, Body or Culture? Postpartum Depression as a Theme in Contemporary Literature

This article describes the characteristics of postpartum depression (PPD), its etiology and reasons for making this phenomenon a taboo in contemporary culture. The author analyses cultural representations of postpartum depression, which she sees as one of the most important factors contributing to the phenomenon of removing the masks of motherhood (S. Maushart), growing in force at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. Referring to selected examples from contemporary literature, and contextually also to film (including E. Şafak, N. Fiedorczuk, M. Susdorf, D. Barker,E. Atef), the author discusses the psychological and socio-cultural determinants of PPD, emphasising not only biological, but the mainly existential dimension of this experience and its strong connection to the contemporary norms of femininity and motherhood.