Cultural Logic Research Articles

IP电影：符号消费、异化符号消费及意义构建

IP movies are the mainstream of Chinese film and television today, and they are purely commercial films from the operation mode to the measurement standards. The rapid development of IP films is mainly driven by the commercial market, but the cultural logic behind it is mainly the added value carried by the symbolization of goods. The consumption of IP films is actually symbolic consumption. Therefore, the consumption of IP movies will inevitably show a tendency to consume alienated symbols. In order to better develop IP films, it is necessary to carry out new symbolic meaning construction in the creation process of Chinese IP films.

Culture and Social Representations as Cross-cutting Factors in Social Dynamics

Through different tendencies exposed mainly by Zigmund Bauman (2002) it is necessary to determine what is the role of culture in the social order. For this purpose it is necessary in the first place to develop a definition of the concept, since culture is understood as a polysemic concept. The social dynamics that are defined through the cultural logics of social transformation are the configuring element through which the concept of culture is developed. Through a conceptual delimitation and the theoretical exposition of different authors it is possible to define the concept of culture. Subsequently, the different roles of the notion of culture according to Bauman are determined. Finally, and as a conclusion, the internalization of the culture is exposed from the social representations that are defined according to the specific case of the migrants.

Techno-nationalism as the cultural logic of global infrastructural capitalism: media spectacles and cyber-situations in Huawei Meng Wanzhou’s extradition case

This article contributes to a theoretical formulation of techno-nationalism as the cultural logic of infrastructural capitalism by revisiting Debord and Situationist International’s discussion of Spectacle and digital struggles. We deconstruct the concept of techno-nationalism into three interlocking but contradictory media events: techno-nationalism as the “integrated Spectacle,” signifying the power of the state and capital; the disintegrative forces of media spectacles that highlight the ruptures and contradictions of global infrastructural capitalism; and digital resistance through the creation of “cyber-situations.” The case of Huawei’s Meng Wanzhou exemplifies how techno-nationalism emerges as an integrated ideological Spectacle with the help of media spectacles and yet undergoes a disintegration process due to inescapable contradictions and labor conflicts. This research not only analyses China as a case to understand the tactical deployment of the cultural logic of techno-nationalism with a focus on both domestic and international dimensions as political economic and social forces but also on the inherent contradictions and digital struggles in global infrastructural capitalism.

The Structure and Operation of the Transgender Criminal Legal System Nexus in the United States: Inequalities, Administrative Violence, and Injustice at Every Turn

A growing body of research reveals that transgender people are disproportionately in contact with the criminal legal system, wherein they experience considerable discrimination, violence, and other harms. To better understand transgender people's involvement in this system, this article synthesizes research from criminology, transgender studies, and related fields as well as empirical findings produced outside of academe, to conceptualize a “transgender criminal legal system nexus.” This article examines historical and contemporary criminalization of transgender people; differential system contact and attendant experiences associated with police contact, judicial decision-making, and incarceration; and pathways to system involvement for transgender people. The analytic focus is on cultural logics related to institutionalized conceptualizations of gender, discriminatory people-processing in various domains of the criminal legal system, and institutionally produced disparities for transgender people involved in the criminal legal system, especially transgender women of color. The article concludes with a discussion of directions for future research, including a focus on administrative violence, organizational sorting, intersectionality, and measurement challenges.

Experiment of the World-Picture Logic Philosophy: Towards a Relational Theology

Abstract This paper focuses on the discussion of the concepts of “mixed modern,” “humanist criticism” and “world relational aesthetics” proposed by the author, which are academic outputs of research and critical engagements in the field of contemporary art and culture. It points out that the concept of “mixed modern” constitutes a kind of cultural logic to understand the reality in China; the theory of humanist criticism belongs to a paradigm for criticism in contemporary art, where the individual person is in the focus; the idea of “world relational aesthetics” emphasizes the internal logic and coherence of the theory itself in the process of interpretation. From a broader perspective, as part of the author’s philosophy of art, they are only the “artistic” and “experimental” results of the world-picture logic philosophy, which is finally based on a revealed theology of relation.

Nigerian Universities’ Sexual Harassment Policies: Palliative or Provocative?

ABSTRACT Sexual violence and sexual harassment have been perennial topics in higher education across the continent and beyond. In response to stories and scandals, including the 2019 “Sex for Grades: Undercover in West African Universities” documentary by the BBC’s Africa Eye series, Nigerian universities have instituted sexual harassment policies. This article draws on a feminist textual analysis of the BBC documentary and three Nigerian higher institutions’ sexual harassment policies, complemented by specialized literature on gender, history, and sexuality, to examine the value of the policies and their limitations. I argue that the fundamental limitation of most of the policies is the persistence of how coloniality shapes gender in education. The gendered influences on education date back to colonialism and need to be challenged and questioned. I argue that, while policies are vital for driving transformative education, inclusive learning and a safe environment, it is crucial to consider how colonialism shaped gender in Nigeria, and to reflect on the structural and cultural logics that perpetuate gender norms.

The Logicality of Rural Revitalization Strategy: An Exploration of the Economic Anthropological Perspective

The proposal and implementation of China’ s rural revitalization strategy has its inevitable internal logics. Following the history of development of economic anthropology and using the theories on rural economics, political economics and cultural economics, this paper has analyzed the logics of social ecology，political economics and historical culture of the Chinese rural revitalization strategy. And it has responded to the economic anthropology question of “what is the possibility beyond capitalism” with reference to the logic of China’s socialist system. Thus, it provides rich theoretical dialogues and logical arguments for the practice of the rural revitalization strategy. At the same time, the practice of rural revitalization in China also can provide others with Chinese experiences and expressions for economic anthropology, which will expand and enrich the theoretical dimensions and depths of economic anthropology itself.

Advancing comparative studies in political communication research: What factors explain the transformation of media systems?

Hallin and Mancini's Comparing Media Systems has provided Mass Communication research with valuable tools to compare media settings from a transnational viewpoint. However, most recent contributions around media systems theory focus on suggesting new dimensions or variables to update the three models presented in the authors’ book, leaving behind the discussion concerning the factors galvanizing the transformation processes. We then ask: What factors explain the transformation of media systems? Through a literature review and the discussion of an extensive array of examples from different countries, our essay formulates new insights to refine a crucial concept in media studies. We examine material, institutional, and cultural logics of change to point out how the described transformations might unfold at different paces in particular social systems. By resorting to the idea of “critical junctures,” our essay illustrates how supposedly isolated shifts in the media systems can have unexpected impacts.

Reader influence on the creation of transmedia science fiction: a participatory culture perspective

The term “Participatory Culture” was first put forward by Henry Jenkins in the book Text Poacher with the aim of comparing participation and the bystander (Jenkins, 2015. Participatory culture in a networked era: a conversation on youth, learning, commerce, and politics. Polity Press, Cambridge, UK). The earliest example is the study of the cultural logic of fan groups (or “fan culture”). When it was later studied more extensively, it took on different meanings. It has greatly influenced novels in the cross-media creative environment, and this has not only helped to expand the imagination and inspiration of authors but has also enriched novel plots. It can also increase audience participation and reading enthusiasm. This paper takes China’s science fiction transmedia as its example to analyze the significance and role of Participatory Culture, and it does this with the intention of helping to provide suggestions for the development of transmedia fictions.

Ethical choreography in China’s Human Gene Editing controversy

ABSTRACT He Jiankui announced to the world in November 2018 that his team had genetically edited twin human embryos that were then brought to term. Recruiting participants through an HIV outreach group and using CRISPR/Cas9 technology, He targeted the CCR5 genes claiming this would make the children immune to HIV. One way to understand He’s case is through Charis Thompson’s concept of ethical choreography, which shows how scientists ‘invent around’ potential ethical objections to their work. In particular, such a focus on ethical choreography traces how individual scientists can exploit ambiguity in institutional boundaries to recombine different logics to advance their vision of good, innovative, and ethical science. He’s actions can be seen to been the result of his traversal of blurred boundaries that demarcate science/market and science/medicine in order to recombine academic, market, medical, and cultural logics. This combination of logics is seen in ethical justifications that He put forth for his experiment, which provoked much criticism and controversy, but should nonetheless be taken seriously and placed in context. While He’s vision of good science was rejected, examples of ethical choreography can be found in other instances of biomedical innovation and there remains the potential for other scientists to pick up where He left off. Following the ethical choreography of scientists also allows for more specificity in discussions about what and when boundaries should be strengthened or relaxed in order to advance a more equitable vision of science and technology.

MEASUREMENT INVARIANCE ACROSS AGE GROUPS OF THE ARMENIAN INSTRUMENT OF CULTURAL LOGICS OF HONOR, DIGNITY AND FACE

This article is part of ongoing studies aimed at validating the measurement model of honor, face, and dignity in the Armenian language. Psychometric equivalence of cultural logics of honor, face, and dignity across age groups was assessed.
 In total, 382 participants aged 18 to 47 (Mage=24.03, SD=5.721, 68.5% were women) were included in the analysis. Two age groups (youngsters, aged 18 to 25, n=273 and adults, aged 26 to 47, n=109) were defined for measurement invariance analysis. Multiple group confirmatory analyses were conducted within four model parameters: configural, metric, scalar, and residual invariance. Full invariance was achieved for the cultural logic of face across two age groups. Partial residual invariance was established for the cultural logic of honor. The cultural logic of dignity was partially invariant based on metric and scalar levels.
 These findings provide a psychometric basis for the valid comparisons of the means of cultural logics of honor, dignity and face across age groups. This enriches our understanding of the Armenian instrument's performance and makes it a useful tool for social-psychological studies examining the prevalence of these cultural logics and their associations with other variables such as moral values and self-construal. Further analysis can focus on exploring the peculiarities of the non-invariant items.

The Literary-Inspired Web Series, Dickens and LGBTQIA+ Representation:Public History—A David Copperfield Web Series(2019–20)

AbstractWeb series adaptations of the classics have been a familiar part of digital popular culture since the watershed appearance of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (2012–13). Adaptation critics, including Douglas M. Lanier, Jennifer Camden, and Kate Faber Oestrich, have tended to focus on relatively high-profile Austen and Shakespeare vlog adaptations, especially those produced by Pemberley Digital. In this article, I update the genre’s genealogy by turning instead to later waves of low-budget creativity that have taken this transmedia form in new directions since the peak years of the literary-inspired web series in the mid-2010s. I pay particular attention to Quip Modest’s Public History–A David Copperfield Web Series (2019–20), a relatively rare example of a Dickens adaptation in the web series format which remoulds the multi-generational three-decker saga into an LGBTQIA+ positive coming-of-age narrative for the Generation Z audience. My contextualised close reading of the adaptation simultaneously reframes our understanding of Dickens’s digital canonicity and helps us better grasp the cultural logic of the literary web series adaptation community.

Compelled TikTok creators? The ambivalent affordances of the short video app for Filipino musicians

This study is concerned with the incorporation of TikTok by Filipino musicians in their performances, promotion strategies, and other career-related endeavors. As the music artists are compelled, whether consciously or otherwise, to adhere to the logics of the platform, we critically evaluate its implications on their experiences as creative workers. As revealed, the use of TikTok by Filipino musicians fosters the construction of a new cultural logic and format that enhances music content and narratives as they engage in novel creative pursuits as well as participate in nascent forms of audience relations. Yet the prevalence of TikTok use within the music industry also engenders a new range of obligations that reinforce existing pressures on musicians. This study sheds light on the ambivalent role of TikTok as a platform that could potentially liberate and amplify independent and creative cultural production while also generating new sources of tension for creative workers.

Institutionalizing self of microcelebrity; new social control mechanism by the new form of civil power

This article will investigate how a microcelebrity YouTuber named Rius Vernandes became a symbol for the birth of civil power in a digital society. His criticism vlog for Garuda Indonesia's business class services has drawn criticism from the airline, which has led to a legal case. Through the power of social media networks and YouTube, Rius Vernandes did what came to be called self-institutionalizing, by then breaking down the limits of social control through a new force; I am a YouTuber. This article uses an exploratory approach to the development of the case to the conclusion that the case was stopped reporting by related parties. Through a theoretical study of the technique of self-representation, this paper examines how the cultural logic of the celebrification process of Rius Vernandes, led to the "victory" of civil power. The phenomenon of micro-celebrity in this paper is assumed as the construction of identity and self image in front of peer-users, to get public sympathy and attention for the freedom of criticism. The exploration is emphasized on how the strategic steps taken by Rius Viernandes by placing themselves as part of a critical digital community. The case has become one of the contemporary phenomena of the revolutionary power of criticism, breaking the border of social control by the new form of civil power through the internet in the era of digital media.

Snow globes and instant coffee: transparent commodities and the global infrastructures of late capitalism in contemporary fiction

ABSTRACT Fredric Jameson’s 1984 essay ‘Postmodernism, or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism’ famously calls for new forms of representation that can provide a better notion of the sublime world space of multinational capital. Jameson states that such aesthetic scale models are yet unrealised, but this essay argues that a number of contemporary novels, including Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven, Ben Lerner's 10:04 and works by Matias Faldbakken, Sally Rooney and William Gibson, present us with global figurations that are both more banal and more sublime than Jameson could have imagined. These novels all contain scenes where ordinary commodities are turned inside out in staggering leaps of scale, which constitute original figurations of the global infrastructures of late capitalism. Drawing on Bill Brown’s thing theory, Jennifer Wenzel’s notion of commodity biographies, and different theories of scale in the Anthropocene, I analyse different examples of this figure, which I term transparent commodities. In the concluding section, I show how these figurations prefigure the current global supply chain crisis, and I return to Jameson’s original demand for representations of the global totality, which I discuss in dialogue with my analyses as well as theories of planetarity by Gayatri Spivak and Dipesh Chakrabarty.

Temporal Dispersions of Disgust: Or, Reconceiving Genre Through Direct-to-Video Horror

Many scholars have noted that the US video rental boom of the mid-1980s led to a surge in horror production, yet few acknowledge that these features were not in fact films. Direct-to-video (DTV) horror movies like Breeders–The Sexual Invasion and Video Violence were not made for and never received theatrical release, yet they were repeatedly pilloried as failed films. Dispensing with the preconception that DTV movies would or should follow the same genre norms as films, this essay argues that DTV horror movies demonstrate their creators’ exploration and creation of a new medium. The conventions of 1980s DTV horror are not the same as those of contemporaneous US horror films, and contrasting them shows how genre helped DTV creators develop the automatisms of videotape and how DTV horror can help scholars identify the norms and logic of contemporary on-demand culture.

”Memes uden mål”

Beginning from a major retrospective exhibition at the prestigious Centre Pompidou in Paris in the summer of 2021, this article discusses the German artist-theorist Hito Steyerl’s political aesthetics and, more specifically, the idea of the art strike as a strategy of resistance. Through a historically contextualizing analysis of two key artworks, Strike I (2010) and Strike II (2012), the article argues that the proper theoretical framework for understanding Steyerl’s work is not post-Occupy “strike art” but rather the cultural logic of the “era of riots.” Thus, the article claims that Steyerl’s art strike resonates in form and content with extra-institutional and “memetic” forms of contemporary protest culture.

Possible Futures

Possible Futures

Organizing Penal-Welfare Hybridity: Trauma, Vulnerability, and State Recognition of Crime Victims

Existing literature argues that the incorporation of “crime victims” into the U.S. state has been a causal force in carceral expansion. I argue that instead of carceral expansion alone, victim politics have contributed to penal-welfare hybridity: the welfare state expands as it gets attached to criminal procedures. Drawing from archival data on the crime victims’ movement, I show how victim policies generated a new welfare infrastructure that operates under the aegis of criminal systems. I also reveal the cultural logics through which penal and welfare programs were hybridized: mobilizing trauma discourses allowed stakeholders to fuse therapeutic and “protective” capacities of the state—while perpetuating racial exclusions through the concept of vulnerability. Organizationally, feminized service work was located inside the masculinist penal system, expanding welfarist jobs under the purview of criminal institutions. This article shows that ideas about trauma and vulnerability help explain the selective expansion of the welfare state inside and/or alongside the punitive state.

Remembering Herbert Gutman's Work, Culture, and Society Fifty Years On

Remembering Herbert Gutman's <i>Work, Culture, and Society</i> Fifty Years On