House Of Cards Research Articles

Representation of Confrontational Agonal Statements in Political Institutional Discourse (Based on the Trilogy "House of Cards" by Michael Dobbs)

Representation of Confrontational Agonal Statements in Political Institutional Discourse (Based on the Trilogy "House of Cards" by Michael Dobbs)

Borgen y House of Cards: representaciones de la política en dos mujeres

Este trabajo se propone estudiar las representaciones de la política en dos personajes femeninos, Birgitte y Claire, en las series de Borgen y House of Cards, respectivamente. La perspectiva adoptada toma concepciones elaboradas en la teoría política: la política adversativa y la política deliberativa, y utiliza el análisis textual para identificar el tipo de representación, estudiando los personajes y las líneas narrativas de la vida pública y la privada. Birgitte y Claire encarnan concepciones de la política contrastantes, a la vez que proponen modelos de mujer política en tensión con los estereotipos.

House of CarDs: Functional insights into the transcriptional regulator CdnL.

Regulation of bacterial transcription is a complex and multi-faceted phenomenon that is critical for growth and adaptation. Proteins in the CarD_CdnL_TRCF family are widespread, often essential, regulators of transcription of genes required for growth and metabolic homeostasis. Research in the last decade has described the mechanistic and structural bases of CarD-CdnL-mediated regulation of transcription initiation. More recently, studies in a range of bacteria have begun to elucidate the physiological roles of CarD-CdnL proteins as well as mechanisms by which these proteins, themselves, are regulated. A theme has emerged wherein regulation of CarD-CdnL proteins is central to bacterial adaptation to stress and/or changing environmental conditions.

How backstory and direct address reformulate the Shakespearean character on television: The case of the missing psychological motivation for House of Cards’ Frank Underwood

This article delves into narrative elements of direct address and backstory in television, focusing on House of Cards (2012–19), Shakespeare’s Richard III and Game of Thrones (2011–19). Comparing dramaturgical approaches in stage plays and TV series, the study highlights House of Cards’ unique incorporation of a pragmatic use of the direct address to create ‘world-view’ for character exploration. The analysis extends to Game of Thrones, emphasizing Tyrion Lannister’s self-descriptive addresses revealing a psychological struggle rooted in rejection and backstory. The article proposes a methodological framework linking first lines or direct addresses to character backstories, emphasizing the role of self-descriptive asides in character creation. It introduces the concept of a ‘psychological motivational arc’ within character arcs, exploring how direct addresses contribute to nonlinear character development. Concluding with an in-depth examination of House of Cards’ Frank Underwood, it scrutinizes Willimon’s ‘show, don’t tell’ approach, questioning its potential limitations on character depth and challenging traditional screenwriting advice. The analysis unravels the interplay between direct address, backstory, and character development in television series, offering insights into evolving narrative techniques and their implications for contemporary screenwriting.

Taking the plunge, juggling acts, and friendly fire

Students embarking on higher education confront many challenges. Particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic, universities have become increasingly concerned to address these challenges and to develop comprehensive strategies to nurture student wellbeing. Distance learning courses create additional pressures, however, and not only because online students tend to be older than typical undergraduate student cohorts and therefore present with an array of social and caring responsibilities at the point of enrolment. The present study’s objectives were to explore how distance learning students describe their experiences of online learning, with a particular focus on their engagement with their course, their lifestyle and wellbeing challenges, and their interactions with staff and fellow students. Developing Shinebourne and Smith’s (2010) innovative phenomenology coupled with experiential metaphor methodology, we employed a two-stage data collection methodology based on participant diaries and follow-up interviews. In Stage 1, diaries captured student experiences in real time. Diary entry data subsequently informed the schedules of the semi-structured interviews that followed in Stage 2. Metaphorical analysis provided insight into online students’ lifeworlds, in terms of the practical challenges of balancing roles with time pressures, the existential struggle of forging a new identity, and the search for meaningful interpersonal connections. Six inter-related metaphors were unearthed: ‘Plunging into the Deep’; ‘Impostor Syndrome’; ‘A Precariously Balanced Juggling Act’; ‘The Gift of Time’; ‘Hostile Territories and Friendly Fire’; and ‘House of Cards’. Confirming and extending previous work, our findings demonstrate that online distance learning is a journey of self-doubt and discovery interrupted by both traumatic and transformative moments as students strive to succeed against multiple existential threats. We recommend that universities devote resources to facilitating an understanding of online students’ unique circumstances to provide them with informed and effective wellbeing support at the start of and throughout their journeys.

Not Playing With a Full Deck?

Abstract A standard deck of 52 playing cards has 4 suits: clubs (♣), spades (♠), hearts (♥) and diamonds (♦). Each suit has 13 denominations, or ranks, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J (Jack), Q (Queen), K (King) and A (Ace). But sometimes, a card goes missing – lost between the couch cushions, clothes-pinned in the bike spokes, filched by the cat, eaten by the dog (see Figure 1), or maybe misplaced in a matching deck. You may find yourself not playing with a full deck. Building a house of cards? No problem. Playing poker? Problem. Or is it? Ask yourself the following question: What is the probability of being dealt a Two-Pair hand of five cards from a well-shuffled deck when the Ace of Spades is missing from the deck? Specifically, how does it compare to the probability of being dealt a Two-Pair hand from a standard 52-card deck? What does your ‘probability intuition’ tell you? On the one hand, with a missing Ace of Spades there are fewer Two-Pair hands. On the other hand, there are also fewer total five-card hands. The ratio of these two numbers defines the probability; which way it goes seems unclear. Let’s do the calculation – first for the standard 52-card deck and then for the 51-card deck missing the Ace of Spades.

Humanitarian Perspectives and Materialism in Sudha Murty’s Dollar Bahu and House of Cards

On the contrary to the humanitarian values presented in Sudha Murty's works, novels like "Dollar Bahu" and "House of Cards" emphasize their difference with materialism. Firstly, in "Dollar Bahu", a choice has to be made between her enjoyment in India or seeking wealth in the US and thus portrays Western materialism. Lastly, in "House of Cards", the weak-minded greed and materialism lead to the compromising of morals and relationships and, therefore, call out more for compassion. The present research paper explores the cosmopolitan sensibility and global humanitarian perspectives present in some selected novels by Sudha Murty, such as Dollar Bahu and House of Cards. Using a description, interpretative, and analytic approach with library research, the paper critiques Murty's views concerning materialism, the deterioration of moral values, and regaining human morals. The analytical overview emphasizes important humanitarian themes represented by characters and love stories, selflessness, responsibility, and ethical values. Murty's writings can be viewed in the light of reflection about how materialism clashes with moral values in today's society and the need to return to humanitarian ideals in this globalized world.

House of Cards? Perspectives on European Housing

House of Cards? Perspectives on European Housing

The quantum house of cards.

Quantum computers have been proposed to solve a number of important problems such as discovering new drugs, new catalysts for fertilizer production, breaking encryption protocols, optimizing financial portfolios, or implementing new artificial intelligence applications. Yet, to date, a simple task such as multiplying 3 by 5 is beyond existing quantum hardware. This article examines the difficulties that would need to be solved for quantum computers to live up to their promises. I discuss the whole stack of technologies that has been envisioned to build a quantum computer from the top layers (the actual algorithms and associated applications) down to the very bottom ones (the quantum hardware, its control electronics, cryogeny, etc.) while not forgetting the crucial intermediate layer of quantum error correction.

The persuasive mask of postfeminism: Claire’s hegemony and sexual politics in House of Cards

ABSTRACT This article focuses on a particular discussion in the sphere of TV series that revolves around women’s empowerment: the recurring confusion between feminist efforts to improve the condition of women and minorities as a structural group and postfeminist rhetoric of individual struggle and hard work, the latter being frequently used by politicians. Using the six seasons of the House of Cards (HoC) TV series as a case study, I argue that Claire Underwood exercises a hybrid femininity frequently portrayed as inclusive in discourse but ultimately seeks to increase her political influence by leveraging social issues such as abortion and sexual harassment. In light of the Roe v. Wade overturned and the use of postfeminist rhetoric by politicians such as Hillary Clinton, hybrid forms of femininity both contribute to and reinforce systems of inequality. These forms highlight the systemic differences between ordinary women and those who have reached the top of the political hierarchy.

P30 House of cards? Final histology may differ from initial biopsy in ovarian cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy

P30 House of cards? Final histology may differ from initial biopsy in ovarian cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy

The Supremacy of Love and Trust Over Material Gains, In Sudha Murthy’s “House of Cards”

The subjects covered in this research paper include the manner in which one's behaviour can be influenced by money. It examines the falseness and deception of those who are wealthy, illustrating their true nature through real situations. The plot of the novel “House of Cards” written by prolific writer Sudha Murthy, revolves around Mridula, a village girl who marries a doctor, Sanjay. It explores the meaning of marriage and delves into the depths of corruption while also illustrating the differences in lifestyles between the two parties involved. After they're married, their financial situation doesn't improve much, as they go through ups and downs. Mrs. Mridula is based in Bangalore while her husband is pursuing his post-graduate degree. Their marriage appears to be quite stable at this point, as Sanjay starts a nursing home with his friend Alex. It quickly gains popularity and profits. Money brings with it the ability to exert power and possess greed, as seen in this family's transition to a luxurious home with numerous cars and maids for assistance. "House of Cards" explores topics such as wealth, inequality, poverty, and corruption in India through its storyline. It sheds light on how those who deserve seats the most are not getting them and on how fake and superficial the lives of the rich are. The paper illustrates the necessity of trust, honesty and compassion for a relationship to thrive, as well as how money can break a family and a marriage apart.

Характерные черты коммуникативной манипуляции (на материале английского киносериала)

The aim of the research is to define the characteristics and the role of communication manipulation in the situations of interpersonal communication. The scientific novelty lies in the complete comprehensive analysis of manipulation phenomena in the situations of interpersonal communication and is conditioned by the necessity of linguistic study of the notion “manipulation” as this notion has been previously defined on the bases of psychological researchers’ works. The article presents the nature of manipulation and its connection with speech impact and persuasion. Communicative manipulation is opposed to linguistic violence by the criteria of presence/absence of the factor of further voluntary participation in communication process. The author analyses the main characteristics of manipulation in the process of interpersonal communication, introduces the notions of open manipulation and indirect blackmail as a tool of communicative manipulation. This research is based on the material of English drama TV series “House of Cards”. As a result, it is proved that communicative manipulation in the situations of interpersonal communication has its specific features and the communicants can use some definite speech techniques to manipulate an interlocutor openly or in secret.

Fashion empowering women: Sterotypes in the TV dramedy series House of Cards, Suits and Emily in Paris

ABSTRACT Fashion has showed a double face in its relationship with women and power. According with some feminist frameworks, fashion was something women need to release in a male-dominated structure. A new wave of authors claims for a power dressing approach, where fashion is a tool to define the new role of women in society. The study here contributes to this debate through the analysis of fashion in TV series. Representation of women in television series is feeding the women position in society and has already generated an interesting academic corpus. Analyzing power dressing elements in 130 fashion looks of 3 women boss characters (Claire Underwood in House of Cards, Sylvie Grateau in Emily in Paris and Jessica Pearson in Suits), a new stereotype of women is recognized. The study includes a qualitative analysis to understand the context of fashion functions in those series. The analysis concludes with three main uses of fashion in dramedy series: fashion to develop powerful characters; fashion to generate engagement with the audience; and fashion as a commercial tool. The study shows how fashion has become a key element for successful television series.

Repeating the Mistakes of the Law and Development Movement in Afghanistan

Abstract The rapid collapse of the Afghan state did not come as a surprise to those who are well-versed in the chequered history of the Law and Development Movement. While the Movement’s one-size-fits-all modernization project has been largely rejected, such misguided efforts continue under the aims of “building the Rule of Law” or “improving governance.” The fallout from the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is a stark reminder for states and multilateral organizations not to overlook the lessons of the Movement that may have been obscured by the different banners under which state- and market-building efforts have been pursued. From the Movement’s sincere yet naïve efforts of state-building between the 1950s and 70s, to its swing to build and support markets under the Washington Consensus paradigm in the 80s and 90s, and a later emphasis on good governance through state institutions from the 2000s onwards, it is clear that top-down state-building efforts have had limited success. The paper argues that the failure of the Afghanistan mission may have been avoided if the U.S. had turned to the lessons learned from the law-and-institutions-building enterprises of the past 70 years. Instead, the failure to heed these lessons led to the building of a state akin to a house of cards. By overlooking the importance of embedded cultural institutions, the legitimacy of the state as perceived by its people, and the dynamic interaction between formal and informal institutions, the state-building project in Afghanistan was bound to fail. Following the takeover by the Taliban, the small gains made in Afghanistan over the past two decades on the issues of hunger, poverty, health, and education have seen rapid deceleration and require urgent attention. The critiques outlined in this paper, informed by the experience of the Law and Development Movement, are meant to inform, not discourage, global engagement in advancing the human development agenda in Afghanistan and other fragile contexts.

3D “House of Cards” Structured Composites of Zn/Ga Layered Double Hydroxide/Molybdenum Disulfide with Potential Application for Impedance Respiratory Frequency Sensor

3D “House of Cards” Structured Composites of Zn/Ga Layered Double Hydroxide/Molybdenum Disulfide with Potential Application for Impedance Respiratory Frequency Sensor

Houses of cards and concrete: (In)stability configurations and seeds of destabilisation of Phnom Penh’s building regime

Scholars widely agree that cities and their built environments play a decisive role for a global transformation towards sustainability. This necessitates a shift away from unsustainable practices and constellations in cities towards more sustainable ones – particularly in contexts of the Global South, as they see the strongest current and projected urban growth and related construction activities. Research on urban sustainability transitions has however largely been biased conceptually towards innovation and new technologies, and geographically towards the Global North. While more research recently emerged that addresses the destabilization of dominant orders, it still predominantly considers Northern cases, and those with discernible transition processes. This paper seeks to address these biases and studies factors that contribute to the (in)stability of socio-technical regimes. We argue that (de)stabilizing factors and the particular (in)stability configurations they form, must be scrutinised regardless of transition phase as they are ingrained in regime structures before transition processes become apparent. Identifying and characterizing (in)stability configurations and the seeds of destabilization can then support the development of contextualised transition governance strategies. Employing the building sector of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, as an empirical case, this study differentiates sources of (in)stability from economic, socio-cultural and political-institutional dimensions. Our analysis suggests an ambiguous (in)stability configuration with tensions primarily within the socio-cultural and economic dimensions, and a dominance of stabilizing effects from the political-institutional dimension. The paper closes with implications for transition governance strategies and general arguments on the heterogeneity of transition contexts and regime constellations, particularly in countries of the Global South.

“There is a Fabulous Play in the House of Cards:” Gender and Memory-Mapping in the Film Tasher Ghawr

The pandemic's collective memory features large-scale destruction in the public and private realms. This paper studies the latter by speculating on the complex interrelationship between gender, media, and collective memory. By foregrounding the potential of fictional experientialities to engage with real-life phenomena, the paper analyzes the movie Tasher Ghawr as an epitome of women’s experience of the COVID-19 lockdown. This movie was selected pertaining to its current relevance. The paper undertakes a qualitative investigation through a textual analysis of the movie’s narrative. The researchers use theories such as collective memory, gender performativity, affect, and counter-memory to illustrate how the protagonist Sujatha’s individual gendered memory constantly constructs and deconstructs the collective memory of women as it pertains to the pandemic. The notion of collective memory is highlighted as complexly entangled and dialogically engaged with the memories of the individuals. This paper demonstrates this by constructing Sujatha as a subject defined by the norms embedded in the female collective memory and then shedding light on her subversive brilliance in questioning the stronghold of these discourses. This act of subversion produces a new strand of collective memory where women are no longer simply victims. The results of this study indicate that while women are constructed as subjects through collective memory processes, they also demonstrate a potential to subvert and question the stronghold of this collective memory that presupposes their submissiveness and servility. For future researchers, this movie provides ample critical space to discuss the notion of traumatic memory.

Vantage Points

Vantage Points

Development of Hybrid Materials Based on Chitosan, Poly(Ethylene Glycol) and Laponite® RD: Effect of Clay Concentration.

In the context of increasing interest in biomaterials with applicability in cosmetics and medicine, this research aims to obtain and characterize some hybrid materials based on chitosan (CS) (antibacterial, biocompatible, and biodegradable), poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) (non-toxic and prevents the adsorption of protein and cell) and Laponite® RD (Lap) (bioactive). The rheological properties of the starting dispersions were investigated and discussed related to the interactions developed between components. All samples exhibited gel-like properties, and the storage modulus of CS/PEG dispersion increased from 6.6 Pa to 657.7 Pa by adding 2.5% Lap. Structural and morphological characterization of the films, prepared by solution casting method, was performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and polarized light microscopy (POM). These analyses proved the incorporation of Lap into CS/PEG films and revealed the morphological changes of the films by the addition of clay. Thereby, at the highest Lap concentration (43.8%), the "house of cards" structure formed by Lap platelets, which incorporate chitosan chains, as evidenced by SEM and POM. Two stages of degradation between 200 °C and 410 °C were evidenced for the films with Lap concentration higher than 38.5%, explained by the existence of a clay-rich phase (given by the clay network) and chitosan-rich one (due to the intercalation of chitosan in the clay network). CS/PEG film with 43.8% Lap showed the highest swelling degree of 240.7%. The analysis of the obtained results led to the conclusion that the addition of clay to the CS/PEG films increases their stability in water and gives them greater thermal stability.