Important Story Research Articles

Visual Aesthetics Semiotics Roland Barthes Photography Journalistic Works Phenomenal World

Documentary photography as a medium of conveying information and documentation can document reality and tell important stories with integrity and honesty. Where journalistic photography will continue to be a powerful tool in reporting the truth and influencing social change, giving us a window into a wider and more diverse world. This research visually analyzes the phenomenal works of world photography from the aesthetic side with Roland Barthes' semiotic approach. It tells that aesthetically the photograph is an embodiment of visual beauty immortalized by the photographer not only by chance in capturing a moment that once existed. This research is conducted qualitatively descriptively according to Bogdan and Guba and proves that the science of photography does not only rely on luck but needs to understand how to photograph, the concept of visual framing in one frame that can be accepted by the general public as a conveyance of messages, information, and impressions from a photograph itself based on photographic theories.

Jazz Cosmopolitanism In and Around Malawi: Musical Praxis in the Politics of Belonging

In this article I explore the notion of jazz cosmopolitanism in Malawi in an effort to examine the complexities of navigating transnational multicultural spaces. I am specifically interested in how this plays out in southern Africa, where the music industries are affected by ongoing influences from the Global North sedimented on top of a history of multiple types of colonialism. I outline some foundational works on music and cosmopolitanism in Africa before discussing the music and career of Malawian jazz guitarist and producer, Erik Paliani. Paliani stands apart from many Malawian musicians based on his career highlights, but also his commitment to jazz as an international and African art form as well as a means of navigating the world. I focus on two compositions as performed by him in order to explore creativity and positionality as they relate to the intersection of jazz and African musics. I also interrogate my own positioning as a foreign white male and frequent participant in the Malawian music industry since 1991. In doing so, I unpack some complexities to cultural representation in cosmopolitan African spaces articulating with discourses on mobility and privilege. My aim is to understand how reconciling individual expression and collective belonging may be accomplished through the praxis of Afro-jazz in southern Africa. I suggest that jazz cosmopolitanism, rooted in socio-musical practices in southern Africa and beyond, adds a crucial layer of expressive devices and referential frameworks that illustrates important stories of human experience in this region.

The Unique and Important Jewish Responses to Proposition 8 and Marriage Equality

ABSTRACTMarriage equality is a nascent and fragile civil right in the United States. To protect this civil right we must articulate and preserve diverse religious, ethical, and legal positions from the marriage equality debates. Sadly, and incorrectly, both the popular and scholarly narratives of religions' public role and ethics on marriage equality have been told with a Christocentric and “God versus Gay” framing. Here I push the borders of that frame to include the crucially important story of Judaism and the Prop 8 marriage equality debates. Judaism made and still makes vital and unique contributions to the battle for marriage equality: the majority of Jewish congregations and organizations are in favor of marriage equality, as opposed to the majority of Christianities which are against it. Judaism models diversity within the tradition, for example how to be opposed to same‐sex marriage but not expect that it will be illegal. Jewish positions on marriage equality in the public sphere model how the civil rights of marriage equality and religious liberty can coexist and thrive.

Dead Mouse

This is a translation of Veena Verma’s (2 September 1960 - present) short story titled "Dead Mouse" for your consideration. This story is part of Verma’s collection of Punjabi-language short stories titled Mul di Tiviin (Bought Woman), which was published in 2015. Mul di Tiviin is a collection of woman-centered short stories narrating the economic, social, and cultural precarity of Punjabi women, both in Punjab and in the diaspora. Veena Verma is an important Punjabi-language short story writer. She resides in the United Kingdom where she works as a social worker. Her stories narrate the challenges and tribulations of Punjabi women trying to navigate the diaspora far from their natal homes in the Punjab, whether in Pakistan or India.

Analysis of Sait Faik Abasıyanık’s “Sarnıç” Book in the Context of Values Education

The aim of this study is to analyze the stories of Sait Faik Abasıyanık, one of the most important story writers of the Republican Period, in the context of values education. The research model is document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods. In this context, the storybook "Sarnıç" written by Sait Faik Abasıyanık was selected as the study document of the research. The "Schwartz Values Classification" (1992), which covers a wide distribution of core values accepted in the international literature and includes the relationships between values in a near-universal way, was used as the data collection tool of the research. Descriptive analysis was used to analyze the data obtained. The sub-values of the value types in the Schwartz values classification of the storybook "Sarnıç" were found in all 16 stories (f:133). The sub-values of the value types in the Schwartz value classification in the storybook "Sarnıç" (f:133) are Power (12), Achievement (2), Hedonism (11), Stimulation (8), Self-direction (8), Universalism (35) Benevolence (30), Tradition (8), Conformity (6) and Security (8). When the values contained in the stories within the scope of the research are examined, it is observed that significant information has been reached in the context of values education. When Sait Faik's book "Sarnıç", which draws a different profile at first glance, is examined in the context of values education, the inclusion of many values leads one to think of his value consciousness and knowing his people and society well.

A linked index for an oral Tamil folk epic: a case study

Some projects have a life of their own, and in this case study Ronnie Seagren presents the experience of a straightforward book indexing project that grew into its own saga, including editing and work with a hybrid publisher. She was asked to index an important medieval Tamil epic story that was both obscure and out of print. This republishing journey took two and a half years. The index had to meet the needs of several very different audiences: Tamil scholars, students comparing epic stories, and a general public just wanting to learn something about South Asian folk culture. Indexing a work of fiction poses specific indexing dilemmas. Working with a small hybrid publisher, where the author bore all of the costs of publishing, posed many more. The project was very specific, but it has implications for indexing both fiction and self-published books.

Nakae Chomin’s World of Thought and Ideology of the Meiji Period through the “Gentleman” Character in “A Discourse by Three Drunkards on Government (Sansuijin Keirin Mondo)”

From the second half of the 19th century, many intellectuals of the Meiji Japan serve as a referance for us in order to understand the roadmap of Japan which has revealed an important modernization story under the name of the Meiji Restoration. One of the enlightened thinkers we come across at this point is Nakae Chōmin. Nakae Chōmin, (1847-1901) contributed to the establishment of concepts such as freedom, equality, democracy and constitutionalism in the political memory of Japan through his articles. At the same time, he created a concept memory in the Japanese political thought and brought new concepts to the Japanese language.
 In this study, ideology analysis was made in “Sansuijin Keirin Mondō (A Discourse by Three Drunkards on Government)” which is called Nakae Chōmin’s masterpiece and conveys the ideas of the Meiji period to the reader through different characters. In this work, written with the Socratic dialogue method, the understanding of modernism, idealism, pacifism, freedom, equality, democracy etc. was examined by focusing on the “Gentleman”, one of the characters described as Nakae Chōmin’s alter ego. At the conclusion of the study, we have determined that a great majority of the ideas put forward by the character of “Gentleman” are also included in Nakae Chōmin’s intellectual framework, especially in the liberal views before 1891.

Indigenous Genealogies of Relational Knowledge: Cedar Tree and Gray Squirrel as Important Relatives and Teachers

Indigenous peoples have education systems thousands of years old that have sustained our peoples in respectful relation with place. The backbone of our education systems is our stories and storytelling traditions. Beyond mere intellectual or analytical “texts” or “literature”, our stories place us in webs of relationships with sacred responsibilities. In this article, we discuss the importance of Indigenous genealogies of knowledge from both personal expertise and Indigenous Studies scholarship. We then describe a project on Yakama homelands in which Sahaptin storytelling is honored as a knowledge system that guides leaders and educators in their work. This project demonstrates the important role Indigenous stories can play in fostering more respectful and responsive systems. We argue that if educational programs or institutions wish to develop and remain in respectful relationships with Indigenous peoples and place, leaders and educators must learn to value, learn from, and lead with Indigenous knowledges.

Elusive boundaries: using an attribute framework to describe systems for population physical activity promotion.

The cost of physical inactivity is alarming, and calls for whole-of-system approaches to population physical activity promotion (PPAP) are increasing. One innovative approach to PPAP is to use a framework of interdependent attributes and associated dimensions of effective systems for chronic disease prevention. Describing system boundaries can be an elusive task, and this article reports on using an attribute framework as a first step in describing and then assessing and strengthening a provincial system for PPAP in British Columbia, Canada. Interviews were conducted with provincial stakeholders to gather perspectives regarding attributes of the system. Following this, two workshops were facilitated to document important stories about the current system for PPAP and link story themes with attributes. Results from interviews and workshops were summarized into key findings and a set of descriptive statements. One hundred and twenty-one statements provide depth, breadth and scope to descriptions of the system through the lens of an adapted framework including four attributes: (i) implementation of desired actions, (ii) resources, (iii) leadership and (iv) collaborative capacity. The attribute framework was a useful tool to guide a whole-of-system approach and turn elusive boundaries into rich descriptors of a provincial system for PPAP. Immediate implications for our research are to translate descriptive statements into variables, then assess the system through group model building and identify leverage points from a causal loop diagram to strengthen the system. Future application of this approach in other contexts, settings and health promotion and disease prevention topics is recommended.

Puppetry to educate social work practitioners: Telling the refugee story

Summary The complexities of refugee resettlement are difficult to comprehend, and alternative approaches to education may enhance empathy. Puppetry's art form often engages broad audiences, allowing puppets to tell important stories. This project developed a research-based educational puppet show to increase understanding of refugees in the United States (US). Using a mixed-method approach, this exploratory study (1) interviewed eleven refugees from five origin countries; (2) analyzed the interviews for salient themes; (3) developed a “master” play based on emergent themes; (4) delivered the play through puppetry; and (5) empirically assessed the efficacy of puppetry in disseminating information about refugees. Findings Five overarching themes regarding refugee resettlement emerged from the interviews, namely, (1) economic concerns; (2) language barriers; (3) socio-cultural differences; (4) misperceptions; and (5) altered family dynamics. Almost all 107 respondents who completed a pre- and post-show survey evidenced having gained new knowledge about resettlement in the areas of (i) refugee status; (ii) the arrival process; (iii) economic realities; (iii) adaptation issues; and (iv) refugee perceptions of opportunities in the US. Applications The salient findings of the interviews were consistent with extant literature on refugee resettlement and the 40-min research-based puppet show confirmed that puppetry can be an alternative, or supplementary, training tool. Puppetry brings life to didactic presentations for social workers and other service providers through effective portrayals of difficulties faced by both refugee and host in the adaptation process. It also suggests that puppetry can sensitize and educate practitioners on issues that can be controversial.

Strategic uses of constitutional originalism by conservatives in US gun politics and beyond

ABSTRACT Political scientists have increasingly operationalised ‘Discourse’ as a means through which actors promote their interests. Building on Plehwe (2011, 2014) and Hajer’s (1995, 2006) concept of discourse coalition theory, I explore how actors promote their interests via discourse. I do this through the case of constitutional originalism: the interpretation of the US Constitution in according to its historical provisions, viewing citizens’ rights as determined at the point of its drafting, irrespective of revisions appropriate to modern society. Such a view has become a mainstream philosophy. I show constitutional originalism’s strategic utility for conservatives, as a study of shared ‘flexible discourse’ through which multiple actors pursue differing objectives. In short, actors us the same idea differently and this ‘quid pro quo’ entrenches both the narrative and establishes actors’ goals. This question is the notion that ideology is a coherent thing: rather, it is a convenience that is strategically deployed by different members of the coalition. I develop the framework of Flexible Discourse Theory to this end. ‘Discourse’ is a strategic tool allowing for strength in number, fortifying individual groups’ pursuit of their political ends and the political vehicle which allows differing value sets to be pursued. It is also a means through which diverse coalitions can be built, in which mediating discourses are compatible with diverse values and do not fall between blocs’ ideological faultlines. Flexible discourses’ strategic utility is an important story of political bloc and coalition formation. It elucidates the role of ideation as a deployable tool, through which coalitions are maintained. I explore this theory by analysing constitutional originalism’s political uses for the American right, in the victory case for originalism, D.C. v. Heller (2008) on Second Amendment rights, and how this strategy is deployed towards a variety of other political stances. In brief, this is a study of how actors use ideology strategically and instrumentally to realise their interests.

Human exceptionalism and the lot of animals: Telling stories about “human nature” in the anthropocene

This paper arose from a discussion of Maria Kronfeldner?s book What?s Left of Human Nature? In it, I am chiefly concerned with two things: the role that other animals are afforded in discussions about and attempts at defining ?human nature?, and a critique of the concept of nature that is utilized in the book. Furthermore, I view science as storytelling practice, and scholarly narratives about ?human nature? as important stories in order to pose the question of accountability of telling such stories in the Anthropocene.

Tiny Teeth Fairy Tale

Background: “Obsessed by a fairy tale, we spend our lives searching for a magic door and a lost kingdom of peace.”- Eugene O’Neill I believe we love fairy tales because they are surprisingly relevant to real life. And in our deepest core, we know it. Fairy tales are extremely important stories with lessons that we remember all our lives. They are loved by absolutely everyone, because of the hidden deep meaning and lesson that each new story gives us. My article “Tiny Teeth Fairy Tale” is not an exception, but an addition to this statement. A review article emphasising the importance of teeth in a fairy tale format is presented to your attention. I believe that you will like it.

2023 roundup: The most important kidney cancer research stories of the year

Each of these stories is an incredible example of the progress we’ve made in kidney cancer research from 2023, based on their impact and significance.

Self- and other-focused autobiographical memories of life story events across cultures

ABSTRACT Autobiographical memory and personal life stories are typically conceived as memories about the self. However, personal life stories often contain information about important events from other people’s lives. Sometimes those memories become an important part of our own life stories, illuminating the role that other people play in remembering our personal past. In this study, we examined the extent to which memories of important life story events are self-focused (e.g., I moved to Japan) or other-focused (e.g., My child graduated from college). Participants from Mexico, Greenland, China, Denmark and the United States recalled and dated seven autobiographical memories of important personal life story events. Participants also rated the memories for importance and emotional valence. The memories were coded as self- or other-focused. Participants recalled mainly self-focused memories. However, Danish and Chinese participants recalled about 20% other-focused memories. Danish participants recalled negative events about their parents, whereas Chinese participants recalled positive events about their children. Self-focused and other-focused memories differed in their emotional valence and lifespan distribution, but not in importance. The findings show that individuals remember other-focused memories and also incorporate them into their own personal life stories. Conceptual implications for autobiographical memory are discussed.

Liminality and Longing in Zora Neale Hurston’s Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” and Dionne Brand’s At the Full and Change of the Moon

In Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” (2018) and At the Full and Change of the Moon (1999), Zora Neale Hurston and Dionne Brand, two prominent African diasporic writers, pen narratives in which they centralize the challenges ingrained in the in-between spaces Black people occupy at the nexus of slavery and freedom. Through Hurston’s non-fiction narrative and Brand’s fictional narrative, they offer us important stories in which two African-descended men, Kossola and Kamena, bravely inhabit that nexus and willfully forge a space in which they assert and pursue their versions of freedom and fulfillment despite the tragedies and longing that haunt them. In Barracoon and At the Full and Change of the Moon, both authors document how persistent freedom quests and insistence on retaining and passing remembrances serve as forms of resistance to consumption by this liminal space. In both texts, then, Hurston and Brand provide us with important African diasporic narratives about the continuity of survival, resilience, and empowerment in the face of tremendous adversity.

In, Against, and Beyond the Ivory: Dreams of Belonging Otherwise through Wonder and Embodied Poetry

In this article, the authors navigate how equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) projects tether us to the neoliberal university in seductive and ultimately, limited ways. The topical triad of EDI, explored through the Canadian Congress of Humanities and Social Sciences’ “Igniting Change: Final Report and Recommendations,” holds important stories about how disability, race, and broadly speaking, normalcy, matter to academic institutions. How is disability storied within the neoliberal university? How are we called to belong within, and be members of, the university through the promise of progress? A poetic engagement creates space for wonder, simultaneously effacing stories that claim to know disability, race, and other forms of being-in-the-world codified as non-normal. As an expression of feeling as freedom, embodied poetry is a creative response to white-settler hegemonic interests that foreclose possibilities for meanings of disability and race; embodied poetry potentiates dreams of living otherwise within, against, and beyond the ivory.

Geopolitics, Infrastructure and Scale-Making in the Southern Gas Corridor

ABSTRACT Like all infrastructure, geopolitical infrastructures tell important stories about particular intentions in physical form. Cross-border fossil gas pipelines that are built to promote interests that go beyond state borders and territories are considered geopolitical infrastructures par excellence. Taking to its ethnographic focus the Southern Gas Corridor, a fossil gas transit regime and logistical mega infrastructure recently completed between the Caspian Basin and the European Union, this article examines the twin processes of the infrastructuralisation of geopolitics and the geopoliticisation of infrastructure in this region. It advocates for a meso-level recalibration of theory-building and ethnographic scope to the roles of the elites, experts, professionals, transnational activists, local stakeholders and the political materiality of the infrastructure in cross-border governance, sovereignty and statecraft by transnational infrastructural means. It argues that, in the Southern Gas Corridor, the construction of the ‘geopolitical’ as a scale was achieved not in a top-down fashion but by deliberate efforts of its human and non-human agents and actors.

Between news and history: identifying networked topics of collective attention on Wikipedia

The digital information landscape has introduced a new dimension to understanding how we collectively react to new information and preserve it at the societal level. This, together with the emergence of platforms such as Wikipedia, has challenged traditional views on the relationship between current events and historical accounts of events, with an ever-shrinking divide between “news” and “history”. Wikipedia’s place as the Internet’s primary reference work thus poses the question of how it represents both traditional encyclopaedic knowledge and evolving important news stories. In other words, how is information on and attention towards current events integrated into the existing topical structures of Wikipedia? To address this, we develop a temporal community detection approach towards topic detection that takes into account both short term dynamics of attention as well as long term article network structures. We apply this method to a dataset of one year of current events on Wikipedia to identify clusters of Wikipedia articles related to news events, distinct from those that would be found solely from page view time series correlations or static network structure. We are able to resolve the topics that more strongly reflect unfolding current events vs more established knowledge by the relative importance of collective attention dynamics vs link structures. We also offer important developments by identifying and describing the emergent topics on Wikipedia. This work provides a means of distinguishing how these information and attention clusters are related to Wikipedia’s twin faces of encyclopaedic knowledge and current events—crucial to understanding the production and consumption of knowledge in the digital age.

Book Review: Ecologies of a Storied Planet in the Anthropocene

Dazzling. Ecologies of a Storied Planet in the Anthropoceneis simply dazzling in its breadth of research, its nuanced theorizing, and its clarity of expression.Serpil Oppermann brings together an enormous body of research from across many disciplines to argue the material ecocritical position that matter (biological and non-) has important stories to tell us and that we ignore them at our own peril.