Literary Theory Research Articles

Literature Manuals in Times of New Mediacy in Sweden

The present article focuses on the role of the teaching and learning of literature in a large-scale Swedish, professional development programme for teachers called the Reading Lift. More specifically this study, using qualitative content analysis, examines the educational function of the most prominently referred to literary didactic theory and method developers in the program: Judith Langer, Aidan Chambers, Louise M. Rosenblatt, and Rita Felski, but also the relationship between literary didactics, literacy, and fiction. The results show a strong domination of Langer-inspired manual and strategy-based approaches, primarily promoting efferent reading stances. More holistic hermeneutic and dialogic approaches in support of aesthetic reading, represented by Chambers, Rosenblatt and Felski, are less common. Further, there is a strong alliance between the literacy concept and the systematic and manual-based literary didactic approaches. Also, in the literacy discourse, literary works of art have become not just texts amongst other texts, and foreign, but are also framed as hypermediacy. Based on our results we tentatively suggest that a shift in paradigms of literature education has taken place, from literature pedagogy, grounded in print culture, to literature didactics, situated in new mediacy and the digital.

Gendered Psyche: A Psychoanalytical Reading of Jacob Tobia’s Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story

This literary research paper employs psychoanalytic literary theory to delve into the complex interplay between identity formation and transgender experiences in Jacob Tobia’s memoir titled Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story. Through the lens of psychoanalysis, the study aims to unravel the intricate layers of self-discovery, acceptance, and resistance present in the text. By closely examining the text, the paper explores how psychoanalytic concepts like the unconscious, symbolism, and repression contribute to an enriched understanding of transgender characters' psychological landscapes.The analysis focuses on the representation of transgender characters in literature, examining how their narratives echo and diverge from psychoanalytic frameworks such as those proposed by Sigmund Freud and Jacques Lacan. The paper argues that psychoanalytic approaches can shed light on the internal conflicts and external societal pressures that shape transgender identities within the literary realm. Through carefully examining character motivations, symbolism, and narrative structures, the study elucidates how these works engage with psychoanalytic concepts to offer nuanced and empathetic portrayals of transgender experiences.Furthermore, this research explores the broader implications of employing psychoanalytic perspectives in the analysis of transgender literature, contending that such an approach can deepen our understanding of the complex and often subconscious dynamics at play in the construction of gender identity. Drawing connections between psychoanalytic theory and literary representation, this paper contributes to ongoing discussions surrounding the psychological dimensions of transgender experiences in literature, offering insights into the intricate relationship between identity formation and psychoanalytic frameworks within transgender narratives.

Impact of Narrative Structure on Reader Interpretation in South Africa

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the impact of narrative structure on reader interpretation in South Africa. Methodology: This study adopted a desk methodology. A desk study research design is commonly known as secondary data collection. This is basically collecting data from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. Our current study looked into already published studies and reports as the data was easily accessed through online journals and libraries. Findings: Narrative structure profoundly influences how readers interpret a story. Linear narratives, with a clear beginning, middle, and end, tend to guide readers through a predictable trajectory, offering a sense of closure and coherence. In contrast, nonlinear structures challenge readers by presenting events out of chronological order or through multiple perspectives, inviting them to actively piece together the story's meaning. The study suggest that while linear narratives may be more accessible and easier to follow, nonlinear structures often provoke deeper engagement and critical thinking, as readers grapple with the complexities of fragmented timelines and shifting perspectives. Additionally, the emotional impact of a narrative can vary depending on its structure, with nonlinear narratives often evoking heightened suspense and intrigue. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: Reader-response theory, cognitive literary theory and narratology may be used to anchor future studies on assessing the impact of narrative structure on reader interpretation in South Africa. Practical recommendations involve applying research findings to inform the creation, analysis, and teaching of literature. Policy recommendations entail advocating for initiatives that promote diverse and inclusive narratives and support research in literature and reader engagement.

Divine command theory and the (supposed) incoherence of self-commanding

Abstract Theological voluntarism is a family of metaethical views that share the claim that deontological statuses of actions are dependent on or identical with some divine feature. Adams's version of this theistic metaethical view is a divine command theory (DCT). According to Adams's DCT, the property being-morally-obligated is identical to the property being-commanded-by-God. Thus, a natural consequence of Adams's DCT is that an agent is morally obligated to do something just in case God commands that agent to do such a thing. From Adams's DCT, it follows that God is morally obligated to act just in case God commands himself to act. Quinn argued that commanding oneself is incoherent and, therefore, that God cannot be morally obligated to act. The claim that commanding oneself is incoherent has seldom been discussed in the divine command theory literature. This article is an attempt to change that. Here, I argue (contra Quinn) that that no constitutive rule (or condition of satisfaction) of self-commands is incoherent, from which it follows that self-commanding is not an incoherent speech act. I conclude that divine command theorists can, without the charge of incoherence, affirm that God can be morally obligated because God can command himself.

Feminine Mystique Experienced by Ana Concion in Angie Cruz’s Dominicana

Women are often deprived of their rights based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics. Betty Friedan thinks patriarchal culture makes women too passive, do not think independently, and do not work for themselves. In addition, women are often trapped in feminine mystique, meaning that they are only fixated on the demands of serving their husbands and doing domestic chores. The novel Dominicana by Angie Cruz talks about Ana (the main female character) trapped in a feminine mystique. That novel is the primary source of data in this study. The aims are to find out how feminine mystique is presented in the novel and explain Ana's efforts to get out of these issues. The researcher uses a feminist literary criticism as an approach and applies Betty Friedan's feminine mystique theory. Thus, the results of this study indicate that Ana did not get her rights as a woman and only did domestic chores without having access to public sphere. Therefore, she made various efforts, such as against her husband, finding a part-time job, joining an English class, and revealing her husband's affair. However, the researcher only focuses on the main female character, to discuss the Feminine Mystique that she experiences and the resistance she does. In future research, the researcher hopes that many will analyze this novel as an object of study in literary criticism. Many literary criticism theories and approaches can be used to analyze this novel, such as psychoanalysis, historicism, structuralism, and sociology of literature. Future researchers can also examine this novel with the same approach by choosing different theoretical references.

Li Zehou’s Ideas on Chinese Modernity Revisited

Li Zehou’s Ideas on Chinese Modernity Revisited

Relational Skills and Corporate Productivity in a Comparative Size Class Perspective

AbstractDrawing on insights from various fields within game theory literature, such as strategic interactions, social dilemmas, gift exchange, and procedural utility, we argue that corporate social responsibility (CSR) and relational skills—whether between firms, employers and workers, among workers themselves, or with stakeholders—are associated with positive effects on productivity. We test this hypothesis using a comparative approach across small, medium, and large Italian firms, leveraging data from the 2019 CSR survey conducted by the Italian Statistical Institute (ISTAT). Our analysis reveals that firm size plays a crucial role in the impact of relational skills on added value per worker, even after controlling for relevant factors. Key components of relational skills identified in our study include corporate policies focusing on workers' well-being, prioritizing teamwork attitudes in recruitment, supporting initiatives within the local productive network, and involving stakeholders in CSR initiatives. Our findings indicate that stakeholder engagement positively impacts all firm sizes, while worker well-being is particularly significant for small and medium firms, local network initiatives for medium and large firms, and teamwork for medium-sized firms. Instrumental variable estimates find evidence of a causal link beyond these correlations. We conclude that firm size exhibits an inverse U-shaped effect on the impact of teamwork skills, reduces the influence of gift exchange mechanisms, and strengthens the effects of investments in the local productive environment on added value per worker.

Contingencies of localization in literary theory

Contingencies of localization in literary theory

Queer temporalities and the life course: Trans aging in Torrey Peters' Detransition, Baby (2021)

Torrey Peters' debut novel Detransition, Baby from 2021, a Women's Prize for Fiction nominee, problematizes gender norms by telling the story of three main characters: Reese, a trans woman, Ames, who de-transitioned to live as a man again, and Katrina, a Chinese and Jewish cis woman who is also Ames' lover and boss. Ames and Katrina are expecting a child and are testing the possibilities of having a non-conventional family together with Reese. Parenthood is, thus, the central theme of the novel which structures also the sections of book into the time before the conception and the weeks after it. By doing so, the temporal framework of the novel queers the linearity of heteronormative life courses on the form as well as the content level. Therefore, the interplay of form and content invites to critically investigate how the concept of trans time that challenges linearity and normative conformity (Halberstam, 2005) may provide useful insights into trans aging and the life course through this literary representation. Following, contemporary feminist theorists' commitments to negotiate what makes “life more livable for those whose gender presentation, identity, or bodily experience have been judged abnormal, nonexistent, or impossible” (Karhu, 2022, 304–305), this paper aims at carrying out a critical feminist literary analysis of trans aging, queer life courses and the thereof related gendered norms in Peters' novel. By relying predominantly on feminist poststructuralist theories (Butler 2004) and cultural aging studies (Maierhofer, 2019), it is the aim to challenge normativity and limited social norms through this critical literary reading.

Unveiling the role of congruity in service robot design and deployment

Purpose This paper aims to examine the congruency effects of physically embodied robots in service encounters, which addressed a significant research gap concerning the synthesis of robot design elements (e.g., appearance and voice) and their service purposes. Design/methodology/approach Grounded in congruity theory and human-robot interaction literature, this study conducted a pretest and two experimental studies revealing the need to view robot design holistically and recognizing the pivotal role of congruity in shaping consumers’ service robot adoption. The moderating role of service purposes (utilitarian vs hedonic) was also investigated in terms of robot design and consumer reactions. Findings Consumers generally tend to favor robots with congruent designs, particularly for utilitarian service purposes. The serial mediation through perceived congruence and perceived intelligence explains such a favorite tendency. Practical implications This study advances service robot design research by highlighting the critical role of congruity in enhancing consumer engagement. It supports the use of comprehensive, congruent designs for services with utilitarian purposes and recommends adaptable designs for hedonic settings. Originality/value This study addressed the research gap by examining service robot design from a holistic perspective. The research findings highlight the importance of congruency effects in service robot design and deployment and provide valuable insights and guidelines to industry practitioners for optimal investment in service robots.

The shape of chance: what can stones tell us about artistic creativity and literary theory?

The shape of chance: what can stones tell us about artistic creativity and literary theory?

Neuro-Aesthetics – Representing the Mind on Stage

Neuro-Aesthetics – Representing the Mind on Stage

The Space of the Stylite

For scholars and students of Late Antiquity, the stylite’s column exerts a special appeal. Scholars have examined literary representations of stylites and sought out visual parallels for the phenomenon of column-standing. This article shows that topographical contexts were central to establishing the potency of the column as a holy object and the trajectory of stylitism in history. I employ the term topography broadly to encompass the physical characteristics of an area, the ways in which humans augmented physical characteristics through the built environment, and specific architectural organizations. I examine three topographical contexts and make three interconnected arguments. By selecting the hill adjacent to Telanissos as the location for his columns, the premier stylite Symeon (d. 459) participated in a long-standing regional tradition of activating the numinous power of high places and stone through cultic activity. The monumental pilgrimage complex built after Symeon’s death made the column a relic and integrated veneration of Symeon into liturgical ritual. The incorporation of stylites into northern Syria’s cenobitic communities circumscribed stylitism as a distinctly monastic vocation. These three contexts illustrate that the significance of the column was located in processes of production and reception. At the same time, stylite columns were not passive objects. They faced the gods of old; they enriched ecclesiastical rituals; they molded the bodies of those who activated them; they proclaimed the ascendancy of monastic institutions. As both products of their topography and agents within it, stylite columns constructed a distinctive Christian landscape in Syria’s limestone massif.

Anatomy of the Superstitious Mind: Subjectivity and Interiority in Two Early Twentieth-Century Rebuttals to Liaozhai's Records of the Strange

Abstract Focusing on the issue of psychological portrayal, this essay examines two early twentieth-century rebuttals of Liaozhai's Records of the Strange published in newly founded Chinese fiction magazines. Although the two rebuttals lend themselves easily to a didactic interpretation, the essay argues that their demystification of the supernatural is equally in service of literary representation of individualized subjectivity endowed with interiority. Besides aligning itself with the ongoing efforts to recover alternative forms of modernity repressed by the May Fourth discourse, this essay endeavors to contribute to a fuller understanding of the diversity of ideologies, forms, and styles in so-called new fiction.

Ethics in AI through the practitioner’s view: a grounded theory literature review

The term ethics is widely used, explored, and debated in the context of developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) based software systems. In recent years, numerous incidents have raised the profile of ethical issues in AI development and led to public concerns about the proliferation of AI technology in our everyday lives. But what do we know about the views and experiences of those who develop these systems – the AI practitioners? We conducted a grounded theory literature review (GTLR) of 38 primary empirical studies that included AI practitioners’ views on ethics in AI and analysed them to derive five categories: practitioner awareness, perception, need, challenge, and approach. These are underpinned by multiple codes and concepts that we explain with evidence from the included studies. We present a taxonomy of ethics in AI from practitioners’ viewpoints to assist AI practitioners in identifying and understanding the different aspects of AI ethics. The taxonomy provides a landscape view of the key aspects that concern AI practitioners when it comes to ethics in AI. We also share an agenda for future research studies and recommendations for practitioners, managers, and organisations to help in their efforts to better consider and implement ethics in AI.

중일(中日) 근대문예론의 형성과 그 이동(異同)에 관한 소고(小考)

This paper attempts to compare the literary theory of Tsubouchi Shoyo(坪內逍遙), which was developed from the 'arts-the arts' examined throughout Wang Guowei's(王國維) literary theory, and Wang Guei's literary theory, which was established as the early modern Japanese literary theory. As Tsubouchi Shoyo's first statement, 'Novels are art(美術)' in 『Shosetsu Shinzui(小說神髓)』 opened the chapter of modern Japanese literary theory, this paper aims to explore Wang Guowei's literary theories in relation to the formation of modern literary theory in China. Therefore, in the case of the formation of Japanese modern art theory, Tsubouchi Shoyo's use of Western literary theory and logic in his own way within the magnetic field of pragmatic thought and literary dance theory that spread throughout Japanese society in the 1880s, while building a literary theory that incorporated the discourse of the Japanese art world at the time, was used as a guide to examine the formation of Chinese modern art theory and Wang Guowei's literary theory treatise. This was further utilized to examine the shifts in the theses that were common to their literary theories. In fact, the formation environment of Sino-Japanese modern literary theory was different in terms of its reception and paragraph situation according to the way the two countries experienced modern East Asia, but there are also similar points. It is also true that Wang Guowei's and Tsubouchi Shoyo's views and arguments on the literary arts developed in very different ways after they published their literary theory works and related papers, depending on their respective life trajectories and the circumstances of their respective countries. Nevertheless, neither Tsubouchi Shoyo nor Wang Guowei built a separate literary theory that completely excluded the dominant discourse in the academic and literary circles of their time. Rather, Wang Guowei, who studied a wide range of disciplines, including mathematics and natural sciences, could be said to have been more attuned to and thought about the axioms of modern China's time and built his literary theories in response to them.

Horizon of Expectation of Mandarin Students Towards the Novel Huo Zhe (活着): Literary Reception Approach

This study discusses the horizon of expectations of the students in the novel Huózhe (活着) by Yu Hua. This research aims to measure the horizon of expectations that readers have regarding the ideas conveyed by the novel Huo Zhe (活着), so it is hoped that this can contribute to the development of literary reception theory. The theory used is the literary reception theory which focuses on exploring the form of a horizon of expectation, so that the presence of a literary work can be accepted in society. The methodology used is qualitative descriptive method as a basis for determining variables, problem formulation, data collection techniques, data classification and data analysis. The research informants were 35 students majoring in the Mandarin Language from 6th and 8th semesters who had taken the concentration in literature. Informants will be asked to read Yu Hua's novel Huózhe (活着) and provide their responses through a questionnaire. The results of this study indicate that the novel Huózhe (活着) fulfils the 3 criteria carried in the Jauss theory, namely the values depicted in the text, the knowledge and experience of the readers, and the conflict between fiction and reality. Thus, it can be concluded that the reading informants from the 6th and 8th-semester students majoring in Chinese accept the novel Huózhe (活着) positively, The results of acceptance positively influence new views that are built into the reader's horizon of expectations in interpreting the meaning of the ideas conveyed by the novel.

THE PROBLEM OF NATIONAL IDENTITY IN MARTIN MCDONAGH’S THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE

The end of the nineteenth century was a turning point for Irish theatre with the establishment of the Irish Literary Theatre as playwrights attempted to write national plays disengaging from the British theatre. This period is known as the Celtic Revival, a period of building a national identity both by political and cultural action, during which the playwrights contributed to the rejuvenation of the old Irish myths and traditions. However, at the end of the twentieth century when Ireland became a multicultural country with multiple identities, and opened to the outer world politically and economically, the Irish theatre, too, started to change its outlook by problematizing the nationalistic elements of Irishness instead of glorifying the national and cultural values. The Irish playwright, Martin McDonagh has also maintained a pluralist approach challenging the traditional and national elements in his plays. Instead of adhering to a national identity, McDonagh believes in cultural pluralism to adapt to the new century. McDonagh’s pluralist approach will be discussed with Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of ‘nomadic identity’ and ‘rhizome’. Thus, this paper aims to analyze how McDonagh problematizes the national identity in The Beauty Queen of Leenane by portraying characters, who are incarcerated by meaningless national values and norms.

AN ANALYSIS OF FEMINIST CRITICISM AND DESCRIPTION OF THE PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN IN THE MULTI-LEVEL AND TRADITIONAL SOCIETY IN THE SELECTED WORK A ROSE FOR EMILY BY WILLIAM FAULKNER

This paper delves into the realm of feminist criticism and explores the portrayal of women in traditional society through a close examination of William Faulkner's renowned short story, "A Rose for Emily." The study aims to shed light on the patriarchal constructs that shaped women's roles and identities during the time the story was set. Drawing upon feminist literary theory, the research analyzes the ways in which Faulkner depicts the female character in "A Rose for Emily." Emily's life becomes a symbol of the oppression and control exerted on women in the patriarchal society depicted in the story. Using textual evidence and critical analysis, the paper explores the themes of oppression, control, and the limited agency granted to women in the traditional Southern society. Furthermore, the research examines the impact of societal norms on the character's choices, relationships, and sense of self. Through a comprehensive examination of the selected work, this research aims to contribute to the existing body of knowledge on feminist criticism and the portrayal of women in traditional societies. By delving into the complexities of gender dynamics and societal expectations, it seeks to foster a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by women in patriarchal societies and the ways in which literature reflects and perpetuates these structures.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0787/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Le concept de contamination dans les relations trans-univers : Napoléon dans un monde fictionnel

Richard J. Gerrig revisited one of the most persistent myths of literary theory, Coleridge’s “willing suspension of disbelief” to point out that, contrary to what the English poet believed, our natural proclivity is not to disbelieve, but to believe that everything is true, even fiction. He reversed Coleridge’s concept and revealed that the real effort on the part of the reader is the “construction of disbelief” when one reads fiction; we do not need to willingly suspend disbelief since we naturally believe. But then what happens when one reads a novel in which real historical figures such as Napoleon are mentioned, or even used as characters? The best way to answer this question is to adopt similar conclusions as the ones reached by Brian McHale in Postmodernist Fiction regarding authors who project themselves into their fiction, metalepsis of the author in other words: “the supposedly absolute reality of the author becomes just another level of fiction, and the real world retreats to a further remove.” Thus, when authors enter their fiction, they become fictional themselves and reality is dissolved within fiction. I argue in this article that when a real person enters a fictional space, she or he is contaminated by its ontological environment, that is to say fiction.