Narrative Construction Research Articles

Cultural-linguistic diversity in Italy and Sweden? A sociomaterial analysis of policies for heritage language education

ABSTRACT In this paper, we critically discuss the impact of policy documents on the construction of national narratives on the provision of support for cultural-linguistic diversity in education systems in two European countries. The analysis focuses upon a selection of national policy documents that deal with the planning and provision of HLE since the 1990s. We take critical pedagogy and sociomateriality as theoretical lenses to investigate educational policies on HLE. Thus, this study critically traces the ways in which language ideologies are enmeshed with legislative, political and educational discourses by following an inductive and retroductive process, wherein key-concepts, themes and critical configurations of HLE are mapped, compared, re-assembled and discussed in terms of a complex system. The analysis shows that the (non-)provision of HLE shapes the educational space and the value references and world views that prevail and are (re)produced in it. Emerging deficit perspectives, linguistic assimilation and marginalisation processes limit the path towards more inclusive and equitable educational institutions and practices.

Naeseon Ilche and Nazi medievalism: making nation, history, and film

ABSTRACT The present study aims to compare the cinematic propaganda of colonial Korea and Nazi Germany, revealing how the two countries used film to construct narratives of nationalism. Furthermore, this study will aid our recognition and understanding of the similarities and differences between victims and aggressors in spreading nationalist propaganda. Despite the similarities between the colonial Korean and Nazi German film industries in spreading nationalist propaganda, there are significant differences between these two countries’ ways of promoting national values: the colonial Koreans adopted transcolonial nationhood (i.e. the strategy of integrating nations), whereas the Nazis excluded minorities, such as Jews. Therefore, dichotomous evaluations of the victim and the aggressor are inconsistent with existing standard interpretations. Colonial Korea, generally known as having experienced the trauma of colonization, also engaged in cinematic fabrication and the weaponization of history, as Nazi Germany did. Propaganda films in both colonial Korea and Nazi Germany played a significant role in reconstructing their national identities. Regarding the cinematic reinvention of these national identities, we should eschew the artificial dichotomy between victims and aggressors.

Narrating Conspiracy Theories: A Paradoxical Ethics of Otherness, Propaganda and Mistrust

Reflecting conspiracy theories in contemporary fiction actualises conspiratorial thinking as a specific sociocultural phenomenon and narrative. Four symptomatic novels – George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Ahmed Khaled Towfik’s Utopia, and Stephen King’s The Institute – have been analysed from a conspiratorial perspective to illuminate the most efficient ways of shaping the human perception of reality. For this purpose, the following conspiracy elements have been delineated to be the basis of the novels’ poetics: otherness, propaganda, and mistrust. They affect the authors’ strategies of storytelling in the books written in the era of the end of truth. Following an interdisciplinary approach that primarily includes the method of narrative construction and semiotic analysis, the article focuses on the conspiracy elements for plotting the selected novels and explicates conspiracy narratives for manifesting the paradoxical ethics of truth as fiction. Conceptualising this idea in the sociocultural context confers to such a kind of literature a new ethical dimension.

Reterritorialize, Baby

ABSTRACT: “Reterritorialize, Baby,” is an investigation of Torrey Peters’s recent novel, arguably the most popular novel written in the English language by and about a transgender person. This inquiry breaks down the novel according to a new conception of minor literature, borrowing some of the basic structure of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s original design, while considering the specific ways in which trans minor literature challenges not only heteronormative conceptions of identity, epistemology, and labor, but also the ways in which each of these is built into the tradition of the Western novel in modes that reflect phobic public conceptions of family, community, progress, and work. The article works through a series of deterritorializations and ultimately proposes that some of the work Detransition, Baby does is actually that of reterritorialization: remapping, extracting, and subsequently proposing new and disidentifying contexts and frames for subjects. Whether these reterritorializations represent a “new frontier” for fiction or an alternative manner of subject formation and narrative construction, trans minor literature is at a tipping point, presenting some of the most varied and incisive literature being generated on this continent today. This inquiry offers a hermeneutic for considering both one of its landmark works and its future prospects.

Storytelling systems: Progress towards generation informed by models of the reader

The present paper attempts to identify specific points of contact between efforts to generate narrative in the field of artificial intelligence and the field of narratology. Such points of contact centre around the tasks of modelling processes related to the construction of narrative in computational terms. A number of existing research efforts to develop systems related to storytelling are reviewed. An analysis of the functionalities that they cover suggests that storytelling might be profitably studied in terms of at least four different sub-tasks: Fabula generation, narrative discourse composition, text generation, and narrative interpretation. An analysis from a computational point of view of the context in which narrative is used as a means of communication between author and reader is presented. This shows that parts of the cognitive processes involved are yet to be modelled, which suggests that the set of sub-tasks identified may continue to grow with further research.

A Visual Deconstruction of La Salaga: Unveiling the Traditional Visual Language in A Balinese Painting by I Made Sesangka Puja Laksana

This research aimed to explore wimba (image), wimba methods, and expressions in the “La Salaga” painting by I Made Sesangka Puja Laksana with a focus on the structure of the storyline. This research used a descriptive qualitative research method, where the data collection technique focused on the analysis of visual language from the painting. The visual analysis included exploring the meanings of Balinese and Sulawesi culture based on how wimba created the visual narrative and visual construction in the painting. The results of this study concluded that the content of wimba or image, the method used to depict the image, and the meaning of the painting in La Salaga by I Made Sesangka Puja Laksana contained the storyline of the painting that expresses a particular space.

News Framing and Platform Affordances in Social Media

ABSTRACT Framing refers to the construction of narratives with specific intentions, emphasizing certain aspects of the story and omitting or obscuring others, thus affecting how audiences perceive social reality. Since the 1960s, journalism researchers have been interested in this phenomenon, developing multiple theories. This research seeks to analyze how framing connects with the affordances of platforms in international conflict news narration on official Instagram and Twitter profiles of Spanish and Qatari media. By examining these platforms, we can delve deeper into the use of framing adapted to the digital environment and explore nuances and implications. To this end, we meticulously analyzed 251 Instagram and Twitter posts from three leading newspapers in both countries, applying grounded theory through an abductive content analysis. This comprehensive approach allowed us to define codes that help us understand how the affordances of the platforms impact the construction of meaning and the establishment of new frames. In conclusion, this study sheds light on how this digital scenario contributes to the deployment of digital frames derived from the unique affordances provided by these platforms, ultimately shaping our perception, and understanding of news narratives and offering insights into the evolving nature of media communications.

Compelling Legends

Abstract This article contributes to recent discussions regarding the reliability and modes of historical usability of Shivḥei ha-Beshṭ—the earliest Ḥasidic hagiography about the Baʿal Shem Ṭov, the alleged founder of Ḥasidism, and his circle. It considers the biographical portrayal of one of the members of the Beshṭ’s circle as an example for the narrative construction of early Ḥasidism. An unknown text is then presented as external evidence for one of the legends, enabling insight into the prolonged formation of this hagiographical compendium from the recounted events until its publication in 1814. This test case contributes to inquiries such as the place of historical events in sacred narratives, the cultural contexts for the composition of such legends, and the significance of their apparent reliability as the narrator’s agendas towards audience’s appreciation.

Religious Conflict Between Israeli and Hamas: Naming of Weapons and Battles

This research underscores the critical role of language representations in warfare, showing how naming can be a robust instrument in psychological war and narrative construction. The paper analyzes the naming practices for weaponry and battles in the Israeli-Hamas conflict, stressing the extensive use of religious and ideological symbolism by both parties. Tracking the historical and cultural contexts behind these conventions, the researchers highlight the great impact of naming on the conflict as a whole. Studying the various names given to weapons and wars, the paper unveils the deeply-rooted religious ideologies and political discourse used by Israel and Hamas. The findings reveal that naming conventions are not random, rather they are strategic tools that aim at legitimizing and obtaining support, as well as reflecting the conflict's sociopolitical dimensions. The study also found that naming practices contributes to constructing identities and justifying actions in the Israeli-Hamas conflict, illustrating the interaction of physical and symbolic elements in military and ideological strategies. In conclusion, the study provides a new perspective on the interdependent relationship between language, history, religion, and warfare.

More or less than human? Evaluating the role of AI-as-participant in online qualitative research

ABSTRACT Artificial intelligence (AI) has an increasing presence in scholarship, posing new challenges and opportunities for qualitative researchers. Generative AI, such as Chat-GPT, can supposedly produce humanlike responses, which has implications for online qualitative research, which relies on human participation. In this paper, we contribute to debates about AI as a research participant (‘AI-as-participant’) and the threat of imposter participation in qualitative research. We share our unexpected encounter with AI during our story completion study on mobile dating during the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss how we identified AI responses within our dataset. Central to our analysis was our theoretical grounding of feminist new materialism, which attuned us to the affective and discursive qualities of our participant data. Using our theoretical lens, in tandem with other strategies, we examined the affective forces that signalled stark differences between previous, human-generated data and that of the current study. Analysing the discursive construction of narratives further alerted us to the absence of humans within our data. We conclude that AI cannot sufficiently replicate affect or capture the richness of human experience that is central to qualitative research, and offer recommendations for future researchers to anticipate and check for AI as an unwelcome research participant.

The Construction of Human Rights Narratives in the 2022 World Cup: A Critical Examination of US and Qatari News Coverage

This study examines the tensions in the representations of human rights discourses in the context of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Primarily drawing from postcolonial approaches, it investigates how the construction of human rights narratives were deployed by two leading publications representing US ( The New York Times—NYT) and Qatari ( Gulf Times—GT) viewpoints. In doing so, the study probes the representation and self-portrayal of Qatari cultural, political, and socio-economic repertoire by the NYT and GT, respectively. Results from a qualitative content analysis highlight how the NYT emphasized the exotic Otherness of Qatar and its supposed inability-cum-illegitimacy to host the tournament. Alternatively, GT demonstrated a paradoxical disdain and desire for Western validation. Overall, the narratives in the NYT and GT tell a story of an ambivalent relationship between the West and Qatar situated in the historical context of colonialism and reflective of the ongoing, reciprocal dialogue between publications targeting English speaking audiences.

OPPRESSIVE MECHANICS IN THE NOVEL "TODAY IS FRIDAY AND TOMORROW IS THURSDAY" BY THE NOVELIST SOFIAN RAJAB

The current research selected the novel Today is a Friday and tomorrow is a Thursday by the Tunisian novelist Sofian Rajab as a subject of its study. The selected novel draws attention to the excluded minority in Tunisia, which is a sensitive issue that may face rejection and reprisals from some. The research sought to analyze the content through the narrative construction, and to consider oppression and its mechanisms. This novel is really a multilayer tale since it has two stories that intersect and intervene for the pivotal character, (Hero/Irella), where both characters seek to be (a revelation) that tells of a religious message, there are as well changes and secondary increases in both, for instance, Irela al-Qamrani could not complete her message, which caused her to be repudiated by the group that sheltered her, so Irilla Al-Malih took it upon herself to preach her ambitions of missionary purposes. By this behavior, she was able to achieve her desires through persuading Moses to implement a number of orders and adapt it to the new situation, It was like Moses's time reported by his message, therefore she was able to change and adapt. This multi-layer narrative that is composed of two paths each specified to one of the two characters, (Irela alQamrani and Irela al-Maleh), that are both located inside the narrative tale, (the self of action/Irela al-Qamrani) and (the self of reverse/ Irela al-Maleh), and were made to be separated. The first appears in the middle of the novel, the second dominates all over the narrative until the end, they meet and overlay at the moment of the travels, where they were given the space for confrontation, that spread between reciprocity or conflict, also to regard the relationships of the human structure towards (the conflict of masculinity and femininity, the class conflict, the ...). This text goes beyond the process of defending that oppressed, suppressed and rebuked group, becoming a record that effectively addresses religious dialogue and peaceful coexistence among communities of religious faith and minorities of specific sect, and how it transcends the age-old conflict between religions and sects, and an attempt to demonstrate that all religions are divine and serve humanity. This paper discusses two important themes across two pillars of research: persecution from the other, which is different in its religion, and social support between the two as a reaction to persecution. We introduce a descriptive analytical approach so that we can investigate the manifestations and mechanisms of oppression and support in the selective narrative text and pursue it as we consider it under the microscope of drilling and interpretation.

Tales of Migration in Medieval Hungary

Abstract Medieval Hungary has been called a “guestland” because of the multiplicity of immigrant peoples living in the realm. Yet the real experiences of immigrants and narrative constructions about immigration were not always in sync. This article explores medieval tales of different types of migration into the Kingdom of Hungary: first, the mythic migration of the entire people (gens) from a supposed original homeland to a new territory; second, the family histories of noble immigrants; and finally representations of mass immigration into the Christian kingdom. To understand how medieval authors constructed such tales, we need to identify the models they used and the purposes such stories served. Biblical and literary sources inspired the story of “the Hungarians,” while noble families sought to increase their prestige by identifying early immigrant ancestors. In neither case can these medieval narratives be used as historical sources without fully engaging with their genesis. The analysis of explicit medieval reflections on the arrival of various groups into the Kingdom of Hungary also reveals how immigration could be seen in both positive and negative ways. Resting on these medieval foundations, tales of migration have persisted into the present, but they have also gained a sharper distinction: old migration is valorized, while new migration is demonized and instrumentalized in a brutally exclusionary way.

Assisting refugee survivors of torture and trauma: An existential perspective.

Consistent exposure to refugee narratives of trauma and torture can profoundly impact trauma therapists. This secondary analysis reanalyzed data from a narrative inquiry investigating the lived experiences of refugee trauma therapists. We aimed to explore emergent concerns through an existential lens to enrich understanding and provide additional insights into the lived experiences of these individuals. Participants in this purposive sample (N = 19) were therapists who had provided interventions to refugees for 2-34 years. Narrative construction, theory-guided data analysis, and memo writing were used to reanalyze data generated by semistructured interviews augmented by photo elicitation. The findings indicate that being forced to reevaluate familiar beliefs consequent to one's professional roles induced intense existential moments, described as "a dark night of the soul," "the paradox of life and death," "uncanny feelings of not being at home," and "a falling." Acknowledging the complexities of the field, an existential framework to assist refugee trauma therapists in metabolizing and living with the professional challenges they encounter instead of focusing on alleviating decontextualized symptoms of distress is recommended. Research to inform requirements of the space to enable refugee trauma therapists to share their concerns and facilitate transitions toward more authentic, nonevasive sense of "being-in-the-world" is suggested.

Cared for masculinities in nursing homes - A material perspective on the intersectionality of institutional, spacial, gendered and corporal materiality

This paper takes the co-construction of age and gender over the course of a life as a starting point and expands this perspective by looking at the intersectional interplay of institutional, spatial, and bodily materiality in the setting of a nursing home. Nursing homes are often perceived as a female space, both socially and physically. Moreover, they are institutional spaces that are primarily oriented towards the deficits of aging and bodies in need of care so that age and aging are reproduced in a narrative of decline, and gender hardly has space to be constructed. This interweaving of institutional spaces, bodies in need of care, and gender poses the question: How are age and gender produced through the space(s) of the nursing home and its materiality, and vice versa? On this basis, the influence on the construction of masculinities in the context of materialism is discussed.This paper draws on two case studies, Walter Probst (age 93) and Günther Schiffke (age 78), based on biographical interviews, to focus on the perspective of very old men in need of care and work out the interplay between the material nature of the institutional space and the body in need of care. It will be shown how closely the performance of age, gender, and masculinities is determined by spatial materiality in the nursing home and the increasing dependence of bodies in need of care, as well as how these bodies produce the spaces in turn. On the basis of the case studies, three aspects of materiality of care home spaces are highlighted. The first aspect of this materiality shows how the body can be increasingly perceived and treated as a material object. The second aspect is defined by the body situated in space, and its relationship to objects and aids. As a third aspect, the possibilities of interacting in communal and private spaces of the nursing home are explored. The article thus contributes to linking the (re-) construction of biographic narratives more strongly to spatial materiality and to embedding the construction and performance of age and gender in spatial and institutional structures, thus demonstrating that spaces and environments shape age, gender, and masculinities in a reciprocal way.

Perso-Sanskrit Narratives of the Mughal’s Tasḵẖīr-i-kashmir: Phased Opening, Ecology and Literary Strategies

This study explores the Mughal conquest of Kashmir (tasḵẖīr-i-kashmīr) through the region’s phased openings rather than a singular watershed event signalling either a climactic loss of independence or ushering in a golden age. Before 1585–89, there were two decades of patronage, diplomacy, and a steady breaching of the valley’s defences. When Mughal dominion was established, sections of the local aristocracy figured prominently as part of the new dispensation of power, while others continued to offer resistance. An analysis of imperial and local Perso-Sanskrit narratives of the conquest yields insight into how Kashmir was incorporated into the Mughal empire. This micro-historical process is the most valorised of historical transitions within the early Mughal literary discourse, it was highly represented as moment of glory and grand vehicle for rhetoric of diplomatic propaganda. This study largely demonstrates pre-modern power elites’ graded political loyalties, multi-laterality of socio-historical and ecological processes that facilitated the Mughal kingdom-seizing in Kashmir. Simultaneously moving beyond the traditional binary of ‘conquest’ vs ‘resistance’ conceptualisation and political abuse of the local narratives, it navigates the analytical efficacy and social logic of five primary narrative constructions of the Conquest produced by Mughal political elites and regional counter-elites in the terminal decade of sixteenth and early decades of the seventeenth century, namely, Akbarnāmā, Insha’ Abū’l Faẓl, Śukha-rājataraṅgiṇī, Bāhāristān-i-Sháhi and Taʼrīḵẖ-i-Kashmir.

Monitoramento das eleições brasileiras de 2022: affordances das plataformas YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter e Facebook e os usos em campanhas digitais

In this paper, we discuss the results of monitoring the 2022 Brazilian elections on YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok, Twitter/X and Facebook platforms based on the affordances present in each of them. Based on the bibliographic review, we propose a typology of affordances, classifying them according to their application in political campaigns and information flows. Next, we present the methodological procedures for the collection carried out, observing the affordances visible in the algorithmic architecture of the platforms. By analyzing the data, we identify and discuss the affordances on each platform and the ways in which they link with political content. We conclude by pointing out how the specific strategies are configured for each environment, in addition to highlighting the construction of a broader narrative, woven by a wider range of actors, in which the platforms participate in different ways in its composition.

Traveling without money: deserving ‘drifters' or panhandling 2.0?

ABSTRACT The controversial phenomenon of travelling without money, known as ‘beg-packing’, challenges conventional notions of travel. Our study explores the evolving landscape of beg-packing, including its digital manifestation as ‘e-beg-packing’. We explore the connection between drifters and beg-packers, emphasizing strategies like selling photos, staying with locals, and eliciting sympathy. To do so, we delve into how beg-packers construct narratives on crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe and the public perception of the practice on Instagram. The study indicates that beg-packers face stigma akin to drifters, with comments favouring working and saving for travel, raising questions about deservingness and privilege. Gratitude plays a role in donor perception, with an expectation of continuous updates fostering social media relationships. However, the potential for exploitation and vulnerability in e-beg-packing requires further exploration, especially concerning the limits of reciprocity and boundary-setting. In conclusion, this study embraces a multifaceted approach to dissect beg-packing, revealing its diverse nature and offering new insights into the relationship between reciprocity and travel. We present insights into trends, motivations, financial needs, and public sentiment, shedding light on the complexities of this phenomenon. By understanding the complexities of this practice, we aim to foster a more grounded and effective response to this evolving travel phenomenon.

Sites of multiplicity: anarchiving, feminism, and performance

ABSTRACT Jean Spencer (1942–1998) was an artist working in the late constructivist period in the UK, making painting and relief works characterised by geometric precision, sequential change, and, later, detailed colour theory. She was also my great aunt: her death when I was five years old meant that I grew up surrounded by her artwork, by snatches of memory, but without Jean herself. This article maps the methodology of ‘anarchiving’ used in my practice research to encounter Jean and her archives, to uncover her artistic practice and feminist politics, and transmit these archival insights forward through performance. Underpinned by feminist new materialist notions of assemblage, temporality, and agential realism, I propose that engaging with archives through movement and speculation allows a multiplicity of locally enacted meanings to emerge, and for individual truths to be found through embodied engagement with archival materials. An anarchiving methodology, then, allows for the construction of new narratives from archival material, for accessing women’s histories in new ways, and for uncovering lost legacies of creative practice. In this sense, performance can be a means to feminist solidarity, where archival insights are fed forward, familiar temporalities are disrupted, and a multiplicity of meanings emerge from its traces.

Jan Karski’s Representations – Representing Jan Karski: From Poland’s Secret Messenger to Holocaust Witness

ABSTRACT This article analyses the wide range of representations of the actions undertaken by Jan Karski. Karski was a courier for the wartime Polish government-in-exile, engaged to report on the situation in Poland, to Polish politicians in France in 1940, as well as to government leaders in London and Washington in 1942/3. Karski’s book about his diplomatic endeavors was published as early as 1944 (Story of a Secret State), but thereafter he maintained a long silence, one that was only broken in 1978 when he was interviewed for Claude Lanzmann’s Shoah (1985). From the 1980s onwards, Karski repeatedly testified to his wartime activities and experiences; he received numerous awards for his early warnings about the fate of the Polish Jews under the Nazis and became a celebrity among the ‘righteous’. Following his death in 2000, Karski’s mission has been reconsidered and subjected to wide-ranging interpretation. We take an arts and humanities approach to analyzing how far these shifting perspectives on Karski’s wartime undertakings respond to the different emphases in Karski’s postwar memoirs and his interviews in different media. The article therefore poses questions about narrative and aesthetic construction to compare Karski’s testimonies with the ways they have been represented in documentary film and fiction. We conclude that the idea of Karski’s mission has been adopted to diametrically opposed and polemical ends and attempt an adjudication between these often-incompatible representations.