National Discourse Research Articles

What a wonderful (post-apocalyptic) world: representations of India and the West in Ramayan 3392 AD

ABSTRACT The comics Ramayan 3392 AD are the only major futuristic adaptation of the Indian epic Rāmāyaṇa. Scholars have stated that the Indian element in the comics has been effaced so that the series could cater for international audiences versed on American pop culture. However, global concepts have often been appropriated by contemporary Indian nationalistic discourses. I analyse Ramayan 3392 AD through discourse analysis and the frameworks of Orientalism and re-Orientalism to conclude that, even though globalised, the elements in Ramayan 3392 AD create antithetical representations of India and the West.

(Re)Constructing the Nation in Sunlight on a Broken Column: Hossain's Perspective on the Partition of the Subcontinent

Gellner (1983) defines a nation as a myth whereas nationalism is an ideology through which people (re)invent traditions and culture to construct a nation. Nationalism revives extinct languages and reimagines extinct customs. To strengthen their nation's discourse, South Asian female writers have contributed significantly to the invention of traditions and the reconstruction of their lost culture. By addressing her nation's history and culture in her work, Hosain has also bolstered her national discourse. It is commonly known that history is typically presented through the eyes of men. Even though women have contributed substantially to the national process, their opinions are not included in history books. Since men write history, history favors men by making them the main heroes. This study aims to provide a female viewpoint on the history of the partition of the subcontinent. Thus, the researcher has selected Attia Hossain's novel, Sunlight on a Broken Column, to view her perspective on the nation and the partition of India. The concept of a nation is complex to comprehend. Different theorists have different definitions of the nation. Renan (1883), Hobsbawm and Ranger (1983), and Anderson's (1991) theories related to the nation have been used to construct a theoretical framework for this research. This study investigates factors contributing to the construction of a nation and nation-state by referencing the partition of the sub-continent and the formation of two nation-states, Pakistan and India.

From mestiço to white: refashioning racial identity in contemporary Brazil

ABSTRACT The question of who is Black in Brazil has sparked controversial debate over the past three decades. Less frequently discussed, however, is ‘who is white?.’ Recently, new meanings behind racial categories in census data, affirmative action laws, and the fields of Black Feminism and Critical Whiteness Studies have unsettled white Brazilians’ understanding of their own racial identity, up until now hidden by the national discourse of mestiçagem . I investigate this unsettling by analyzing the narratives of five white female Brazilian researchers who critically recognize their racial identity and privilege. Highlighting how the spaces they occupy are racialized differently, I argue that the process of ‘becoming white’ among Brazilians in all-white social circles differs from those brought up in mixed-raced (Black-white) families. I suggest that whites raised in predominately white families understand themselves as a racial norm from a young age and that their white identity strengthens their ties to family. Conversely, whites raised in predominately mixed families show more confusion as to their racial identity and muddle through mestiçagem discourse to reach ‘white,’ which can, in turn, threaten a sense of belonging to their families.

Backfire: the settler-colonial logic and legacy of Smokey Bear

ABSTRACT Since the 1940s, the United States Forest Service’s (USFS) national fire suppression efforts have been bolstered by a public-facing ad campaign led by the Ad Council, most notably through the iconic rise of Smokey Bear. The consequences of decades of strict fire suppression, promulgated and solidified by this highly successful campaign, have been ecologically disastrous, and especially detrimental for fire-dependent Indigenous communities and ecosystems. Scholars have examined the Smokey campaign’s racialized, nationalist discourse, yet none have grappled with the campaign’s settler colonial logic, itself replete with gendered exclusion and speciesism. In this article, we combine intersectional theoretical frameworks with settler colonial and Indigenous studies to carry out a systematic content analysis of 201 unique campaign documents. We demonstrate how the campaign’s production of the careful citizen – one rooted in mid-to-upper class, settler masculinity – hinges on interlocking narratives of Indigenous erasure, low-class criminality, and the helpless victimhood of women and more-than-human species.

Bessie Head’s absorbent poetics: Lessons from co-operative farming in Botswana

In her autobiographical novel, A Question of Power (1973), Bessie Head identified a dialectical bind in the language and imagery of decolonial and nationalist movements across Africa at the time. I contrast the novel’s treatment of such language with Head’s observations of the agricultural development projects in which she participated during her time in Botswana, which are distinguished by a relational responsiveness across difference, reflected in their responsiveness to the natural environment. Her involvement as a participant-observer, I argue, allowed Head to develop a unique Afrocentric philosophy and poetics, distinct from and often at odds with the language and ethos of campaigns for national liberation. This poetics is what I term “absorbent”: defined by its capacity for sustaining and responding to difference. However, although Head attempted to transcend the dialectical discourse of nationalism, I show that this effort towards transcendence sometimes risked intellectual deflection, which ultimately reinforced a conservative model of global politics and economics.

Interrogating Nationalist Ideologies in Nigerian Drama: A Textual Analysis of Esiaba Irobi’s <i>Hangmen Also Die</i>

There is no contesting the fact that dramatic writing and criticism in Africa have their relevance; either for the purpose of entertainment, information or conscientisation for social transformation, or drawing attention to new ideas in scholarship. Also, within this, is the notion that every writer has his/her ideological leaning(s), which serve as the springboard for contextual understanding of what the work addresses. Esiaba Irobi is one of such writers that deploy their drama texts in the signposting the aforementioned ideals. This article, through textual analysis, investigates how the play, Hangmen Also Die engages the concepts of nationalism and the call for social order. Using the Social Revolution Theory (SRT), the paper argues that Irobi’s Hangmen Also Die contributes to the comprehension of the discourses of nationalism and national development. Like other related African drama texts, the play calls for subtle social revolution especially in Nigeria’s political landscape.

KONTESTASI KUASA DALAM PERDAGANGAN REMPAH DI PANTAI BARAT DAN SELATAN ACEH ABAD KE 18 HINGGA 19 M

The spice route has become a national discourse in the context of strengthening the Indonesian nation's maritime cultural identity. As one of the big nations, the archipelago was once a cross-national melting pot in the context of hunting and trading spices on an international scale. After all, spices were the prima donna commodity of their time, which raised the name of the archipelago to the international trade stage. This research was conducted to find out the history of the spice route in one of the archipelago regions, especially in Aceh. After all, Islam and the spice trade have become a part of the civilization of Aceh and the Archipelago. This research is a qualitative research, with an historical and anthropological method approach, in order to understand firsthand how the description of the spice trade route in Aceh, especially the western and southern regions of Aceh. The results showed that the West and South Coasts of Aceh had become the locus of one of the archipelago's spice trading centers from the late 18th century to the end of the 19th century AD. The progress of the spice trade was marked by the emergence of ports on the west coast, including the old Singkel port, Trumon , Susoh, Kuala Batu, Meulaboh, to Bandar Rigaih. The presence of the Trumon Kingdom, which was built from the rapid trade in spices and pepper, and the weakening influence and power of the Aceh Darussalam Kingdom, shows that there is a contestation of power between the Aceh Darussalam Kingdom, Dutch Colonial and local powers on the West coast. Among the spice commodities on the west coast of Aceh include; pepper, cloves, nutmeg, resin, and silk. However, the presence of spices on the West coast of Aceh contributed to the emergence of power contestation between the Kingdom of Aceh Darussalam, the Netherlands and the kingdoms on the West coast of Aceh, especially in the context of power struggles and spice commodities.

GENDER FEATURES OF THE KAZAKH DIALOGUE (based on prose works)

The article will discuss the features of dialogical communication between men and women, characteristic of the category of gender.In the article, the topics discussed by men and women were determined based on the dialogue discourse collected from the fiction.There were analyzed features related to emotional discourse of men and women through the dialogue and the reasons of differences were defined. Also, the features related to the invective vocabulary used by men and women were determined. The purpose of the article is to determine the features of the emotional discourse of men and women, the scope of use of invective vocabulary in their language, the topics discussed, the type of Kazakh dialogue as a result of discussion of male and female characters with reference to linguistic facts taken from fiction.The scientific and practical significance of the article is the issues discussed in the article and the results obtained can be used as additional scientific material in the field of lexicology, textual criticism and discourse in Kazakh linguistics.The gender factor in the language of a literary text is also valuable in determining the stylistic, psychological, thematic characteristics of a woman and a male author, as well as the characteristics of the author’s speech and the characters’ word usage. The language of the literary text takes into account gender differentiation, showing facts familiar to us. From this point of view, defining the features of the Kazakh dialogue on the basis of dialogic relations between a man and a woman, which occupy a special place in our national discourse, proves the value of the article.

The British (and International?) Music Society: Australian Identity and Musical Internationalism in Interwar Sydney

Abstract In the aftermath of the First World War, Henri Verbrugghen founded the first Australian branch of the British Music Society. The BMS – a product of post-First World War cultural renewal – was established in London to ‘champion the cause of British composers at home and abroad’. In Sydney, these aspirations extended to promoting music from Australia, and through affiliation with the International Society for Contemporary Music, music of the rest of the world. This article explores the activities of the Sydney BMS, situating these within contemporary discourses of nationalism and internationalism in the construction of interwar Australian cultural identity. It argues that the sometimes conflicting aims of the society reflect a wider political and social ambivalence about Australia's place in the international landscape. While its primary goal was to champion local composers, this was held in uneasy balance with a desire to promote British music ‘proper’.

Between Assimilation and Identity: The Dynamics of the Jewish Community in Indonesia

This research examines the existence and dynamics of the Jewish community in Indonesia, which has deep historical roots dating back to the arrival of early European explorers and settlers. The Jewish community in Indonesia is unique and rarely discussed in the context of the country's religious plurality. Despite their relatively small numbers compared to the majority religion, their existence brings important perspectives on assimilation and identity dynamics. This research fills a knowledge gap by investigating the specific dynamics of the Jewish community in the context of assimilation and identity, expanding the understanding of the history of antisemitism and representation as well as Jewish national loyalties and identity in Indonesia. Through qualitative methods and a case study approach, data was collected through in-depth interviews and document analysis to capture the historical perspectives and adaptations of the community. The results show that the Jewish community, although small, has successfully assimilated while maintaining their religious and cultural identity in a social environment dominated by other religions. This research provides new insights into the study of religious plurality, particularly in the context of Muslim-majority Indonesia. It illustrates how assimilation and identity preservation can occur simultaneously, offering a more complex and dynamic perspective than previously recognized. The findings also emphasize the importance of interfaith education and interreligious dialogue as factors that influence the ability of religious minorities to maintain their identities. The results of this study have significant implications for the understanding of religious diversity in Indonesia and how small communities can contribute to the national discourse. The theoretical benefits of the findings enrich the study of religious minority dynamics in plural societies, highlighting that flexibility and adaptation are important aspects in the survival of religious and cultural identities. Practically, the findings can inform the development of more inclusive policies that protect the rights of religious and faith minorities in Indonesia.

Towards governmentality with Chinese characteristics: higher education policy discourses in post-colonial Hong Kong and Macao

ABSTRACT This article examines the intertwining and evolution of neoliberal and nationalist discourses in post-colonial Hong Kong and Macao, arguing that their combination reveals the dual layers of political rationality in the dynamics of higher education policymaking. It suggests a move towards governmentality with Chinese characteristics, marked by gradual and continuous shifts towards decolonisation and re-Sinicisation within the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework. This perspective contrasts with existing literature on Hong Kong that emphasises the maintenance of the colonial status quo and points out abrupt changes due to the 2019 protests and the 2020 National Security Law. By analysing the reconfiguration of governmentality in the higher education systems of these post-colonial Chinese societies amid changing political landscapes, the article sheds light on both the incremental changes and significant moments influencing the trajectory of higher education development in Hong Kong and Macao.

Nationalism in China: Changing Parameters from 1993 to Present

This paper examines the promotion of different nationalist discourses in China by three generations of CCP leadership: Jiang Zemin, Hu Jintao, and Xi Jinping. It analyzes the changes in Chinese nationalist discourses through the lens of CCP legitimacy and in light of the ongoing struggle in China to modernize while retaining its identity. The paper finds that nationalist discourse varied under different Chinese leadership in response to the changing domestic and international environment. Furthermore, these changing nationalist narratives highlighted China’s tussle with its modern identity and its traditions.

International Migration Framing in the Global Times (2012–2022): Constructing Identity Narrative About the Self and the Other

This article addresses a research gap in the studies of international migration discourse in China's mass media. The focus on the Global Times, a Chinese Communist Party-owned commercialised newspaper famous for its nationalist discourse, elucidates how news about this global issue is used to construct China's identity narrative. The empirical part includes the analysis of the data spanning a decade (2012–2022) collected from the Global Times. It is studied with the help of computational text analysis tools, including topic modelling that is used to identify frames in the coverage of international migration. The analysis reveals that the Global Times devotes disproportionate attention to migration-related political, security, and socio-economic problems in the West, reproducing elements of the mainstream discourse in the Western media. Such overrepresentation, coupled with the selective coverage of China's own experience with international migration is used to emphasise the weaknesses of the Other in contrast to the stable Self.

Bollywood in the neoliberal era: changing discourses on multiculturalism, terrorism, and nationalism in ‘Dil Se … ’ (1998) and ‘Fanaa’ (2006)

ABSTRACT Indian nationalism has remained, for long, an important subtext to Bollywood cinema. However, whether Bollywood cinematic output could be considered as Indian national cinema has encouraged very divisive academic discourses. When Bollywood received the status of an Industry in 1998 in keeping with the promise made in the BJP 1998 electoral manifesto (Bharatiya Janata Party, 2016, p. 232–233), it appeared that the benefits of Economic Liberalisation could finally be enjoyed by the Bombay film establishment. By focusing on Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se … (1998) and Kunal Kohli’s ‘Fanaa’ (2006) this paper shall explore in detail how the nascent neoliberalism affected the discourse of Indian nationalism on the Bollywood screen through binary formation, and Othering of minorities; and how such strategies were incorporated within Hindutva style of communal identity formation in the wake of the political discourses engendered by the 2001 Parliament Attack.

Cultural Resistance and Collective Memory: The Impact of Nationalism of the Vargas Dictatorship on Hungarian Heritage in Jaraguá Do Sul - SC

This work encompasses an analysis of the dictatorship experienced in Brazil between 1937 and 1945, during the Estado Novo (New State), the government of Getúlio Vargas, when there was an attempt to consolidate a fictitious homogeneity in the country, especially regarding culture. In a country where layers of different cultural influences converge, making it rich, unique, and celebrated for its diversity, cultural heritage is of extreme importance. During this period, in a contradictory manner, through repression and adaptation of culture to fit the interests of the State, the period witnessed censorship and sometimes even the forgetting of cultural heritages that somewhat conflicted with the interests of the regime at the time. The issues that emerge are related to the impact of nationalism in the face of the repression of the expression of different cultures, through documentary research in primary sources, including publications in local newspapers and testimonials from descendants of the local community about the collective memory of the repression of the cultural expression of immigrants in the southern region, finally reaching the feelings generated that resonate to this day. The analysis reached a possible rupture and distortion of the collective memory, indicating how nationalism shaped and still shapes imagined communities. Amidst a discussion that also presents an analysis of the role of nationalist discourses in architecture and its homogenization.

Nationalist Discourse in the Colonial World: The Indian Uprising of 1857 Vis-à-Vis the Ambivalent Middle-Class Intelligentsia of Bengal

The paper addresses and contributes to one of the core debates concerning the usage of terminologies such as ‘loyalists’ and ‘rebels’, often ascribed to actors involved in the anti-colonial movements across the world. By taking the case of the Indian rebellion of 1857, the paper argues that moments such as this, more often than not, have subtle and nuanced reflections, and the trajectories of responses transcend simplistic categorisations. In the mid-nineteenth century colonial Bengal ‘loyalism’ of the middle-class intelligentsia towards the foreign rule contained internal contradictions, which was far more nuanced than has been portrayed in the last one and half centuries. Based on the contemporary reports, memoirs, and writings, the paper argues that while the nature of opposition and resistance were reflected in a rhetoric that was different, they emanated from similar sets of discontents, and would play a pivotal role in shaping the later-day discourse of nationalism in South Asia.

Kodumaalt lahkumise põhjuste kajastumisest Abhaasia eestlaste rändenarratiivis: kurja mõisniku kuju

When adapting to a new host country, one of the most important issues is social belonging – the question on what basis people feel a sense of belonging. This is a question of group identity. Group identity is based on the group’s shared history and especially on myths of common and special origins. In the narratives of the Estonians of Abkhazia, the main reason for emigration is the difficult economic conditions in the old homeland. These stories are recorded in the written memories and village chronicles of the inhabitants of the Estonian settlements in the Caucasus, which date back to the 19th and 20th centuries, but they can be heard orally even today, because the stories have been heard from parents and grandparents. Both in earlier writings and in today’s oral presentations, the conditions in the old homeland of Estonia are depicted as poor, sometimes quite unbearable. An important figure in these stories is an evil and arrogant German landlord who oppressed the ancestors of the settlers. The first chapter of the article shows the historical background of the confrontation between the Estonian peasants and the German landlords in Estonia and how it was at least partially realized as an emigration movement under the influence of the peasant laws of the 19th century. The topic of the evil landlord was taken by the Estonian settlers to the settlements in Caucasus – these were stories told from personal experiences with the landlords. The formation and transmission of stories from generation to generation as founding narratives was facilitated by the opposition between Estonians and Germans in the Estonian national discourse. The second chapter focuses on the texts that reflect landlord-peasant conflicts in Estonia at the time of emigration – the texts of the leading figures of the national awakening movement in the school- and history books. These texts also influenced the developing identity of the Estonian colonists. The article then discusses the stories about the evil landlord told in various Estonian settlements on the Black Sea coast and finally the meaning of these stories in the formation of social belonging.

Menstruating while homeless: navigating access to products, spaces, and services

BackgroundPeople experiencing homelessness (PEH) in the United States face substantial challenges related to menstruation, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Limited access to period products, heightened stigma, and gynecological challenges contribute to increased hardships for PEH, highlighting the need for improved services and policies to address period equity and overall well-being for this vulnerable population.MethodsWe conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with PEH (n = 12) and community healthcare and social service providers (e.g., case managers, shelter directors, community health workers, and nurses, n = 12) in Lafayette, Indiana, a city located between Indianapolis and Chicago in the United States. We used thematic analysis techniques for data analysis.ResultsPEH’s limited access to products, services, and safe spaces hindered effective menstruation management within restrictive community contexts. Although community healthcare and service providers offered some support, complex interactions with the healthcare system, stigma, and limited access to spaces exacerbated barriers. The COVID-19 pandemic further intensified these difficulties by closing public spaces, worsening economic conditions, and straining service provider resources.ConclusionsResults highlight critical organizational and policy gaps in the United States for menstruation management resources and services, emphasizing the need for better integration into health and well-being programs for PEH. These insights will advance reproductive and public health research, shedding light on the disparities faced by PEH in managing menstruation in Indiana and contributing to the national discourse on addressing these barriers. Amid the complex landscape of public health, particularly during and after the pandemic, prioritizing menstrual health remains essential for all individuals’ overall well-being, including those experiencing homelessness.

Indigenous DNA as a metaphor: Nation-building and scientific debates on the rediscovery of Taiwanese ancestry.

In this paper, I investigate the co-production of genetic research and national politics in post-martial law Taiwan. This entails analyzing two co-produced phenomena: the nationalization of biomedicine-in which the national discourse over racial/ethnic categories and ancestral origin increasingly shapes scientists' biomedical research; and the biomedicalization of the nation-in which people in public discourse increasingly use biomedical categories in characterizing national differences and identities. I analyze how the production and representation of scientific knowledge of the ancestral origins and genetic make-up of Taiwan have been embedded in Taiwanese politics. This includes the emergence of a new categorization into four great ethnic groups, multiculturalism, and the assertion of a distinct Taiwanese national identity, particularly in response to the People's Republic of China's claims of common ancestry. I also examine how the scientific findings produced in the lab have spilled out into both Taiwan and China through journals, media, history textbooks, and public disputes since the 1990s and brought about significant social impact.

The political economy of education in Central Asia: exploring the fault lines of social cohesion

ABSTRACT This scoping review examines the political economy analysis of education in four Central Asian states – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. By analysing the intersections of politics, economy, society and education policy, the study aims to understand the impact of post-Soviet education reforms on social justice and cohesion. The findings reveal that despite commitments to building peaceful and inclusive societies, the education systems in these states tend to promote asymmetric nationalist discourses and adopt neoliberal practices, resulting in the marginalisation of vulnerable groups, such as ethnic minorities, women, rural populations, and devout believers. The implications of these findings can inform efforts to promote sustainable positive peace and social cohesion through education.