National Themes Research Articles

Dostoevsky's Unfinished Journey by Robin Feuer Miller (review)

536 SEER, 88, 3, JULY 20I0 of the text isnot the real message. That Leskov used his fiction as well as his publicistic works to convey a point of view is not in doubt; this is especially true of his view of religion. What has been described as Leskov's most Orthodox story,The Sealed Angel, is ? one might even say ? subversive of Orthodoxy. CathedralFolk raises similar questions. The ostensible author of non-fiction works such as Schism inHigh Societyand The Jews inRussia (not discussed by Grimstad in thisbook) is a committed Orthodox; the real author flatters conservative readers by appearing to share their prejudices and then skilfullyattempts tomanipulate them away from anti-Protestantism and antisemitism. It is Russian Orthodoxy which is the dominant subject of Grimstad's analysis. As crucial for the religious as well as the national theme he sees the multicultural aspect of these works. They abound in Poles, Germans, Ukrainians, British and others who illuminate Russianness and Orthodoxy through contrast, and the significance of theRussian characters' relationship with these people is shown to be vital.What emerges is a dual impression: Russia as she is and Russia as Leskov would like her to be. This, I take it, is what the author means by the slightlyodd tide 'Styling'Russia: representing her, recreating her inhis own image,making her appear subt?ydifferentfrom what she really is,and presenting a utopia which she could perhaps some day become. In the closing lines of this book, Grimstad refers to contemporary Russia, and writes of Leskov's 'projected Christian theology of religious pluralism [which] might be construed as a catalyst for democratic cooperation in theRussian Federation' (p. 243). I fear thatRussian uneasiness at otherness, whether religious or cultural, runs too deep at present for this to be a realizable objective. In his own age Leskov was known forwriting 'against the current'. Will Russians today be any more willing to respond to his pluralism? School of Education Universityof Nottingham J. Y. M?ckle Miller, Robin Feuer. Dostoevski's Urifinished Journey.Yale University Press, New Haven, CT and London, 2007. xvii + 242 pp. Illustrations.Notes. Index. ?25.00. Robin Feuer Miller's new study ofDostoevskii represents a fascinating and useful addition to a crowded field inwhich it is difficult to stand out. An unusual breadth of reference, compelling analysis supported by penetrating close reading and a strong engagement with the critical tradition combine to create a forceful interpretationwhich, while itmay not always prove the connection between spiritual and literary transformation it sets out to explore, at least demonstrates that this is a highly effective prism through which to view the complexities of Dostoevskii's novelistic world, and one which can consistently provide new and valuable insights. REVIEWS 537 As conversion is the central trope of Miller's interpretation, it isappropriate that she begins her journey through Dostoevskii's works with a persuasive account of his own conversion experience. She contends, using evidence from lettersof 1849,mat Dostoevskii's conversion was the result not of a spiritual awakening that occurred in Siberia following his encounter with the narod,but rather of a conscious decision taken before he leftfor Siberia to turn towards thepeasantry as thefirststep to embracing Orthodoxy. Such an interpretation goes a long way to explaining the frequently contradictory attitudes to the narod thatwe encounter inDostoevskii's works. The Russian peasant, capable of turning to both good and evil, is then shown to be a central figure in the conversion narratives ofDostoevskii's mature oeuvre, alongside the recurring features of the maternal smile and the precious memory resurfacing at a moment of need. This results in a telescoping of time as moments of past, present and future are brought together,with a trance-like state prefiguring transformation. In a thread that runs throughout the study,Miller demon strates that the same structure informsnot only the conversions of the narra tors ofThe PeasantMarei and Dream ofa Ridiculous Man, Stepan Trofimovich in Demons and Alesha Karamazov, but also the opposite movement, which leads to the spiritual destruction of Stavrogin and crisis of Ivan Karamazov, thus reinforcing themiraculous nature of conversion forDostoevskii. A similar sense of the intertwining of good and evil, and the potential...

Styling Russia: Multiculture in the Prose of Nikolai Leskov. Slavica Bergensia, 7 by Knut Andreas Grimstad (review)

REVIEWS 535 studywithout mentioning the copious and often quirky illustrations.By far the oddest show in gloriously simplistic, stilted fashion moments of high drama likely to delight all readers who may have pored over old copies of Ivanhoe or Lorna Doom as children. L?ndon Richard Freeborn Grimstad, Knut Andreas. Styling Russia:Multiculture in the Prose of Nikolai L?skov. Slavica Bergensia, 7. Department of Foreign Languages, University of Bergen, Bergen, 2007. 256 pp. Notes. Bibliography. Index. NOK 150: $27.00: ?14.00: 19.00. Patriotism is a topic fraughtwith ambiguity. Tolstoi understood the concept as relating purely to militarism and believed it to be incompatible with Christianity. Lermontov declared that reason could not fathom his love for his homeland; he wrote of steppes, forests, villages by night, the harvest and celebrations in country taverns, all floating on a fine mist of alcohol. Akhmatova appeared to closely identifyher love ofRussia with her love of the language. Patriotism has again become a matter of concern in Russia today. Sociological research indicates that there is a distinctweakening in the ties of the population at large with their native land. The military claims to detect that young people would no longer be willing to fight for their country; vested interestsdemand the reintroduction ofmilitary training in schools. To instilpatriotism has ever been an explicit aim ofRussian education, since the age of Ivan theTerrible. It has been a persistent theme inRussian society and culture for a very long time. Can a studyofLeskov throw lighton thisquestion? Knut Andreas Grimstad quotes well-known views of Leskov as the 'most quintessentially Russian of writers', 'the most Russian of Russian writers', 'a native force', 'Russian through and through', coming 'from the very heart ofRussia', and the like. At the same time, Grimstad warns us that Leskov's picture of Russia is immensely complex; he rejects, or at least accepts only very warily, these opinions, while describing Leskov as a ferventpatriot. At one point he refers toLeskov's 'so-called [sic]Russianness' (p. 13). It is clear thatLeskov's Russi anness deserves scrutiny in order to lead us to a closer understanding of his art. Grimstad does this 'by combining key concepts frommodern literary theory and semiotics, as well as from anthropology and the theory of culture' (p. 7). The traditionalist reader of Leskov need not, however, be put off, as what this boils down to is thatGrimstad subjects the text of five Leskov works, Sobonane, Ocharovannyistrannik, ^apechatlennyi angel, Na Kraiu sveta,and Detskie gody, to intense analysis, almost to thepoint of overkill, achieving a high quality of discussion. The lateAmerican Leskov scholarWilliam Edgerton commented in rela tion to Leskov's writings, both fictional and non-fictional, that the viewpoint of the author or the narrator (real or implied) was equivocal. Grimstad elicits time after time that the superficial, apparently immediately obvious message 536 SEER, 88, 3, JULY 20I0 of the text isnot the real message. That Leskov used his fiction as well as his publicistic works to convey a point of view is not in doubt; this is especially true of his view of religion. What has been described as Leskov's most Orthodox story,The Sealed Angel, is ? one might even say ? subversive of Orthodoxy. CathedralFolk raises similar questions. The ostensible author of non-fiction works such as Schism inHigh Societyand The Jews inRussia (not discussed by Grimstad in thisbook) is a committed Orthodox; the real author flatters conservative readers by appearing to share their prejudices and then skilfullyattempts tomanipulate them away from anti-Protestantism and antisemitism. It is Russian Orthodoxy which is the dominant subject of Grimstad's analysis. As crucial for the religious as well as the national theme he sees the multicultural aspect of these works. They abound in Poles, Germans, Ukrainians, British and others who illuminate Russianness and Orthodoxy through contrast, and the significance of theRussian characters' relationship with these people is shown to be vital.What emerges is a dual impression: Russia as she is and Russia as Leskov would like her to be. This, I take it, is what the author means by the slightlyodd tide 'Styling'Russia: representing her, recreating her inhis own image,making her appear subt?ydifferentfrom what she...

Explaining Divergent Responses to the North Korean Abductions Issue in Japan and South Korea

This article examines the divergent approaches pursued by Japan and South Korea in their attempts to resolve an issue that is related to a fundamental responsibility of sovereign states: the protection of citizens. The case considered here is North Korea's abduction of Japanese and South Korean nationals. In Japan, the abduction issue has taken center stage in the country's North Korea policy, whereas in South Korea, recent administrations have downplayed the issue—despite the fact that nearly 500 South Korean citizens remain detained in North Korea, compared to fewer than 20 known Japanese abductions. The authors find that the key to understanding the divergent responses lies in the politicization of specific, ostensibly apolitical demands for the state to fulfill its duty to protect citizens. In particular, the proximity of the abductions issue to key nationalist themes, which politicians in each country use to mobilize support, prevents the matter from being addressed in a neutral way.

Generosity or genocide? Identity implications of silence in American Thanksgiving commemorations

This paper investigates the identity implications of silence about genocide in commemorations of American Thanksgiving. In Study 1 we assessed the co-occurrence of national glorification themes with different forms of silence in commemoration products by conducting a content analysis of presidential Thanksgiving proclamations. In Study 2 we examined the extent to which different commemoration products are infused with particular beliefs and desires by measuring participants’ reactions to different Thanksgiving commemorations—a literal-silence condition that did not mention Indigenous Peoples, an interpretive-silence condition that mentioned Indigenous Peoples but did not explicitly mention genocidal conquest, and an anti-silence condition that did mention genocidal conquest—as a function of national glorification. In Study 3 we manipulated exposure to different Thanksgiving commemorations (with associated forms of silence) and assessed the impact on national glorification and identity-relevant action. Results provide evidence for the hypothesised, bi-directional relationship between national glorification and silence about genocide in commemorations of American Thanksgiving.

La represión de lo imaginario en el campo literario Mexicano del siglo XX

This work seeks to study, within the Mexican literary field of the XXth century, the situation of some authors who have been segregated from it because of their refusal to yield their work to the requirements of nationalistic themes. I’m going to take as examples of the aforementioned ideas two illustrative cases: the authors who were members of the group Contemporáneos (such as Xavier Villaurrutia, José Gorostiza, Jorge Cuesta, Gilberto Owen, Salvador Novo…) and the writer Francisco Tario (pseudonym adopted by Francisco Peláez).

Centenary paper: A brief history of Italian town planning after 1945

This paper explores and relates the changing social and economic context to the particular national themes of Italian town planning since 1945, including case-specific aspects and ideologies, practices and models. It begins with a consideration of the immediate reconstruction efforts after 1945 before turning to the issues of urbanisation, land speculation and real estate markets from the 1950s with which town planners from the left had to contend; the examples of plans for Assisi, Rome and the historic centre of Bologna are examined. The 1970s brought about a centre-left realignment and considerable innovation in the discipline, although the growth of industrial districts and development pressures on the historic fabric of towns provided challenges with which practice found it difficult to deal. From the 1990s the introduction of new, complex programmes with EU links began to weaken the traditional strength of the master plan concept and innovations in local administration and new issues, such as landsca...

„an die besten Traditionen der Ersten und Zweiten Republik anknüpfend“ : Polnische Erinnerungskultur im öffentlichen Raum nach 1989

In the early years of what is generally known as the Third Republic, which was brought to an end by the 1997 Constitution, the politics of history and memory reflected the new Polish society’s search for a fresh conception of itself, a conception that would displace that of communist times. To this end a specific effort towards the creation and search for historical continuities was characteristic of this stage: new and renewed national themes, new and renewed rituals, symbols and political myths formed important elements in political psychology and political culture. These were not only used to create a new identity, but also to legitimise the revolution and the new political system. As will be shown, the historical memory of the Second Republic, in particular of its founder and dictator Jozef Pilsudski, as well as of the (negatively perceived) Soviet occu-pation and hegemony over Poland, became the focus of the politics of memory in public discourse. In this process, the problematic history of German-Polish relations was all but excluded, in order to build up a new, positive national image, as well as from political necessity, in the efforts to join NATO and the EU. The memory of the German crimes committed during the Second World War was now – in contrast to position in the communist era – just one element in historical conscious¬ness and collective memory. Hence the culture of memory as a whole was characterised on the one hand by linking up with the historical traditions of the Second Republic, and on the other by attempts to remove the boundaries to the culture of memory set under communism. Thus the change in the culture of memory reflects political change, i.e. the change of system, as Poles were now able to set their own markers in the culture of memory. Since the end of the 1990s, it has become ever clearer that what was really happening was a form of suppression of historical memory, especially with regard to German-Polish relations.

Formação hoje – uma hipótese analítica, alguns pontos cegos e seu vigor

This essay proposes a critical interpretation of the concept of formation, which is central in the work of Antonio Candido. The concept is analyzed in terms of its connections to the notion of nationality, and it is argued that there are two significant moments in the author’s treatment of the national theme. In the first of them, prior to 1964, formation is seen as dependent on the validation of the thesis of modernism, and is thus limited by certain blind spots, here described. These blinds spots, however, do not invalidate the idea of formation, which remains useful for describing cultural processes in certain peripheral areas of Western civilization.

"Neo-Nation"-Biennale Jogja IX-2007 a Showcase, Cultural Investment, and Politics of Identity

Can an art event--say a performing art (a musical concert or a play production, for instance), an exhibition of visual art or multimedia art -- disrupt thoughts or ideologies, faith, solidarity, citizenship, nationality, or nationalism? Before trying to answer it maybe one needs to question the reasonability of the question or whether it makes sense or not. Isn't it but a frivolous question? But for now let's suppose the question is serious and let's try to answer it quite elaborately. What has happened to a number of art programs in Indonesia (in various other countries in the world as well, I think) shows that art events (and works) -- the visual arts included -- have the potency to be regarded as ”shocking” or at least ”disturbing” beliefs, ideologies, power, faith, and even nationalism. At times they are suspected to be ”dangerous” activities. When events and works of the arts are regarded as potential for upsetting comfort and even for being a threat, such an outlook presumably has its source in the paranoia haunting a certain group in the community -- or maybe elements of the power elite as well -- so that anything and anyone, including an artwork and an artist, can make them feel threatened. But a community that is both mentally and physically sane, and fostering open-mindedness and clear-headedness, accepts anything and anyone anywhere as part of the reflection of a given situation and zeitgeist. With such an attitude, in the face of art events and works of the arts, one will be motivated to improve his/her own sensitivity and sensibility and to put them on test. The Biennale Jogja (BJ) has become quite an established art event in Indonesia. The ninth BJ took place in 2007, lasting from 27 December 2007 through the 27th of January 2008. The BJ IX-2007 had the heading ”NEO-NATION” as coined by a curatorial team consisting of Eko Prawoto, Kuss Indarto, Sujud Dartanto and Suwarno Wisetrotomo. This title met with various responses and high enthusiasm from different circles; it was appreciated as offering an actual and well-contextualized grand topic in the circumstances then current. BJ is a regular event potential to provide a forum and medium of cultural presentation through the visual arts. A city should have been proud to house an event like BJ and taken part in encouraging its citizens to be part of the celebration. An art biennale does not only deal with ”works of art” exclusively; it can also concern with all aspects of political, social-economic and cultural life. BJ also has the potential of making history, in the sense that it potentially provides the ”glue” to the puzzle pieces of ”scattered” events. This way, the Biennale Jogja is a kind of ”showcase,” a forum by which to see ”most recent issues”-- at least within the last two years -- which influence the complexity of mindset and life including the arts, particularly the visual arts in this case. The Biennale provided an effective and attractive showcase for discourse, creativity, and critical dialogs on art. In the last analysis BJ IX was a project that had the nature of a cultural event. At this point the Biennale can be regarded as a ”cultural investment” that has the consequence of, and quality as, a statement in the framework of ”politics of identity.” The theme of NEO NATION has a strong dimension of ”politics of identity”; here the intention is to display the pioneering role of Yogyakarta as a cultural center of Indonesia, while shaping the notion of a new NATION. In particular, BJ IX was motivated by the question of ”How do we experience Indonesian-ness today?” Of course, ”experiencing Indonesian-ness” today doesn't exclusively concern younger people but also individuals undergoing (and entrapped in) shuttling mobility to and fro Indonesian territory. As the curatorial frame highlights, ”Experiencing Indonesian-ness in a new outlook and mindset” is an actual and significant point that has triggered the introduction of ”NEO NATION” as the title of BJ IX-2007. The new outlook and mindset is closely related to the problematic shifts in the socio-cultural setting we Indonesians are in these days. ”NEO NATION” is, in our opinion, a global theme connected to the shifts in the awareness of nationality and nationhood. A new NATION is growing as an individual and personal experience of the new generation of humankind all over the world. An art event like a biennale can hopefully provide a learning forum and a medium for enlightening anyone in this regard.

Les peintures murales de Félix Périn à Ansac : un témoignage tardif du mouvement nazaréen

Félix Périn’s Wall Paintings in Ansae : A Late Testimony of the Nazarene Movement. In the last decades of the nineteenth century, the Nazarene movement knew a late revival in the mural decorations of two churches in Ansac-sur-Vienne made by Félix Périn (1835-1891). Working in the spirit of Alphonse Périn, his father, and Victor Orsel, he developed a complex use of symbols and allegories in order to praise Church and to denounce rising dechristianization in his times. Marian and patriotic themes are emphasized with learned abstraction, according to a vow, hoping Prussian war and Commune riots end in 1870-181.

The Imperial Warrior in Hollywood: Rambo and Beyond

The Bush years have witnessed the elevated militarization of American society, marked by expansion of the war economy and security state, an aggressive foreign policy, increasing incidents of civic violence, and a media culture saturated more than ever with images and narratives of violence. The trends we identified in our book, The Hollywood War Machine, have only deepened and show no signs of receding. The most successful and widely-viewed films of 2007–2008, including several Oscar candidates, embrace dark images of savage, often relentless violence, graphic depictions of killing, and celebrations of social chaos. We argue that these trends, reflected in the ongoing interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, have dramatically influenced the national psyche. Here we devote special attention to two recent films that embellish strong patriotic and pro-military themes while reaching mass audiences with messages that champion US imperial power: Rambo IV, a particularly bloody recycling of the familiar 1980s Rambo episodes, and Charlie Wilson's War, a cinematic tale about well-intentioned US global designs in Afghanistan during the 1980s. Looking at the four Rambo films as an ensemble, it would be difficult to find a warrior hero better exemplifying the virtues of American military action than Sylvester Stallone, superseding even the legendary John Wayne. This motif converges with yet another—transforming Vietnam into another “good war”—that has shaped an entire cycle of Hollywood films, up to the present, dealing with the Vietnam War.

Beyond Fragmentation: Perspectives on Caribbean History

The contributors to Beyond Fragmentation: Perspectives on Caribbean History have set out to address Franklin Knight’s description of a “fragmented nationalism” that has typified the Caribbean from the fifteenth century until the present. Knight’s challenge of an integrated Caribbean has echoed throughout the field of Caribbean studies as well as the emerging Antillean nations themselves since he coined the term in the 1970s. As the editors suggest, although the West Indies, to use a colonial phrase, were separated linguistically and politically by the empires that administered them, they share common themes of slavery, plantation agriculture, emancipation, labor movements, independence, and nationalism. The book is arranged chronologically into three sections investigating major themes: “Slavery and Emancipation,” “Aftermath of Slavery,” and “Colonialism and Decolonization.” The challenge facing academics working in the field is to integrate the region into larger perspectives. Thus, the essays consistently contemplate nationalism, imperialism, and micro and macro history, as well as race.As the editors note in the introduction, the Caribbean is a region in transition simultaneously searching to construct national or island-state histories but often confined to imperial studies. Moreover, the scholarship of the region — as evidenced by the imperialistic focus of the essays in each section — remains linguistically divided. One of the best essays, by Francisco A. Scarano, provides some reflection on the difficult task facing historians of the region. As Scarano notes, postrevolutionary Cuban historians had their “sympathies for the revolutionary process” (p. 38); Dominican historians during the Trujillo regime were “loath to discuss the slave past” (p. 42); while historians of Puerto Rico have “accentuate(d) the relevance of race for national identity and nation-building” (p. 51). Such problems have made it difficult to construct even a Spanish Caribbean history. Thus the political fragmentation of the Caribbean has been deeply rooted. The failure to create national or island histories has limited the ability of scholars to integrate the region into regional and global histories.Since Eric Williams’s pioneering Capitalism and Slavery, scholars of the British Caribbean have given considerable attention to Europe’s West Indian possessions and their pivotal role in the construction of the Atlantic world. Academics have focused on constructing economic histories or, as Gad Heuman contends, have “focused on the planter class and on slaveholders rather than on the enslaved” (p. 93). The major themes, as Heuman notes, have been the plight of women in slave and post-emancipation societies, as well as the role of free coloreds in Caribbean society, and slave resistance and rebellions. Bridget Brereton remarks on the unevenness of literature on the British Caribbean, noting that “recent scholarship has tended to downplay the significance of [the] ‘great break’ ” or emancipation (p. 187). And although Brereton and Heuman identify the unevenness of the historiography within the British Caribbean, they are less direct than Scarano in tying this to the influence of nationalism in that region. Nonetheless an imbalance has resulted as scholars have gravitated toward those colonies that obtained independence first — Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and Guyana. This has directed scholarly attention away from islands like Grenada, St. Vincent, and Dominica, which were also settled by Britain. These later-established colonies probably developed differently than others in the British Caribbean.Beyond Fragmentation challenges academics to integrate the Caribbean more fully into both their scholarship and their classrooms. While the editors and contributors have certainly worked to accomplish Knight’s challenge, the literature that they must draw upon has unfortunately not yet fully matured. While today historians have been able to revise the assertions of previous generations and fill out the skeletal arguments made by pioneers such as Williams, the field is still divided along linguistic and imperial lines. While the dream of achieving a unified history has not been achieved, this volume is certainly an important step in that direction.

Um outro herói modernista

A partir da análise do romance de estréia de Abguar Bastos, Terra de icamiaba, o texto intenta demonstrar como a cisão do movimento modernista em diferentes vertentes estéticas e políticas foi apreendida por autores de regiões mais distantes dos centros culturais do país. Se o movimento de 1922 representou uma pretensa ruptura com o passadismo literário, ele acabou por converter-se em um momento decisivo para a formação de um campo literário no Brasil. O romance inaugural de Abguar Bastos ganha importância em função da sua divergência com Mário de Andrade quanto às temáticas da nacionalidade e do regionalismo, fazendo reverberar por outras regiões e cenáculos literários os debates acerca dos rumos do movimento.

Canadas of the Mind: The Making and Unmaking of Canadian Nationalisms in the Twentieth Century (review)

Reviewed by: Canadas of the Mind: The Making and Unmaking of Canadian Nationalisms in the Twentieth Century R. Douglas Francis Canadas of the Mind: The Making and Unmaking of Canadian Nationalisms in the Twentieth Century. Norman Hillmer and Adam Chapnick, eds. Montreal and Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2007. Pp. 326, $29.95 paper Creating and defining Canadian nationalism was the great pastime of Canadian intellectuals in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries; chronicling that nationalism has been the pastime of Canadian historians in late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Canadas of the Mind is yet another attempt to analyze the elusive subject of Canadian nationalism. The editors note that 'the inspiration for this book comes from Peter Russell's multifaceted Nationalism in Canada, published exactly forty years ago' (ix.) Thus, a useful way to review Canadas of the Mind is to compare it to its earlier companion to show in what ways the theme of nationalism and the way historians examine it has or has not changed over time. Nationalism in Canada was the work of the University League for Social Reform, a think tank of Canadian academics committed to reform. The contributors to that volume were also writing in the heyday of Canadian nationalism, on the eve of Canada's centennial and amidst rising Quebec nationalism. They were also conscious of nationalist unrest in the rest of the world. Peter Russell, the editor, and [End Page 445] Frank Underhill, who wrote the foreword, spoke to these currents of change; there was, in essence, a sense of urgency and excitement about the topic and the book. The authors were on a 'mission.' Canadas of the Mind, by contrast, grew out of a conference by the Organization for the History of Canada on the subject, and the introduction to the volume lacks the dynamism of its predecessor. The editors also fail to note the need for such a volume, and what distinguishes the writings in Canadas of the Mind from earlier writings on the subject. The editor of Nationalism in Canada organized the essays around themes – The Land, The People, The Federation, Policy, Culture, New Perspectives, and Ideology, often with articles that offered opposing perspectives on the topic. Canadas of the Mind consists of fourteen essays on the theme of nationalism but otherwise lacks unity. If these are some of the general differences between the two volumes, one of the striking similarities is the topics discussed. Essays appear in both volumes on the North, technology, the National Policy, foreign policy, federal–provincial relations, culture, and multiculturalism. Thus, while things have changed over the interval of forty years, much remains the same, particularly the subjects that have formed the basis of Canadian national mythology. Still, Canadas of the Mind is not simply a rehash of Nationalism in Canada. For one thing, the new volume has a refreshing new topic: Aboriginal nationalism. Michael Behiels looks at Aboriginal nationalism over and against Canadian nationalism since the white paper of 1969 and concludes that the former lost out to the latter because it posited a form of nationalism that would lead logically to Aboriginal separation from Canada, and hence was unacceptable. David Newhouse, an Aboriginal scholar, highlights the success of Aboriginal leaders over the past thirty years at cultivating a strong Aboriginal nationalism, which has enabled them to stand up to the Canadian government and achieve concessions. Another significant difference between the two volumes is the approach. The articles in Canadas in the Mind offer a postmodern perspective. They deconstruct familiar subjects of Canadian nationalism to show that they are not what the myth-makers claimed them to be. The result is a refreshingly new look at familiar topics, reassuring the reader that there are still new things to be said about Canadian nationalism. One notable absence in Canadas of the Mind – which was not the case in Nationalism in Canada – is of articles on Quebec nationalism written by Quebecers. Is this a sign of a significant change between the 1960s and the early twenty-first century? Has Quebec nationalism lost its appeal as a subject of analysis by Quebec [End Page 446] historians? The omission is a glaring weakness in...

No "Country" for Just Old Men

No "Country" for Just Old Men

Rethinking Hegemony and Resistance to Political Education in Mainland China and Hong Kong

The focus of this article is on Hong Kong and mainland Chinese university student reactions, in two time periods, to national themes in education as part of state attempts to establish and maintain legitimacy. I argue that among these reactions is one of resistance to the process of state hegemony. To make this point, the article builds on several arguments derived from the literature on citizenship education in mainland China and in colonial and postcolonial Hong Kong. According to these arguments, national themes were neglected in civic education in colonial Hong Kong but gained prominence within educational policy discourse with the return of the territory to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 (Morris 1997; Law 2004; Fairbrother 2005b). By contrast, national themes were particularly prominent in 1990s mainland Chinese political education, but they were accompanied in a later broadening of political education discourse by themes related to legality, such as understandings of rule by law, due process, and individual rights. Relevant also is that the mainland Chinese state’s attention to nationality in 1990s education was associated with a newly emphasized claim to legitimacy on the basis of representing and promoting patriotism (Ding 1994; Zhao 1998). By the early 2000s, however, new ideologies based on the claims of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to represent all sectors of society and to promote individual rights and rule by law supplemented justifications for legitimacy based on nationality. In Hong Kong, the colonial state’s claims to legitimacy were based on a high degree of public consultation in governance and the provision of social services but most importantly on maintaining social stability, which potentially could be damaged if Chinese nationality were actively promoted in society and schooling. While the Hong Kong Special Administrative

Heroes, Chieftains, and the Roots of Kirghiz Nationalism

Modernist native elites had a very tenuous existence in prerevolutionary Kirghiz society, so the development of Kirghiz national consciousness (if any) before 1917 has been debatable. Tribal chieftains (manaps), though politically and economically reduced under Russian rule, still held pre-eminent positions in society and were favoured with dedications of original literary works. One such manuscript dedicated to the manap, Shabdan, uses the genre frameworks of traditional epic and expository poetry to express fresh concepts of ethnic difference with a nationalist bias. Thus a traditional tribal leader emerges as the focus of the first documented discourse in Kirghiz on an explicitly nationalist theme.

Interpretations of ethical consumption

During the last few years around a dozen boycotts have been called in Hungary; there are several ecologically and socially aware food-communities directly linking consumers and producers; at the end of 2006 a Fair Trade shop opened in Budapest, and there are product campaigns which accentuate various patriotic themes. All of these initiatives signal the emergence of new attitudes and values, a new type of behavior, that of ethical consumption . Ethical consumption, new kinds of consumer needs are influencing market culture through the creation of various market-niches (see corporate social responsibility); furthermore, the wide-scale spread of ethical consumption can even lead to the transformation of market functions. The modern market is going from a mainly economic space to an area of moral action, a tool of regulation and social participation. As a social movement ethical consumerism can effect political culture and play an important role in public policy aiming towards sustainable development. According to West-European literature as well as to concrete experience ethical consumerism is more and more playing this role, the local appearance of the movement beckons the question: what sort of values and institutions characterize this new consumer culture, and which of these can we encounter in Hungary? The first part of this study deals with the phenomena of ethical consumption: it gives an overview of the literature, explicating the main research themes, and introducing its distinctive, most often examined forms of action. In the second part of the study, out of the interpretational possibilities, I look at ethical consumption as political consumption, as a form of social governance, examining its relevance as a way of public participation. I try to find an answer to the question whether the spread of ethical consumption should be imagined at the demise of classical political institutions, or as complementary to them, and which ethical issues are most likely to mobilize the public. The study is primarily based on data describing Hungarian political participatory culture, as well as an attitude survey of a representative sample. At the end of the study I will briefly refer to the possible causes of differences in ethical consumption attitudes and behaviors.

More Than Fluff: Protestant Revivals in the 1950s

32 Historically Speaking May/June 2008 More Than Fluff: Protestant Revivals in the 1950s John G. Turner Late in 1951, the UCLA football team approached its finalgame of the season against archrival USC. After stumbling early in their season by losing three of their first four games, the Bruins had recovered, winning three in a row before settling for a tie against Washington. Itwouldn't be a banneryear, buta triumph overUSCwouldgive them a winning season and local bragging rights. Donn Moomaw, UCLA's All-American linebacker, helped the Bruins best the Trojans by returning an interception for a critical touchdown in a 21 -7 victory. Moomaw attributedhis featto prayers he offered while attendinga meetingof a fledglingorganization: Campus CrusadeforChrist.Moomaw'sgirlfriendhad invited him to the meeting, where he met Bill Bright, the founder of the movement. Bright invited Moomaw to attend Hollywood's First Presbyterian Church the morning after the USC game. After church, Bright talked Moomaw through a series of Bible verses about sin and salvation, and the two men kneeledonBright's livingroomflooras the starathlete receivedJesus Christas his savior. Soon,Moomawbecame a featured speakerat Campus Crusade events at UCLAandatodierGoldenState colleges. Hereferred toJesus Christas his new "quarterback." Many other UCLA gridiron stars experienced similar conversions through Campus Crusade, and dieytalkedabouttheirfaithinsimilarterms.BobDavenport , an All-American fullback, calledJesus Christ "the greatest Coach and Quarterback ever." Most of the stars onUCLA's 1954national championship football team—nicknamed die "Eleven from Heaven"— were outspoken Christians, many of whom made "decisions for Christ" underBillBright's influence.1 Jesus as "the greatest Coach and Quarterback ever?"A Godwhoanswersprayerswithinterceptions, touchdowns, and victories? It's easy for historians to make fun of the banalities of 1950s religion, as professions of religiosity in thatdecade provide scholars withgreatmaterial.TheIdealToyCompanymarketed a doll thata child could make "kneel in aprayingposition ," and the actressJane Russell actually called God "a livin' doll." NewYork's Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church introduced "Dial-A-Prayer" for a "spiritual life in a busy day," promising "one minute of inspiration ." Even as church attendance and public displays ofreligiositysoaredandCongressadded"underGod" to the Pledge of Allegiance, surveys revealed that Americans knew very little about the faiths to which they ostensibly adhered. A 1951 Gallup poll claimed that53% of Americans couldnotname even oneof the four gospels (I suspect that many did not know the meaningoftheword"gospel").ManyAmericansproclaimedavapid sortof religiouspluralism. A 1958 contestant on Twentieth Century-Fox's Sing, Boy, Sing! proclaimed: "I think all religions are the greatest." Billy Graham, April 11, 1966. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division [reproduction number, LCDIG -ppmsc-03261]. President Eisenhower—born to Mennonite parents butbaptized as aPresbyterian twelve days afterhis inauguration —proclaimedthat"ourgovernmentmakes no sense unless it is founded in a deeply felt religious faith, and I don't care what it is."2 To be sure, therewere banal elements of 1 950s religion , and these cropped up in Billy Graham's wellknown crusades as well as in the more obscure meetings of Campus Crusade. Graham often invited athletes, servicemen, and actresses to his meetings in ordertopiqueaudienceinterestandgainahearingfor his message. He used updated music and patriotic themes forthe samepurpose. "Weusedeverymodern means," Graham explained, "to catch the ear of unconverted young people and then punched them straight between the eyes with the gospel." And yet Graham's preaching always included warnings about hell and straightforward discussions about salvation. His statements about hell were not fluffy—he read Jonathan Edwards's "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" to his audience duringhis 1949 Los Angeles crusade. Hardly unconcerned about the subsequent fate of his converts, Graham's organization expended considerable time and money developing follow-up strategies thatincluded funnelingconverts intochurches andarrangingvisitations andBible studies . Beneath its veneerof showmanship and celebrity, the Graham campaigns were serious business. The same was true of Bill Bright's Campus Crusade for Christ. Crusaders referred toJesus Christ as their "best friend," their "quarterback," and their "Head Coach." Such frivolous statements, however, obscure the fact diat Campus Crusade called on students tomakedeepcommitments toBiblestudy,moral living,and,mostof all,personalevangelism. "I'mplaying on God's varsity now," commented Moomaw upon his decision to enter the ministry. Again, Moomaw's commentsounds hackneyed,butitalsoincluded a commitment to attend seminary and forego a professional football career for the pastorate...

Change of pace? Islam and tradition in popular Indian cinema

Bollywood has been extensively studied for its nationalist themes, its widespread popularity, and its emphasis on tradition and ritual. For the most part, these traditions and rituals tend to be derived from Hindu mythology and symbolism, presenting an interesting paradox given that its audience is not composed exclusively of Hindu viewers. This contradiction is deepened by the fact that Bollywood's production and content are touched by the influences of other cultures and religions, including Islam. This paper focuses specifically on the role of Islam in Bollywood films, analysing central themes and production practices and assessing whether these have changed substantially over time. Given India's complicated political, cultural, and religious history and the more global concern with Islam's meaning and significance, Islam inevitably plays a significant – and somewhat transformed – role in popular Indian cinema. However, in the films discussed here, it also carries familiar associations with terrorism, violence, and intercultural misunderstanding.