National Discourse Research Articles

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.

Evaluating the American-Chinese trade war on Chinese social media: discourses of nationalism and rectifying a humiliating past

ABSTRACT The US and China have both benefited greatly from their trading relationship. However, motivated by a US concern that their partner was becoming more of a rival, then-president Donald Trump began a ‘trade war’ in 2018. In US news outlets and, of particular interest here, on American social media platforms, China was represented as a global menace, with extreme xenophobia against Chinese people. Yet less is known about how Chinese people responded on social media to the same situation. This paper explores the discourses carried on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, focusing on the 2021 Alaska talks between the US and China, where negotiations took place. As with their US counterparts, Weibo users comment little on actual trade benefits or damages caused by the conflict. We find a strong sense of nationalism, but this is not based on xenophobia; rather on a discourse comparing the talks to similar events early in the twentieth century, where the ‘Century of Humiliation’ began, and where territories such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and Shaoshan were taken by colonial powers. Foregrounded is China’s ability now to end this humiliation.

Space and place for health and care – Nationalist discourses in Swedish daily press during the first year of COVID-19

Sweden’s strategy during COVID-19 with restrictions but no firm closure of the society surprised the rest of the world and was questioned, not least by neighbouring countries. This article analyses public discourses on space and place for health and care in the Swedish daily press during the first year of the pandemic, 2020. Critical discourse analysis was conducted on daily press newspaper articles to approach issues of space, place, health and care during the COVID-10 pandemic. The findings suggest three main discourses. First, a powerful discourse on unity against the threat is articulated, urging citizens in Sweden to be loyal in the national space. Secondly, an affirming national reconstructing discourse is manifested, related to constructions of borders of national space but also in relation to places of family life and social contacts to ‘flatten the curve’ and stay healthy. Thirdly, later in the period the overarching discourse of the nation and its loyal citizens was torn apart and increasing tensions were articulated due to, as it appeared, the uncertain actions from the government. This study adds to the literature on a theoretical and practical level. Raising awareness on nationalist discourses in relation to place, space, health, and care could prove important in combating inequalities in the local society as well as when cooperating on an international level.

Please take her as your wife

Abstract This article investigates linguistic and visual representations of the Ainu, the indigenous people of northern Japan, in Satoru Noda’s popular televised Japanese anime Golden Kamuy (GK). The study employs multimodal analysis, focusing on content, context, characters, and perspectives related to the deployment of the Ainu language using the perspectives of raciolinguistics, coloniality, and intersectionality, to examine GK’s representations of Ainu regarding two Japanese national discourses on race: the current discourse of “ethnic harmony” (or multiculturalism) and Ainu as a dying race, popularized in the early 20th century. It argues that GK unintentionally constructs a sanitized Ainu-Japanese relationship that epitomizes the discourse of ethnic harmony by erasing Japan’s colonial past. Simultaneously, GK reproduces Ainu as a dying race discourse by contrasting a young bilingual Ainu co-protagonist and her monolingual grandmother. The article discusses how advanced/backward distinctions that the Japanese elites appropriated from the 19th-century colonial discourse are reinscribed in this anime with a modern twist. It also advocates our need to raise critical questions about language, race, and power for a just society in various contexts, including popular media.

Examining trends in emergency medicine journals' publications about racism.

In recent years, the academic medicine community has produced numerous statements and calls to action condemning racism. Though health equity work examining health disparities has expanded, few studies specifically name racism as an operational construct. As emergency departments serve a high proportion of patients with social and economic disadvantage rooted in structural racism, it is critically important that racism be a focus of our academic discourse. This study examines the frequency at which four prominent emergency medicine journals, Annals of Emergency Medicine, Academic Emergency Medicine, the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, and the Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, publish on health disparities and racism. This is a descriptive analysis measuring the frequency of publications on health disparities and racism in U.S.-based emergency medicine journals from 2014 to 2021. The search strategies for the concepts of "racism" and "health disparities" used a combination of MeSH and keywords. These search strategies were developed based on prior literature and the MEDLINE/PubMed Health Disparities and Minority Health Search Strategy. Articles identified through the PubMed search were then reviewed by two authors for final inclusion. Since 2014, a total of 6248 articles were published by the four emergency medicine journals over the 8-year study period. Of those, 82 research papers that focused on health disparities were identified and only 16 that focused on racism. Most emergency medicine publications on racism and health disparities were in 2021. Our findings suggest that the national discourse on racism and calls to action within emergency medicine were followed by an increase in publications on health disparities and racism. Continued investigation is needed to evaluate these trends moving forward.

Counter-Discourses of Lower-Caste Intellectuals in Colonial and Postcolonial India: Mainstream Hindu Discourses and the Phule-Ambedkar Ideology

This study examines the nature of discourse formation in the Dalit movement by analysing two different historical stages: 1) the nineteenth-century upper-caste discourse on Aryan race theory and the counter-discourse advocated by Phule; and 2) the early twentieth-century mainstream nationalist discourse and the counter-discourse proposed by B. R. Ambedkar. However, the ideologies of Phule and Ambedkar, which have often been combined and called the ‘Phule-Ambedkar ideology’, contain heterogeneous and conflicting elements, especially concerning lower-caste identity and perceptions of the upper castes. Counter-discourses have been produced through interaction with and responses to the contemporary mainstream discourse in different times and contexts

Civic and Ethnic Nationalism in Nepal: Distinct Features or Intertwined Essentials?

Civic and Ethnic Nationalism in Nepal: Distinct Features or Intertwined Essentials?

Sociocultural and linguodiscursive characteristics of irony

The article is a review of existing scientific views on irony as a phenomenon at the junction of several disciplines. Definitions of this phenomenon are presented from the point of view of philosophical, aesthetic, anthropological, literary, linguistic approach. The views on irony as a category of the comic, a worldview category, as a way of perceiving and comprehending reality are listed. The author points out that in the process of communication, irony is a kind of barrier to dividing participants into "ironic" and their "victims", that is, those who are able to interpret irony and the "uninitiated". Discursive irony is considered as a product of interaction, cooperation between the author and the addressee, as a result of which an ironic effect may arise (if the ironic utterance is correctly interpreted) or not (in the case of a communicative failure). Various interpretations of the concept of "irony" are considered in comparison, arguments are given justifying the author's agreement / disagreement with existing formulations. The focus of the article is on irony, an effect that arises as a result of interaction between interlocutors: the ironic speaker and the recipient who perceives and interprets irony. The author's contribution to the development of the theory of discourse is expressed in the analysis of irony in English and Russian linguistic cultures. The article highlights the main socio-cultural and linguodiscursive characteristics of irony. The conclusion is made about the importance of irony in communication, about its role in the verbal and emotional intelligence of the participants of the discourse. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that in the proposed work irony is considered as an integral characteristic of modern English and Russian discourse, which ensures that the speaker achieves the fulfillment of a communicative intention. The main result of the work is the postulate about the ethnostilistic labeling of irony, which opens up wide prospects for studying the features of irony in national discourses. The data presented in the article can be used for the further development of ethnostilistics, linguistic pragmatics, and the theory of intercultural communication.

“Wholesome Utility”: Patriarchy and Black Nationalism in Paradise

Abstract: This essay examines the relationship between patriarchal culture and Black separatist politics in Toni Morrison’s Paradise . While these two themes are obviously central to the text, they are generally treated as merely contiguous elements of life in Ruby, Morrison’s fictional all-Black town. A close examination of classic Black nationalist discourse, however, reveals that the politics of Black separatism has, from the time of its origin, stemmed from efforts to establish a Black patriarchal order that could stand in opposition to racist institutions and practices that strip the Black man of the patriarchal status enjoyed by white men. I argue that Morrison’s novel exposes this causal relationship between patriarchal culture and Black separatism and the way that it generates within Black nationalist ideology a tendency to hijack, obscure, or even eliminate racial solidarity efforts that are more intersectional, inclusive, and democratic.

Islamophobia in higher education environments

AbstractIslamophobia is a reality facing Muslim college students daily on and off campus. In this chapter, I highlight Islamophobia in higher education environments and explore its structural and interactional manifestations. I provide practical recommendations to address institutional and interpersonal Islamophobia and specify how campus educators can work to respond to and prevent Islamophobic incidents. I also make policy recommendations to respond to the hostility toward Muslims in the national discourse. Finally, I outline future frontiers for higher education research, such as the need to account for the complexity of the Muslim identity and its intersections and the need to distinguish Islamophobia from Muslim appreciation through empirical measurement. Future directions in higher education should take on the responsibility of responding to Islamophobia and eradicating its hold on Muslim lives.Practical Takeaways Colleges and universities should critically examine their infrastructures and policies concerning accommodating the religious needs of Muslim students. Each campus should have an academic accommodations policy that specifies how students may go about requesting an accommodation for religious reasons. This policy should be explicitly stated in syllabi, websites, and orientation materials. Institutional leadership should explicitly commit to countering religious‐based hate, including Islamophobia, through policies that condemn such forms of hate and outline specific means of responding to incidents when they occur. A proactive effort to counter hate on campus requires knowledge of the structures in place to utilize these resources when needed and to identify areas for improvement. Educators should create programs and opportunities that promote interactions across religious, spiritual, and secular (RSS) identities and must offer the time, resources, and effort to support formalized campus activities that foreground interfaith engagement. Educators should proactively create spaces for these encounters and incorporate these opportunities into campus architecture and the required programming (e.g., orientation). In the face of a national movement to eliminate, ban, or otherwise weaken diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) resources on college campuses, religious accommodations must be codified in both state and federal laws and guidelines to create consistency across states and a standard of how universities could actively work to create a welcoming environment for all.

Landscapes of boom and ruination: politics of seeing in China’s “tin capital” Gejiu, 1912-1949

This article argues that landscapes of ruination and wasted labour are not an unfortunate finale in the history of mineral-rich cities under the “resource curse” but an always ongoing reality from the start of their involvement in the capitalist world market and pursuit of industrial modernity. Focusing on narratives about the “tin capital” Gejiu in southwestern China during the first half of the 20th century, I conduct a historical analysis and examine how geological and sociological experts introduced new politics of seeing and exploiting land and labour. Boasting the landscape of the industrial boom, Chinese intellectuals and technobureaucrats alike considered geological discoveries and resource extraction as a sign of a nation’s civilizational status and modernization achievements. Their fascination with this outlying small town also exemplified a nationalist claim to the new Republican State’s southwestern borderlands in an era of imperialist territorial divisions. Nonetheless, they had to constantly explain (away) appalling sights of environmental ruination and social polarization, often through promises of mechanization or labour welfare. Offering a close reading of travelogues, social surveys and scientific reports, I challenge the conventional narrative from prosperity to decline and reveal landscapes of ruination at the heart of modernization and nationalist discourse of conquering and utilizing natural resources.

Competition of Memories? The Memory of the Łódź/Litzmannstadt Ghetto in Contemporary Museums in Łódź

Abstract There is no individual museum dedicated to the Łódź Ghetto in which 200,000 Jews were confined. However, there are institutions actively working to preserve the memory of the Jewish community in Łódź. This article focuses on two recently established museums in the city: the Radegast Station, founded in 2009, and the Museum of Polish Children, established in 2021. The aim is to analyze the mechanisms that led to the creation of these historical museums and explore their specific functions. I am interested not only in how these institutions shape and present the Jewish heritage, but also in the conceptualisation of the social role of these institutions and the analysis of their presence in the public space. To achieve this, I examine local micro-interactions within the current framework of Poland’s politics of history. Given that nationalism is the predominant ideology of modernity, my text demonstrates how nationalist discourses impact the commemoration of the Łódź/Litzmannstadt Ghetto and influence the remembrance of Second World War.

Poeme Elecroniqe fusion concept of nationalism in “Feel the Sounds of Kenya”

This study sought to find out Poeme Elecroniqe fusion concept of nationalism in "Feel the Sounds of Kenya". Edgar Varese, a French composer, is hailed as the pioneer of electronic music with his signature Poeme Eletronique composition, which was performed in 1958 in Brussels. Attributes of similitude with Edgar Varese's Poeme Electronique style have come to identify certain African contemporary music idioms. Transcending conventional sonic boundaries that have long defined the Kenyan music space, the piece "Feel the Sounds of Kenya” by CeeRoo exemplifies this innovative fusion concept of electronic elements with social-cultural schemas akin to the Kenyan nationhood, a blend of native nuances with technological progress. Using the content analysis method, the researcher analyses Poeme Electronique concepts in ‘Feel the Sounds of Kenya’ with the aim of establishing the intersection between artistry and technology within the broader discourse of nationalism while propagating national consciousness. This is achieved by using Sofia’s model approach to examine CeeRoo’s ‘Feel the Sounds of Kenya’ on both descriptive and conceptual analysis levels. From the analysis, it is clear that CeeRoo’s “Feel the Sounds of Kenya” exemplifies a perfect union of definitive cultural nuances with electronic music in a space that has long been defined by conventional musical schemas. This information provides a model of how music composers, listeners and performers in Kenya can use normative cultural schemas to augment the conventional musical parlance, grammar and vocabulary. The researcher recommends a contextual-conscious approach for music making, practice and education in Kenya for relevance.

The strategic use of AI in the public sector: A public values analysis of national AI strategies

Governments worldwide are strategically investing in artificial intelligence (AI) to improve public services and streamline internal operations. In this context, national AI strategies play a pivotal role. This study uses combined qualitative research methods analyzing 28 national AI strategies (i.e., the texts). Our aim is to delve into how governments define and position AI applications within the public sector. Specifically, the study explores how the texts convey AI's application in this context employing a public value(s) perspective. Its discursive analytical approach coupled with a comprehensive take on public value theory (Moore, 1995) engenders novel insights into national discourses on AI in the public sector. Against this background we draw on public administration and policy research in our analysis of three dominant discourses that we identify in the texts, i.e. empowerment through information, enhanced administrative practices, and improved service delivery. We find that the discourses involve different positions in relation to governments' use of AI and depend on particular actors and types of public service. Commonly, they concern government objectives to tackle critical societal issues through AI, such as in the areas of health and social care and employment. In particular, the discourse of enhanced administrative practices commonly positioned AI as a tool to optimize internal processes, resource allocation, and organizational management. On the other hand, the discourse of improved service delivery similarly placed public services front and center, while the discourse of empowerment through information framed AI as being able to enhance citizens' service experiences. Interestingly, discourses emphasizing the policymaking function, i.e., AI applied to the development of public policy,—receives limited attention. Our findings underscore strategic prioritizations. While efficiency and service delivery dominate the discourse, citizen engagement remains underemphasized. We argue that policymakers must strike a balance, ensuring AI aligns with broader societal outcomes while addressing democratic imperatives.

Masculinity crisis or gender reconciliation: A corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis of the effeminate Chinese masculinity debate on social media

Sexism and gender controversies often occur on the internet in contemporary China. The prevalence of male effeminacy is a part of the growing diversity of gender representations. This article investigates the dominant discourses surrounding the debate on male feminization, and netizens’ stance in Chinese social media discourse. By employing corpus-assisted critical discourse analysis, the study identifies four dominant discourses: resistance discourse, anti-discrimination discourse, patriarchal discourse, and nationalistic discourse. These discourses are constructed using various strategies, such as abstraction, authorization, categorization, and morality strategies, and are inextricably intertwined with China’s sociocultural background and broader social contexts. This study offers insights into the clash between conventional and liberal views on ‘soft masculinity’ and exemplifies how Chinese netizens actively leverage social media platforms to express views on gender issues.

Reframing nationalism and national identity in Anek

ABSTRACT Foregrounding Anubhav Sinha's Hindi mainstream film Anek (released on 27 May 2022), I will draw upon the discourses of nationalism and nation to examine the issues of separatist insurgency, violence, and militarization in the Northeast from the affective and performative lens in order to unsettle the reified categories of identity politics. As ‘nation-building' has important implications for nationalism and the nation-state, an attempt is made to map out the contours of the historical legacy of state formation in the Northeast India, which is characterized by ‘ethnic polities’ of Northeast groups with a connection to a real or imagined homeland, and the recurrent politics of subnationalism. Delineating the current scholarship on the relationship between hot and banal nationalism, an endeavour is made to offer new ways to understand insurgency and counter insurgency in the Northeast. Lastly, the paper explores how sports serve as a galvanizing force for mobilizing national identity and unity.

Reconciling China’s maritime discourses of nationalism and international engagement with left Confucian logic

China’s discursive combination of nationalism and international engagement with its maritime neighbours seems self-defeating. To explain why this narrative strategy has been deemed apt, previous studies have predominantly followed a realist approach and contended that China’s international engagement is pure statecraft to help its national rejuvenation efforts. As the merits of Confucianism increasingly affect contemporary Chinese socialism, this paper interprets the internarrativity of left Confucian ethics, Chinese nationalism and international engagement in East China Sea geopolitics. It argues that China tends to identify itself as a contributor to common material interest in the international community. With the notion of graded love, the contribution to the people of the world does not undermine the self-interests. China’s national defence is often allegedly conducted alongside the defence of the existing order enabling its contribution. China does not aim to challenge the order per se, but it challenges the US and its allies’ collective interpretations of it. This situation leads to antagonistic peace when the US-led alliance is unstable. However, if the US’s geopolitical alliance is strong enough to withstand the solipsistic interpretation of the order, the Chinese dream of national rejuvenation can be better realized.