Oppressive Environment Research Articles

Unlocking Doors: Decolonizing the Design of an Art Exhibition in Zimbabwe

Participatory event design opens up opportunities for the sustainable transformation of a community and can therefore make a valuable contribution to the field of critical event studies. This article discusses the findings from a participatory action research project developed with a community of visual artists in Zimbabwe. The project explored how participatory event design processes could be applied to the cocreation of an art exhibition that would be used as a platform to challenge the oppressive environment Zimbabwean visual artists are working in. The design of special events in the third sector is usually reliant on the voice of the specialist event designer or organizer who is commissioned by the funding or lead agency to develop an event intervention using risk-averse and time-efficient methods. Unfortunately, this can result in in the community of interest having a marginalized role in the proceedings and thus they lose a much-needed connection with the event intervention and are not committed to sustaining the desired change. We argue that there is an opportunity for events professionals to increase their skills and develop emancipatory approaches that will decolonize established event design processes and contribute to the sustainable transformation of marginalized communities.

Commercial surrogacy in India: The presumption of adaptive preference formation, the possibility of autonomy and the persistence of exploitation

India’s proposed 2016 Bill on the regulation of surrogacy is its latest attempt to respond to criticism regarding the lack of protection given to those entering into a commercial surrogacy arrangement. Adaptive preference theorists presume that a decision made in an oppressive environment, which is inconsistent with the woman’s well-being, is not autonomous and that she is therefore exploited. This article challenges this presumption, arguing that some decisions may be suspected as adaptive preferences but they may nevertheless be autonomous. However, it is contended that even if the choice is autonomous, there may still be exploitation given the imbalance of bargaining power and the nature of the service. Rather than a blanket ban on commercial surrogacy, it would be better to reduce exploitative conditions by establishing adequate protection and safeguards for the commercial surrogate and others who are party to the arrangement.

Symposium on The Price

Symposium on <i>The Price</i>

Our Stories–Our Journey: An Empowerment Group Approach for Justice-Involved Women using Pecha-Kucha

ABSTRACTThis article presents Our Stories–Our Journey, a group-work intervention with justice-involved women. This narrative-based intervention helps members to develop insight into self-identity and to restructure narratives via mutual aid. Through a group-work intervention using empowerment and narrative theories with pecha-kucha (the word for chit-chat or chatter, in Japanese), incarcerated women work to create empowering stories that will support them in constructing new narratives. Considering the traumatic pathways to prison for women and the oppressive correctional environments, models of innovative programs that are strength based and empowering are needed that will guide the social work profession to work effectively with justice-involved populations.

The Reconstruction of Greyfriars Kirkyard’s Sacred Space: From the Franciscan Order’s “Divinity Heaven Garden” into the Protestant’s “the Sacred Cemetery”

The Scottish Reformation in the sixteenth century had a profound influence on the layout and function of Greyfriars Kirkyard. Since the Reformation it has been used in various ways such as a public cemetery, a weapon exhibition and military exercises site, and as the Covenanters prison. By exhaustively perusing historical documents, comparing different layouts in Edinburgh antique maps, and analyzing the epitaphs and engraved monuments within the cemetery, I have concluded the reconstructive principles of the sacred space represent three major shifts. The space has moved from sacred to secular from a single faith to multiple denominational and from an oppressive environment to a supportive one.

‘You cannot talk about academic freedom in such an oppressive environment’: perceptions of the We Will Not Be a Party to This Crime! petition signatories

ABSTRACTIn January 2016, 1128 predominantly Turkish intellectuals signed an Academics for Peace petition to draw attention to the conflict in southeastern Turkey. Their actions were met with outcry from the government, accusing the signatories of disloyalty to the state, even treason. This paper is an analysis of the responses of 60 of these scholars to a questionnaire sent to the entire Academics for Peace email list. Respondents, including 58 signatories, provided various perspectives on academic freedom in Turkey, as well as their own experiences of signing the petition. We contend that the responses faced by these intellectuals illustrate the homogenizing effects of power to silence criticism and ensure loyalty to the government and its ideas of Turkishness. It reflects a continuation of the suppression of academic freedom in Turkey, an issue that sees little sign of abatement or reform in the light of present challenges.

The Joke Is on You: Humor, Resistance through Culture, and Paradoxical Forms of Dissent in Communist Romania

The author of the article focuses on showing that resistance through culture is part of a social and political dynamic that is complicated and paradoxical. He claims that a discursive analysis of power relationships and of the rapport between the private and official idioms in the political context of communist totalitarian societies can evince the daunting complexity of some forms of resistance-through-culture discourse. The author argues that with the appropriate critical instruments, cultural discourse analysis can broach the intricacies and paradoxes of power relationships in oppressive environments and can ground a more accurate and unprejudiced moral evaluation of resistance through culture as a phenomenon typical of totalitarian cultural politics.

Liminal Criminal: Abject, Absence and Environment in Junky and The Outsider

Liminality represents a transient and in-between space in which the subject, midritual, is rendered absent and abject. This space is generated and inhabited by both the victims and perpetrators of social transgressions; a space in which each party is caught in a state of abjection until the fulfilment of punishment. Located within this sphere the reader finds the worlds of William Burroughs’ Junky (2002 [1953]) and Albert Camus’ The Outsider (2013 [1967]). Junky outlines the daily journeys of its narrator, Bill, through the lens of his opiate addiction as he travels from the chill of New York to the sub-tropics of New Orleans and the heat of Mexico; constantly haunted by the ‘junk vibe’ until the lure of new highs takes him to the tropics of Columbia and beyond the reader’s reach. The Outsider follows the narrator, Meursault, as he travels under the burden of the Algerian sun from the day of his mother’s death through to his conviction of murder for shooting a man after a confrontation on a beach. The titles of both texts denote the protagonists as abject and liminal. The liminal is present within Junky and The Outsider in three distinct ways: the criminal element, the oppressive environment, and language.

The politics of counting and reporting conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence: the case of Myanmar

ABSTRACTScholars, states and international organizations have begun to systematically count, document and compare sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in conflict-affected countries. Qualitative and quantitative studies point to a “tip of the iceberg” phenomenon, where there is a high prevalence but low level of actual reporting of SGBV. We investigate the conditions in which SGBV is reported or, more significantly, is not reported to discover the trends of reporting in politically oppressive environments where SGBV is thought to be occurring. We ask how the power to report in local conflict-affected areas is affected by national political tensions and pervasive gender discrimination. Reporting of SGBV in Myanmar, a country that has experienced multiple, protracted conflicts since independence, is examined. Analysis of open-access reports over a fifteen-year period reveals a pattern of silence that we argue is rooted in pervasive discriminatory civil and physical practices against women. Engaging with the deeply politicized and gender discriminatory context of conflict-affected societies enables us to see the anomalies of SGBV data and to highlight significant gaps in our knowledge about SGBV.

Transgender subjects, fairytales, and red light districts: strategies of subversion in Tunisian women’s writing under Ben ‘Ali

ABSTRACTThis article analyses three Arabic novels by prominent Tunisian women writers published in the decade preceding the mass protests of 2010: Mas‘ūdah Abū Bakr’s Ṭurshqānah (1999), Faḍīlah Al-Shābbī’s al-‘Adl (Justice, 2005), and Fatḥīyah al-Hāshimī’s Maryam tasquṭ min yad Allāh (Maryam Falls from the Hand of God, 2009). These novels are interpreted as alternative political discourses that work to expose the methods of regulation and normalisation in Tunisia under Ben ‘Ali. While each has a different focus, they share a number of common themes: the tension between the individual and the collective, the intersection of gender with class as a site of disenfranchisement, the effects of a politically oppressive environment on the autonomy of the physical body, and the way strategies of control effect the lived experience of urban space. Based upon the strongly voiced critique embedded in these texts, the writers’ notable positions within their own local literary contexts, and the neglect to which their work has been subject in the West and larger Arab world, I ultimately argue for more inclusive reading practices in modern Arabic literature.

Looking for ‘social work’ in school social work

ABSTRACTSchool social workers can be seen as a professional group operating on the margin of an educational logic that dominates schools as institutions. This conditions what tasks they are assigned and what aspects of social work knowledge they will find relevant. On the other hand, the role as a sole professional and relative outsider in the organization provides a potential for school social workers to transcend established theories of social work practice. This article aims to investigate how social work theory is applied in school social work. Twelve semi-structured interviews with school social workers were analysed in terms of how they relate to four knowledge approaches derived from the literature: task-centred, systems theory, strengths and anti-oppressive. Contrary to claims within the sociology of professions that social work practice is formed largely by organizational context rather than a discipline-specific knowledge base, the interviewees seemed to lean on a robust professional foundation within social work theory. Interviewees strongly emphasised their role as working for the individual pupil and positioned themselves as somewhat in opposition to a somewhat oppressive school environment.

S. I. Hsiung: New Discourse and Drama in Early Modern Chinese Theatrical Exchange

This paper examines a significant pioneer in the history of Sino-Western cultural exchange, S. I. Hsiung, and how his play Lady Precious Stream represents a shift in discursive endeavors within culturally oppressive environments. It demonstrates how Hsiung’s discourse was one of the first in China-West relations to eschew the historical and dialogic precedent that held back most of his contemporaries. His approach was at the forefront of his time—a “modern” and sophisticated overture in the realm of cultural relations. With textual and methodological changes, and little regard for authenticity, Hsiung’s adaptation of an old Chinese play is tangled in contradiction, yet prescient in its logic. That his work is largely left out of the canonical history of Chinese drama is indicative of the way we should understand his work; that is, he has more to teach us about how Chinese drama was used within cultural exchange than he does about the drama itself.

Strategic Invisibility: Resisting the Inhospitable Dwelling Place

Hidden in plain sight, under the radar, or behind the scenes are people who strategically choose to conceal parts of their identity, their locations, or their life situation. Strategic invisibility resists an oppressive environment by disengaging from it until new possibilities arise. Not powerless but strategic. Distinguishing between culturally imposed invisibility and invisibility that involves agency, this paper presents brief personal stories suggesting the best strategic option in certain circumstances is invisibility and the rejection of the social and public spheres. Using Hannah Arendt's delineation of the public, social, and private spheres to position labor, work, and action, strategic invisibility is seen in six stories: a tenured faculty member, a mentally ill woman, an immigrant family, a group of refugees, a child living in subsidized housing, and a man who lives in a tent by the river. In these examples, invisibility is a choice, however brief, for the purpose of safety and privacy. It is strategic and communicates awareness and adaptability. It is an act of agency, albeit small and with limited scope, but possibly the first step toward a stronger act of resistance to an inhospitable dwelling place.

Brother Anna (1963): A Jewish woman is a very queer woman

Abstract O Adelfos Anna / Brother Anna (Grigoriou, 1963) is a Greek film about Anna, a Jewish girl who cross-dresses as a monk in a Christian monastery in the immediate aftermath of World War II. The film’s negotiation of gender and religious identities is peculiarly subdued: unlike other cross-dressing films (such as Sylvia Scarlett or Yentl), both Anna’s disguise and her subsequent identity disclosure do not lead to paradoxical situations that can invite queer interpretations, and her Jewishness recedes into the background. Yet, the fact that Anna resides in an oppressive environment, which stipulates female sexuality as profane and punishes its manifestations, marks her own, queer trajectory of identity disclosure: being initially saddled with a non-gendered identity that helps her avoid female oppression, Anna experiments with religious, Christian pathos to sanctify her own sexuality. At the same time, she unknowingly but actively explores the negative stereotype of a Jewish temptress to seduce her male object of desire to Christian morality. Even though Anna will finally embrace a conventional heterosexual bonding, both her non-normative, religious expression of sexuality and her overturning of the negative connotations that female Jewishness entails leads to her acknowledgement of female sexuality as something inherently positive, which does not require validation from a conventional, Greek Orthodox marriage scheme.

Repetitive Box Lifting Performance is Impaired in a Hot Environment: Implications for Altered Work-Rest Cycles

This study investigated the effects of environmental temperature on repetitive box lifting (RBL) performance, associated stress hormone and creatine kinase (CK) responses. Ten healthy males performed two experimental trials in a random crossover design. The trials consisted of three 40 min (10 min sitting, 20 min standing, and 10 min RBL) circuits performed in either 23°C or 38°C followed by a 180 min seated recovery period in 23°C. RBL performance (i.e., number of boxes lifted) was reduced (p ≤ 0.05) in 38°C compared to the 23°C trial. Physiological Strain Index was significantly different between trials (38°C: 8.5 ± 1.1 versus 23°C: 7.2 ± 0.7; p ≤ 0.01). Plasma testosterone was elevated (p ≤ 0.05) across both trials and then decreased at 60 min recovery, compared to pre-exercise (PRE) measures, but was higher (p ≤ 0.05) during the 38°C trial. Plasma cortisol increased (p ≤ 0.05) at 60 min during both trials and remained elevated until 120 min in 23°C, and until 60 min recovery in 38°C. Serum CK was greater through 48 hr post compared to PRE values in both trials. Thus, 10 min RBL performance was reduced in 38°C despite the 30-min rest periods between RBL intervals. Plasma testosterone and cortisol were generally higher during the 38°C trial, suggesting a greater stress response. Additional research is needed to determine optimal work:rest cycles for maximizing work performance in thermally oppressive environments.

Violence makes safe in South African prisons

That gangs have a prominent place in South African prison violence—like in many other geographical contexts—has become increasingly clear. Based on qualitative research among South African inmates and ex-inmates, we propose that prison gangs be considered adaptation strategies to the extremely coercive and oppressive environments of prisons. We focus on the relationship between gang involvement in prison, violent acts among inmates, and the risk of being subjected to violence during incarceration. By providing emic perspectives, we aim to demonstrate how inmates negotiate three types of social roles, largely defined by their ability and willingness to use violence: franse, gangster, and wyfie. Our findings suggest that prison gangs may jeopardize the personal safety of inmates, but can also paradoxically offer some inmates the opportunity to establish a sense of safety and agency by avoiding random violence.

Service Needs among Latino Immigrant Families: Implications for Social Work Practice

This study sought to learn from Latino immigrant families what services they need to promote their families' well-being within a context of stringent anti-immigrant legislation. Fifty-two Latino immigrant parents participated in focus groups. Focus groups took place following the passage of Senate Bill 1070. Findings reveal five major categories of need: mental health, physical health care, education, information and support services, and community efforts. Participants' experiences as immigrants played a significant role in their narratives. The narratives reveal that families need assistance navigating systems of care, coping with discrimination and oppressive environments, strengthening ties among community members, and advocating for policy change. Social workers are called to address the needs of this community and advocate for human rights and social justice.

“La cara de luna de mi madre”: Nuria Amat’s Revolution in Poetic Language in “Casa de verano” (1999)

Nuria Amat’s 1999 short story “Casa de verano” ‘Summer House’ presents the reader with a sensorial collage of unsettling language and violent images that effectively portray domestic abuse and the difficulty of escaping oppressive environments. The Barcelona writer’s text crosses the generic boundaries of narrative and poetry as her discourse flows freely and irrationally by employing a wide variety of charged poetic devices such as metaphor, metonymy, and antithesis. The story focuses on three orphan children who are prohibited from speaking about their subversive bisexual mother, from reading the few remaining books in the summer house, or from playing with most of their toys. They cope with the rigid house rules by seeking refuge in their imagination and escaping to a world of lyrically-encoded language. The children’s linguistic nonsense is comprised mostly of dislocated phrases which contest the dictates of their Franco-like abuelo ‘grandfather’ as they speak metaphorical utterances and “desordenando palabras” ‘muddling up words.’ These speech acts disrupt generic conventions and issue a revolutionary aesthetics similar to what Julia Kristeva refers to as the semiotic chora, (pre)linguistic mobilizations that are in direct contrast to the official regulations of the symbolic order. Their dreams of escaping the summer house are heard through fragmented memories, maternal metaphors, and a feminist politics wherein unstable notions of both gender identity and genre challenge traditional discourses. As such, Amat’s “Casa de verano” constitutes a daring poetic narrative centered on youthful resistance and feminine dissidence.

The Performance and Maintenance of Standpoint Within an Online Community

In the following essay, we explore the possibility for the expansion of the Audience Performance Paradigm to include the concept of “Standpoint Performance.” Specifically, we looked at an alternative cityscape constructed through diffused intertextual production as the site for such a performance. Using interviews and qualitative content analysis, we were able to demonstrate how some members of the DetroitYES! web community were able to construct a collective experience that allowed them to gain a voice within the oppressive environment of the contested cityscape of Detroit. In addition, our research also illustrated how there is a hierarchical community maintenance that was necessary for such performances to arise within the community.

Women in the "Grey Zone"? Ambiguity, Complicity and Rape Culture

Women in the "Grey Zone"? Ambiguity, Complicity and Rape Culture