'A thorn in my heart': Narratives of systemic burdens and gendered suffering in Chinese autism parenting discourse.

This study investigates the critical function of veteran contemporary artists in leveraging creative expression as a proactive means to interrogate and deconstruct gender-based obstacles. Utilizing a qualitative framework that integrates rigorous formal analysis with socio-cultural contextualization, the research evaluates how visual, performance-based, and multi-disciplinary artworks act as both reflective mirrors and radical instruments for challenging entrenched patriarchal paradigms. The analysis highlights the contributions of influential figures like Judy Chicago, whose seminal installation *The Dinner Party* rearticulates historical female narratives; Cindy Sherman, whose photographic explorations dismantle archetypal feminine stereotypes; and Lorna Simpson, who addresses the intersectional complexities of racial and gendered identities. Each practitioner’s body of work illustrates specific methodologies for destabilizing conventional social roles. By examining both the literal and symbolic depictions of gender, this paper argues that these artistic interventions facilitate meaningful dialogue and foster cultural transformations toward genuine equality. Furthermore, the study emphasizes an intersectional perspective, acknowledging that gendered experiences are inextricably linked with other identity markers. The findings suggest that art serves as a robust platform for political activism, harmonizing aesthetic brilliance with social critique to reshape public and institutional perceptions of gender. Ultimately, this research posits that seasoned artists remain central to the ongoing evolution of feminist and queer advocacy through their transformative creative practices.

This paper addresses four core research questions: How do Shakespeare and Lu Xun employ unreliable narration? Why the characters' madness are reliable? What is the relationship between madness and the society? How do the unreliable narrators revealing truth–function as social critique? To answer these questions, the research employs an integrated theoretical framework, adopting Foucault's Madness and Civilization for historical power analysis, Booth's unreliable narration theory for rhetorical strategy examination, and Margolin's narrative reliability model for analyzing the contest. These three theories complete each other and make a complete approach to connect readers and the contests. In fact, Shakespeare and Lu Xun both use unreliable narration to break through the traditional thoughts about literature works, everything the author mentions should be the truth, and express social truths that were hard to face directly with rational language. Hamlet's feigned madness in Hamlet and the Madman's delusions in A Madman's Diary—though factually untrustworthy on the surface—prove profoundly credible channels for social criticism. This study illustrates how madness narratives help readers to understand social criticism and enhance the text's ideological impact. It is that the characters' words are not reliable in the surface pushes readers to think about the deeper meanings with the contests, to find the authors' social criticism by themselves.

This article examines the representation of the American family in Arthur Hailey's novel Airport (1968) through the intersecting lenses of socioeconomic analysis, gender studies, and literary realism. Drawing on critical frameworks developed within American literary criticism and family sociology, the study investigates how Hailey deploys the dysfunctional family unit as both a narrative device and a vehicle for social critique. The analysis focuses on three principal axes of familial disintegration: economic marginalization and its psychological consequences, as evidenced in the Guerrero household; the corrosive effects of professional alienation and spousal incompatibility, as dramatized through the Bakersfeld marriages; and the redemptive function of loyal femininity as a counterweight to masculine crisis. The article argues that Hailey's realist aesthetics — grounded in meticulous social documentation and psychologically complex characterization — position Airport as a significant literary artifact of mid-twentieth-century American domestic fiction. By situating the novel within the broader tradition of American social realism and engaging with contemporary scholarship on family, gender, and literary form, this study demonstrates that Hailey's treatment of familial crisis constitutes a sustained, structurally embedded critique of post-war American society's failure to protect its most vulnerable members.

The current article aims to shed light on the way three Iraqi authors - ‘Abd al-Rahman Majid al-Rubay'i, Gha'ib Tu‘ma Farman, and ‘Aliya Mamduh - refer in their works to two main bodies of water: the Tigris River and the marshes in Southern Iraq. It begins with a review of how the Tigris River has been depicted in Arabic poetry throughout the years and then explores the functionalities of the Tigris in prose works, both as a reflection of the characters' inner world and as a means of social criticism. The final part of the article discusses life in the marshes through a short story written two decades prior to the drainage of the region imposed by Saddam Hussein in the aftermath of the 1991 revolt and the Gulf War. Since the stories are rooted in the authors’ intimate knowledge of the region, they can be interpreted as having a historically informative function, adding the aspect of human emotional experience to what is usually examined through quantitative data alone.

The utilisation of cartoons as a medium to depict colonial spatiality and its contextual reading alongside other documentary typologies in the archives enables us to equate public space, a hermeneutic territory in which social criticism, moral function, artistic expression and cultural impact act as frontiers. This enables a re-evaluation of social values, even during pivotal moments such as the colonial war in Africa. Cid's approach conveys his artistic representation of the conflict, both as an active part of it and as a result of censorship.

Abstract Scholars have generally maintained that Nietzsche has little – and certainly little good – to say about happiness, labor, and the distinct values and needs of those not counted as “free spirits” or “masters.” This article resists these commonplaces via a contextual investigation of Nietzsche’s rich and extensive thought around the nineteenth-century social question. For Nietzsche this chiefly concerns the possible existence of the “happy worker”: an unintelligent yet contented laborer who has accepted the impossibility of changing their situation. Nietzsche uses the happy worker to trace a narrative of decline from the serene slave class of Ancient Greece to the discontents and delusions of nineteenth-century Europe. In that it represents a structural ideal, a figure prior to ressentiment and nihilism, the construct of the happy worker also allows us to establish Nietzsche’s overarching and affirmative concept of happiness as the contented acceptance of one’s fate. Closely analyzing Nietzsche’s harsh critiques of capitalism and socialism, this article asks precisely how they prevent the worker from being happy, before considering his proposed solutions to the social question, on the level of both individual and society.

This study aims to describe the forms of social criticism reflected by the author through his novel. The researcher uses Alan Swingewood's theory of literary sociology in viewing the social criticism that J.S Khairen wants to convey in the novel Melangkah. This study uses a qualitative method, with a type of library research. The results of the study indicate the existence of a form of social criticism by the author towards the gaps felt by most Indonesian people, especially Sumba Island. The form of gap experienced and highlighted by the author in this novel is the uneven development of infrastructure that can support the economy of the Sumba community. The forms of infrastructure inequality are inadequate electricity, transportation facilities, internet access, lack of clean water availability, inadequate road access and in terms of environmental cleanliness.

This research is motivated by the pervasive dominance of contemporary materialistic culture which creates the phenomenon of simulacra, where transcendental values are often obscured by shallow imagery that has lost its referential reference to the divine. In response to this spiritual crisis, this study aims to uncover the systematic construction of religiosity in the classic poem Ayya Man Yadda’il Fahm by Al-Hariri through the triadic semiotic approach of Charles Sanders Peirce. The research method employed is a descriptive qualitative approach utilizing the interactive model analysis procedure of Miles, Huberman, and Saldana, which includes data condensation, data display, and conclusion drawing/verification. The results show that the sign mechanism in the poem is massively dominated by Index signs which have physical causality relationships, particularly within the indicators of Piety (Takwa) and Repentance (Tobat). Al-Hariri strategically utilizes biological "bluffing" through irrefutable existential facts, such as the appearance of gray hair as a sign of aging and the absolute certainty of death, to force the reader into an immediate confrontation with eschatological reality. The research conclusion confirms that the dominance of these indexical signs functions as an effective social critique instrument to dismantle the simulacra of modern culture through a profound spiritual shock effect. This approach provides a more precise and scientific analytical depth than previous stylistic or linguistic studies because it is capable of dissecting how the triadic sign structure—Representament, Object, and Interpretant—transforms mortal biological objects into a semiotic means to understand the eternal Essence of Allah. Therefore, this study offers a new perspective in understanding classical Arabic literature as a relevant medium for contemporary character education and spiritual awakening.

Through the ages Man has cherished nature with its myriad wonders all through his life. Today we live in a world that is contaminated, polluted and threatened. As result of man’s anthropocentric attitude towards nature, he has to face a number of problems related to his immediate environment. So it is the necessity of the hour that forces creative writers and social critics to focus on environmental disasters that threaten the future of Earth. One such writer in India is Amitav Ghosh. This present paper proposes to study The Hungry Tide, which portrays life in the Tide country. This novel discusses environmental issues related to the ecoregion Sundarbans. This paper seeks to look into the failing relationship between man and nature that raises many survival issues both to human beings and nature. The novel carries important discussions on the biodiversity of the Tide Country and the man-made crises on the micro culture of bhaatirdesh.

ABSTRACT Much of the existing body of work on cultural exchange in cinema focuses on feature films as manifestations of cinematic transnationalisms, and less on short films. Starting from two Clermont-Ferrand competition titles, Tonia Mishiali’s Daphne (2022) and Savvas Stavrou’s Buffer Zone (2023), we look at how specific examples of directors and their short films reflect recent observations that Greek Cypriot cinema is entering a phase in which filmmakers actively seek international collaborations and opportunities to further their art-making. The article focuses on the short films of Mishiali, Stavrou, Myrsini Aristidou and Alexandra Matheou, providing an overview of the work of each filmmaker leading to a close analysis of their short(s). The aim of our analysis is to identify the films’ transnational qualities, as well as how these may echo current practices in European filmmaking. We argue that even though these shorts form part of the transnational orientation of Greek Cypriot cinema, they simultaneously contribute to the development of a diverse local cinema that radically departs from dominant on-screen representations of Cyprus, or revisit them by way of social critique.

ABSTRACT Many states require preservice teachers to complete performance assessments to measure their effectiveness before obtaining state teaching credentials. One popular assessment, the edTPA, evaluates a teacher candidate’s professional readiness. As previous research has demonstrated, standardized tools are dubious for their intended purpose of ensuring teacher quality, and worse, potentially deny equitable access to diverse teacher candidates as a gatekeeper. Nevertheless, the legally required, largely ineffective, and bothersome examination process affords an opportunity for preservice teachers to better understand the sociopolitical context that frames public education. Drawing on literature from the field of teacher training in the arts, including dance and theater, we consider ways to use the edTPA as a tool for social critique to ultimately support dance teacher candidates as they develop sociopolitical consciousness.

Abstract Underlying the enterprise of constructing an adequate theory of racism is the methodological question of whether philosophers should prioritize political philosophical investigation or moral philosophical investigation in social criticisms of racism. This debate has led to the construction of competing desiderata for judging the adequacy of a theory of racism. In this paper, I argue that in many, perhaps most, circumstances we should prioritize moral philosophical investigation into racism because the concepts, methodologies, and evaluative language primarily associated with moral philosophy provide a more comprehensive investigation into racism than those primarily associated with political philosophy. An upshot of my argument is that, when taken seriously, it allows social critics to foreground individual responsibility without precluding criticism of structures.

This study Research This study analyzes the social criticism discourse presented by female comedians in the Adu Cuanda x TAYTB Women Warriors program on OCBC YouTube, placing digital media as a space for women's advocacy and empowerment. Based on Judith Butler's theory of gender performativity and Rodney H. Jones et al.'s analysis of digital discourse, this study highlights aspects of text, context, interaction, and power relations and ideology. The results show that the comedians raise issues of gender, culture, family, economics, politics, morals, and religion, including stereotypes, objectification, subordination, double burdens, socio-economic inequality, and religious and mental health stigma. These findings confirm that stand-up comedy functions as a medium for social criticism and empowerment, while YouTube serves as an inclusive digital space for the struggle for gender equality.

• Public concern in France led to ending fistulated ruminant experimental model. • No alternative method fully meets current scientific standards or ethical expectations. • This case illustrates shifting animal sciences with evolution of social criticism and public policies. • Developing alternatives needs a systemic approach and revised research goals. • Authors urge broader dialogue to guide the transition toward new research models.

This article reinterprets Bae Min-su’s Christian rural movement during the Japanese colonial period as a strategic transformation of Christian nationalism after the 1920s. While previous studies have viewed his rural activities either as a continuation of anti-Japanese resistance or as religious and social service, this study emphasizes the broader structural context in which Christian nationalists reconfigured their strategies. In particular, it highlights the post-World War I international order, the disillusionment with Wilsonian self-determination, and the growing influence of socialist critiques. Following the limitations of mass protests such as the March First Movement and the failure of the Korean National Representative Conference, Bae Min-su came to pursue a long-term nationalist strategy focused on cultivating national capacity rather than direct political confrontation. Influenced by Cho Man-sik, he identified rural society as the foundation for national reconstruction and promoted rural enlightenment through lecture tours, consumer cooperatives, and the training of rural leaders. After his study in the United States, these initiatives were institutionalized through the Presbyterian Church’s rural department and expanded nationwide. This article argues that Bae’s Christian rural movement was not a retreat from anti-colonial resistance but a strategic reorientation under colonial constraints. By integrating faith with nationalist practice to transform everyday life and social structures, his movement represents an alternative path toward independence and offers a more nuanced understanding of modern Korean Christian history.

ABSTRACT TESOL educators have access to diverse didactic resources, including popular music and songwriting, which can be especially effective tools for writing instruction. This conceptual article explores the use of sones—the song verses of son jarocho, a folkloric regional music genre from southeastern Mexico—as a medium for poetic (re)writing, reflection, and social critique in the TESOL classroom. The improvisational tradition of son jarocho allows language‐minoritized students to creatively reinterpret the genre by emphasizing individual experience and dynamic expression. We focus on the Chicane/x band, Las Cafeteras, and their (re)interpretation of the centuries‐old son (son jarocho song), “Señor Presidente/Mr. President” as a catalyst for son jarocho‐based writing practices. We highlight this Mexican musical tradition as a resource for teachers to foster creativity and criticality in TESOL classrooms. Co‐authored with Las Cafeteras lead singer‐songwriter, Denise Carlos, this article theorizes son jarocho as a powerful tool for cultivating creativity and critical literacy while envisioning more equitable futures for immigrants and racialized multilingual communities.

The theatre of Vijay Tendulkar engages with the darker aspects of human behaviour, studying the ways in which violence and trauma impact social and psychological realities. This paper presents a psychosocial interpretation of the world of Vijay Tendulkar’s theatre, examining the manner in which individual suffering is inextricably linked with structural inequality, gendered power relations, and cultural conditioning. Through a close analysis of key plays—Shantata! Court Chalu Ahe, Ghashiram Kotwal, Sakharam Binder, and Kamala—the paper engages with the manner in which fear, power, and emotional dislocation are enacted as both individual experience and social phenomenon. Using the frameworks of psychological realism, trauma studies, and social critique, this paper will demonstrate that the plays of Vijay Tendulkar function as a mirror to human vulnerability, laying bare the fragile psyche in conditions of coercion and inequality. Keywords: Vijay Tendulkar; Psychosocial Criticism; Violence and Trauma; Gendered Oppression; Power and Domination; Indian Modern Theatre

Scholars increasingly acknowledge the influence of African musical traditions on U.S. hip-hop, but there is still no clear, integrated account of how rhythm, sampling, and cultural negotiation work together to shape the genre. This narrative review addresses that gap by examining African musical elements as core organizing principles within hip-hop and tracing how they continue to operate in digital and algorithm-driven environments. Drawing on scholarship from musicology, cultural studies, ethnomusicology, and digital humanities, which uses computational and digital methods to analyze cultural and musical patterns, the review brings these conversations into dialogue rather than treating them in isolation. It highlights three connected dynamics: the blending of African rhythmic frameworks with Western musical forms, sampling as a technologically updated expression of African American aesthetic practice, and the role of both in shaping identity and social critique. The analysis shows that African-derived rhythms remain structurally central to hip-hop, that sampling acts as a form of cultural memory in the digital age, and that tensions between continuity and global fusion persist within platform-based music economies. This review argues for understanding hip-hop not merely as a product of African influence but as an ongoing site where diasporic musical logic adapts to and sometimes resists technologically mediated cultural systems. Keywords: Hip-Hop, African Musical Elements, Rhythmic Fusion, Sampling, Cultural Negotiation, African Diaspora

This research examines the Valley of Ashes in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby (1925) as a site of ecological degradation, industrial modernity, and social inequality. While previous studies have primarily focused on the novel’s commentary on the American Dream, wealth, and moral decay, this study foregrounds the environmental dimension of Fitzgerald’s work, analyzing how industrial landscapes reflect both ecological and socio-economic consequences of capitalist modernity. Using a qualitative thematic analysis, guided by ecocriticism and environmental justice frameworks, the study identifies recurring textual patterns related to pollution, ash-covered landscapes, labor exploitation, and the intersection of environmental and social vulnerability. The findings reveal that the Valley of Ashes functions not only as a symbolic moral and social wasteland but also as a literal depiction of industrial pollution and environmental injustice. Through its portrayal of dust, smoke, and the harsh lives of marginalized characters, the novel critiques unregulated industrialization, highlighting the ethical and ecological costs of economic ambition. By integrating ecological and social perspectives, this study contributes to Gatsby scholarship and demonstrates the value of ecocritical approaches in interpreting literary landscapes as active sites of environmental commentary and social critique. The paper underscores the inseparable relationship between environmental decay, social stratification, and moral responsibility in the context of twentieth-century industrial America.