Traditional Narrative Research Articles

The Wind Is Always Blowing: Generative Crosscurrents of Ethnographic Dialogue in Australia

ABSTRACTLive conversations and writing play an important role in ethnographic research that seeks to develop understanding across cultural differences. Both forms of communication need not remain distinct: written dialogue can develop critical thought while foregrounding the shared contexts and relational impetuses of communication across cultures. Set against the background of recent styles in ethnographic writing about and with Yolŋu people, this article extends from conversations about wata (wind), exploring collaborative practices (music performance and teaching) and approaches to writing ethnography that respond to a core quality of wind as a medium that connects. Wata is a significant theme within manikay (public ceremonial song) that connects Wägilak with their ancestral lands, even as it blows through the country of other groups, allowing new relationships and understandings to be formed. Giving rise to concerns of connection, difference, and movement, wata is a significant theme for considering the ways narrative traditions can shape relationality and give impetus to intellectual inquiry.

The Jeweled Castle of the Dragon

ABSTRACT Five analog narratives—from Apuleius’s Metamorphoses (“Cupid and Psyche,” second century AD), Philostratus’s Apollonius (ca. AD 220), Callimachus and Chrysorrhoe (early fourteenth century AD), Konrad’s Saga (fourteenth century AD) and The Theodore Tiron Miracle Story (fourteenth century AD)—prove to be underpinned by an ideal story type along the following lines. A dragon lives in a golden, jeweled castle, almost impossible of access. It is surrounded by and infested by lesser serpents. Within it he has a special raised platform, and he is served in it by automatic air-powered trays, tables, and vessels. He conceives a desire for a human girl, steals her and keeps her captive. The castle is penetrated by her lover-to-be, who kills the dragon and saves her, whereupon the marvelous castle melts away. The theme of erotic desire travels with the story type. Further support is provided for the long-held suspicion that the Cupid and Psyche tale builds upon a preexisting traditional dragon narrative.

From Ancient Zhiguai Tales to Contemporary Animation: A Study of Visual Rhetoric in ‘Yao-Chinese Folktales’ (2023)

This study delves into the use of visual rhetorical strategies in 中国奇谭 Zhongguo Qitan ‘Yao-Chinese Folktales’ (2023), particularly focusing on 鹅鹅鹅 E E E ‘Goose Mountain’ (henceforth ‘Goose’) directed by Hu Rui. We assert that ‘Goose’ transcodes and reinterprets the ancient Chinese zhiguai novella 阳羡书生 Yangxian Shusheng ‘The Scholar from Yangxian’ (henceforth ‘Scholar’) for a contemporary audience through the use of visual rhetoric, leading to a compelling contemporary rendition of this tale. As a silent animation, ‘Goose’ does so by adeptly incorporating visual depictions, especially animal-related imagery and ink painting aesthetics, drawn from the broader traditional zhiguai myths, or tales of the strange and traditional Chinese culture. The core argument hinges on visual rhetoric’s transformative potential. In ‘Goose’, the connection between tradition and contemporaneity is established through metaphor and metonymy. Initially a literary figure of speech, metaphor and metonymy now encompasses ‘visual rhetoric’, widely applied in interpreting visual arts. Visual rhetoric often employs various elements such as colour, shape, size, objects, composition and texture to convey information. This study highlights the role played by the inseparable link between traditional zhiguai narratives, the minzu/national style, and the contemporary animation technology in ‘Goose’, a transformative role that revitalizes ancient traditions to resonate with today’s viewership.

Innovation of a Master Wonder-worker in the Character of Simon Peter

Simon Peter undergoes a considerable development from his first introduction in the Gospel of Mark to later narratives, where he gains remarkable miraculous abilities. In Mark, he witnesses Jesus performing numerous miracles without himself being named as the performer of a single one, but in Matthew’s Gospel Peter walks on water (Matt 14:22–33), in Acts he heals two paralytics and raises a woman from the dead (Acts 3:1–10; 9:32–42), and in the fourth-century Latin Acts of Peter, also known as Actus Vercellenses, he makes a dog speak (Acts Pet. 9.9–15), miraculously restores a shattered marble statue (11.8–23) and revives several people from the dead (27.1–11; 28.63–66). This article examines how Peter’s various miracles contribute to their respective stories, analyses how they reflect the needs of their respective authors, and discusses what they tell us about the use of genre in the narrative tradition about the apostle Peter and his miracles.

Enchantment of things in the Chinese literary narrative tradition

Abstract The enchantment of things has been found in the long tradition of Chinese literary narrative. This article explores the three salient ways Chinese people have developed of thinking about and writing about their (imagined) relationship with the things around them, i.e., Bo Wu 博物, Gan Wu 感物, and Guan Wu 观物. In the Bo Wu tradition, people described strange things that may or may not have existed in the actual world, and in doing so, they displayed either their extensive knowledge of these things, or the fertility of their imagination; in the Gan Wu tradition, people tried to express some kind of emotional attachment to things, and conceived of them as being able to feel like humans; and in the Guan Wu tradition, people tried to lose themselves in the contemplation of the world of things. The three Chinese traditions are reconsidered in this article in relation to the relevant Western lines of thought and particularly to emerging thing theory in Western philosophy.

“All things coexist and all things love” – research on the creation of the original dance drama “Gangong Bird”

The dance drama “Gangong Bird” is based on an ancient traditional folk narrative ballad widely circulated in the Li ethnic area of Hainan. The origins of the 2017 and 2021 versions of the dance drama “Gangong Bird” tell the story of Gan Gongniao from different angles. The whole story has the appearance of a Chinese mythological story. It mainly uses typical Li nationality Sandaowan and modern dance movement elements and breathing force methods . Revealing the ugly image of bullies and expressing love that pursues freedom without being restrained .

Einhard’s Vita Karoli Magni: Dialogue with Classical Genre

Vita Karoli Magni (The Life of Charlemagne) was the first medieval biography. It was written by Einhard, a prominent figure of the Carolingian era, who used some biographies of Roman emperors by Suetonius. This article introduces a comparative analysis of Einhard’s Vita Karoli Magni and Suetonius’ biographies in terms of structure and composition. The main research objectives were to define to what degree Einhard followed the chosen pattern, as well as to identify the new features the medieval biography acquired as compared with the texts by Suetonius. The study involved descriptive, cultural-historical, comparative-historical, historical-genetic, and formal methods. The author questioned the generally accepted opinion that Einhard relied on Suetonius’s texts. The texts by Einhard and Suetonius are similar in macro-composition, but the former was affected by the Christian tradition of heroic narrative. Suetonius’s stories resembled a friendly conversation that could embrace different points of view. However, Einhard wrote an encomium that was to offer its readers an ideal image of a king. His biography was compiled according to the three-part scheme, typical of hagiographies.

Verses of Change: Democratisation of Poetry in Ford Madox Ford’s “Antwerp” and Nazım Hikmet Ran’s “The Legend of the National Militia”

Wars have always been echoed in literature as manifestations of humankind's desire for supremacy and power across history. Twentieth-century poetry, marked by the turmoil of the two World Wars and the wars of independence, reflects poets' patriotic and personal responses to the power struggles and expansionist policies of imperialist countries. These poems also challenge traditional war narratives that glorify politicians while ignoring the horrors of war and the ordinary people whose heroic struggles changed the course of history. Ford Madox Ford, one of the leading Modernist poets and novelists in English literature, and Nazım Hikmet, a pivotal figure in twentieth-century Turkish poetry, wrote unique narrative poems that critically reimagine war and attribute heroism to common people. This article contends that Ford’s “In October 1914 [Antwerp]” and N. Hikmet’s “The Legend of the National Militia” (Kuvayi Milliye Destanı) mirror the poets’ attempts to democratise poetry by portraying the extraordinary resistance of ordinary people instead of the idealised hero archetype. Furthermore, the poems serve to politicise modernist verse by addressing the suffering of ordinary individuals and their struggles against expansionist countries and calling for the recognition of alternative histories. While Ford’s poem immortalises the martyrdom of Belgians and the agonies of Belgian refugees brought on by the conflicting interests of hegemonic countries, Nazım’s poem portrays the defiance of the ignored people of Anatolia against both imperialist powers and the unjust social structures.

A Study of the Phenomenon of the Wandering Philosopher Hryhorii Skovoroda by Means of Contemporary Visual Art

The article examines the phenomenon of the traveling philosopher of the Ukrainian Baroque era Hryhoriy Skovoroda and examines the Ukrainian mentality by means of current artistic visions within the framework of the art project "...And rise!", dedicated to the 300th anniversary of his birth. The project presented various artistic approaches to the visualization of selected aspects — from traditional narrative to abstract. The article demonstrates how the project revealed important aspects of the thinker's legacy and proved that his ideas can be relevant for understanding contemporary issues and challenges, stimulating dialogue between different generations and helping to better understand how the past can influence contemporary artistic expressions and contribute to deepening the discussion of important today's topics through the prism of Skovoroda's philosophical heritage.

Fermented Bamboo Shoot Health Benefits and Applications

The term "bamboo" evokes images of a hollow stick, embodying not just a simple plant but a source of numerous health benefits. In northeast India, tribes engage in the centuries-old practice of fermenting bamboo shoots, employing a biotechnological process that not only preserves food but also unlocks a myriad of health benefits. Fermentation transforms these shoots into a powerhouse for various microorganisms, offering probiotic, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-aging, cardio-protective, and weight loss properties. Beyond their health advantages, fermented bamboo shoots hold significant commercial value in the food industry, transcending their local origins to become a global commodity akin to "green gold." Originally confined to tribal areas and local markets, these fermented bamboo stalks have gained international recognition. This article delves into the health benefits, merits, drawbacks, future perspectives, and economic value of twenty-first-century fermented bamboo shoots, positioning them as a valuable and sought-after resource. As the world embraces sustainable and natural solutions, the fermented bamboo stalks from India stand out as not only a culinary delight but also a treasure trove of health benefits, weaving a narrative of culinary tradition meeting contemporary wellness trends.

Exploring Feminist Perspectives: The Discourse on Childbirth and Motherhood in Internet Media Platforms

This study delves into the evolving landscape of feminist discourse among young Chinese women, as manifested on Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), a prominent social media platform in China. Through a qualitative analysis of user-generated content, the research uncovers key themes that reflect the contemporary state of feminist thought and its intersection with the unique socio-cultural dynamics of modern China. These themes include reclaiming autonomy in childbirth, the critical role of economic autonomy as a feminist imperative, the complex interplay between economic independence and feminist ideals, and the reconceptualization of motherhood within traditional and contemporary narratives. The study reveals a nuanced tapestry of perspectives, highlighting the progress and challenges in the feminist movement, the evolving understanding of women’s roles and identities, and the unique blend of global feminist ideologies with local cultural contexts. This research contributes to the broader discourse on feminism, offering insights into the diverse and dynamic ways young Chinese women engage with and shape feminist thought in the digital age.

Students’ views of historical significance – a narrative literature review

This narrative literature review describes and critically discusses 21 years of international research addressing students’ views of historical significance. The data consist of 32 educational research articles published between 2000 and 2021. The review shows that the research area has been slowly expanding since the beginning of the millennium in regard to the number of articles and geographical representation, as well as methodological and theoretical plurality. The review identifies some representational imbalances and power gaps in this research area. Most studies represent North America and Western Europe. LGBTQ+, environmental and class-related perspectives are not found in the research. The analysis shows that students primarily identify historical substantive knowledge as significant if it is connected to official narratives. The content of these narratives is also seldom challenged. Students’ interest in the ‘darker pages’ of history, in vernacular history and in history in other places could be interpreted as providing ways to challenge these traditional narratives. Almost all researchers conclude that it is important for history education to include students’ different identities as perspectives, and to take a more disciplinary and critical approach. According to the reviewed research, this could open the way for a history education that is more relevant for students, and that meets at least some of the future challenges of a more globalised and diverse history classroom.

Narratives of inequality. Towards an archaeology of structural violence in Late Iron Age Scandinavia

Abstract To date, traditional narratives of the Late Iron Age have focused almost exclusively on discussions of the elite. These were the martial rulers and major landholders who occupied the upper strata of Scandinavian society. The lives of lower-status population groups, including enslaved and other ‘unfree’ or dependent peoples such as landless farmers, have long been marginalized in archaeological discourse. We have little knowledge of the ways in which the lifeways of subaltern peoples were shaped by the construction and maintenance of socio-political hierarchies and networks, or of how social inequality permeated and impacted the daily lives of communities. In this article, the authors propose that the concept of structural violence, developed by sociologist Johan Galtung, has the potential to offer an interdisciplinary framework for multi-proxy studies of (bio)archaeological and textual data.

Teaching Islam in the RE classroom: a view from the edge

ABSTRACT This article explores the integration of hip-hop with Islamic themes in the religious education (RE) classroom, with a focus on transcending the constraints of traditional narratives and creating a dynamic and wide-ranging understanding of Islamic traditions of interpretations. Drawing inspiration from Richard Bulliet’s book Islam: A View from the Edge and the creative potential of hip-hop, the article argues that educators can open new avenues for teaching and learning about Islamic traditions. By incorporating hip-hop based education (HHBE), educators can engage students through contemporary mediums and provide a relatable and engaging stage for the exploration of Islam. The article also highlights the importance of African American Islam and its intersection with hip-hop in understanding the worldview of many Muslims (and non-Muslims) worldwide. The article suggests strategies such as exploring Islam through hip-hop music videos, examining the legacy of Malcolm X in hip-hop, and considering the local context and languages of students to enrich the exploration of Islam.

CARNIVALESQUE, CREATIVITY, AND THE BECOMINGS: A CRITICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE POLITICS OF RESISTANCE IN BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM

There is a growing academic interest in respect for critical game studies from the domains such as cultural studies, literature, ludology, and gender studies. However, the research done on videogames from the perspective of the political discourse is not broad enough. Rocksteady Studios’ Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009, director Sefton Hill) is a franchise that has redefined the superhero videogame genre. Although previous Batman transmedia adaptations would usually portray Gotham City as the prime location to narrate the story from the perspective of Batman, the videogame utilizes the carceral setting of Batman to subvert the traditional narratives and makes it completely a Joker’s (character) game. Therefore, this version of storytelling carries a character with a more nuanced demeanor and a setting with socio-political influence. The current paper examines the underlying structural inequality present in Batman using Giorgio Agamben’s bare life theory and the subsequent discourse of resistance using the theoretical framework of Mikhail Bakhtin. The analysis reveals the various carnivalesque elements present in the game and illustrates how the game takes advantage of them to mount an attack against the bare life status of the antagonists that are usually seen in Batman transmedia universe. Furthermore, the paper elaborates on the posthuman traits of Joker’s becoming through a Gilles Deleuze-inspired perspective.

A UNHRC Resolution of Questionable Legality on Sri Lanka and its Importance as a Catalyst for Future UN Reform

From 2012-2019, the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted a series of resolutions on Sri Lanka calling for accountability for war crimes and other crimes purportedly committed during the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). This paper challenges the traditional narrative regarding the resolutions – ie that it was a well-intentioned effort by the sponsoring nations, the United States (US) and its allies, to foster peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka. Instead, this paper argues that in pursuing the resolutions, the UNHRC has violated the fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations (UN Charter) as well as the UNHRC’s founding documents. The author contends that, through these resolutions, the US and its allies have developed a series of innovative tactics to enable them to intervene in the internal affairs of weak nations by using the UNHRC as a conduit. It is in the interest of the friends of the United Nations (UN) and, in general, all persons who value the rule of law in international affairs to know about what has happened so that they can advocate for the relevant reforms in order to prevent the UN from losing its credibility any further.

THE DISCOURSE ABOUT THE INDIGENOUS: DISCURSIVE ANALYSIS OF POSTS AND COMMENTS ON FACEBOOK IN TIMES OF PANDEMIC IN IPIXUNA-AM

This work falls within the field of Materialist Discourse Analysis (AD) and its general objective is to analyze posts and comments made on the social network Facebook about the Kulina indigenous people of the municipality of Ipixuna-AM, during the Covid-19 pandemic, more specifically in the period in which the first cases of the disease were recorded in that municipality, in order to identify which discourses are materialized in these texts and the effects of meanings produced there on the aforementioned subjects. To this end, we consider it necessary to describe the conditions of discursive production of these texts, in addition to verifying the subject positions assumed there, with the aim of identifying which discourses appear in the significant materiality of the texts, that is, in the posts and comments published on Facebook. With a view to achieving these objectives, we present the theoretical bases of AD, based on Pêcheux (2009), Althusser (1974), Orlandi (2013) and others, concerning the concepts of language, ideology, subject, discourse, among others, such as are understood in the theory of materialist discourse. We also present the analysis procedures, a brief historical contextualization of the space and the research subjects and finally we undertake the analysis itself, which pointed out the prominent presence of a discourse in the analyzed speeches: the discourse about the indigenous from the colonizer's perspective , responsible for an official version of Brazil's history that has been told and reproduced discursively. These traditional narratives told by official History about the historical presence of indigenous people in Brazil contribute to the maintenance of this calcified imaginary about them and which came to the surface in the texts analyzed here.

The Grass Ceiling: Hidden Educational Barriers in Rural England

Rurality is rarely integrated into analyses of educational inequalities and this article presents an alternative perspective on rural–urban attainment and highlights the impact of rurality on educational outcomes. The traditional narrative of urban–rural educational disadvantage is that urban pupils do less well in the English exam system. Decontextualised data across different English exam performance measures demonstrate how rural pupils outperform their urban counterparts. Socioeconomic disadvantage (SED) has the most significant impact on attainment and this analysis explores the rural–urban attainment gap through this SED lens. An analysis of the Department for Education (DfE) data explores possible factors that might explain the emerging rural educational gap and presents an argument that rurality is another limiting factor that intersects with SED. This article demonstrates how rural underachievement in England has been hidden by the relative sizes and SED distribution of rural and urban populations.

Excavation of Hushed Voices: A Spatio-temporal Imaginary Discourse on Socio-ethics in Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day

The concept of the ‘Great Chain of Being’, which influences the narrative style of the Renaissance Period of English Literature, depicts the hierarchical state of the old English Society. Suggestively, it’s a society driven by class/status and its attendant structures of inequality, discrimination and oppression. Hence, literary narratives of this period revolve round the travails of Kings and nobles, while subjecting the common men to the background. Subsequently, the esoteric state of the society, which was usually captured from the third person point of view, helps to question the place of truth in these literary narratives, as they could be liken to glossary reports from spectators, devoid of participant’ direct contribution(s). However, with the writing(s) of Kazuo Ishiguro, an Asian-British, there comes a direct feel of participant’s contribution in his narratives as he deconstructs the style of the old traditional English narratives in his novel, The Remains of the Day. Consequently, with the application of the first-person point of view in his novel, readers could explore the socio-cultural dispositions of every society and individual within the purview of ethics, politics and development. In furtherance, this study gives a historicized spatial alternate or temporal reality of an Old English society system - a system anchored on classism, professionalism and superficial orderliness devoid of ‘social interactions’ and freedom, especially for the workmen or common men. The emergence of an American Lord after the death of the English Lord gives a contrastive alternative pattern against that of the English. Hence, this alternate reflection of the American presence further deconstructs every long-held tradition in Darlington’s Hall as the author reveals that perceptions are influenced by cultural ingenuity which borders on the socio-cultural/socio-political formation of every society and individuals.

The Interplay of Dyslipidemia, Oxidative Stress, and Clinical Outcomes in Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients with and without Coronary Artery Disease.

We assessed lipid and lipoprotein profiles, along with oxidative stress (OS) parameters, in patients within the crucial 24 h period following an acute ischemic stroke (AIS), comparing those with and without coronary artery disease (CAD). We aimed to correlate these measures with clinical condition scales (NIHSS, mRS) post-AIS. This study included 27 AIS patients without CAD (AIS group) and 37 AIS patients with CAD (CAD-AIS group). Using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (Lipoprint system), we determined plasma LDL and HDL subfractions. Spectrophotometric methods were used to assess plasma antioxidant capacity, lipoperoxides, homocysteine (HC) levels, paraoxonase1, and catalase activities. We also measured urine isoprostanes and the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GPx) with commercial kits. CAD-AIS patients had notably higher HC levels, while there were no significant differences in lipoprotein subfractions and OS parameters between both groups. In the AIS group, mRS scores showed negative correlations with catalase, GPx activities, and total cholesterol. In the CAD-AIS group, atherogenic lipoproteins (IDLC, LDL2, LDL3-7) exhibited a significant positive correlation with mRS. This study underscores the role of dyslipidemia and OS in the development of AIS and CAD. It emphasizes the complex connections between specific biomarkers and post-stroke clinical outcomes. Our results suggest a significant impact of CAD treatment on lipid profile but not on homocysteine levels. The traditional narrative associating high cholesterol as the ultimate risk factor for cardiovascular diseases needs to be challenged, at least with respect to neurological outcomes. These insights may guide more targeted therapeutic approaches.