History Commons^™

A Study Of Japanese Animation, Michele Gibney

Michele Gibney

This paper takes a sociological approach to the question of popular culture’s ability in Japan--specifically that of Japanese animation--to be reflective of the country's sociological concerns. This is not to say that all anime shows consciously reflect Japanese life, but by extrapolation of recurrent themes one can construct a model of certain sociological issues in Japan. The author split the paper up into five sections each of which tackles a different theme. These sections are: Education, Social and Class Differences, Environment, Post-Nuclear Visions, and An Emergent Feminism. The main point that the author conveys in each section is a way …

White Snake, Black Snake Folk Narrative Meets Master Narrative In Qing Dynasty Sichuanese Cross-Stitch Medallions, Cory Willmott

Cory A. Willmott

The cross-stitch medallion in figure 1 was collected by my grandmother, Katherine Willmott, in the early 1920s when she was a missionary in Renshow, Sichuan Province, West China. Many years after I inherited it, I learned that it depicts a folk narrative called “White Snake; Black Snake” that was traditionally performed both on stage in the legitimate theaters and in Chinese shadow puppet dramas (Highbaugh n/d:6).

The story may be summarized as follows: There were two female snakes, White Snake and Black Snake, who were inseparable friends. They both changed into beautiful young women. White Snake got married and bore …

Tense Relations: The Tradition Of Hoshi And Emergence Of Borantia In Japan, Nichole Georgeou

Nichole Georgeou

In this thesis I examine the transformations of volunteering in Japan from 'hōshi' (mutual obligation) to 'borantia' (borrowed from the English 'volunteer'). I argue changes in the forms of volunteering overtime point to important shifts in state-citizen and state-civil society relations in Japan. Hōshi emerged during a period of Japan's history when the state had an increasingly authoritarian approach to managing its subjects. It reflects this cultural context as it embodies a strong sense of obligation and is characterised by notions of service and sacrifice, particularly dedicated service to the greater good of the Emperor and state. In contrast the …

"They Have Travailed Into A Wrong Latitude:" The Laws Of England, Indian Settlements, And The British Imperial Constitution 1726-1773, Arthur Fraas

Arthur Mitchell Fraas

In the mid-eighteenth century the British Crown claimed a network of territories around the globe as its "Empire." Through a close study of law and legal instutions in Bombay, Madras, Calcutta, as well as London, this dissertation examines what it meant to be a part of that Empire. These three cities on the Indian subcontinent were administered by the English East India Company and as such have often seemed abberant or unique to scholars of eighteenth-century empire and law. This dissertation argues that these Indian cities fit squarely within an imperial legal and governmental framework common to the wider British …

Creating Groups Outside The Caste System: The Devadasis And Hijras Of India, Erica Caren Belkin

Erica Belkin

Although ordinarily India?s caste system does not allow members of different castes to join together and form other sanctioned social groups, two exceptions do exist. The devadasi priestesses who used to serve in India?s temples and the hijras, hermaphroditic, intersexed, impotent, and/or homosexual male transvestites who were often castrated, both drew/draw members from a variety of castes into cohesive units. This thesis explores the similarities between the devadasis? and the hijras? history and religious roles that led to their unique societal statuses, in order to find patterns that elucidate those aspects of Indian society beyond the scope of caste.

Primary Sources At A Distance: Researching Indian Colonial Law, Arthur Fraas

Arthur Mitchell Fraas

No abstract provided.

Legal Databases: A Comparative Analysis, Arthur Fraas

Arthur Mitchell Fraas

A comparative report commissioned by the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) on the world of electronic databases for legal history research.

Review Of "Heinonline", Arthur Fraas

Arthur Mitchell Fraas

A detailed review of the HeinOnline electronic database commissioned by the Center for Research Libraries (CRL)

Review Of "Llmc-Digital", Arthur Fraas

Arthur Mitchell Fraas

A detailed review of the LLMC-Digital electronic database commissioned by the Center for Research Libraries (CRL)

The Paradox Of Gender Among West China Missionary Collectors, 1920-1950, Cory A. Willmott

Cory A. Willmott

During the turbulent years between the Chinese nationalist revolution of 1911 and the communist victory of 1949, a group of missionaries lived and worked in West China whose social gospel theologies led to unusual identification with Chinese. Among the regular social actors in their lives were itinerant “curio men” who, amidst the chaos of feuding warlords, gathered up the heirlooms of the deposed Manchurian aristocracy and offered these wares for sale on the quiet and orderly verandahs of the mansions inside the missionary compounds of West China Union University. Although missionary men and women often collected the same types of …