Other Languages, Societies, and Cultures Commons^™

The Pragmatics Of Emoji: A Multimodal Investigation Of Politeness And Sarcasm In Student Interactions On Facebook, Twitter, And Reddit, Wesam Khairy Morsi

English Language and Literature

This study investigates the pragmatic functions of emojis as multimodal resources in students' interactions on Facebook, Twitter (X), and Reddit, with a focused distinction between politeness and sarcasm. Drawing on a corpus of 4000 naturally occurring student-generated posts (Facebook: 1200; Twitter/X: 1500; Reddit: 1300), the study applies a qualitative-quantitative coding framework grounded in Brown and Levinson's politeness theory and Gricean pragmatic models. Emojis are analyzed as components of semiotic bundles rather than isolated affective markers. Statistical analysis reveals significant gendered patterns (χ2 (1, N = 420) = 89.2, p < 0.001), with female students demonstrating greater use of emojis for politeness and solidarity functions (70.0%) compared to male students (35.0%), while male students show higher utilization for sarcasm and irony (65.0%) versus female students (30.0%). Platform-specific affordances significantly shape these pragmatic functions, with Facebook favoring politeness strategies, Reddit enabling ironic communication through anonymity, and Twitter facilitating compressed evaluative expressions. The findings suggest that emoji competence constitutes a fundamental component of digital pragmatic literacy requiring integration into higher education curricula.

Critical Geopolitics And The Reconstruction Of Meaning: A Discourse Analysis Of The 'Terrorism' Label Applied To Hamas By Western Hegemony, Cahaya Mulyani Sakti, M.Hamdan Basyar

Journal of Terrorism Studies

The emergence of Hamas in 1987 cannot be separated from the configuration of modern colonialism and the continuity of occupation that shaped the political reality. Hamas’s early phase was rooted in socio-religious activities through education and community empowerment programs, before evolving into armed resistance against the occupation. The labeling of Hamas as a “terrorist” organization began in the mid-1990s in U.S. legal documents, which subsequently generated debate and gave rise to counter-narratives. This study employs the frameworks of critical geopolitics (Ó Tuathail & Agnew) and the Discourse-Historical Approach (Wodak) to analyze the labeling of Hamas as “terrorist” by Western hegemony. …

Tùn-Scene And A-Futurism: Biomythography, Opacity, And Posthuman Imagination, Minglu Du

Masters Theses

Grounded in the author’s position as a Chinese feminist, this thesis examines how East Asian women, as well as East Asian-coded femininity more broadly, are objectified and othered within futurist visual culture in the age of artificial intelligence. Through an engagement with ornamentalism, techno-Orientalism, and posthumanism1 , it argues that the persistent figure of the feminized humanoid cyborg continues to reproduce colonial and patriarchal structures of desire, rendering marginalized bodies as fetishized and violable surfaces. In response, the thesis develops Tùn-Scene, a biomythographic artistic framework and the first experiment in what the author provisionally names A-Futurism. Drawing on Donna Haraway’s …

Jadughar: The House Of Magic, Dhruvi A. Shah

Masters Theses

Jadughar or the House of Magic is what people call a 'museum' in parts of South Asia. The practice of museum making, at its origin, is the act of collecting, preserving, interpreting and representing a culture’s tangible and intangible heritage to make it accessible to diverse audiences. Since the early 19th century such practices have been performed at various kala bhandars (art centers) in India, without the need of a formal or institutional organisation. The British introduced the model of a ‘museum’ in South Asia, with the aim of not only preserving ethnographic collections, but also showcasing their power and …

Draw To Breathe, Ranran Ma

Masters Theses

This thesis explores visual expression in drawing as an intuitive mode of thinking suited to everyday life—a form of expression that runs parallel to language and surpasses it.

The project begins with a daily Post-it note drawing practice. These drawings often emerge before conscious understanding, subsequently accompanied by brief text, allowing image and word to resonate through emotion and intuition. Through the use of small-scale, portable, low-pressure materials, and with immediacy and intuitive freedom as the foundation of making, a visual language system grounded in the self develops. Through this sustained practice, I developed an instruction-based card system titled Draw …

Barriers And Bridges: Exploring Factors That Shape Mental Health Service Utilization In Rural America, Margaret Wiwuga

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

Despite disproportionately higher suicide mortality rates and comparable prevalence of mental illness across urban and rural communities in the United States, rural populations across the nation experience significantly lower access to and utilization of mental health services, naturally leading to worse comprehensive outcomes. This literature review examines multifaceted factors shaping mental health service use in rural America, taking note of both barrier and enabling factors that impede or enable these unique populations’ willingness and ability to access and use mental health services. Ten articles published prior to September 9, 2025, were selected from the James Madison University Libraries’ Psychology and …

The Eight Types Of Love, According To Ancient Greece: A Musical Album, Alex Aether

Honors College Theses

This thesis examines the eight styles of love as defined by the ancient Greeks, presented as a musical album with each song dedicated to a specific category.

By exploring new ideas and approaches to the typical “love song” while incorporating my personal experiences, I hope to break through a long-standing cliche in the music industry in a way that’s personal to me and inspire others to fill this topical rift. At a broader scale, I hope to create nuance in people’s minds about what love means to them in the moments they feel it, so they can deeply understand and …

"It's A Book You Grab And Squeeze, And Blood Comes Out.” Modernization Of The Colombian Army's Training During U.S.- Funded Plan Colombia And Security Policies: Falsos Positivos And Bodies As Merchandise (2002–2008), Maria Isabel Palacio Cano

ELIN Graduate Theses

No abstract provided.

Maa’: An Analysis From The May Weber Ethnographic Study Collection, Claire T. Chilla

Department of Anthropology

An analysis of Maa’ textiles from Sulawesi Indonesia. Discusses both the artistic symbolism, possible physical creation, and the spiritual connection of the textile for the Torajans. Informs through the lens of globalization, colonization, and funerary practices from the country of origin.

Appreciative Commoning; Musical Knowledge-Sharing In Earhouse Songwriting Club, Arya J. P. Adyuta

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

This article develops the concept of “appreciative commoning” to focus on the importance of appreciation in musical community practices. By examining the practices of musical knowledge-sharing in the Earhouse Songwriting Club (ESC), a songwriting community, this article argues that greater attention should be paid to the roles of appreciation and support in facilitating media and cultural commoning in Indonesia. The article draws on ethnographic fieldwork in Earhouse, an initiative space located in Pamulang, South Tangerang, established by the musician duo Endah N Rhesa. Exploring three main activities of the community: weekly meetings, monthly showcases, and afterparties, I show how embracing …

From Memory To Commons; Cultural Commoning And Regional Filmmaking In Indonesia, Jordy Satria Widodo, Shuri M.G. Tambunan

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

This article examines cultural commoning in Indonesian cinema by analysing how ethnic specificity is mobilized and articulated through storytelling, production, and circulation. Focusing on Ngeri-Ngeri Sedap (2022), the study shows how Bataknese cultural elements in this film are activated not as commodified spectacles or exotic markers, but as lived social resources embedded in the narration and its production process. At the narrative level, it is grounded in the everyday practices of family life and memory. At the level of production, the Bataknese director, art director, and cinematographer draw on shared personal experiences to shape the film’s narrative development and cinematographic …

Gerry Van Klinken (Ed.) (2025), "Bacaan Bumi; Pemikiran Ekologis Untuk Indonesia", Amanda Lathifah Laksmana Putri

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

No abstract provided.

Expanding The Multivocal Video-Cued Ethnographic Method To Sow Seeds Of Conscientization In Teacher Attitudes And Practice, Kiyomi Sánchez-Suzuki Colegrove, Molly Ellen Mcmanus, Christian E. Zúñiga

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

The purpose of this article is to present a methodological extension to video-cued ethnography, a qualitative approach that combines ethnography with a stimulus video to conduct focus groups, and share methodological insights drawn from our experience. In this extension, we center the knowledge of Latine immigrant parents and create dialogic opportunities between parents and teachers. We illustrate how the extension works by presenting a study that explores if and how this dialogical experience shapes bilingual/ESL teachers’ ideas and attitudes towards parents as educational partners. We share data samples that demonstrate an emerging process of conscientization through markers of humanization, such …

Comment Sections As Counterpublics; Negotiating Public Discourse In Indonesia’S Digital Media Sphere, Leon Woltermann

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

This article examines the potential of YouTube comment sections as spaces of commoning in Indonesia’s digital media sphere. Drawing on the concept of counterpublics – that is, parallel discursive arenas where marginalized groups circulate counter discourses and voice their interests – it explores how users negotiate access to the digital public sphere and oppose dominant narratives. The article employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative and qualitative methods into the analysis of the data, to investigate both the structural features (based on comment metadata) and the discursive content of comments. I argue that the comment sections’ dynamic, non-binding structure facilitates open …

The “Commoning“ Of Critical Labour Knowledge In Indonesia; Digital Mediation And Its Contradictions, Diatyka Widya Permata Yasih, Inaya Rakhmani

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

This article explores “the commoning of critical labour knowledge“ – the co-sharing of resources to produce, circulate, and practice forms of knowledge generated with, by, and for workers, in opposition to dominant managerial and/or state technocratic frameworks – including through the use of digital media. Drawing on an auto-ethnographic reflection of a collaborative praxis between a university-based research centre and a labour knowledge hub, both based in Indonesia, we argue that this practice is imbued with internal contradictions. The praxis does open possibilities for solidarity, redistribution, and collective critical knowledge-making. However, it is constrained by capitalist logics of algorithmic surveillance, …

Making Sense Of Cultural Commoning In The Streets; Popular Trust Within The Info Cegatan Jogja (Icj) Community, Antonius Galih Prasetyo, Wasisto Raharjo Jati

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

The need for inclusive shared spaces that offer tangible solutions rather than just information has become increasingly urgent, given the limits of state resources. Facebook-based Info Cegatan Jogja (ICJ), with over a million members, uniquely showcases civil society’s productive use of social media. The ICJ project began by documenting police checkpoints (cegatan) and bureaucratic hurdles in Yogyakarta. It has since evolved into a combined online and offline community that regularly reports accidents, thefts, lost items, and other public concerns, effectively functioning as a public awareness, complaint, and information-sharing platform for the entire Yogyakarta Special Region Province. Given the …

David Van Reybrouck (2025), "Revolusi; Indonesia Dan Lahirnya Dunia Modern", Abd Rahman Hamid

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

No abstract provided.

Ronit Ricci (Ed.) (2023), "Storied Island; New Explorations In Javanese Literature", Zakariya Pamuji Aminullah

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

No abstract provided.

Developing “Subversive Commons” Through Boycott And Buycott; K-Pop Fan Activism Of Producing And Consuming Unofficial Merchandise, Nurul Laili Nadhifah, Manneke Budiman

Wacana, Journal of the Humanities of Indonesia

K-pop fans are widely recognized for their active engagement in fan activism, as exemplified by Indonesian K-pop fans’ practice of political consumerism to challenge problematic power structures without severing their connection to their idols. Employing digital and field ethnography, this article explores how Indonesian K-pop fans use virtual media spaces for humanitarian activism, navigate ideological tensions with their idols, and engage in boycott and buycott practices toward merchandise as expressions of political consumerism. Here, fans can be categorized into three groups: those who believe in separating activism issues from fandom activities; those who only support acceptable idol activities; and those …

Batik Depok Sebagai Invented Tradition: Konstruksi Warisan Budaya Di Kota Urban, Ade Solihat, Wiwin Triwinarti, Leila Mona Ganiem

Multikultura

Depok sebagai kota urban, sering menghadapi kesulitan dalam menampilkan identitas budaya yang khas dan mudah dikenali. Dalam konteks tersebut, Batik Depok hadir sebagai simbol budaya urban. Artikel ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis Batik Depok sebagai praktik budaya kontemporer kota urban dengan menggunakan konsep invented tradition. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif dengan studi kasus. Data diperoleh melalui observasi lapangan, wawancara dengan pelaku budaya, pemerintah daerah setempat, dan warga Depok, serta studi media. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan,  dalam kerangka invented tradition, Batik Depok bukanlah tradisi yang diwariskan secara historis, tetapi suatu aktivitas kebudayaan yang dibentuk secara sadar dalam konteks perkotaan untuk merepresentasikan identitas bersama. …