South and Southeast Asian Languages and Societies Commons^™

For The Time Beings, Tori Hong

Masters Theses

For the Time Beings is a socially engaged installation and artist book exploring the material consequences and future possibilities of sociocultural time theories. Time, in the West, is typically associated with Newtonian linearity, while in the East, time theory relies on Buddhist principles. These epistemologies reinforce hierarchical and patriarchal structures. Centered on Indigenous Asian and Asian American perspectives, For the Time Beings challenges dominant ideologies of existing in time and space.

For nearly a year, I’ve burned handwritten prayers on new and full moons. The ashes of these prayers are incorporated into reverential drawings of chosen ancestors, made with charcoal …

Hearing Caste: Dalit Resistance Through Folk Music In West Bengal, India, Antara Bhattacharyay

Music Honors Projects

Caste—a graded structure of hierarchy—has historically shaped identities in South Asia and persists to this day. In opposition, Dalits (caste-marginalized communities) have utilized diverse mediums to communicate their resistance. In this thesis, I analyze the role of music in Bengali Dalit resistance through the work of Dalit singer-songwriter Smritikana Howlader (b. 1960). Based on ethnographic research, I investigate how folk music becomes a mode of Dalit historiography. In particular, I explore how Howlader aims to transcend caste boundaries through song, evoking shared humanity. I argue that Howlader’s performances combat dominant caste discourse and Dalit erasure, furthering Bengali Dalit resistance.

Modeling Literary Connections: Exploring Transregional Resistance In Dalit Poetry, Antara Bhattacharyay

Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science Honors Projects

Structuring socio-political identities, the caste system (a graded form of hierarchy) remains entrenched in contemporary Indian society. Dalits, marginalized by the caste system, have expressed their resistance through literature, envisioning substantive equality and social change. In this thesis, I draw on digital humanities methods to examine regional variation in translated Dalit poetry from Bengali, Hindi/Urdu, Marathi, and Tamil languages. I utilize topic modeling—a machine learning algorithm that detects latent semantic structures in a text—as a point of departure for poetry analysis. I observe how topic modeling enables newer readings of the poems, revealing regionally resonant and broader Dalit themes.

Voice As Dual Striving: Spiritual Resonance And Psychological Negotiation In South Indian Musical Practices, Ramya Thiyagarajan

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the intricate dynamics of voice within South Indian musical traditions, examining it as both a spiritual medium resonating with the divine concept of Nāda-Brahman and a psychological instrument navigating modernity, identity, and cultural hybridity. Employing the Self-Rasa-Chakra framework, derived from Upanishadic and tantric philosophies, alongside autoethnographic narratives and case studies, it investigates how the voice serves as a site of striving. Through an interdisciplinary lens combining ethnomusicology, psychoanalysis, and sound studies, this research delves into the paradox of voice: its role in sacred surrender within Carnatic music, juxtaposed against its individualistic expression in contemporary independent music. Case …

The Tales Of Maruni, Sikuma Rai

Theses and Dissertations

Sikuma Rai journeys into the fading indigenous genre of Maruni—an eastern Nepali song and dance form—narrating letters to her late grandfather. Accompanied by her father, and a devoted folk musician from an upper-caste background, she traces echoes of memory, identity, and the fragile inheritance of indigenous culture.

Karakteristik Kaligrafi Arab Pada Masjid Asmaul Husna Gading Serpong, Aura Shifa Aprilyza, Suranta Abdul Rahman

Multikultura

Asmaul Husna Mosque in Gading Serpong uses the Asmaul Husna calligraphy design that decorates every outer wall of the mosque using Arabic calligraphy. This study aims to analyze the characteristics of the calligraphy used and the aesthetics and symbolic meanings contained in the calligraphy at the Asmaul Husna Mosque in Gading Serpong. This study uses a descriptive qualitative approach from data through printed and digital books, journals, newspapers, video documentation of the Asmaul Husna Mosque in Gading Serpong on certain platforms, as well as interviews with mosque administrators directly or indirectly as sources to maximize the results of research observations. …

Kelenteng Sin Tek Bio, Pasar Baru, Jakarta Sebagai Living Monument Dalam Konsep Time & Space, Surya Anderson S., Rahadjeng Pulungsari Hadi

Multikultura

Sin Tek Bio Temple is one of the ancient temples located in the Pasar Baru area, Central Jakarta. The various dynamics of time and space pose challenges for Sin Tek Bio Temple to continuously maintain its existence as a living monument in the Pasar Baru area. The conditions of time and space influence the worship symbols, labels, and public perspectives regarding Sin Tek Bio Temple. The research method used in this study is a qualitative-descriptive method combined with field studies. The researcher conducted the study through several stages, namely literature review, field observation, and interviews with experts. The findings of …

Dinamika Kampung Kukusan: Perubahan Sosial, Ekonomi Dan Lingkungan Terkait Keberadaan Universitas Indonesia Di Depok 1987-2016, Agus Setiawan

Multikultura

Kukusan Village is one of the communities directly affected by the establishment of the University of Indonesia (UI) campus in Depok. Located in the northern part of Depok's city government center, the village borders South Jakarta and serves as a connecting route between Depok and South Jakarta, frequently traversed by commuters residing in Depok but working in Jakarta. The history of Kukusan Village and the transformation of its landscape since the UI campus began operating in Depok until 2016 has not been widely documented. Yet, significant visible changes have occurred in terms of social, economic, and environmental aspects.This study aims …

Fenomena Overtourism Di Kawasan Gunung Fuji Dan Sekitarnya, Mohammad Rafif Hauzan, Didit Dwi Subagio

Multikultura

The phenomenon of overtourism has worsened in recent years. Not only in America and countries across Europe, but this issue has also increasingly affected popular destinations in Japan, one of which is Mount Fuji. The overtourism at Mount Fuji is driven by its designation as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site and the availability of well-developed transportation facilities. Based on this context, this study discusses both the positive and negative impacts caused by overtourism in and around Mount Fuji, as well as the policies and solutions implemented by the government to address the issue. This research uses a qualitative method …

Representasi Federalisme Rusia Pada Uang Kertas Rubel Emisi 1997-2017, Voja Alfatih, Mina Elfira

Multikultura

This study discusses the representation of federalism in the Russian Federation ruble banknotes, issue 1997-2017. The aim of this study is to decipher the images contained in the Russian Federation ruble banknotes, issue 1997-2017, and to explain how far can these images represent federalism in the Russian Federation. The research material used in this study are pictures of ruble banknotes, issue 1997-2017, from the official website of the Central Bank of Russia. The theories used in this study are C.S. Peirce's theory of semiotics, J.D. Peters' theory of money representation, W.H. Riker's theory of federalism, and M. Russel's theory of …

Perubahan Kuhp (Criminal Code) Federasi Rusia Dan Kebijakan Mobilisasi Terbatas Dalam Operasi Militer Khusus Rusia Di Ukraina, Khalishah Fitjriyah, Ahmad Fahrurodji

Multikultura

This study discusses the amendments to the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation in the context of Russia's limited mobilization during the implementation of its special military operation in Ukraine. It is a multidisciplinary study that combines legal and cultural perspectives, using a qualitative literature review method with a normative legal approach. The objective of this research is to analyze the changes in Russia's criminal code aimed at anticipating the impacts of limited mobilization. By applying the theory of criminalization, the study finds that the amendments and additions to existing legal norms are part of the state's efforts to protect …

Digital Literacy For Participating In Presidential Election: A Study On Indonesian Students, Marwiyah Marwiyah, Labibah Zain, Aliva D. Kamila, Thoriq T. Prabowo

Journal of Media Literacy Education

Digital literacy is needed during the presidential election. This study aims to determine the level of digital literacy of Indonesian students concerning what they do with social media information in facing the 2024 presidential election. We conducted a survey in which questionnaires were used as a research instrument to measure the four digital competencies: technical skill, information usage, communication, and creation. The questionnaires are sent to four Indonesian public universities. One hundred ninety-seven students from four State Islamic Universities (Universitas Islam Negeri) participated in this study. We used the mean and percentage score for the data analysis. The research result …

Health Education Gaps In South Asian Communities Vary By Age, Sex, And National Origin, Zeeshan Javed, Hashim Aslam, Zaynab Ketana, Tai Metzger, Zaheen Hossain, Shayzal Siddiqui, Virginia Uhley

Posters

No abstract provided.

Multi-Agent Translation Team (Matt): Enhancing Low-Resource Language Translation Through Multi-Agent Workflow, Anishka Peter, Mai Dang, Michael Liu, Joaquin Dominguez, Nibhrat Lohia

SMU Data Science Review

Like humans, large language models (LLMs) benefit from revision and refinement, especially for complex tasks requiring critical thinking. Inspired by human collaborative problem-solving, this study introduces a novel multi-agent workflow designed to enhance LLM translations from English to low-resource languages. Multi-Agent Translation Team (MATT) involves the collaboration of agents that are assigned specific roles, such as translator, evaluation coordinator, and various levels of editing, to refine the initial translation into the most desired version possible. The agents work collaboratively in an iterative loop until the translation loss meets a satisfactory threshold. It stands out from other multi-agent workflows by combining …

Painting Stories And Filming Change, Coralynn V. Davis

Faculty Contributions to Books

Mithila Art has helped illuminate various aspects of the relationship between gendered Maithil social roles and Maithil women’s narratives in connection with a feminist participatory action research project conducted primarily in 2016-2017 in and around the northern Bihari town of Madhubani. While participatory action research philosophically and methodologically attends to process as much as product, Mithila Art played a role in the process and product of making a documentary film and in our capacity to understand and communicate with varied audiences about shifting Maithil gender norms. The research and filmic project provided insight into the complex relationship among the stories …

Impacts On College-Aged Asian American Mental Health, Zahra Soherwardy

Senior Theses

This study explores the relationship between different forms of racial harassment and mental health issues in Asian American college students. Asian American mental health is a growing concern in the field of public health. Asian Americans have the lowest treatment rates and some of the highest stigma levels of any demographic. They are also impacted by the model minority myth and discrimination, further alienating them from getting help. The topics of subtle racism, blatant racism, and current racial discrimination were compared to depressive symptoms, anxiety, self-esteem, and four domains of aggression using survey data. Subtle racism was found to be …

Delirium And Derangement: Futurities Of Climatic And Islandic Relationality In Philippine Artistic Practice, Isa Lacuna

Akda: The Asian Journal of Literature, Culture, Performance

The Philippines as locus of both specific experience and shared sympathy with regard to climate change allows for an investigation of the complex factors that describe a realm of experience unique to this present age: catastrophic weather in both its scorching and diluvian iterations. In this paper, I argue that the atmospheric delusions in the artistic practices of Mark Orozco Justiniani’s Arkipelago and the Vargas Museum’s Fever Dream point to a more expansive relationality with climate that forces us to re-evaluate precisely what ecocritical scholars have called the derangements of everyday modern life. The experience of exceptional heat and rain, …

Repositioning North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato): The New Security Dilemma On Trans–Atlantic Relations Amid Shifting Global Geopolitics, Daniel C. George, Indra Alverdian

Journal of Strategic and Global Studies

The shifting global geopolitics have led to a new security dilemma in Europe, especially in trans–Atlantic relations. NATO as the vanguard of the trans–Atlantic defense pact is faced with transitional conditions of non-conventional threats that return to conventional threats. Due to the shift in the new global order, these threats require a repositioning for NATO to counter the new security dilemma amidst shifting global geopolitics. By referring to the three asserted pillars–the return of conventional warfare on the European continent; a more assertive Russia in the European continent under Vladimir Putin; and the geopolitical of China's rise impacted trans–-Atlantic …

The History And Manifestations Of The Metaverse In Contemporary Literature, Marlon Semuel Contantin Kansil, Wanting Sun

Journal of Strategic and Global Studies

The metaverse, an interactive and immersive virtual world, has emerged as a critical theme in contemporary literature, significantly impacting narratives and character development. This paper explores the history and literary manifestations of the metaverse, investigating its influence on identity, space, and social interactions. We find that the metaverse supports flexible and individualistic identities, reshaping how characters and readers understand themselves. The digital space of the metaverse provides a dynamic setting for moral and emotional conflicts, enriching the literary aesthetics of space. Furthermore, literature plays a crucial role in both shaping and reflecting the concept of the metaverse, employing symbolism and …

Adaptasi Elemen Sejarah Jepang Pada Karakter Dan Cerita Negara Inazuma Dalam Gim Genshin Impact, Thalia Franceska Prasetyo, Didit Dwi Subagio

Multikultura

Role-playing games (RPG) atau gim bermain peran adalah sebuah istilah yang merujuk kepada jenis permainan gim video yang memberi kesempatan bagi para pemainnya untuk berperan menjadi suatu karakter di sebuah alur cerita yang diangkat di gim tersebut. RPG telah memiliki penggemar setia sejak awal popularitasnya di tahun 80-an hingga saat ini, dan Jepang adalah pionir dari kesuksesan gim video bergenre RPG di pasar internasional. Judul-judul J-RPG (Japanese Role-playing Games) seperti The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy Series, Kingdom Hearts, Persona, Dragon Quest telah menjadi nama-nama yang menduduki peringkat penjualan gim video RPG tertinggi di dunia yang terus bertambah. Hal ini …