Digital Commons Network^™

Inside Out, Outside In: Teaching World Literature Through Philippine Literature, Resil B. Mojares

Kritika Kultura

How to fit a subject so immense into curricular space so small is a continuing challenge in Philippine education, particularly when there are sweeping curricular changes as in the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 (“K-12′′). This paper critiques mechanistic conceptions of “world literature” and “Philippine regional literature” under the proposed new curriculum, and proposes an approach that stresses the interactive, mutually constitutive relations between the two, and thus requires a pedagogical plan in which world literature is taught through Philippine literature, and vice versa. The approach is based not only on the assumption that the two (world/nation) should not …

The Catholic Church In The Philippine Public Sphere, Ranilo B. Hermida

Kritika Kultura

Whether religion has a place in the public sphere is a complex issue. Many thinkers believed that the rationalization process of modernity would result in secularization and banish religion into the private sphere. Religion has not only survived; it has even taken an active role in the political affairs of the state. This has been the case in countries like the Philippines where the publicity and activism of the Catholic hierarchy in the political public sphere of the country have been sustained and to some extent dominant. Said publicity and activism are carried out in the name of religion and …

“We Were War Surplus, Too”: Nick Joaquin And The Im/Possibilities Of Filipino Historical Becoming, Josen Masangkay Diaz

Kritika Kultura

This article reads Nick Joaquin’s 1983 novel Cave and Shadows alongside his persistent engagement with Filipino identity and history to argue that an investigation of Philippine historiography reveals the colonial entrapments of Filipino subjectivity. A mystery novel set in the period immediately preceding Ferdinand Marcos’s 1972 declaration of martial law, it contextualizes Marcos authoritarianism within the scope of post-World War II concerns about national politics in the wake of independence. It also simultaneously grapples with overarching ideas about the legacies of colonial conquest and their effects on the Filipino common sense. Jack Henson’s traversals through Manila find him grappling with …

Front Matter, Kritika Kultura

Kritika Kultura

No abstract provided.

Manuel Blanco’S El Indio And The History Of A Rumor, Resil B. Mojares

Kritika Kultura

The paper explores the social meanings that can be elicited from tracking the history of a rumor. It takes as its example the nineteenth-century apocryphal story of an Augustinian friar who labored for years on a treatise on the character of the Philippine native (indio) only to leave behind, upon his death, a book of blank pages. Tracing the origins and passage of the rumor and unpacking the various interpretations of the story, the paper demonstrates what can be gained from the study of rumors in Philippine history.

Organic And Multicultural Ways Of Reading Bulosan, John Streamas

Kritika Kultura

This essay argues that students in introductory classes read America Is in the Heart more perceptively than most professional “multicultural” critics. Students’ indifference to the book’s genre, for example, allows them to see clearly the meaning and value of its Part One, and to read the closing paragraph not as a postmodern refusal of closure but as a step on the way toward reconciling “America” with the work of “becoming Filipino.” Such engagement with the book is an example of “organic” reading.

Excavating The Bulosan Ruins: What Is At Stake In Re-Discovering The Anti-Imperialist Writing In The Age Of Us Global Terrorism?, E. San Juan Jr.

Kritika Kultura

Based on research in the unpublished papers of Sanora Babb at the Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas, this essay uncovers new information about Bulosan’s relations with Sanora and her sister Dorothy Babb, the two American women who virtually “made” him into a writer. Given his intimacy with both women, active in leftwing and Communist Party activities in Los Angeles during the formative years of Bulosan’s life, as well as his association with leftist union leaders in Seattle, Bulosan’s radical affiliations are no longer in doubt, even without FBI documentation. Apocryphal Bulosan manuscripts such as All the Conspirators are bound …

Translation And The Problem Of Realism In Philippine Literature In English, J. Neil C. Garcia

Kritika Kultura

To the degree that Philippine literature in English is translational it cannot be realistic: realism is a signifying practice that presupposes a monocultural ground, upon which the “consensus” of representational fidelity can happen. And yet, much of the criticism of this literature, as produced by Filipinos themselves, has generally failed to take note of this crucial precondition, enacting a ruinous category mistake that, among other things, unwittingly confounds contemporary departures from the referential towards the “avant-garde” and/or antimimetic modes, as these are espoused by young Filipino poets and fictionists alike. Finally, this paper argues that the various literary practices encoded …

Introduction By Guest Editor, Jeffrey Arellano Cabusao

Kritika Kultura

No abstract provided.

Beyond The Color Line: Intersectional Considerations In Chuah Guat Eng’S Fiction, Wai Chew Sim

Kritika Kultura

This essay argues that the work of Malaysian-Chinese author Chuah Guat Eng gives pause to the culturalism that dominates literary analysis. Articulated primarily through identity politics (the politics of recognition), culturalism’s self- understanding keeps at a distance other forms of social justice commitments including class struggle. However, Chuah spotlights their intersectionality in Malaysia and enjoins us to combine the two – to see the native population’s demand for economic parity and rural development as coterminous in some respects with the demands for recognition made by settler communities. In particular, Chuah’s Echoes of Silence (1994) points to the commensurability between socialist …

Front Matter, Kritika Kultura

Kritika Kultura

No abstract provided.

Phantom In Paradise: A Philippine Presence In Hollywood Cinema, Joel David

Kritika Kultura

The Philippines’ experience with its last foreign occupant, the US, resulted in an entire clutch of problematic “special relations” that, coupled with the country’s responses to the challenges of self-government, ultimately led to a global dispersal of the population, effectively turning the Philippines into the major Asian nation arguably most reliant on its citizens’ overseas remittances. This paper takes the position that diasporic Filipinos, for a variety of reasons starting with the effectiveness of maintaining unintrusive presences in alien cultures (including the acceptance of menial positions), have possibly developed and have enabled others to perceive them as silent and discreet …

Fidelity In Translating Religious Practice: Illustrations From Filipino Christanity, Jose Mario C. Francisco Sj

Kritika Kultura

What fidelity consists in has always been a central concern in translation studies and practice. This essay first discusses its shifting meaning in relation to the various turns in contemporary translation theory, and their application to the translation of religious practice. It then examines the translation of late medieval post-Reformation Spanish Catholicism into Filipino Christianity through an analysis of its texts and performances. It concludes by revisiting the meaning of fidelity and relates it to root-metaphors for translation in some Philippine languages. Fidelity appears not as the transfer of an unchanging meaning but as the recognition of self within the …

Translation And/As Research, Harry Aveling

Kritika Kultura

The paper will consider some possible relationships between literary translation and research, the latter briefly defined as “the curiosity-driven production of new knowledge” (Nowotny xix). Two of these relationships are simple: (1) research as a stage in the preparation for the process of translation, and (2) research about the cultural and historical dimensions of already-existing translations. The third is more complex and controversial. The paper further asks: (3) whether the practice of translation is in itself an act of research. The third question raises further considerations about the different types of knowledge to be found in the university, and how …

General Introduction, Kritika Kultura

Kritika Kultura

No abstract provided.

Front Matter, Kritika Kultura

Kritika Kultura

No abstract provided.

Nativism Or Universalism: Situating Lgbt Discourse In The Philippines, J. Neil C. Garcia

Kritika Kultura

Despite or precisely because of the fact that it is being increasingly globally invoked, the LGBT signifier bids us to understand its discursive performances in various localities, particularly in the global south, whose conservative traditions this form of politics most visibly challenges, at the same time that it can only do so translationally—which is to say, as a form of transcultural syncretism. More specifically, this paper offers a postcolonial reading of LGBT discourse in the Philippines, examining the confluence between the discourse of Western “psychospirituality” and the local idiom of interiority (kalooban), as evinced, in particular, in the minoritized identity …

Women Of Will For Nation Building In Pramoedya’S Three Early Novels, Novita Dewi

Kritika Kultura

Of great interest to Pramoedya’s writing, which is largely neglected, is the presence of ordinary women as supporting characters. This paper discusses the depiction of strong- willed women who embody the desired character that the Indonesian nationalists in the 1950s sought to construct in Pramoedya’s three early novels, i.e. Keluarga Gerilya [The Guerilla Family] (1950), Korupsi [Corruption] (1954), and Sekali Peristiwa di Banten Selatan [Once Upon A Time in South Banten] (1958). Written during the period when nationalism in the country began to crack, the three novels present minor but arresting female characters: these women are able to find their …

Front Matter, Kritika Kultura

Kritika Kultura

No abstract provided.

Kahulugan, Katotohanan, Katwiran: Pagpapakilala Sa Semiotika Ni Charles Sanders Peirce, E. San Juan Jr.

Kritika Kultura

This essay elaborates on crucial aspects of the semiotics of American pragmaticist Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914) and applies them to two Filipino texts: “Three O’Clock in the Morning” by Cirio H. Panganiban and “Kristal na Tubig” by Antonio Rosales. Delivered first in 2 March 2012 as part of the Kritika Kultura lecture series at Ateneo de Manila University, the essay makes a number of distinct yet interrelated claims before proceeding to an interpretation of the aforementioned texts. First, San Juan points out the communal (“komunidad”) underpinning of Peirce’s formulations: San Juan argues that only within a social context—where agreed-upon methods, …

Front Matter, Kritika Kultura

Kritika Kultura

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of Macroeconomic Effects Of Financial Liberalization In Tanzania: 1990-2022, Cornel Joseph

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the effects of financial liberalization on key macroeconomic indicators in Tanzania, specifically focusing on savings, investment, and economic growth. Utilizing extensive annual time series data from 1990 to 2022, the research employs the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) method and incorporates bound testing procedures to ensure robust results. The analysis reveals several significant findings: financial liberalization has a positive impact on savings and promotes economic growth in the long-run, demonstrating its role as a catalyst for economic advancement in Tanzania. However, the study also uncovers a concerning trend: while savings and growth benefit from …

Review Of Culturally Responsive Computing: An Introduction Into Computer Science, Security, And Technology, Irina Armianu

Open Educational Resources - Reviews

No abstract provided.

How Do Female Arab International Students Negotiate Their Identities In The Esl Classroom In The Mid-Southern United States?, Sinaria Elmardi Hassan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

This dissertation explores how women of Islamic faith, as international students, negotiate their identities within the ESL classrooms in the mid-southern United States. Students in such categories face singular challenges at each juncture of gender, religion, and cultural background, especially in an educational system that does not always recognize or accommodate particular needs and experiences. The qualitative research design involved in-depth interviews with female Muslim students from various countries. This study aimed to determine how these students balanced their cultural and religious lives amidst the demands of the American academic environment, particularly in ESL settings where language acquisition was a …

Brazilian Instrumental Music, U.S. Jazz, And Transnationalism: A Study Of National Identity In The Twentieth Century And Present, Felipe Guz Tinoco

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation considers the relationship between Brazilian instrumental music, U.S. jazz, and Brazilian national identity from the early twentieth century to the present. Though the time frame is broad, the present work uses nationalism as an anchoring point through which I analyze multiple musical genres. Previous works have primarily examined songs and lyrics, particularly during the military dictatorship (1964-85), when words against the regime were censored and songwriters persecuted. However, listeners and musicians of instrumental music also engaged with discourses of national identity in profound terms before, during, and after this period, posing ideals of Brasilidade against cultural productions abroad, …

Teaching Sociology Through Reality Tv: Understanding Society Through The Small Screen, Monica Bixby Radu

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

This article explores reality TV’s value in teaching sociological concepts and theories for a better understanding contemporary society. Reality TV serves as a rich canvas for illustrating key tenets of major sociological theories such as structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. By analyzing reality TV through a sociological lens, insights into societal dynamics emerge, revealing how individuals navigate social norms. Additionally, reality TV serves as a cultural mirror, reflecting and shaping societal values. Globally, it influences cultural attitudes and social dynamics, transcending geographical boundaries through adaptations and social media engagement. …

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 8, Issue 2, Fall 2024

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full-length Spring 2024 issue (Volume 8, Issue 1) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version (with downloadable EPUB format) here.

The Fall 2024 issue presents practical ideas and prompts for those who teach at colleges and universities in a variety of disciplines. Articles ways to use popular culture (in this case, reality TV) to teach higher-level concepts; strategies for adapting Lesson Study techniques for preservice teachers; and a review of McNair et al.'s 2022 book on creating student ready colleges.

Creating A Digital House Of Knowledge: Ensuring The Continuation And Integrity Of Indigenous Knowledge Transfers In The Digital Era, Jacquelyn C. Cordova

Indigenous Studies

Traditional Indigenous knowledge transfer systems have contributed to the sustainability of highly advanced Indigenous societies since time immemorial. These systems have been purposefully targeted since European arrival to the Americas in the late 1400s and early 1500s, consequently creating barriers for Indigenous Peoples as they strive to conduct their traditional knowledge transfer processes within their communities. These barriers, paired with the continual rise and use of global technologies, have created circumstances where many Native Elders and Knowledge Keepers experience difficulty reaching their youth and community members to ensure the successful transfer of Indigenous data and knowledge to current and future …

Teaching Dena'ina Language Through Dena'ina Culturally Based Reading Practices, Joel Isaak Yes

Indigenous Studies

The Dena'ina language is a well-documented Northern Dene Alaska Native language in south-central Alaska. The Dena'ina language is on the brink of going to sleep. The Dena'ina community strongly desires for the Dena'ina language to once again thrive in the community. Language-use within the community is a contributing factor to the health of the community. As Dena'ina tribes work towards bringing back the Dena'ina language, the community grapples with the role of reading and writing, both potentially harmful and aiding community language work. A Classroom-Based Action Research qualitative study was conducted to determine if reading instruction in the Dena'ina language …

Breaking News: The Presence Of The White Racial Frame In Partisan Cable News Networks’ Coverage Of Officers Killing Black Victims, Andrea C. Smith, Jonathan M. Cox

Journal of Critical Race and Ethnic Studies

This study analyzes how two of the most popular and partisan cable news networks in the U.S., FOX and MSNBC, framed victims and officers in their coverage of cases where officers kill Black men. In addition, this work investigates how these networks discuss systemic racism. Using Feagin's white racial frame as a framework and critical discourse analysis as an analytical tool, the findings show that both networks exhibited anti-Black and pro-White framing within their reports. However, how these frames manifested differed across the networks, displaying differing similarities. Most notably, when counter-framing was present on MSNBC, they still perpetuated the anti-Black …