Digital Commons Network^™

“We Malaysian” Or “We Chinese”?: Navigating Archipelagic Negative Affects In Jason Leong’S Anglophone Stand-Up Comedy, Harry Shi, Sophie Xu

Kritika Kultura

In this article, we argue that negative affects play crucial roles in shaping the identity of Malaysian Chinese within the context of Anglophone stand-up comedy. While prior studies on stand-up comedy have largely focused on individual affects such as shame or anger, little attention has been paid to the relational and synergistic dynamics of negative affects, particularly within racialized and postcolonial contexts. To address this gap, we conceptualize stand-up comedy as an affective arena, which allows for a nuanced examination of enduring social issues in Malaysia around conflicts and disparities in race and culture. To this end, we adopt an …

Beyond Romance: Feminist Imagination Of Intimacy In Female-Centered Mengnü (Dream Girl) Fan-Fiction On Chinese Social Media, Gemma Yantao Sun

Kritika Kultura

This article examines female-centered mengnü fan-fiction emerging on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu as a feminist recontextualization of heteronormative romantic narratives. Unlike conventional mengnü fiction, which centers on male protagonists and heterosexual desire, these storiettes center female celebrities and intimacies between women. Drawing on frameworks of post-romantic culture and feminist criticism, this article read texts of this new genre through two dimensions. First, it examines how these narratives articulate emotionally intense yet ambiguous relationships. From these emerge nomadic, non-binary, and nonteleological forms of intimacy that resist fixed binary categories. Second, the study investigates how these fantasies of nomadic intimacy …

From Affective Placemaking To Fandom Activism: A Reinterpretation Of Contents Tourism In The Context Of K-Drama Fandom, Hanki Jo, Areum Choi

Kritika Kultura

This study reconceptualizes contents tourism not as simple consumption or sightseeing but as a cyclical structure of affective practices—an “affective practice loop”—comprising emotional invocation, spatial performativity, and digital narrativization. This analytical framework explains how fans respond affectively to media narratives, project emotions performatively onto places, and digitally narrativize these experiences, thereby co-constructing personal identity and cultural space. Using the 2024 Korean drama Lovely Runner as a case study, this study shows how this loop is enacted through field-level fan engagement in contents tourism. It further reinterprets fandom practices along this sequence, not as mere media consumption but as fandom activism …

How Does Fandom Contribute To Content Ip Value Formation?: Proposal For Fandom Asset Model, Sungmin Lee, Kyuchan Kim

Kritika Kultura

Despite the escalating importance of intellectual property (IP) in the entertainment industry, perspectives for assessing its holistic value beyond the conventional legal framework have been insufficiently discussed. This study posits fandom as a core source in the formation of value for content-based IP. To this end, the study critically examines the limitations of traditional IP perspectives and aims to establish a theoretical foundation for a fandom-centric theory of IP value by drawing upon participatory culture theory and brand equity theory. Furthermore, this paper proposes the Fandom Asset Model (FAM), which incorporates the scale (S), intensity (I), and duration (D) of …

Practices Of The Global Hallyu Fandom As A “Post-Creator”, Taehyun Baek, Jiyoung Joo

Kritika Kultura

This study reconceptualizes global Hallyu fandom as a form of post-creation, where fans operate as cultural agents who reorganize affective structures and ethical codes within the algorithmic and economic conditions of platform capitalism. Drawing on Nicolas Bourriaud’s concept of postproduction and Kang Sumi’s formulation of the post-creator, this study positions fan practices as participatory or remixed acts while at the same time highlighting their role as politically and aesthetically significant interventions that reshape the meaning and circulation of cultural texts. Methodologically, this study conducts a comparative analysis of digital fan activities, including stage mixes, fan-subtitled translations, reaction videos, and performancebased …

The Practices Of Hallyu Fandom As A Digital Neo-Tribe: Trans-Bricolage And Post-Coding, Soongbeum Ahn, Taeryong Kim

Kritika Kultura

This study examines global Hallyu (Korean Wave) fandom as a pluralistic, heterogeneous counter current within the decentralizing flow of global popular culture. It conceptualizes this fandom as a form of digital neo-tribe and interprets its fluid, ever-shifting character through the theoretical lens of liquidity. To better understand the performative practices of these fan communities, the study adopts and applies the concepts of trans-bricolage and postcoding. Hallyu fandom practices can be broadly divided into two types: cultural practices and economic practices. Cultural practices are expressed through the reappropriation of K-content’s forms and messages via modes such as quotation/commentary, reference/borrowing, and transformation/modification. …

Introduction: Homo Connectus And Fandom Activism: Fansumers As Cultural Transmitters, Soongbeum Ahn, Ratan Kumar Roy

Kritika Kultura

The transformation of fandom in the age of digital media and hyperconnectivity calls for renewed scholarly attention. Earlier studies of participatory culture highlighted the role of the “prosumer,” who blurs the boundary between production and consumption. This special section shifts the focus to the concept of the “fansumer,” which captures a more specific mode of engagement in which emotionally invested fans mobilize coordinated consumption and activities to shape cultural visibility, influence market outcomes, and practice fandom activism. Fans also actively generate new cultural forms and position themselves as agents of communication, thereby amplifying the dynamism of the global popular culture …

Fluid Solidarity: The Taoist And Indigenous Water Philosophies In Rita Wong's Undercurrent, Yiyi He

Kritika Kultura

To criticize exploiting water as an extractive resource and to provide an alternative way of engaging with water, I highlight the philosophical “undercurrents,” the hidden threads of Taoism and Indigenous streams of thinking in Chinese Canadian poet Rita Wong’s undercurrent (2015). Central to water-based ecological thinking, the notions of reciprocity and resilience are important components within both Taoist and Indigenous water philosophies. The confluence of Taoism and Indigenous ways of knowing water is key to understanding Wong’s hydro-poetics and hydro-politics. I further adopt “fluid solidarity” to address the dynamic and complex allyship between Chinese Canadians and Indigenous Peoples. I argue …

Feminine Supernaturalism: Matter, Gender, And Spirit In Traditional Chinese Theatre, Yixuan Li

Kritika Kultura

Traditional Chinese theatre distinguishes itself by weaving human figures, natural landscapes, and supernatural forces into powerful expressions of emotion, often embodied in the interplay between female characters and the environment. Its philosophical foundation lies in the concept of yin—a principle in traditional Chinese cosmology that represents the generative, transformative, and enigmatic dimensions of femininity. Within this worldview, the environment is not a passive backdrop but an active agent that participates in and even shapes the life trajectories of female protagonists. Drawing on this framework and the lens of material ecocriticism, this article explores the ecological, material, and spiritual dimensions of …

The Ghost Of Empire: Asian Horror And Postcolonial Pastiche In The Filipino Visual Novel The Letter (2017), Christoffer Mitch C. Cerda

Kritika Kultura

This essay analyzes the horror visual novel The Letter (2017) developed by the Filipino video game company Yangyang Mobile. Using theories of postmodernism from Fredric Jameson and Hiroki Azuma and postcolonialism from Homi Bhabha and Souvik Mukherjee, the essay introduces and uses the concept of postcolonial pastiche to describe the ability of The Letter to mimic the form of the visual novel and reuse the tropes of Asian horror to depict the personal anxieties and social inequalities experienced by the seven main characters of the game as perennial problems inherent in the modern global capitalist society. By using the visual …

Introduction, Vincenz Serrano

Kritika Kultura

No abstract provided.

Front Matter, Kritika Kultura

Kritika Kultura

No abstract provided.

The Colour Of Becoming, Monique Mazza

Imaginings: creative practice and inquiry

The Colour of Becoming explores the relationship between identity and creative practice through two experimental watercolour portraits. Positioned between the freedom of artistic expression and the conformity of professional life, the work visualises an internal tension between authenticity and expectation. Drawing from theories of identity (Hall, 1990), écriture féminine (Cixous, 1976), and semiotics (Barthes, 1972), the research examines how symbolic visual language can represent fractured or evolving selves. Through contrasting palettes, gestures, and acts of erasure, the paintings reveal how selfhood is not fixed but continually negotiated within social frameworks. This exegesis places painting as both method and mirror, a …

Slow Librarianship For Healthier Libraries And Library Workers, Meredith Farkas

Bryant Jackson Lectureship

We live in an individualistic achievement society that encourages people to chase external validation by putting the focus on innovation and competition over collaboration and collective care. Many of these dynamics are at play in the library and information science profession, leading to toxic cultures of scarcity, low morale, burnout, and disproportionate harm to BIPOC library workers and patrons. We have the power to imagine new futures that will equip us to better serve our patrons and support our collective well-being. Slow librarianship focuses on relationship-building, values-driven work, quality over quantity, solidarity, antiracism, and reflective practice.

Farkas is a faculty …

Media Framing Of The Bawku Conflict In Ghana: An Analysis Of Cultural Biases, Narratives, And Peacebuilding Implications, Falilatu Saaka

Master of Arts in Media and Communication Plan II Graduate Projects

This research examines the media framing of the Bawku conflict in Ghana, focusing on how cultural biases shape the portrayal of ethnic disputes and influence public perception. Utilizing a qualitative discourse analysis grounded in Framing Theory and Afrocentric critique, the study analyzes ten news reports from major Ghanaian media outlets to identify patterns of bias, narrative construction, and ideological positioning. Findings reveal that media coverage predominantly emphasizes security and stability, often at the expense of addressing deeper political, economic, and historical factors. Language, imagery, and sourcing choices tend to reinforce stereotypes, skewing public understanding towards ethnic dichotomies, particularly between the …

Expanding The Pantheon Of “Place-Myth”: Media-Induced Travel In College Students Who Study Abroad, Isabella M. Shevetz

Honors College Theses

Media-induced tourism refers to any travel that is in some part motivated by the consumption of mass media related to that location. Media-induced tourism and mass-tourism have led to nation branding and destination marketing across the globe, two industry phenomena that have worked to skyrocket tourism in places where it was not previously a large driver of the local economy. The expansion of mass media availability and the birth of social media mean the media roles of producer and audience member have blurred. Ordinary people now have the influential power of large media corporations. In destination marketing, the user-generated content …

The Ambiguity Of Truth: Exploring Inductive Reasoning And Pedagogy In Creative Practice Through Critical Reflection, Stephen O'Connell

Imaginings: creative practice and inquiry

The creative process inherently utilises critical thinking, reflective practice and problem-solving skills, but students can struggle with the mental effort required to engage in critical thinking. This paper examines this phenomenon through a critical reflection as a case study, utilising the Integrated reflective cycle method to engage both in reflective practice and theory. Through the reflection on in-class experiences, errors in the students’ inductive reasoning and a tendency for them to shortcut mental challenges with experiential heuristics were identified, with students appearing to seek cognitive ease over critical metacognition. This paper then proposes utilising an inductive reasoning-led pedagogy, with a …

Bound By Belief: Exploring The Influence Of Internalized Rape Myths On Survivor Agency And Identity, Arika I. White

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study explored how internalized RMA impacts survivors’ cognitive processing, coping strategies, and psychological agency, as observed by licensed psychotherapists who treat sexual assault survivors. Despite extensive literature on the societal impacts of RMA, less attention has been given to understanding how these cultural myths are internalized by survivors and manifest intrapsychically, influencing self-perception, self-blame, and identity reconstruction following trauma. Using a phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews with therapists provided meta-level insights into how survivors’ narratives reflect internalized cultural stigma and misogynistic beliefs. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns of maladaptive coping, internalized misogyny, and diminished agency, revealing how …

What Multiple Theories Can Illuminate In Qualitative Research, Sherry Marx, Rachel Billings, Taylor Dexter, Mark T. Lewis, Patrick Ocran, Douglas Weber

The Qualitative Report

Our aim in this paper is to help scholars better understand theory’s purpose in qualitative research, how it is employed in data analysis, and the strengths and limitations of the insights it can reveal. We do this by sharing our practice using multiple theories to make sense of a common data set in an advanced doctoral class focused on theory in qualitative research. For the class final project, students chose different theories to analyze one common data set: A brief historical article on the Los Angeles Zoot Suit Riots. Student-chosen theories included constructivism, actor-network theory, symbolic interactionism, critical race theory, …

Creating Sustainable School And Home Gardens: Zooming Into Nature With Digital Microscopes, Rita Hagevik, Kaitlin Campbell, Kathy Cabe Trundle, Lawrence Krissek

All Current Publications

This fact sheet provides information about using digital microscopes in the garden. It discusses how they work, choosing the right digital microscope, uses in the garden, and activities. It is part of the Creating Sustainable School and Home Gardens resource sheet series from Utah State University Extension and Smart Foodscapes.

Review: Misrecognitions: Plotting Capital In The Victorian Novel By Ben Parker, Suvij Sudershan

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

No abstract provided.

Review: The Poetics Of Science: Marx’S Literary Style By Ludovico Silva, Thomas A. Laughlin

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

No abstract provided.

Review: The Persistence Of Realism In Modernist Fiction By Paul Stasi, Chris Gortmaker

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

No abstract provided.

Cultural Negotiations In Revisionist Mythmaking: Comparative Reading Of Bahram Beyzaei And Mary Zimmerman, Sepehr Karimi Mr., Bahee Hadaegh

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

 Although more than fifty years have passed since feminist scholars pioneered revisionist mythmaking, drama remains underexplored in this field despite its unique potential for cultural and social reinterpretation. This study offers a comparative analysis of revisionist mythmaking in Iranian and American drama, specifically examining Bahram Beyzaei’s play, One Thousand and First Night alongside Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses as examples. This research aims to establish general principles for revisionist mythmaking within drama, spotlighting the complexities that emerge in transnational contexts. It explores how Beyzaei and Zimmerman negotiate cultural narratives and try to reshape traditional stories and reflect contemporary issues, emphasizing gender dynamics …

Between Revolutions: The Leftist Reception Of American Literature In Iran (1905-1979), Behnam Mirzababazadeh Fomeshi

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

This paper examines the reception of American literature in Iran during the period between the Persian Constitutional Revolution (1905–1911) and the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Divided into four distinct phases (1905–1922, 1922–1941, 1941–1953, and 1953–1979), this study explores how political and ideological dynamics shaped the interpretation and translation of American literary works. Central to this reception was its inherently political nature, driven by the dominance of leftist ideologies within Iran’s intellectual landscape. The influence of the Tūdih Party and other leftist movements profoundly impacted the ways American literature, particularly the works of Walt Whitman, was translated, interpreted, and disseminated. By …

Christian Motifs In Forough Farrokhzad’S Works: A Comparison With T.S. Eliot’S Poetry, Mona Monsefi

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

Forough Farrokhzad’s (1934–1967) film The House is Black (1962) is a visual poem set in a leprosarium in Iran. Farrokhzad was a prominent modernist poet who merged poetry with contemporary art forms, primarily cinema. In this film, she employed a camera to express her poetic vision, highlighting her signature style that prioritizes unique imagery. This emphasis on visual and literary images is often intertwined with themes such as religion. Notably, Farrokhzad recomposed verses from the Old Testament, infusing them with her poetic language to enrich the film’s narrative. This article explores her unique, Western-influenced interpretation of Christian motifs in …

Vision And “Sur-Vision”: Intermediality And Alterity In The Frames Of Abbas Kiarostami, Marjan Mohammadi

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

Abbas Kiarostami’s cinema, often compared to Italian neorealism, oscillates between documentation and fiction. Kiarostami’s worlds, replete with a complex network of incomplete and self-reflexive frames, create a new site for perception, reflection, and intervention. This paper studies the intermedial aspect of Kiarostami’s cinema in “The Koker Trilogy” (1987; 1992; 1994), Close-Up (1990), and “Taste of Cherry” (1997). It explores how these moving images are shaped by the specific context of Iranian cinema and how they turn to reshape it. First, it examines Kiarostami’s framing techniques, which expand Iranian cinema and its engagement with Western visual conventions. …

Memory And Identity: A Comparative Analysis Of “Iranian Cultural Identity” In Asghar Farhadi’S Adaptation Of Arthur Miller’S Death Of A Salesman, Raed Faridzadeh

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

Recent cultural studies examine the intersection of cultural identity and memory, often viewing culture as a symbolic sign system or "culture as text." Jan Assmann defines "cultural memory" as essential to shaping societal identity. Literature and film contribute to this process by transmitting and evolving cultural meanings, not only reflecting but also constructing knowledge and reality. Iranian cinema has become a powerful medium of cultural expression, particularly post-revolution. Filmmakers like Abbas Kiarostami, Sohrab Shahid Sales, Dariush Mehrjui, and Asghar Farhadi explore the dynamic relationship between literature and film in shaping cultural memory. This article analyzes Asghar Farhadi’s adaptation of Death …

Willy Loman’S Desperate Affair Challenges The Iranian Censorship: Asghar Farhadi’S The Salesman, Adineh Khojastehpour

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

This study examines resistance in cross-cultural adaptations, focusing on Asghar Farhadi's The Salesman (2016), an adaptation of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman (1949). This research investigates how Farhadi's rewriting of Miller's play within post-revolutionary Iran engages in a dialogue with the Islamic Republic and its dominant discourses. It explores how this adaptation addresses Iran's social, cultural, and ideological complexities by reframing Miller's narrative of 1950s societal change and the failure of the American Dream within the context of post-revolutionary Iran. This analysis uses Bakhtin's concept of the chronotope to reveal how The Salesman uses Miller's unique concept of a …

Cineture: The Trans(Inter)Mediality And Socio-Cultural Mobility Between Iran And The Us, Naghmeh Esmaeilpour

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

Literature and film have proven to be influential socio-cultural mediums, facilitating interactions and counteractions between nations where politics often fail to do so. Introducing cineture as a transmedial genre, this article is situated at the intersections of glocalized culture, and Iranian-American studies by considering literature and film as the contact zone between Iranians and Americans. Cineture, the combination of cinema and literature, refers to the circulation of cultures through its specification of film-text transmediation. The application of cineture demonstrates the combination and blending of literary and cinematic works leading to cross the “center and periphery dichotomy.” To study cineture …