Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Postcolonial Disability In Mohesen Makhmalbaf’S Kandahar, Sukshma Vedere

Ray Browne Conference on Cultural and Critical Studies (2015-2021)

Kandahar (2001), an Iranian film directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf, details the journey of the protagonist, Nafas, to Kandahar to save her sister from committing suicide on the day of the solar eclipse. The film has gained recent attention by disability studies scholars for the representation of disability in Afghanistan; scholars have discussed the significance of prosthetics and international aid for the disabled in post-war zones of the Third World, but little has been said about disability as a postcolonial embodiment. I argue that Kandahar represents the postcolonial state as a disabled space both literally and metaphorically. It projects the veil …

Unicorns: Past, Present And In The Imagination, Jill A. Jablonski

Ray Browne Conference on Cultural and Critical Studies (2015-2021)

In the last few thousand years, unicorn folklore has extensively evolved. In fact, the evolution of the mentioned above mythical creature has been so drastic, that the original unicorn lore of the Greek, Roman and early Christian people, would be unrecognizable to a modern day person. Consequently, to the historical figures (such as Julius Caesar and Ctesias) that contributed to the creation of the mythical creature, they would not recognize the unicorn as it is found in My Little Pony or any other pop culture sensation. To discover the cause of disconnect between the folkloric and pop culture unicorns, an …

The Perpetual Other: Native American Representation In Documentaries, Julia E. Largent

Ray Browne Conference on Cultural and Critical Studies (2015-2021)

When an individual uses an Internet search engine to find images of Native Americans, the person will most likely find that most of the images are paintings of the Native American warrior or are older black and white portraits. After searching for other races, such as Asian American or African American, the search is more likely to come up with contemporary images of people playing sports, in school, or with their families. Why is there such a stark difference? Why are Native Americans so often thought about as only in the past? From the early days of books and portraits …

Popular Culture And Individual Empowerment In The Global World, Rama Alapati

Ray Browne Conference on Cultural and Critical Studies (2015-2021)

Popular culture studies are central to the study of Liberal Arts, which enhance the spirit of the academia. They help people to understand their own culture, appreciate it, and grow up as participating members of the community. The present study focuses attention to analyze popular culture in relation to the domains of governance and self-help literature. The study is significant because it helps understand the trajectory adopted for individual empowerment.

Existence of multicultural societies across the Globe is more in the present day as the world has become a global village. It can, therefore, be understood that popular culture studies …

Christianity As A Double-Edged Sword In Colonial Africa, Brian Schmidt

Africana Studies Student Research Conference (2013-2019)

Christian missionaries were among the first Europeans to move into Africa. They came on a mission to save the souls of a seemingly primitive population, an attitude that was further enabled and encouraged by recently developed ethnocentric philosophies of "scientific racism." Within this social climate, missionaries not only felt obligated to assimilate Africans toward Christian religious practice, but also toward European ways of living. The result, coincidentally or not, was an undermining of African culture that is thought by many scholars to have aided in the successful takeover by colonial governments in the region. Christian virtues of passivity and humility …

The Impact Of The Second World War On The Decolonization Of Africa, Erin Myrice

Africana Studies Student Research Conference (2013-2019)

This project discusses the Second World War as a catalyst for African political freedom and independence. The war helped build strong African nationalism, which resulted in a common goal for all Africans to fight for their freedom. World War II led to decolonization of Africa by affecting both Europe and Africa militarily, psychologically, politically, and economically. The Second World War was instrumental in arming Africans with the military knowledge and leadership skills they would utilize when fighting for their own independence. One of these skills included the ability to communicate and work together, which had previously been an issue among …

Blood Ivory: The Story Of Illegal Poaching And Its Global Influence, Alanna Demers

Africana Studies Student Research Conference (2013-2019)

Illegal animal product trade such as the trade of ivory and rhinoceros horn has become a problem that influences the entire world. Throughout history, from pre-colonial times to modern day, illicit trade in ivory and rhino horn have drastically affected Africa’s development, eco-system, and society. The decline in the rhinoceros and elephant populations on the African continent drastically effect vegetation, which directly correlates with agriculture and the health of people and animals. The history of the illegal ivory and rhino horn trade is complicated, and provides an essential context in order to understand the modern day situation. Scholarly works and …

Made In Ethiopia?, Janet M. Purdy

Africana Studies Student Research Conference (2013-2019)

This paper provides an overview of historical textile production in Ethiopia through a visual analysis of regional style and motif variations, with a subtext consideration of the new developments and possibilities that surround the growing interest in Ethiopia’s emerging role in the global textile industry.

In many ways Ethiopian textiles as part of art history remain understudied or at least under-published, and accordingly, without the benefit of primary research, the scope of this paper is general in nature. Combined with historical and visual analysis based on secondary sources, consideration is also given to recently published information by organizations including The …

Truth Games: Negotiating Power, Identity And The Spirit Of Resistance In Contemporary South African Art, Dominique Pen

Africana Studies Student Research Conference (2013-2019)

Sue Williamson has come to hold an esteemed and influential role in the South African art world not only for her literary gifts as the author of several books about South African art (perhaps most notably her first book, Resistance Art in South Africa, published in 1989), but also as an artist whose work often deals with the social, political, and conceptual repercussions of apartheid in South Africa. Indeed, much of her development as an artist stemmed from her activism during the struggle against apartheid in South Africa beginning in the late 1970’s and has evolved to include the contemporary …

Germaine Tillion's Colonial Writing: Complicity And Resistance, Elizabeth Adamo

Africana Studies Student Research Conference (2013-2019)

Germaine Tillion's Colonial Writing: Complicity and Resistance

Abstract Submitted by: Elizabeth Adamo

M.A. Candidate, French and History, 2015

During the Algerian War, many intellectuals in France and Algeria voiced their opinions on the infamous “Algerian Question.” Rejected by both the Right and the Left in France, Germaine’s political and moral views evoked many emotions because of the parallels she drew between her experience in a Nazi concentration camp and the treatment of Muslim Algerians during this polarizing war. Although this theme has been explored in depth by other scholars, none have yet enquired into her complicity and strategies of resistance …

Caribbean Commodity: The Marketing And Consumption Of Black Bahamian Female Identity, Dellareese Higgs

Africana Studies Student Research Conference (2013-2019)

Abstract

In this essay, I explore the Bahamas’ connection to tourism, tracing and defining how it became the central aspect of the country’s economy, and how whiteness was re-deployed in this new era of tourism. I examine the impact of these phenomena on the identity constructions of the local culture, and articulate women’s placement in the effort to re-invent the Bahamas as the ultimate tourist destination. While the essay specifically documents the nature of tourism in the Bahamas, it focuses primarily on the women within tourism’s many fronts of cultural change and marginalization. I use the term ‘white tourist culture’ …

Visiting Jerusalem’S Archives And Shrines, Awad Halabi

CoLA Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Reflections On Teaching Everyone Else’S Students, Joe Deer

CoLA Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Teaching To Help Students Develop Academic Habits Of Mind, Richard Bullock

CoLA Research Conference

No abstract provided.

Listening To Your Listeners: A Preaching Preparation Process That Changes... Everything!, Lori J. Carrell

Symposium on Worship Archive

A vast majority of listeners attending U.S. churches have never talked with a pastor about a sermon. And, unfortunately, those listeners report by the thousands that though they expect spiritual growth as they listen to their preachers, it usually does not occur. Preachers who listen to their listeners as a regular part of sermon preparation can expect to change these patterns, increasing the spiritual impact of preaching for individuals, congregations, communities—and culture. During this workshop, participants will discover how diverse congregations have established and maintained pre-sermon dialogue groups (without adding to the preachers’ limited sermon prep time!).

Until Justice And Peace Embrace: Worship That Announces And Shapes Reconciliation, David M. Bailey, Shannon Jammal-Hollemans, Mwenda Ntarangwi, Kathy Smith, Sandra Maria Van Opstal, Nicholas Wolterstorff, David Rylaarsdam

Symposium on Worship Archive

Public worship and reconciliation are deeply connected. In worship, we announce the good news of reconciliation in Christ in sermons and songs. But we don’t speak or sing about it. In worship, we also practice habits that are fundamental building blocks of reconciliation: we confess sin, pass the peace to each other, and gather in unity around Christ’s table. At its best, public worship both announces and participates in Christ-shaped reconciliation. Yet this is not easy, especially when congregations are marked by divisions and conflict. What about churches that sing about reconciliation and unity, but seem unwilling or unable to …

Singing For Faith Formation: Nourishing Songs For Worship, Norma De Waal Malefyt, Rebecca Snippe

Symposium on Worship Archive

Our time together will explore song resources especially from the new songbook Lift Up Your Hearts and their selection process that will guide a congregation’s faith development through song. We will think about how songs that are chosen not only express, but form faith.

Psalmody For Holy Week, Martin Tel

Symposium on Worship Archive

The gospel writers relied heavily on the Psalms to tell the story of Christ’s suffering and crucifixion. Using the Psalter resource Psalms for All Seasons, we will explore different ways that the congregation can engage the Psalms in Holy Week services.

Seven Streams: Negotiating The Widening River Of Congregational Song, Emily R. Brink

Symposium on Worship Archive

We’ll explore both Glory to God (Presbyterian) and Lift Up Your Hearts (Christian Reformed Church in North America and Reformed Church in America), both published in 2013, for how they included many newer streams of congregational song that have joined the traditional hymn. Have you noticed that few contemporary "hymnals" today even use the word "hymn" or "hymnal" in their titles? "Hymns" don’t acknowledge the many different streams that have joined the main river of congregational song, including choruses, responses, spirituals, contemporary songs of all types, and global songs. How do congregations, let alone hymnals, respond to all that diversity? …

Biblical Storytelling Master Class, Joy-Elizabeth Lawrence

Symposium on Worship Archive

In 1 Timothy, Paul says, ". . . devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture," to his friend Timothy. One way we can devote ourselves to Scripture is by learning it by heart and telling it others. In this workshop, participants will be invited to participate by presenting, in the style of a storyteller, Scripture passages they have learned by heart. Participants are invited (not required) to present a text they have worked on in advance for discussion, encouragement, and constructive critique. Those who are unfamiliar with this style of Scripture presentation may hear familiar texts anew!

Liturgy, Anthropology, And Life Cycle, Kathy Smith

Symposium on Worship Archive

How do children worship best? How can worship help young people through the teen years? What practices of worship resonate most with adults and elderly people? This workshop will look at the human life cycle and the developmental stages that all people grow through (cognitive, sensorimotor, psychological, moral, and faith development), and will consider what this means for all ages to participate fully in worship.

Becoming Instruments Of God: Singing And Worship, Awet Andemicael

Symposium on Worship Archive

How can we, as musicians and lay and ordained ministers, cultivate our bodies as active instruments of God? In this workshop, participants will engage in guided spiritual-musical exercises to explore how the imagination, breath, vocal tone, and words—offered to God—can facilitate embodied individual and communal experiences of prayer, praise, and worship. Participants will also discuss how spiritual-musical formation such as this can enhance their effectiveness in music leadership roles in congregational settings.

Transforming Sermon Communication: A Practical Guide To Making Changes That Make A Difference, Lori J. Carrell

Symposium on Worship Archive

Hundreds of preachers changed their preaching preparation habits in ways that made a difference in the spiritual journeys of their 30,000+ listeners. What did they do? How did they do it? What can others, who speak the Word, learn from their experiences? In this workshop, participants will discover practical answers to these questions through the stories of preachers and listeners documented over several years. If you believe that the spoken Word can make a difference for individuals, congregations, communities, and culture, attend this workshop with high expectations.

What North American Churches Can Learn From The Church In Pakistan, Emily R. Brink, Eric Sarwar

Symposium on Worship Archive

Join this conversation between Eric Sarwar, a Presbyterian pastor from Pakistan, and Emily Brink, Worship Institute staff member, about how Pakistani worship practices can bless and inform the Christian church in North America. Learn more about how Pakistani Christian worship in a largely oral culture in an Islamic context. Several years ago Emily was hosted by Eric in worship conference in Karachi. They are now collaborating on transcribing raga-based psalms and various writing projects while he is studying in North America.

Accompanying In The Gospel Style With Organ And Piano, Michael Gittens

Symposium on Worship Archive

When organists and pianists accompany hymns together they often limit themselves to the notes they find on the page. The effect can be that everything sounds the same. In this session, church musician Michael Gittens will demonstrate techniques for creating clear, rhythmic and inspiring accompaniments in the gospel style, playing to the strengths of each instrument.

Moving Worship: How To Create Movement, Julia Start Fletcher

Symposium on Worship Archive

Where do we start? How do we even begin to create movement? Where can we find inspiration? Join us, and find out how to put dances together; whether you’re working with trained dancers, or not trained "pedestrians."

Children's Books About Worship, Kristen Verhulst

Symposium on Worship Archive

There are a number of wonderful picture and children’s books that help church school leaders, educators, and parents teach children about worship. These books focus on the sacraments, Christian year, the psalms, and prayer. Children’s books provide another means to welcome and engage children (and adults!) in worship as full members of the body of Christ.

Seven Streams Of 21st Century Congregational Song: Skills For Leading The People's Song In A Musically Multilingual World, Michael Hawn, James Abbington, William N. Heard, Jorge Lockward, Emmett G. Price Iii, Martin Tel

Symposium on Worship Archive

The last forty years has not only featured a profusion of new congregational songs, but also a profusion in new types and styles of congregational song. Musicians are increasingly called to be adept at leading quite different types of songs—as well as working collaboratively to empower others to do so. This seminar will present a clear, vivid description of seven streams of congregational song, and provide practical tools and examples for the unique kinds of leadership skills needed for music in each stream to enliven singing in your community.

Singing The Creeds, Miranda Dodson

Symposium on Worship Archive

Together we will discuss the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed and examine a few musical versions of each. Creeds, by nature were not written to be sung and therefore lack essential musical elements, which make the singing creeds word-for-word not only impractical, but nearly impossible! However, the aim of this workshop is to explore combining the powerful proclamations of creeds with the soul-stirring unity of song to enrich congregational and personal worship.

The Power Of Spirituals, Eileen Guenther

Symposium on Worship Archive

Spirituals come out of a particular time and place, a truly painful part of history. Yet that context of pain and suffering gave us "sorrow songs," and also gave us songs of hope and liberation. The music comes directly out of the slaves’ experiences and enabled them to "sing what they could not say." This is music that speaks to and for us today, music of tremendous emotional power, that connects us with the strength of the human spirit and the power of faith of those enslaved, just as it connects us with each other in our common humanity and …