International and Area Studies Commons^™

The Kathina Robe Offering Festival In Myanmar: Unveiling Social Dynamics And Cultural Identity, May Zin Nyunt

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This research paper examines the Kathina Robe Offering Festival in Myanmar, a major cultural and religious event that has plays an important role in building social cohesion, preserving cultural identity, and perpetuating Buddhist beliefs. Anchored in the Theravada Buddhist practices of generosity (dana), merit-making, and rejoicing, the Kathina Festival is a significant expression of communal and religious values in Myanmar's diverse society. This study aims to identify the multi-faceted role played by the Kathina festival in urban and regional perspectives, and it explains how it is used to create community cohesiveness in Yangon, or how local cultural nuances differ from …

La Voz Winter 2024, El Instituto: Institute Of Latina/O, Caribbean, And Latin American Studies

La Voz

In this issue: 

• Joint Senior Faculty Hire Between the Department of Sociology and El Instituto
• Congratulations to our Colleague Rodolfo Fernandez!
• Building a Better Future: The Latino and Puerto Rican Policy Agenda Summit
• New PRSI Dashboards
• Update on NDOU Department
• CALAHE Annual Conference

The Kitchen In The Church Complex: Work And Sacred Space At ‘Ain El-Gedida, Dana Robinson

Faculty Publications - Department of History and Politics

The fourth-century church complex at ‘Ain el-Gedida, in the Dakhleh Oasis, provides a striking case study for the integration of kitchen work into social and religious space in late antiquity. Its unique features – both sociological and archaeological – reflect a dynamic, rough-and-tumble integration that both protects the sacred space of the nave and centres the productive labour of cooking. This article analyses the anteroom/kitchen B6 from the perspectives of space syntax, the communicative landscape of labour, and the sociology of graffiti. While it may have been designed as a transitional zone or service auxiliary for the primary public spaces …

Interculturality, Creolization, And Globalization In "Ángeles Nómadas" By Minelys Sánchez, Cecily Bernard

Comparative Woman

No abstract provided.

Madness As Response To Inherent Cultural Conflicts In Anglophone Fiction From 1700 To 2020, Anna Klambauer

Comparative Woman

Madness in literature has a long and colourful history. While its representation varies significantly in different literary periods, madness is nonetheless a consistent theme responding to inherent conflicts of civilisation. Thus, in the eighteenth-century novel, madness is subdued and forced to express itself in the language of rationality, while in the nineteenth century the theme becomes increasingly subversive. In the form of the madwoman trope (Gilbert and Gubar 1979), madness is simultaneously a reaction to restrictive patriarchal norms, and a frame in which the gender conflicts of the time can be safely and effectively played out. In the twentieth century, …

"Too Immoral To Be Narrated By A Woman": Censoring Erotic Fiction Of Arab Women Writers In Girls Of Riyadh And Distant View Of A Minaret And Other Stories, Muhammed Salem

Comparative Woman

In the Arab world, bargaining with censorship has been an ongoing struggle for writers, particularly female authors. How could we explain that only male writers were allowed to discuss sexuality in the Arabic canon, insofar as female characters are portrayed as passive sexual objects? Are Arab women writers victims of double censorship? One is imposed on their fellow male writers, and another is tacit censorship which judges women’s morality based on their writing. Girls of Riyadh (2007) by Saudi novelist, Rajaa Abdullah Alsanea, and Distant View of the Minaret and Other Stories (1987) by Egyptian novelist, Alifa Rifaat, are two …

Mapping Literature In The Age Of Ai, Virginia Ramos

Comparative Woman

"Mapping literature in the age of AI" discusses the concept of "mapping", from its historical meaning to its technological meaning in the field of literature and AI tools developed in recent years and designed to "map literature". The article addresses ethics, biases, and the issue of human capacities vis a vis machine capacities, in support of the critical and crucial value of the humanities and their unavoidable relationship with GenAI.

[Review Of The Book African Security: Local Issues And Global Connections, By A. B. Bah], Christopher Korkor

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

The article focuses on how the Basketball Africa League (BAL) utilizes Instagram to shape its public image and promote its players within a growing continental sports league. Topics include the league's strategic use of social media content—primarily game highlights and player achievements rather than sponsorship or social initiatives—the framing of athlete nationality in promotional material, and the broader tension between showcasing African talent and appealing to international audiences.

Strategic Diplomacy: The Singapore Case, Country Report For The Project On ‘Strategic Diplomacy For 21st Century Defence And Statecraft’, Evelyn Goh, Wee-Kiat Lim

CCX Research

How does Singapore conduct strategic diplomacy despite being a small and constrained state? This report first identifies the major long-term drivers affecting Singapore’s security, both at the domestic level (rapidly ageing population, immigrant assimilation, and growing societal fault-lines) and at the international or systemic level (changing global order, power of technology, slow collective action on climate change). Then it analyses how Singapore strategists deal with two of their most prominent problem-sets: (i) positioning Singapore in relation to the US-China rivalry and the changing international order; and (ii) tackling climate change as a collective action problem. Both problem-sets illustrate how Singapore …

Impact Of A Covid-19 Related Lockdown On The Experience Of Informal Caregiving In Singapore, Vicky Mengqi Qin, Abhijit Visaria, Rahul Malhotra

ROSA Journal Articles and Publications

Introduction: Lockdowns, while limiting COVID-19 transmission, can affect provision of care by informal caregivers and their caregiving experience. We assessed, among informal caregivers in Singapore, (a) the perceived impact of a 2-month (April to May 2020) nationwide lockdown on their care provision, (b) correlates of different perceptions of the impact of the lockdown on care provision, and (c) association of different perceptions of the impact with negative and positive experiences of caregiving. Methods: In the August 2020 wave of the Singapore Life Panel (SLP; nationally representative, longitudinal monthly survey of Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 50-70 years at baseline), …

“Under The Influence Of Soviet Reality”: The Life And Work Of The Kgb Agent “Goroshko” (Chief Bishop Of The Pentecostals Of The Ussr Gavril Ponurko), Oleksandr Korotaiev

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article attempts to describe, based on top secret OGPU-KGB materials, the life and work of a KGB agent, a major Pentecostal authority, chairman, and later Chief Bishop, of the All-Ukrainian (in fact, of the all-USSR) Council of Christians of the Evangelical faith, aka Pentecostals (AUCCEF), Gavril Gavrilovich Ponurko (1889–1978). The article presents interesting, previously unknown, facts from the life of Gavril Ponurko, describes his life milestones and the reasons that led Ponurko to cooperate with the special services. The article also cites the dogmatic teaching of Pentecostals in relation to the Soviet and Nazi authorities, approved by them in …

Presenting Past People: Storytelling Through Prehistoric Garment Reconstructions, Floor Huisman, Anna Zimmermann, Ronja Lau, Karina Grömer

Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, and Culture across Millennia

This paper argues that we need to focus on past people (rather than just objects) in our narratives and museum displays to engage museum visitors more effectively. It will demonstrate that we can use a combination of well-researched physical and digital prehistoric garment reconstructions to implement more people-centered approaches also used in living history, which bring the past to life and allow visitors to literally come face-to-face with long-dead people. In this way, visitors can relate to past people on an emotional level, which helps them to learn much more about past life than many traditional displays. After outlining how …

Frontmatter For Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, And Culture Across Millennia, Kerstin Droß-Krüpe, Louise Quillien, Kalliope Sarri

Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, and Culture across Millennia

Title and copyright pages, Acknowledgments, Contents, Prefaces.

We believe this volume has the potential to contribute to the advancement of European scientific excellence and competitiveness, fostering a deeper understanding of the cultural, technological, and societal significance of textiles and clothing in shaping European identity and heritage through the millenia. We hope that the anthology will find a wide and interested readership, and that it will inspire many new research projects in the field of textile history.

Technical And Technological Analyses Of Excavated Textiles, Christina Margariti, Judith Goris, Petra Linscheid, Agata Ulanowska

Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, and Culture across Millennia

Textiles are particularly complex and labor-intensive structures, thus their constructive elements, such as fibers and yarns, as well as the final textile products (e.g., threads, cords, fabrics, and applied decoration) reveal a range of important technical, technological, and sociocultural information. In this paper, we discuss the analysis of excavated textiles at two levels:

1) Technical analysis that offers basic information about the qualities of examined textile samples.

2) Technological analysis that provides insights into technology, social relations of production, and the level of craft specialization or production modes.

Both analyses offer new evidence for environmental resources, sustainability, trade, and exchange, …

Investigating Organic Colorants Across Time: Interdisciplinary Insights Into The Use Of Madder, Indigo/Woad, And Weld In Historical Written Sources, Archaeological Textiles, And Ancient Polychromy, Paula Nabais, Cecilie Brøns, Magdalena M. Wozniak

Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, and Culture across Millennia

Organic dyes have been used from the earliest times to provide color primarily to textiles, but also as a colorant in painting. Such organic dyes could create a wealth of colors, depending on the availability and know-how of resources. These dyes are usually organic in nature, and primarily obtained from different plant sources. Unfortunately, the characterization of natural organic colorants in textiles and artworks is still a challenge. The difficulty of analyzing these materials is sometimes allied to the frequent impossibility of micro-sampling, and the frailty of the objects. Many techniques, such as HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) and SERS (Surface-Enhanced …

Towards Textile Narratives: A Cross-Over Perspective On Textile Imagery In Statuary, Iconography, And Literature, Leyre Morgado-Roncal, Juliane Müller, Marisa Kerbizi

Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, and Culture across Millennia

Textiles and clothing constitute a fundamental element of our cultural past, present, and future. Therefore, they were also represented in many mediums, such as iconographic depictions and literature. Images are a source of visual and mental illustration and are often dependent on the viewer’s perspective. As a result, the representations of textiles convey social constructions and their cultural perception. Their study is the focal point of this article: The ways in which textiles and clothing are described by the imagery shown in Greek and Roman statuary and iconography, as well as in contemporary Albanian literature and mythology.

Representations illustrate the …

Young Romans: Status, Dress, And Gender, Mary Harlow, Lena Larsson Lovén

Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, and Culture across Millennia

The demographics of the Roman world suggest that it was a world full of children. Demographers argue that in order simply to maintain population levels in a period where life expectancy was very short by modern standards, and infant mortality high, a woman should, on average, have six children, on the assumption that not all would live to adulthood. Despite much research in the last fifty years, children still remain partly invisible in the Roman world. This is primarily because they leave little evidence produced by themselves and are seen through the prism of adult eyes. Inevitably, given the nature …

Narrative And Material Tools Of Resistance: Mobilizing Textile Crafts, Heritage, And Fashion In The Context Of The Invasion Of Ukraine (2022–2023), Magali-An Berthon, Sophia Hayda, Tetiana Krupa, Yuliia Lazorenko, Marie-Louise Nosch

Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, and Culture across Millennia

In 2022–2024, textile and fashion scholars came together to write an anthology sharing a new vision of European history as seen through textiles, in the COST Action EuroWeb. During this period, the continent was still dealing with the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and was then faced with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Contemporary European history will be markedly defined by the ongoing war in Ukraine. One remarkable aspect of this conflict is the way textiles and dress appear daily in a variety of media outlets, mobilized as visual and semiotic means to communicate issues of war …

A Sensory Perspective On High-Ranked Women’S Dress In The 8th To 4th Century Bc In The Mediterranean And Central Europe, Karina Grömer, Susanna Harris, Audrey Gouy, Cecilie Brøns

Textile Crossroads: Exploring European Clothing, Identity, and Culture across Millennia

In the late 20th century, the study of western science was dominated by a philosophical approach to evidence as text and meaning. In archaeology, material culture was treated like text, to be read through systems of signs, symbols, and indices put together in syntax. For studies of dress, this was influential in understanding dress as a cognitive system compiled to create identities and meaning. In this approach, textiles, fastenings, hairstyles, and gestures are presented as signs and symbols used to form a statement about identity, to be read by others. There was a focus on the visuality of dress and …

The Demand For Thai Language Skills In Thai-Chinese Economic And Trade Relations: A Case Study Of Yunnan Province, Yunheng Yuan

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study aims to analyze the demand for Thai language skills in economic and trade cooperation between Thailand and Yunnan Province, examine the current status of Thai language training programs in universities and colleges in Yunnan Province, and evaluate whether these programs adequately meet the demand for Thai language skills in the development of economic and trade cooperation. Through research methods like field observation, questionnaires, interviews, and document research, it was found that the economic and trade relations between Thailand and Yunnan Province continue to improve. Meanwhile, the demand for Thai language skills in Yunnan Province significantly increases. However, there …

Corporate Law As Decolonization, Martin W. Sybblis

Faculty Articles

After centuries of colonial subordination, Black and Brown former colonies are still fighting to achieve the fruits of decolonization. The traditional theory is that former colonies will emerge from the colonial period with the legal mandate and international recognition needed to chart their own futures. But, for those Black and Brown British colonies that achieved political independence, it became clear that, without economic strength to care for their societies, legal separation could not deliver on its promise of freedom from subordination. This Article argues that investments in corporate law innovations by some jurisdictions, such as Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, …

Geopolitical Dynamics And Bilateral Relations: A Comparative Study Of China-Vietnam And China-Philippines Amid The South China Sea Tensions, Liuru Wei

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The South China Sea dispute is a geopolitical issue with complicated characteristics such as territorial dispute, resources contention, and involvement of regional powers and great powers. As disputing states, both Vietnam and the Philippines face maritime disputes with China, but they have different policies and bilateral relations with China. To explore the causes of these differences, this study develops a dual-factor analytical framework based on geopolitical theory and realist theory. Geopolitical theory emphasizes how geographical location, national interests, domestic politics, and historical factors shape state policy choices, while realist theory explains state behavior through the dynamics of power struggles, strategic …

Institutional Hedging Policies And Strategies Of Asean Under China-Us Rivalry, Rongheng Lu

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

With the intensification of the China-US rivalry, as a representative of the collective interests of Southeast Asian countries, ASEAN plays a central role in the regional architecture and it faces a series of structural risks and pressures, raising concerns about its ability to maintain centrality and regional stability. In recent years, scholars have noticed that the regional group presented the signs of hedging, especially the ASEAN. However, there are relatively few studies on ASEAN’s hedging, and current research on this topic remains incomplete, with a lack of consensus on its definition, motivations, and mechanisms. This study aims to analyse the …

Sacred Celebrations: A Study Of Nats Rituals At Taungbyone Festival In Mandalay, La Wunn Phyu Phyu

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

AbstractThis thesis studies the spiritual rituals and Nat worship associated with the Taungbyone Nat festival, examining the long-standing coexistence of Theravada Buddhism with ancestor worship in Myanmar. More specifically, it examines the Taungbyone Nat festival, a communal ritual that highlights these beliefs. This study features the strengthened relationship between the Nat spirits and the indigenous people who participate in the belief of Nats. Furthermore, it also demonstrates the importance of community participation in ritual activities and explores the festival atmosphere encourages a shared sense of identity and social connection.The research identifies the historical evolution of Nat worship, particularly its longstanding …

Partnership In Rural Development Between Cambodia And South Korea: A Case Study Of Prey Romeat Village In Cambodia, Chan Jun Park

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Cambodia’s macroeconomic growth since the 1990s has not been paralleled by proportional improvements in rural livelihoods, where the majority of the population continues to experience poverty and development stagnation. Compounding this challenge is the nation’s historical reliance on Official Development Assistance (ODA), which has fostered structural aid dependency and weakened local initiative. This thesis investigates the Saemaul Undong Model Village Project (SMU project), a rural development project implemented in partnership between Cambodia and South Korea through the Korea Saemaul Undong Center (KSUC), as a potential alternative to conventional donor-driven aid models. The research examines the case of Prey Romeat village …

The Last Tributary Mission From Siam To China: The Decline Of The Chinese Tributary System And The Rise Of The British Treaty Port System In Siam During The King Mongkut’S Reign, Yifei Xu

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Focusing on the historical turning point marked by Siam’s termination of its tributary connections to the Qing China since its last mission dispatched in 1852-53, this study investigates the structural transformation of Sino-Siamese relations under the impact of British colonial order in the mid-nineteenth century, revealing its disintegration during the rise of the modern international order enforced through British colonialism in the Asian maritime space. By clarifying the role of paternalism within the Sino-Siamese tributary framework, examining Britain’s claims brewed from its East India Company’s long-term engagement with China within the Canton trade system, and analyzing the historical shift of …

Border Brides From Southeast Asia To China : Is The Hidden Trafficking Crime Being Rationalized, Xi Chen

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Along the border between China and the Peninsula of Southeast Asia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam are the three countries most closely linked to China, not only for geopolitical relations, but also for the similarities between different economies, societies and ethnic cultures. With the wave of globalization comes a huge number of economic opportunities and the mobility of people from other countries and ethnicities to pursue economic benefits first and foremost. There are limited opportunities for legitimate and recognized jobs through official procedures, especially in a country where the demographic dividend is a major advantage, and where human capital is not …

Semiotic Resources And Ideological Construction In Southeast Asian Femvertising, Qian Zhang

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Femvertising, the practice of integrating feminist messaging into advertising, has emerged as a powerful strategy for challenging gender stereotypes and promoting women's empowerment. However, its adaptation in Southeast Asia poses unique challenges due to the region's diverse cultural and religious norms. This research investigates how semiotic resources in Femvertising campaigns from Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore construct empowerment narratives while addressing local cultural contexts. Combining a systematic literature review with social semiotic analysis, this study explores the visual and linguistic elements in Femvertising campaigns, highlighting their dual role in challenging stereotypes and reinforcing consumerist ideologies. Findings reveal that while these campaigns …

From Ritual To Festival: The Commodification And Transformation Of Nyepi Day In Bali, Yu-Ru Chang

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study explores the transformation of Bali’s Nyepi Day practices through the lens of cultural commodification. Nyepi, as the Balinese Day of Silence, is rooted in four core prohibitions—no fire (Amati Geni), no travel (Amati Lelungan), no work (Amati Karya), and no entertainment (Amati Lelanguan)—and is traditionally observed as a day of spiritual purification. However, its increasing commodification through tourism packages and hotel promotions has raised concerns from religious councils and local authorities regarding the erosion of its sacred meaning. Among the related rituals, the Ogoh-Ogoh parade, held on the eve of Nyepi, has undergone significant transformation: demon-like effigies once …

Living With Pets In Urban Lifestyle : A Case Study Of Bangkok Metropolitan, Minggomutt Jaroenkornburi

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study explores pet ownership in Singapore and Bangkok, Thailand. Urbanization and its consequences on dwellers’ way of life are principally the key factors influencing new attitudes towards pets. The concept of pet humanization, which regards pets as emotional companions or family members rather than utilitarian animals, is used to explain this phenomenon. By reviewing Singapore pet control regulations, the research found that the restricted pets in public housing policies have gradually loosened due to public pressure and emotional demand. New policies allowed pets in residents’ urban lifestyles. This phenomenon similarly happened in Bangkok. This study conducted documentary analysis and …