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Editorial

Isabella Kalte — Mon, 13 May 2024 13:56:51 +0000

From Joy to Negativity

Paul Kaletsch — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 13:23:19 +0000

Negativity characterizes the contemporary. Today, elections, referenda, and political practice prefer not to; they reject and resist what is offered instead. The planetary polycrisis, on the other hand, limits what politics can do and reduces it to a condition of being limited. Therefore, The Big No and Negative Geographies engage in a theoretical conceptualization of negativity and explore negative phenomena from the perspective of political theory and cultural geography, respectively.

Unraveling Masculinities

Onur Karaköse — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 12:19:33 +0000

In Masculinity in Transition, K. Allison Hammer critically examines the role of normative (toxic) masculinity in fostering numerous societal ills in the United States. Hammer offers a refreshing perspective by weaving alternate forms of queer and trans masculinities into complex ideologies. Tracing normative masculinity in the contexts of racial capitalism, settler colonialism, and white supremacist fraternal bonds, Hammer emphasizes the potential politics of solidarity in unruly alliances of alternative embodiments and masculinities, while arguing for a reconceptualization of masculinity enriched by care and collaborative bonds.

Spotlighting the Othered

Antonia Jungwirth — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 11:55:11 +0000

Barbara Tepa Lupack’s The Othering of Women in Silent Film: Cultural, Historical, and Literary Contexts is a comprehensive examination of racial, ethnic, and gender stereotypes in early cinema, with a focus on the representation of women. Lupack examines recurring tropes that are prevalent in silent film and sheds light on the broader social and cultural contexts that influenced these representations. The book is organized into eight chapters, each devoted to a specific underrepresented or misrepresented group in silent film.

Can a Festschrift be feminist?

Andrea Zittlau — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 07:34:22 +0000

This essay collection of the genre of a Festschrift for Sabine Hark honors her achievement for the field of Queer Studies in Germany. All contributors write for the ambitious goal to rethink the world as a place of equity and justice with the help of queer-theory and feminist interventions (as the title of the book promises). Thus, the essays provide readers with the tools – theories – that can help to reveal power structures. However, almost unavoidably, this book follows academic conventions that are already embedded in power structures and shows therefore, how difficult it is to dismantle them.

Unraveling the Tapestry of the Ottoman Empire

Alexandros Balatsoukas — Thu, 02 May 2024 07:30:46 +0000

Losing Istanbul: Arab-Ottoman Imperialists and the End of Empire by Mostafa Minawi presents a comprehensive reassessment of the decline of the Ottoman Empire, with a particular focus on the agency of Arab-Ottoman imperialists. The study challenges established historiographical narratives and emphasized the proactive engagement of Arab-Ottoman actors in shaping historical trajectories.

Fall of Giants?

Sandra Engels — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 11:59:52 +0000

Who belongs to German society, what belongs to German history, and who is allowed to speak out about it? These questions are explored in the edited volume. Contributions engage with the negotiation of German memory culture and its identity-forming effect. With its diverse and varied perspectives, the volume calls for a more inclusive understanding of history and a broadening of memory culture to reflect Germany as a country of immigration – a "Zeitenwende" in the politics of memory towards multidirectional memory.

Globalism before Globalization

Edward Djordjevic — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 12:43:29 +0000

In this volume, Classen brings together 19 case studies of economic, political, technological interconnectedness during the Middle Ages and Early Modernity. It is a contribution to the ‘global turn’ in history: challenging contemporary assumptions that globalism is very recent, but also the entrenched view of the Eurocentrism of previous times, giving the essays urgent relevance. Further, written by a combination of early-career researchers and established scholars, the book itself provides an excellent example of global, interdisciplinary scientific research.

The Visible Invisibles

Cathérine Annette Ludwig-Ockenfels — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 08:19:23 +0000

Diane Wolfthal analyzes the visualization of slaves and domestic servants in visual media. Domestic servants found their way into commissioned works or entered as subject into the discourse of the ruling elite. Wolfthal surveys the period from 1300 to 1700 to show the social change from feudalism to capitalism, which is reflected in a globalized servanthood marked by a changing understanding of roles from lifelong service to profession.

Age in Children's Literature

Yauheniya Lekarevich — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 12:32:14 +0000

Age in David Almond’s Oeuvre analyzes the works of David Almond, known for his versatility in writing for both children and adults. Each chapter investigates intersecting research questions concerning the construction of age, presenting distinct insights into Almond’s literary repertoire. Ranging from autobiographical exploration to digital humanities methodologies, the review underscores the diverse analytical approaches utilized within contemporary children’s literary criticism.

Reflecting on 21st Century Literature and Autofiction as Novel Forms of Narration

Zahra Vojgani — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 07:21:57 +0000

Fiona J. Doloughan interrogates the conflation of fiction and non-fiction by analyzing the literary and philosophical works of four contemporary authors, arguing that memoir and autofiction blur the line between the real and the imagined, resulting in a shift in the current trend of the novel. The study insightfully examines how literature reflects, influences, and interacts with real-life experiences, emotions, and societal issues, and considers how genres are shaped by societal construction of gender roles, expectations, and stereotypes.

The Power of Things

Hatunnur Ciftci — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 06:42:31 +0000

Neo-Victorian Things offers material readings of popular neo-Victorian multimedia that broaden the concept of neo-Victorianism and provide new insights into our contemporary fascination with the Victorian past. Each essay in the edited volume favors a particular ‘thing’ studied through the emerging strands of material culture. The book demonstrates that the things that appear in neo-Victorian multimedia play a central role in the revival of Victorian culture, identity and history. The volume makes a timely contribution to the field by critically examining ordinary objects, from a teapot to a haunted house.

When Bourdieu Meets the City

Anna Ivanova — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 13:29:59 +0000

In Bourdieu in the City: Challenging Urban Theory, Loïc Wacquant synthesizes Pierre Bourdieu’s topological sociology with the fundamental inquiries of urban studies, elucidating the potential synergies between the two domains. Progressing from a foundational exposition of Bourdieu’s theoretical framework to its applicability within the specific contexts of contemporary cities, Wacquant develops the neo-Bourdieusian approach within urban sociology. The book offers an innovative application of a classical theory, rendering it a valuable resource for urban research.

Feminist Traces of Memory Studies in Latin America and the Caribbean

Tatiana Quintero — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 07:37:10 +0000

The book Memoria y Feminismos: Cuerpos, sentipensares y resistencias is a collective effort of different authors to contribute to the debates on memory in Latin America and the Caribbean. The texts reflect on corporality and political practices of memory. Across thirteen articles the authors deploy the postulates of corpo-politics and feminist standpoint theory as a theoretical framework. The volume presents a critical approach and questions the role of Eurocentric academia while giving insights into localized and experience-oriented research.

"History, but normal!"

Henning Tauche — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 07:50:17 +0000

In the sociological dissertation Rechte Zeitverhältnisse, Philipp Rhein examines right-wing populist concepts of time. He analyzes interviews for the temporal orientation of AfD voters. His core thesis is that right-wing populism is a reaction to the time crisis of late modernity (Spätmoderne). The guiding principle is not the loss of the past, but of the future, which is distilled in the figure of right-wing populist chiliasm. Rhein’s analysis thus offers an important insight into the temporal perception of the right-wing electorate.

Inside or Outside the Village?

Katharina Hacker — Thu, 02 May 2024 12:13:49 +0000

The logic and patterns of interpretation of the processes of remembering and forgetting Nazi forced labor are empirically researched in the 2024 study presented by Angelika Laumer. The study area is located in Bavaria and is restricted to rural areas. Using a combination of qualitative interviews and grounded theory, she identifies everyday, interaction-based logics of remembrance that are theoretically categorized using cultural studies and sociological concepts of memory.

How Well Prepared Are We for the Next Pandemic?

Ievgen Bilyk — Mon, 29 Apr 2024 12:12:44 +0000

Since COVID-19, pandemic preparedness has become an urgent global issue. Carolin Mezes’ dissertation addresses key issues in the monitoring of past pandemic preparedness, such as establishing accountability practices and strengthening health system capacity. The author analyzes public health emergencies from a cultural and infrastructure perspective, which helps clarify what went wrong in the past in order to pave the way for a safer future.

Imagined Migrations, Transmitted Knowledges

Mortada Haidar — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 08:27:27 +0000

Configurations of Migration, edited by Jennifer Leetsch, Frederike Middelhoff, and Miriam Wallraven, links media representations of migration with knowledge about migration. In the form of a selection of articles, interviews, short stories, and personal essays collected from an online conference in 2021, the book presents a wide range of perspectives on migration. It enriches the field of migration studies by giving voice to a diverse range of writers, scholars, and artists from around the world.

Temporary Cities

Reiqa Salem Qubailat — Thu, 02 May 2024 07:23:30 +0000

Refugee camps, even if they were established 75 years ago, are still considered temporary settlements. What if these camps were planned as permanent cities, designed to meet the needs of displaced populations? War Victims and the Right to a City: From Damascus to Zaatari by Hind Al-Shoubaki is an attempt to approach this question by applying the concepts of “temporary cities,” “urbiside,” and “urban emergency integrated planning” to a cross-case synthesis. The book uses interviews and historical analysis in Syria and Jordan to reflect on the camp-city relationship in a variety of spheres.

“Who Are the Rightful Inhabitants of this Earth?”

Janina Schlüsselburg — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 08:02:57 +0000

Lilie Chouliaraki and Myria Georgiou critically explore the complexities of migration, power relations, and technology. They challenge dominant rationalities surrounding migration, proposing a nuanced understanding of borders as both territorial and symbolic. The authors’ self-reflexive approach and inclusion of migrant voices adds depth to the study. The book critiques recent theories on dehumanization and victimization, offering a multi-layered perspective on border practices.

Do We All Arrive in the Same State of Mind?

Anjuli Trautmann — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 07:15:44 +0000

Psychosocial Experiences and Adjustment of Migrants provides an accessible overview of the different types of migration in relation to mental health and adjustment. Using a psychological approach to shed new light on recent migration dynamics, the volume serves as a valuable resource for professionals working in migration-related fields. Consisting of case studies, geographic analysis, and personal narratives, it is a multifaceted work with applicability to various professional fields.

Pop Avatars

Helene Elisabeth Heuser — Thu, 02 May 2024 09:24:56 +0000

The volume One-Track Mind: Capitalism, Technology, and the Art of the Pop Song, edited by historian Asif Siddiqi, brings together 16 essays by scholars of history, media studies, musicology and music journalists, each of which tell the (fragmented) history of popular music from the 1960s to the 2010s. Using the song as a lens, the essays illuminate both the political agency of songs and the contexts that shape them.

Jesus, Why Does the Body Matter? Connecting the Passion of Christ and Peruvian Transgender Women through the Body

Ana Marija Spasojevic — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 07:43:11 +0000

The theologian Elke Pahud de Mortanges analyzes the depiction of the Passion of Jesus in terms of memory, body and identity. Gaby, a transgender person and an inconstant guide in the book, leads us through the culture of memory of Christianity as well as through her own history and that of the LGBTQ community in Peru. The author opens up new multidisciplinary perspectives for Christian-oriented memory and gender studies, as well as for the concept of embodiment in the present.

Microbial Thinking

Siyu Li — Thu, 25 Apr 2024 08:11:55 +0000

Gut Anthro: An Experiment in Thinking with Microbes provides an opportunity and case study to bridge the gap between anthropology and human microbial ecology. Through fieldwork in laboratories, Bangladeshi hospitals, and the homes of families, the book gives insight into the connection between microbiomes and race as tangible expressions of society, environment, and biology. Amber Benezra examines how the biological-social disruptions cause problems, as well as the frictions of disciplinary collaboration, to rethink the meaning of relationship.

Sufi (Women) in Ritual

Burcu Bacanak Sahin — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 13:32:12 +0000

In Sufi Women, Embodiment, and the ‘Self’: Gender in Islamic Ritual, Jamila Rodrigues discusses the Sufi ritual hadra as an embodied experience of selfhood and religious symbolism. Taking the female members of the Naqshbandi community in Cape Town and Lefke as an ethnographic case study, the author considers – with mixed success – the gendered dimensions of the ritual. Ultimately, Rodrigues argues that hadra allows Sufi women not only to embody a pious identity, but also to learn about themselves through body movement expressions.