REGARDING MY FATHER: THE STORY OF AN ANTHROPOLOGIST’S ITINERARY AS A GRIEVING PROCESS

In this article, the author presents his experience of anthropology as a grieving process. He tells how the death of his father was a decisive event in his research. He shows that his absence triggers ethnographic reactions (writing so as not to forget). The author also activates beliefs. From there, he analyses his acts of believing, their modalities and degrees. He also looks for evidence of the afterlife in certain so-called scientific documents, which leads him to analyse the syncretism between science and religion. In an ethnography in Catholic parishes, he is disappointed by parishers’responses to questions about the resurrection. His doubts lead him to stop believing. Through these different situations, it appears that anthropology has helped the author to alleviate the emotion of his father’s absence, but it has also revealed his definitive absence. Keywords: death, gieving process, remembrance, diary, believing, presenc

Battle Shi’ism: Martyrdom and Messianism in Urdu Shi’i “Music” Videos

‎This article seeks to explore the utilisation of music-like recitations, known as nohay , by Pakistani Shi’a Muslims in the face of sectarian violence as political resistance and constituting “weapons of the weak” (Scott 1985). Through drawing on themes of resistance, resilience, martyrdom, and Messianic expectation that abound Shi’i theology and history, I argue that Pakistani Shi’a Muslims consolidate their belief through devotional music and thereby resist violence in a highly charged sectarian context. The first section discusses the permissibility of music within Islamic law, with a specific focus on the rulings of two contemporary Shi’a scholars and the second section will analyse the contents of one noha video by Ali Safdar, a prominent Pakistani nohakhawan

Insights from Culturally Sustaining Leadership: A Hybrid Leadership model for a Chinese International School

This article proposes an innovative leadership practice designed to address the challenges of dual-management structures in international schools in China. Grounded in the principles of Culturally Sustaining Leadership (CSL), the proposed "hybrid leadership model" moves beyond merely managing cultural differences to proactively leveraging them for institutional improvement. This is an interpretive case study drawing on firsthand observations as an insider-practitioner in a Chongqing international school, an institution characterised by a cross-border collaboration involving a Chinese principal and Western academic leaders. The study details a specific strategic initiative—the "US Track Language Plan," where deep-seated conflicts arose from divergent pedagogical approaches—student-centred versus standards-based instruction. The intervention involved establishing structured working groups to facilitate cross-cultural dialogue and co-construct solutions in the context of dual-management international schools. The key insight is the creation of a "third space" for dialogue that resulted in a synthesised curriculum and hybrid assessment plan superior to what either side could develop independently. The objective is to provide a practical, reflective framework for school administrators to navigate complex cultural dynamics, foster collaborative decision-making, and ultimately enhance educational quality in cross-cultural settings

From Unethical to Ethical AI: A Call for Action for Teachers

Given the increasing application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education, investigating its ethical use is timely. The studies which have investigated AI in education tend to lack ethical recommendations for K-12 educators. To address this gap, this post reviews AI literacy opportunities for K-12 students and discusses the impacts of using potentially biased AI-generated content on students’ perception and performance, calling for action for the ethical AI application in the classroom

Doctoral Journeys-Beyond the Doctorate: Sin-Wang Chong (Part 1)

This article presents insights from an interview with Sin-Wang Chong, focusing on his doctoral journey and the formative experiences that shaped his development as a researcher, drawing on materials reported in Imanishi (2025a, 2025b; 2025c). By tracing his pathway, including early teaching experiences, his transition into educational research, and the challenges of completing a PhD by publication, the article offers reflections relevant to practitioner-researchers and doctoral students. A follow-up article (Part 2) will examine his professional journey in greater depth

Defying Kuwaiti Censorship and Addressing the Crisis of Intellectualism: Ḥāris saṭḥ al-ʿālam as a Subversive Feminine Dystopian Fairy Tale

The “Arab Spring” posed a significant challenge to entrenched authoritarian regimes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), disrupting the pursuit of freedom and democracy while exacerbating existing social and political crises. In its aftermath, contemporary Arabic literature saw a marked rise in dystopian novels that reflect on past revolutions and project a bleak future. This widespread revolutionary spirit also inspired marginalised groups in Kuwait, including censored writers. Against this backdrop, Kuwaiti author Buthayna al-ʿĪsa, in her 2019 work Ḥāris saṭḥ al-ʿālam (Guardian of the World Surface), weaves well-known Western fairy tale figures into a dystopian narrative set in a Middle Eastern context. Her use of estrangement – now a survival strategy for activists and intellectuals in Kuwait and across the Arab world post-“Arab Spring” – enables her to critique book censorship and the growing totalitarianism in Kuwait while skilfully avoiding censorship herself. Framing the narrative through a bookstore proprietress who both writes and participates in the story, Ḥāris saṭḥ al-ʿālam offers a nuanced portrayal of female characters, both within the narrative and as the storyteller, emphasising the subversive potential of Arab women to confront the Symbolic order and the crisis of intellectualism in the post-revolutionary era

Visual Narratives and Lens of the Youth Collective: : Framing the Revolution and its Afterlives

This essay posits that the Lens of the Youth [collective] (‘adsat al-shābb, hereafter LYC) Facebook sites mark a turn in the visual language coming out of Syria in the aftermath of the uprisings there in 2011. Reacting to the urgency to create and disseminate, i.e. to produce culture from the frontlines, LYC’s visual language was not the language of war photography, but rather a vernacular expression of visual communication. As much as this essay is an attempt to read the images connectively, as chapters of a long narrative in a protracted war, it also argues that these images both contributed initially and continue to contribute to the active work of community-making that is one of the outcomes of the revolution

Trends in Syrian Studies in a time of internal war

This issue, Vol 16, No 1, of Syria Studies explores the impact of Syria’s internal war on research and analysis of Syria in the more the more than decade beginning soon after the outbreak of the Syrian uprising. Contributors write from the perspective of their own research and positionality as researchers from/of Syria. They explore such questions as: How do we conduct research amidst protracted war? What constitutes ‘the field’ when access to the country is virtually impossible for many of us? How are our research questions and methods shaped by the current state of protracted war? Abboud argues that the post-2011 period represents a new, fourth period that will shape Syrian state formation. Ghada Atrash’s essay forefronts how “epistemic activism” can disrupt knowledge production. Rula Jabbour examines the utility of  Strategic Studies for iunderstanding the Syrian conflict. Sumaya Malas considers how the “post-conflict” framework discourages researchers from pursuing projects until conflicts are perceived to be over. Rimun Murad assesses the emergence of the war novel as a consequence of the conflict. Christa Salamandra’s reflection on ethnography on understanding Damascene elites. Uğur Ümit Üngör asks how the Syrian conflict has affected the conduct of wider international politics. Fadi Skeiker personal testimony centres on theatre as a practice of citizenship and social justice. Alexa Firat examines visual narratives of the conflict

Book Review: Wilson, C & Wilson R. (2025). University and You: Strengthening Your Skills and Developing Your Potential

This review presents the book University and You: Strengthening Your Skills and Developing Your Potential, which is a recent publication offering advice to students who may be new to the context of UK-based university study. This review introduces the layout and main foci of this book and offers an evaluation of its utility as a practical guidebook for students taking their first steps into UK higher education

“The Eclipse of Christianity: And Why It Matters” by Rupert Shortt

Review ofRupert Shortt, The Eclipse of Christianity: And Why It Matters (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2024), pp. xii + 356, ISBN 978-1399802741. £12.9