579 research outputs found
Exhibiting the Past
With respect to public issues, history matters. With the worldwide interest for historical issues related with gender, religion, race, nation, and identity, public history is becoming the strongest branch of academic history. This volume brings together the contributions from historians of education about their engagement with public history, ranging from musealisation and alternative ways of exhibiting to new ways of storytelling
Necrolabour: A postqualitative contextualisation of contemporary work in respect to the philosophy of Georges Bataille
A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the University of Wolverhampton for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.This thesis represents a reading, existential at its base, of the protean space of
contemporary labour, under the lens of French philosopher Georges Bataille
(1897â1962).
A historical overview of the understanding of labour reveals the contemporary
moment as positioned on the threshold of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
and the Anthropocene. A moment, which in the context of this thesis, is best
described in eschatological terms and is defined by the notion of permeability.
The fading boundaries between labour, life, employment or unemployment,
the distinction between product and producer, the empirical real and the
virtual, all these ideas seem to merge into what can be described as the
overloading of the Cartesian body/mind divide, introducing a host of
unexplored ontologies and subjectivities.
The thesis traces the movement towards a paradoxical post-work society,
where nothing is classed as pure work and yet everything is a form of labour.
This is labour that is immaterial, affective, and most importantly, post-human.
The contemporary labourerâan embodied osmosis between the human and
the machineânavigates through a âlife-productiveâ, subordinated to the wage
relations, opaquely managed by the spectral machine that is the algorithm.
The work of Bataille, strongly engaged with historical concepts of work,
sovereignty and existentialism, offers a rich commentary whose absence has
been detrimental in regard to labour theory. An oversight whose importance
becomes evident when juxtaposing the modern consideration of the human,
the citizen, and the worker as interchangeable, with Batailleâs designation of
work as the origin of the human animal.
This thesis picks up the thread that the late Mark Fisher first unravelled
regarding the omnipresence of capitalism and the lack of any alternative
suggestion. The concept of necrolabour results from an interdisciplinary
approach that goes beyond relating Bataille to a particular philosophical
tradition, in favour of an applied reading of Batailleâs thought.
Utilising a Postqualitative methodology, this thesis argues for an Acéphalic (in
reference to the secret society of Acéphale Bataille founded), approach to
labour and extends Achille Mbembeâs concept of Necropolitics from the
purely political to the sphere of work. Acéphalic thought offers a radical yet
pragmatic way to confront contemporary existence. Proposing a âwithin and
againstâ mode, our working livesâand by extension, the existential framing of
ourselvesâare to be encountered
Oscar Bait: Exploring Links Between an Academy Awards Institutional Persona and Perceptions of Oscar-Worthiness
The Academy Awards â or âthe Oscarsâ â and their large-scale television production have historically occupied a unique position as a taste-making apparatus and gatekeeper of prestige stardom. In evaluating âthe bestâ of the (American-centric) filmmaking field, they wield cultural influence over such cinema practices as consumption and evaluation, filmmaking aesthetics and narratives, and the discursive activity of Hollywoodâs industrial agents and engaged audiences. This research recontextualises the Oscarsâ complex legacy into a new media ecosystem, one in which their established value is undercut by declining broadcast viewership, the changing values and demands of a global film culture, and influential discourses aiming to progress popular culture beyond its problematic histories. In this new paradigm of film production and consumption, I ask what the Oscars mean in a contemporary filmmaking landscape, and the value or influence that established stereotypes of Oscar-worthiness â the colloquial âOscar Baitâ â continue to hold over the awards. I first argue for the Oscarsâ position of power within filmmaking production cycles. Using a Bourdieusian framework of âtaste-makingâ and âcapitalâ, the Oscars are identified as a site upon which industrial agents negotiate the demands of the cultural terrain. Beyond a theoretical setting, however, the Oscars also occupy the position of an agent â itself vying for prestigious attention in a tumultuous media landscape. As such, I also conceptualise âOscarâ as a mediated industrial persona.
To investigate Oscarâs contemporary meaning and its position as a persona, I conducted a textual analysis on a three-year sample (2019-2021) of cultural texts that, combined, contribute to the Oscar persona. This included the televised awards ceremony of each year and their associated paratexts, the core film texts of each yearâs competition, and the broader discursive activities of film awards culture. From this methodology I extracted three key thematic contests that courted significant attention, thus speaking to a perceived âmeaningâ of what the Oscars are for. Firstly, representation within filmmaking endures as an unsettled concept, whereby Oscar constantly must reassess its own values of inclusivity, diversity, and merit. Secondly, Oscar serves as a vital organ of Hollywoodâs celebrity mythmaking, whereby individual celebrity narratives are enacted and negotiated for the sake of symbolic capital. Finally, Oscar continues to assert particular ideals, aesthetics, morals, and individuals as the best of the filmmaking field, simultaneously recreating and drawing from such power to present itself as a quality television product. Through these analytical threads, my research impacts current conceptions of cultural prestige and mythmaking within film, interpreting the Oscars as a mediated phenomenon for its power implications and as an institutional persona navigating the demands of its public.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Humanities, 202
How does HCI Understand Human Autonomy and Agency?
Funding Information: Funded by the European Union (ERC, THEORYCRAFT, 101043198). Publisher Copyright: © 2023 Owner/Author.Human agency and autonomy have always been fundamental concepts in HCI. New developments, including ubiquitous AI and the growing integration of technologies into our lives, make these issues ever pressing, as technologies increase their ability to influence our behaviours and values. However, in HCI understandings of autonomy and agency remain ambiguous. Both concepts are used to describe a wide range of phenomena pertaining to sense-of-control, material independence, and identity. It is unclear to what degree these understandings are compatible, and how they support the development of research programs and practical interventions. We address this by reviewing 30 years of HCI research on autonomy and agency to identify current understandings, open issues, and future directions. From this analysis, we identify ethical issues, and outline key themes to guide future work. We also articulate avenues for advancing clarity and specificity around these concepts, and for coordinating integrative work across different HCI communities.Peer reviewe
2018 GREAT Day Program
SUNY Geneseoâs Twelfth Annual GREAT Day.https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/program-2007/1012/thumbnail.jp
The Quest to End Human Trafficking: An Educational and Practical Guide for Everyone Who Wants to Help Break the Bonds and Assist Survivors
People often assume that only legislators and law enforcement personnel can take meaningful steps to fight human trafficking, one of the most lucrative transnational crimes in the world. This inquiry sought to assess the validity of that belief. The study was informed by the authorâs experience as a college instructor of human trafficking and the inspiration he drew from the range and quality of his studentsâ projects.
The methodology included examining the strategies that governmental and non-governmental organizations are using to fight trafficking and assist survivors. It also considered the work of individual activists and service providers such as social workers and health/mental health professionals. Business allies selected for review included convenience store managers and those in the lodging, tourism, airline, and transportation industries. Community influencers such as public officials, members of the press, spiritual leaders, and college instructors were studied as well.
The research demonstrated that each group is making a valuable contribution. The analysis first summarizes major concepts and laws that every antitrafficking activist needs to know. The author then organized the insights and lessons learned into five types of activities: Awareness, political advocacy, prevention, reducing demand (shopping wisely), and survivor intervention/aftercare. A separate discussion focused on ideas for student service projects, internships, and relevant career opportunities.
The concluding chapters offer an easy-to-follow game plan for anyone interested in joining the cause. Altogether, the Guide has more than 1,100 hyperlinks to articles and free resources that advocates can use to pursue their personal antitrafficking interests and priorities
The International Handbook of Social Enterprise Law
This open-access book brings together international experts who shed new light on the status of social enterprises, benefit corporations and other purpose-driven companies. The respective chapters take a multidisciplinary approach (combining law, philosophy, history, sociology and economics) and provide valuable insights on fostering social entrepreneurship and advancing the common good. In recent years, we have witnessed a significant shift of how business activities are conducted, mainly through the rise of social enterprises. In an effort to target social problems at their roots, social entrepreneurs create organizations that bring transformative social changes by considering, among others, ethical, social, and environmental factors. A variety of social enterprise models are emerging internationally and are proving their vitality and importance. But what does the term âsocial enterpriseâ mean? What are its roots? And how does it work in practice within the legal framework of any country? This handbook attempts to answer these questions from a theoretical, historical, and comparative perspective, bringing together 44 contributions written by 71 expert researchers and practitioners in this field. The first part provides an overview of the social enterprise movement, its evolution, and the different forms entities can take to meet global challenges, overcoming the limits of what governments and states can do. The second part focuses on the emergence of benefit corporations and the growing importance of sustainability and societal values, while also analyzing their different legal forms and adaptation to their regulatory environment. In turn, the last part presents the status quo of purpose-driven companies in 36 developed and emerging economies worldwide. This handbook offers food for thought and guidance for everyone interested in this field. It will benefit practitioners and decision-makers involved in social and community organizations, as well as in international development and, more generally speaking, social sciences and economics
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