A Study of Model of Kawaii Feelings for Evaluation of Products

芝浦工業大学2018年

Circling the cute-kawaii: following a fugitive affect through planetary modernisms

Emerging out of three current critical trends in literary studies broadly and modernist studies specifically, this dissertation intervenes in the scholarly discourse surrounding the distinctly modern aesthetic-affect of the cute-kawaii. Firstly, drawing on Susan Stanford-Friedman’s conception of modernisms as decentered and disjunctive “planetary” phenomena, it situates the cute-kawaii neither entirely within the 20th century English and American, nor Japanese contexts but attempts to articulate cute-kawaii as affect obtaining in both. Secondly, its methodology participates in the “post-critical” turn in literary studies. Rather than deploying a “suspicious” hermeneutics it attempts what Anne Cheng calls a “hermeneutics of susceptibility,” in which analysis is not dispassionate, but intensely invested in its object. Lastly, the dissertation is theoretically grounded by the affective turn in literary studies, and in particular Brian Massumi’s conception of “affect” as fundamentally ethical in its orientation away from a subject and towards others. Its trajectory tracks iterations of common cute-kawaii tropes as they appear in Japanese, British, and American modernist novels which either explicitly invoke the cute-kawaii, as with James Joyce’s cute rats, or are implicated in the media ecosystems through which those tropes circulate as in the case of Junichiro Tanizaki’s Naomi. Ultimately, the aim of this dissertation is to demonstrate that the cute-kawaii, which has previously been understood as an insidious commodity aesthetic, is better understood as an affective experience with ethical import. In particular, the cute-kawaii is an experience of the ambiguity of the human and non-human, self and world, and significance and signification

Everything feels like the future but us: The Posthuman Master-Slave Dynamic in Japanese Science Fiction Anime

This thesis is an exploration of the relationships between humans and mechanized beings in Japanese science fiction anime. In it I will be discussing the following texts: Ergo Proxy (2006), Chobits (2002), Gunslinger Girl (2003/2004), and Mahoromatic (2001/2002). I argue that these relationships in these anime series take the form of master/slave relationships, with the humans as the masters and the mechanized beings as the slaves. In virtually every case, the mechanized beings are young females and the masters are older human males. I will argue that this dynamic serves to reinforce traditional power structures and gender dynamics in a posthuman landscape. Additionally, I will argue that by enforcing a dynamic of human-male as master and nonhuman-female as slave, science fiction anime works to fortify the “human” as the primary subject of society. This is done to preserve humanism in the overpowering wave of posthumanism

The Retro-Futurism of Cuteness

Is it possible to conceive of a Hello Kitty Middle Ages or a Tickle Me Elmo Renaissance? The Oxford English Dictionary dates the first reference to “cute” in the sense of “attractive, pretty, charming” to 1834. More recently, Sianne Ngai has offered a critical overview of the cuteness of the twentieth-century avant-garde within the context of consumer culture. But if cuteness can get under the skin, what kinds of surfaces does it best infiltrate, particularly in the framework of historical forms, events, and objects that traditionally have been read as emergences around “big” aesthetics of formal symmetries, high affects, and resemblances? The Retrofuturism of Cuteness seeks to undo the temporal strictures surrounding aesthetic and affective categories, to displace a strict focus on commodification and cuteness, and to interrogate how cuteness as a minor aesthetics can refocus our perceptions and readings of both premodern and modern media, literature, and culture. Taking seriously the retro and the futuristic temporalities of cuteness, this volume puts in conversation projects that have unearthed remnants of a “cult of cute”—positioned historically and critically in between transitions into secularization, capitalist frameworks of commodification, and the enchantment of objects—and those that have investigated the uncanny haunting of earlier aesthetics in future-oriented modes of cuteness

Lolita Latina : an examination of Gothic and Lolita Style in the Mexican environment : a thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Visual and Material Culture, College of Creative Arts, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

Copyrighted images have been removed by the author.This thesis, completed for the award of Doctor of Philosophy in Visual and Material Culture, Ph.D., examines the development of the fashion-based Mexican Gothic and Lolita movement, and its evolution from its subcultural Japanese roots. It asks, “What are the cultural conditions that encourage this movement to flourish in the Mexican environment?” In turn, “What does Mexican culture contribute to Mexican Gothic and Lolita style?” And, “What does Mexican Gothic and Lolita style say about Mexican culture, society, and beliefs?” The Gothic and Lolita movement is currently thriving in Mexico as an authentic, independent, creative, handmade fashion industry, yet to be co-opted into mainstream culture. With the do-it-yourself aspect of the movement comes its own, unique, cultural flavour. As such, it transforms and rearranges meanings of the original subcultural style in order to make new statements, which subvert the meanings, and understandings, of the Japanese Lolita identity. Analyses of Mexican Gothic and Lolita styles, in context with the Mexican environment, culture, and belief systems, as well as the operation of the Mexican Gothic and Lolita industry, are major focal points of this study. Also investigated are the ways the movement reflects, fits into, and departs from, the philosophies of the original subculture, especially regarding sociocultural and gender politics. These latter aspects are critiqued in context with “normative” gender positions, roles and hierarchies, within mainstream Japanese and Mexican societies

Cosplay and (Be)coming-of-Age: An Autoethnographic Inquiry into the Spectacularly Feminine via Boudoir, Maid Café and Idol Cosplay Groups in the UK

Even though cosplay is a female-dominant subculture, there are few studies that locate it as a feminine phenomenon. Based on 18 months’ autoethnographic fieldwork at over 25 cosplay and anime-related events in the UK, I focus on three, yet-to-be-studied, feminine-presenting cosplay groups that are inspired by anime and other media related to Japan: idol groups, maid cafés and boudoir cosplayers. As I argue in this doctoral study, all three groups are evidence of social developments in the early 21st century in which gender is becoming increasingly symbolic, providing insights into discourses surrounding femininity and feminine adolescence (Driscoll, 2002) which are necessarily shaped by “a postfeminist sensibility” (Gill, 2007). Using a poststructuralist, feminist framework, I explore how femininity becomes manifest via cosplay, providing the subject with an opportunity to experience empowerment, transforming from a position of “pariah femininity” (Schippers, 2007) into an ideal vision of the “spectacularly feminine” (McRobbie, 2009: 60). I conclude that Japanese media provides an alternative for adolescents in the UK to negotiate global and local gender hegemonies, which ultimately reflect what it means to (be)come of age in the digital age, under the shadow of internet technologies

KEER2022

Avanttítol: KEER2022. DiversitiesDescripció del recurs: 25 juliol 202

A Multidisciplinary Perspective About Decision Making Under Uncertain and Risky Situations: an Application to Entrepreneurship

RÉSUMÉ : Ce projet est une étude exploratoire sur les comportements face au risque et la prise de décision dans des contextes d’incertitude. Nous souhaitons étudier plus particulièrement l’orientation entrepreneuriale d’étudiants provenant de différentes institutions académiques (principalement montréalaises) et utiliser différents outils de mesures existant dans la littérature et qui intègrent les multiples facettes de l’attitude face au risque. Pour comprendre l’origine de l’attitude face au risque et ses variations, nous avons fait une revue de la littérature des différentes disciplines étudiant ce type de comportement (psychologie, neurologie, économie et finance) illustrée par des exemples relatifs à l’entrepreneuriat et la finance comportementale. Nous avons ensuite identifié plusieurs outils de mesure des comportements face au risque. L’étude consiste à soumettre à une population d’étudiants et de jeunes diplômés un formulaire en ligne. Le formulaire est composé de questions avec des réponses à cocher sur une échelle de Likert et de questions à choix multiples de prise de décision dans un contexte de jeux d’économie expérimentale. L’originalité de ce projet est d’avoir consolidé plusieurs questionnaires existant dans la littérature et de les avoir intégrés dans un même formulaire pour pouvoir comparer les réponses, et donc la teneur des différents outils de mesure. Nous mettons l’accent sur l’orientation entrepreneuriale des participants (que nous mesurons en utilisant un questionnaire établit dans la littérature), et nous cherchons à l’expliquer par le biais d’autres notions capturées par d’autres outils : le niveau d’optimisme, la recherche de nouveauté, la finance comportementale, etc. Nous souhaitons analyser et comparer les différents outils dans le but de mettre en lumière ce qui pourrait expliquer la propension (ou non) à l’entrepreneuriat chez les étudiants. C’est un sujet très important pour le Québec et pour les universités puisque l’entrepreneuriat joue plusieurs rôles [1], depuis l’incubation des innovations technologiques jusqu’aux développements économiques (performance et compétitivité, renouvellement de la structure industrielle) [3] et sociaux (création d’emploi, prospérité) [278]. Mieux comprendre permet de mieux mobiliser les efforts et diriger les solutions pour encourager et faciliter l’orientation entrepreneuriale. L’étude menée auprès d’une population d’étudiants provenant de différentes institutions académiques (principalement montréalaises) (56 étudiants) suggère la présence de préférences au risque variant suivant les contextes (carrière, finance, santé). Les mesures de risque (ERG, risk-taking (EO), et FRT) sont corrélées à certains traits de caractères et ressources psychologiques mesurés par des outils expérimentaux provenant de différentes disciplines (psychologie, neurologie). Ces liens soulignent les accélérateurs et freins communs à l’attitude entrepreneuriale et l’attitude face au risque : recherche de variété, dynamisme, réserve-inhibition, pessimisme, et impulsivité. Les données récoltées au moyen du formulaire en ligne ne révèlent pas de différence remarquable dans l’attitude face au risque dépendamment du genre; en revanche les participants masculins se distinguent par un intérêt pour l’entrepreneuriat plus marqué, et ce sont aussi les sujets masculins qui auront tendance a déjà avoir une idée ou un projet qu’ils souhaitent développer dans un futur proche.----------ABSTRACT : This project is an exploratory study on behaviour copying with risk and decision-making in uncertainty contexts. It notably tackles the question of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial decision among students from different academic institutions (mainly from Montreal), and makes use of several different measurement tools stemming from a wide range of literature and describing the multiple aspects of behaviour when facing risk. To understand the origin of behaviour facing risk and its variations, we investigated the literature in different disciplines studying this type of behaviour (psychology, neurology, economics and finance) and illustrated with examples relatives to entrepreneurship and behavioural finance. Then we elicited several tools measuring the extent and specificities of behaviours. The study consists in subjecting a population of students and recent graduates an online survey of our design. The survey is mostly composed of easy questions and statements that have to be rated by the respondents using a Likert scale, as well as multiple-choice questionnaire following the concept of investment games (experimental economics). The originality of this project is that it amalgamates several questionnaires from an expanse literature, and by doing so mixes several conceptions, ideas, and points of view on risk behaviour. Assembling the different questionnaires into one survey allows comparing the answers and highlights the differences and similarities of the disciplines, giving a better complete picture. We emphasise entrepreneurial orientation of the respondents (that we measure using a tool from the literature) and attempt to explain and intertwine it by way of the other notions and attitudes elicited with the other tools, namely: optimism level, novelty-seeking, risk aversion measured in behavioural finance, etc. We aim at analysing and comparing the different proxies in order to highlight what could explain inclination or predisposition towards entrepreneurship. Understanding the links between the numerous expressions of risky behaviour, as well as what could be the driving reasons behind entrepreneurial orientation is an essential subject for Québec and its universities. Indeed entrepreneurship has many important roles [1], from the incubation of technological innovation to economic developments (performance, competitively, renewal of the industrial environment) [3], as well as social developments (job creation, prosperity) [278]. A better understanding allows directing the efforts and solutions to support and facilitate the entrepreneurial orientation. The study conducted within within a population of students from different academic institutions (mainly from Montreal) (56 students) suggests the presence of risk-preferences varying depending on the context (career, finance, health). The measures of risk (ERF, risk-taking (EO), and FRT) are correlated to particular personality traits and psychological resources measures via experimental tools stemming from several domains of science (psychology, neurology). Such links highlight the common catalysts and impediments to entrepreneurial attitude and risk-attitude: variety-seeking, pro-activeness, harm-avoidance, neuroticism, impulsiveness. The data elicited through the online survey do not indicate noteworthy differences of risk-preferences depending on gender; however male respondents stand out by expressing a higher interest for entrepreneurship, and they are also the one incline to already have an idea or a project in its inception in the short term

ARTIFICIAL AGENTS MODELING FOR INTIMATE TELEPRESENCE

Ph.DDOCTOR OF PHILOSOPH