Sinophone Southeast Asia

This volume explores the diverse linguistic landscape of Southeast Asia’s Chinese communities. Based on archival research and previously unpublished linguistic fieldwork, it unearths a wide variety of language histories, linguistic practices, and trajectories of words. The localized and often marginalized voices we bring to the spotlight are quickly disappearing in the wake of standardization and homogenization, yet they tell a story that is uniquely Southeast Asian in its rich hybridity. Our comparative scope and focus on language, analysed in tandem with history and culture, adds a refreshing dimension to the broader field of Sino-Southeast Asian Studies. . Readership: Students, scholars, (academic) libraries, community organizations, heritage organizations; linguistics, Southeast Asia Studies, East Asia Studies, Overseas Chines

Trends, Challenges, and Perspectives of Coexistence

Hong Kong, ex-colony of Great Britain, is a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, its high degree of autonomy from Beijing being sanctioned by the policy ‘One country, two systems’. Its peculiar language situation consists in the formal coexistence of three official languages under the ‘Biliteracy and Trilingualism’ policy: Cantonese, first language of the majority of the population, English, with its international value, and Putonghua, symbolizing Hong Kong’s tight relations with mainland China not only from a political, but also from an economic point of view. The present work focuses on the evolving relationship between Cantonese and Putonghua in the territory, with the goal of delivering a sociolinguistic overview of their situation and investigating on the perspectives of their equal, harmonious coexistence in future Hong Kong. This work thus gives a linguistic introduction to spoken and written Cantonese and compares it with Putonghua by means of contrastive analysis, evaluating the degree to which it can be considered a standard language. It then goes through the complex history of Hong Kong, tracing the evolution of its language situation. It describes Hong Kong’s language policies and the way they shaped the status of Cantonese and Putonghua in the local education system, finally introducing issues of local identity and language attitudes in Putonghua learning. The work concludes that, instead of a potential threat for the very existence of Cantonese on the local stage, Putonghua could become a source of stability. To make this possible, some measures are proposed, such as: standardization of Cantonese language and allocation of more resources for guaranteeing its longevity; enhancement of Cantonese learning in schools and harmonization of Putonghua learning promotion; planning of politically neutral, balanced language policies to ensure the successful achievement of the ambitious goal of ‘Biliteracy and Trilingualism’

YONGHEGONG: IMPERIAL UNIVERSALISM AND THE ART AND ARCHITECTURE OF BEIJING'S "LAMA TEMPLE"

Yonghegong ("Palace of Harmony and Peace"), popularly known in English as the "Lama Temple," is often described as Beijing's largest and most important Tibetan Buddhist monastery, but from its establishment in 1694 during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) to the present, Yonghegong has continued to evolve physically and functionally, from imperial prince's residence, to "travelling palace" (xinggong), to imperial ancestral shrine and Tibetan Buddhist monastic college, and finally to its current role as monastery, monastic college and museum. Despite its history and ubiquity as a Beijing landmark and destination for pilgrims and tourists, it has received limited academic attention. Furthermore, previous studies have emphasized the site as a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, downplaying its political significance. This study will provide a more comprehensive interpretation of Yonghegong as an expression of the Qing ideology of imperial universalism, focusing on the site during the reign of its major patron, the Qianlong emperor (r. 1735-1796). In order both to describe and interpret the multidimensional complexities of Yonghegong in a systematic fashion, I will employ as a heuristic device an interpretive model for the site inspired by two aspects the Indo-Tibetan tradition of the mandala: symbolic mapping and spatial ordering. The many symbols at the site will be arranged according to what I call the "three spheres" that center on the person of the Qianlong emperor: microcosm, the somatic sphere (symbols of the emperor's presence and personal history at the site); mesocosm, the socio-politcal sphere (multicultural symbols of the emperor's legitimacy); and finally macrocosm, the eschatological sphere (symbols of the emperor's role as enlightened ruler, ushering in the coming of the next buddha, Maitreya). Interpretation of the three spheres at Yonghegong is then applied first to the site's external features (e.g. site plan, architecture, what I call the "outer mandala") and then to examples of the internal features (e.g. sculptures, inscriptions, what I call the "inner mandala"). This study will both contextualize much of the overlooked symbolism of the Qianlong-era art and architecture at Yonghegong, as well as provide the first comprehensive interpretation of the site as a whole

The role and position of women in Roman North African society

In this thesis I have endeavoured to throw light on both the private and public aspect of the lives of women living in the Roman African provinces from the first century BC to the seventh century AD. Funerary inscriptions reveal that the role of women in private life was projected in a manner which reflected the ideals for Roman womanhood (pudicitia, castitas,fides and fecunditas), even when they clearly came of Afro-Punic stock. In terms of the quality of their lives Roman African women of the propertied status groups (about whom we know the most) had a good standard of living compared to other parts of the Roman Empire, and for example were well-educated in the urbanized areas compared to provinces such as Gaul. Roman African women of the elite also enjoyed a degree of autonomy enhanced by the increased financial independence granted to them in terms of Roman law, which enabled them to function as benefactors in their communities in the same way as their male counterparts, donating money for temples, baths and markets. In return for this they were duly recognized in honorary inscriptions by their communities. Although this public role may appear to be in conflict with the 'ideal' domestic or private role of the Roman matron, this activity was sanctioned by the fact that they were acting in the interests of male family members who were engaged in municipal careers. In the 2nd and 3rd centuries there are a few signs that women were beginning to act more in their own interests, but much of their public role faded with the increasing dominance of the Christian Church which prescribed a more limited role for women. The only exceptions occurred in the times of persecution through the temporary prominence gained by women as martyrs and confessors, although this prominence cannot be said to have advantaged women in general. During the Vandal and Byzantine period we know of only a few women, primarily those with connections to the elite at Rome and Constantinople, who acted with the independence and authority of their class.D.Litt. et Phil. (Ancient HistoryAncient and Near Eastern Studie

Architects of Buddhist Leisure: Socially Disengaged Buddhism in Asia’s Museums, Monuments, and Amusement Parks

Buddhism, often described as an austere religion that condemns desire, promotes denial, and idealizes the contemplative life, actually has a thriving leisure culture in Asia. Creative religious improvisations designed by Buddhists have been produced both within and outside of monasteries across the region—in Nepal, Japan, Korea, Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Justin McDaniel looks at the growth of Asia’s culture of Buddhist leisure—what he calls “socially disengaged Buddhism”—through a study of architects responsible for monuments, museums, amusement parks, and other sites. In conversation with noted theorists of material and visual culture and anthropologists of art, McDaniel argues that such sites highlight the importance of public, leisure, and spectacle culture from a Buddhist perspective and illustrate how “secular” and “religious,” “public” and “private,” are in many ways false binaries. Moreover, places like Lek Wiriyaphan’s Sanctuary of Truth in Thailand, Suối Tiên Amusement Park in Saigon, and Shi Fa Zhao’s multilevel museum/ritual space/tea house in Singapore reflect a growing Buddhist ecumenism built through repetitive affective encounters instead of didactic sermons and sectarian developments. They present different Buddhist traditions, images, and aesthetic expressions as united but not uniform, collected but not concise: Together they form a gathering, not a movement. Despite the ingenuity of lay and ordained visionaries like Wiriyaphan and Zhao and their colleagues Kenzo Tange, Chan-soo Park, Tadao Ando, and others discussed in this book, creators of Buddhist leisure sites often face problems along the way. Parks and museums are complex adaptive systems that are changed and influenced by budgets, available materials, local and global economic conditions, and visitors. Architects must often compromise and settle at local optima, and no matter what they intend, their buildings will develop lives of their own. Provocative and theoretically innovative, Architects of Buddhist Leisure asks readers to question the very category of “religious” architecture. It challenges current methodological approaches in religious studies and speaks to a broad audience interested in modern art, architecture, religion, anthropology, and material culture. An electronic version of this book is freely available thanks to the support of libraries working with Knowledge Unlatched, a collaborative initiative designed to make high-quality books open access for the public good. The open-access version of this book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which means that the work may be freely downloaded and shared for non-commercial purposes, provided credit is given to the author. Derivative works and commercial uses require permission from the publisher.Knowledge Unlatche

The Performance Practice of Buddhist Baiqi in Contemporary Taiwan

The baiqi (Buddhist percussive instruments), also known as faqi (dharma instruments), are mentioned in the Chinese Buddhist scriptures under many different terms: jianzhi, jiandi, jianzhui, or jianchi. The original function of baiqi in earlier monastic life was to gather people or to call an assembly. With the completion of monasticism and monastic institutions, baiqi have become multifunctional in monasteries, and many baiqi instruments have been developed for different monastic applications. In contemporary Buddhist monasteries in Taiwan, baiqi are used, on the one hand, to mark the time throughout the day, signal the beginning and end of monastic daily activities, and regulate the monastic order; and on the other hand, baiqi are indispensable to the musical practices of all Buddhist rituals, where they are used to accompany fanbai (Buddhist liturgical chants) and to articulate the whole ritual process. This study investigates multiple facets of Buddhist baiqi in their performance practice, function, application, notation, and transmission, exploring the interaction between baiqi and fanbai, baiqi and the practitioner, baiqi and the monastic space, and baiqi and various Buddhist contexts. I draw upon ideas from performance theory as it concerns different disciplines, but I maintain a sharper focus on the musicological dimension of performance practice when analyzing, interpreting, and explaining the performance and music of baiqi in terms of the monastic lifestyle and its rituals. The study not only uncovers the musical system of baiqi, but also encapsulates various issues of performed identity, social interaction, performer/audience, associated behaviors, the musical construction of space, and transmission

Tertullian the African theologian : a social anthropological reading of Tertullian's identities

The following thesis explores the social identities of TertuIIian, a Christian from Carthage who lived from approximately 160 to 220. After exploring the implications of calling TertuIIian an "African Theologian," the introduction interacts with the work done on TertuIIian in the past, concluding that although he was once read Euro-centrically and assumed to be a Roman, explicitly, and a European, implicitly, scholars in recent decades have deconstructed the biographical information of TertuIIian, leaving his African origin as one of the only undisputed aspects of his life. However, while scholars have located TertuIIian within the broader movements of the Roman Empire, few have explored the North African milieu in relation to Tertullian's writings. In order to contribute to this area of scholarship, theories from the discipline of Social Anthropology are accommodated and applied to selections of Tertullian's writings, thereby exploring Tertullian's construction of his own identities. The social theories applied, namely, social identity, kinship identity, class identity, ethnic identity and religious identity, are used heuristically to read the sources from Roman Africa in order to inquire as to the various identities constructed by individuals and groups. Within the social context of Roman Africa, this study establishes the categories of Roman colonizers, indigenous Africans and new elites. The third category, new elites, is actually meant to destabilize the other two, denying any "essential" Roman or African identity. Once the context has been framed, the thesis investigates samples from Tertullian's writings to compare his construction of his own identities and the identities of his rhetorical opponents. In order to interpret Tertullian's social identities, one chapter compares the identities Tertullian constructs in his works Apologeticum and Ad nationes. The similarity of these two tracts allows for an inquiry into TertuIIian's "Other" and the "Other" Tertullian constructs for his audiences. The subsequent chapter applies kinship theory in order to compare Tertullian's ideals with those of Roman kinship and early Christian kinship. Therein, the usual discussion of Tertullian's view of marriage is readdressed by comparing the kinship identities and ideals forwarded in his works Ad uxorem 1 and 2. Closely connected to Tertullian's kinship identity is that of his class identity, and, while his exact status and class may be elusive in historical terms, one can explore his socio-economic ingroup and outgroup as he portrays them in De cultu feminarum 1 and 2. Tertullian's ethnic identity is discussed in a chapter that interprets his works De uirginibus uelandis and De pallio, in which it is suggested that Tertullian establishes boundaries between his own ethnic group and that of Roman colonizers. The last form of identity discussed, religious identity, involves a reinterpretation of TertuIIian's use of the New Prophecy. Therein, Tertullian's religious "Other" is understood to be constructed with not only "psychic" rhetoric, but also with Roman imagery. The overall study finds Tertullian's identities to be manifold, complex and discursive. Additionally, his writings are understood to reflect antagonism towards Romans, including Christian Romans, and Romanized Africans. While TertuIIian accommodates much from (Graeco-)Roman literature, laws and customs, he nevertheless retains a strongly stated non-Roman-ness and an African-ity which have been almost entirely neglected in past studies, and it is this aspect, therefore, which is highlighted in the present thesis