The Palgrave Handbook of Digital Russia Studies

With the growing interest in digital humanities, the methodology of digital art history is in some respects lagging behind the trend. Given the prospects of the new digital image analysis, computer vision, and visualization methods, a number of questions have arisen as to how exactly the new digital methods can and should be applied to art history. Furthermore, when trying to apply these digital methods to the analysis of Russian art, one encounters a whole new set of questions and challenges. In this chapter, I examine current and potential applications of digital methods to the analysis of Soviet political cartoons published in Pravda during the “Great Patriotic War,” 1941–1945, as well as the study of Russian art history more generally. I especially examine how the combination of quantitative and qualitative analyses of political cartoons enables a deeper understanding that illustrates cultural, historical, and political developments over time.</p

White prevalence and White preference in children’s books in China

The study of the ethnicity of authors, illustrators, and characters in children’s literature is important for understanding the ethnic normativity messages that children receive through books. However, ethnic representation in children’s books has rarely been studied in Asian countries. The present study examined the ethnic representation of authors, illustrators, and characters of books for young children that (1) won awards, or (2) were in the annual sales ranks in one of the most popular online book stores in China from 2011 to 2018. In total, 75 books and 1858 human characters were coded. Results suggest a dominant representation of East Asian authors, East Asian illustrators, and White characters. Male characters were overrepresented (especially East Asian males). East Asian characters (especially females) were more prominent according to some indicators, whereas White characters (especially males) were more prominent according to the other indicators. Gender differences in physical features in East Asian characters were found in terms of eye shapes and straight hair. Light skin color was overrepresented in East Asian characters (especially females). The results indicate overrepresentation of White authors, illustrators, and characters as compared to population statistics, as well as the preference for White skin color in East Asian characters in illustrations. The results suggest a form of current postcolonial globalization influencing Chinese children’s literature, and can help to explain potential early origins of preference for people and culture mostly identified as White (or Western) in China

The Palgrave Handbook of Digital Russia Studies

This open access handbook presents a multidisciplinary and multifaceted perspective on how the ‘digital’ is simultaneously changing Russia and the research methods scholars use to study Russia. It provides a critical update on how Russian society, politics, economy, and culture are reconfigured in the context of ubiquitous connectivity and accounts for the political and societal responses to digitalization. In addition, it answers practical and methodological questions in handling Russian data and a wide array of digital methods. The volume makes a timely intervention in our understanding of the changing field of Russian Studies and is an essential guide for scholars, advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying Russia today

The Palgrave Handbook of Digital Russia Studies

This open access handbook presents a multidisciplinary and multifaceted perspective on how the ‘digital’ is simultaneously changing Russia and the research methods scholars use to study Russia. It provides a critical update on how Russian society, politics, economy, and culture are reconfigured in the context of ubiquitous connectivity and accounts for the political and societal responses to digitalization. In addition, it answers practical and methodological questions in handling Russian data and a wide array of digital methods. The volume makes a timely intervention in our understanding of the changing field of Russian Studies and is an essential guide for scholars, advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying Russia today