Reinventing Female Fashion: From Victorian Apparel to Steampunk Expression of the Self

First impressions have always been said to be extremely important in most situations. Traditionally, outfit is linked to one’s conception of the society one lives in. Some scholars, such as Roberts, argue that fashion was used in Victorian times as a means of control. Crinolines, crinolinettes and tight-lacing were elements of repression deriving from the social consideration of women as objects that must observe certain rules of behaviour; as Ellis states, a woman was expected “to suffer and be still” (Roberts 556). However, the introduction of new materials and new designs has given rise to a reinterpretation of this Victorian apparel. This reinvented female fashion has become a distinguishing mark of the Steampunk Neo-Victorian sub-culture, which recovers nineteenth century female fashion and gives it a radically different meaning. My paper will focus on the transition from Victorian to Steampunk fashion and the new implications coming from the reinterpretation of the different elements used for female appearance. Different cultural productions of the twentieth and the twenty-first centuries will be used as examples of my main arguments, paying special attention to the character of Mina Harker as represented in Stoker’s masterpiece Dracula (1897) and in Norrington’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003). As the members of this community are increasing not only in Britain, but worldwide, research on the different features of this movement become highly relevant for cultural studies. Fashion can be considered to be a good starting point for research on the topic of gender identities and new gender stereotypes within the steampunk trend. To provide my arguments with a relevant theoretical framework I will make reference to several works by experts in the field of gender and cultural studies. Foucaultian notions about control over female bodies will also be relevant in my paper, as well as Butlerian ideas about the construction of gender identity. Given that steampunk is set in a retro-futuristic world, some of Braidotti’s notions about the post-human will be also discussed. My main thesis is that steampunk female fashion has developed to a point in which it is not just a reinterpretation of the Victorian past, but something totally new that has enabled the twenty-first century woman to externalise her inner self and her true identity. For instance, Victorian tight-lacing has moved from being a means of patriarchal control to a way for women to show self-confidence and a control over their own bodies. Moreover, cross-dressing has also become part of this sub-culture, being highly frequent in steampunk conventions and meetings.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Berberis microphylla: A species with phenotypic plasticity in different climatic conditions

Berberis microphylla G. Forst., commonly called as "calafate" produces small fruits with high content of carbohydrates, phenols and antioxidants. The objective of this work was to characterize the vegetative and reproductive cycle of Berberis microphylla cultivated on Moreno (Buenos Aires province), Argentina in comparison with the results obtained in Ushuaia (Tierra del Fuego) which is its place of origin. Vegetative growth was very different in the two localities. Moreno plants grew with more lax branches than Ushuaia. In effect, length of the shoots was significantly higher for Moreno than Ushuaia plants. Flowering period in Ushuaia plants was concentrated in November while in Moreno it happens earlier and over a longer period. Pollen grains collected from Moreno flowers had a diameter of ~60 μm, significantly different to pollen grain from Ushuaia (57.11 μm). Nevertheless, pollen grain vitality was superior in Ushuaia flowers (75%) as compared to Moreno flowers (52%). On the other hand, fruit harvested in Moreno was at 60 days from full bloom while in Ushuaia plants at 120 days. Although the size and compounds measured in the fruits of Moreno were lower than those of Ushuaia, results obtained indicate that B. microphylla grown on Moreno is an interesting option to obtain another nutraceutical fruit near the centers of mass consumption.Fil: Radice, Silvia. Universidad de Morón. Facultad de Agronomía y Ciencias Agroalimentarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Alonso, Marta. Universidad de Morón. Facultad de Agronomía y Ciencias Agroalimentarias; ArgentinaFil: Arena, Miriam Elisabet. Universidad de Morón. Facultad de Agronomía y Ciencias Agroalimentarias; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

THE ENLARGEMENT OF THE CATHEDRAL SQUARE IN OVIEDO (SPAIN) IN 1927. Case study and graphic restitution

[EN] Among the internal reform processes made in the early twentieth century in Oviedo, one of the most important is the transformation undertaken in the Cathedral Square, with the demolition of the houses opposite the church. The main reason that motivates such action is none other than providing a broad perspective to the Cathedral. The arrangement of the square generated controversy, there were two points of view: the first one considered that the low value of the block justified its disappearance, the second one argued that the demolition would remove an arcaded square of great interest, being more suitable the partial perspectives of the church that offered these ensemble of streets. Despite many critics opposed to demolition, it was carried out after approval of the project in 1928.[ES] De los procesos de reforma interior acometidos a principios del pasado siglo en Oviedo, cabe destacar la transformación llevada a cabo en la plaza de la Catedral, con el derribo del caserío situado frente al templo. La finalidad principal de esta actuación consistía en dotar a la Catedral de una amplia perspectiva. La ordenación de la plaza generó una gran polémica, enfrentando dos criterios: el de los que consideraban que el escaso valor arquitectónico de la manzana, y el de los que defendían que el derribo haría desaparecer una plaza porticada de especial interés por las perspectivas parciales del templo que ofrecían las estrechas calles que conformaban el conjunto. A pesar de los muchos detractores contrarios a la demolición, ésta se llevaría a cabo en 1928, tras la aprobación del proyecto.Alonso, M. (2012). EL ENSANCHE DE LA PLAZA DE LA CATEDRAL DE OVIEDO DE 1927. Estudio y restitución gráfica. EGA. Revista de Expresión Gráfica Arquitectónica. 17(19):242-251. doi:10.4995/ega.2012.1376SWORD2422511719Álvarez Fernández, M., 2009. Oviedo a fines de la Edad Media. Morfología urbana y política concejil. KRK Ediciones. Oviedo.Carazo Lefort, E., 2010. Valladolid Forma Urbis. Restitución infográfica del patrimonio urbano perdido. Universidad de Valladolid. Valladolid.Morales Saro, M.C., 1981. Oviedo. Arquitectura y desarrollo urbano. Del eclecticismo al movimiento moderno. Universidad de Oviedo. Oviedo.Ruiz Tilve Arias, C., 1996. De plazas y plazuelas. Historia menor de siete espacios del Oviedo intramuros. KRK Ediciones. Oviedo

A coordinación na lingua galega medieval, a través das Cantigas de Amor e de Escarnio, Os Miragres de Santiago, A Cronica Troiana e A Coronica de Iria

O obxecto deste estudo é analizar o rendemento e o significado da aplicación do mecanismo sintáctico da coordinación na lingua galega medieval a partir de cinco obras que, aínda que conforman un corpus moi limitado, pensamos que nos poden permitir extraer resultados aplicables á lingua medieval en xeral. Preténdese ademais contribuír ao estudo da sintaxe galega e, dentro dela, dos mecanismos de complexización das estructuras simples tales como a coordinación