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God\u27s Laughing Too: Sacralization Through Stand-Up Comedy
No full textIn the history of the humanities, stand-up comedy has been an unfiltered outlet in which social constructs are explored under the thick lens of humor. While some topics, such as race, politics, and gender roles, have consistently been subjects of conversation on stage, the use of religious jokes has been underexplored. Comics such as Lenny Bruce and George Carlin paved the way for comedians to express their struggles and joys with faith on stage. While speaking publicly about religion is less taboo in the 21st century, it still is risky for a performer. Many mainstream comedians are reluctant to address religion at all in performances, while others find quick, cheap laughs in poking fun at organized religion. However, Deon Cole, Katt Williams, and Jim Gaffigan have constructed comedy specials that positively highlight their Christian beliefs. By doing so, they are examples of comedic activism, keeping religion relevant in America’s ever-leaning secular stance and thereby becoming beacons of sacralization
Thirdness as a Tool for Socio-Ethical Transformation in Group Improvisational Play
No full textIn a culture that values autonomy and human-centered approaches, the role of play in promoting unity, inclusivity, and shared spaces of the world’s material-discursiveness is often overlooked. This research highlights the transformative potential of thirdness, defined as a dialectical and emergent phenomenon of entangled agency, in the context of the jam session, a distinct form of group improvisational play. The study is guided by a diffractive methodological framework incorporating comparative and phenomenological research. This research diffracts Karen Barad’s theory of agential realism and Hans Georg Gadamer’s philosophical hermeneutics, illustrating how the jam is an ethically transformative event involving genuine intersubjective dialogue and mutually entangled agency. Through the intra-section of Barad\u27s and Gadamer\u27s perspectives, the jam becomes an onto-ethico-epistemological practice that promotes our collective existence\u27s communal and creation-centered aspects.
Agential realism is ideally positioned to apply to group improvisational play, as both involve the intra-connected, embodied, and relational dynamics between humans and more-than-humans. Grounded in the philosophical framework of quantum theory, Barad\u27s concepts of intra-action, entanglement, and diffraction help establish thirdness as a relationally ontological phenomenon. Through this new materialist lens, the ‘matter’ of group improvisational play becomes an apparatus for learning responsibility, accountability, and the cooperative underpinnings essential to our relational and ontological makeup.
Gadamer’s hermeneutics regards play as a dynamic, multifaceted dialogue between individuals, cultures, and communities. This interactive process aims to foster mutual understanding and enhance the relationships between the involved parties. His emphasis on bringing together different perspectives, worldviews, and experiences in this playful exchange is an ideal conversation for ethical transformation in a jam as a space that enriches and expands our understanding of each other and the world around us.
This research presents a comprehensive investigation into the intricate intra-play between play and its capacity to address socio-ethical complexities. It analyzes how group improvisational play contributes to the cultivation of collective responsibility and the promotion of social justice. Furthermore, it suggests potential approaches for integrating improvisational play practices into ethical decision-making in our daily lives and relationships
Warsaw Uprising of 1944
Get PDFThe Warsaw Uprising of 1944 was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army (Armia Krajowa) to liberate Warsaw from Nazi German occupation. It began on August 1, 1944, and lasted 63 days, as the poorly equipped resistance fought against well-armed German forces. The Soviet Red Army, stationed across the Vistula River, offered no significant aid, leaving the insurgents isolated. The uprising was brutally suppressed, resulting in approximately 200,000 Polish civilian and combatant deaths. Warsaw was left in ruins, and the city’s population was forcibly expelled. Despite its tragic outcome, the uprising symbolized Polish resistance and determination for freedom
Jimmy Carter’s Dilemma: The American Boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics
Get PDFAmidst strong political tension and the global uncertainty of the Cold War, an unlikely group of American college students took their skills to the Olympic ice in 1980, unknowingly preparing to make history. They defeated the notoriously tough Soviet Union team, boosting American pride across the nation. This victory left the U.S. feeling unstoppable and ready to face off against the Soviets again in a few months at the Moscow Summer Games. There was just one problem- the Carter Administration would soon announce the United States’ official boycott of the Games. This followed heightened Cold War tensions due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Carter’s decision to boycott the Games came after lots of deliberation, yet had profound implications, shaping his legacy as president. For many American athletes, the boycott shattered their dreams of Olympic success
The Sakonnet History Project: Co-Creating a New Public History of the Sakonnet People
No full textIn her essay, “The Sakonnet History Project: Co-Creating a New Public History of the Sakonnet People,” Marjory Gomez O’Toole, describes an ongoing initiative that was recently launched by the Little Compton Historical Society. Its object is to bring to light the history of the Indigenous Sakonnet People who lived in the area for more than nine thousand years before European settlers arrived; their descendants still live in the Little Compton area today. Gomez O’Toole explores what it means to interrogate long-held myths and misunderstandings about the history of the Sakonnet people. We especially welcome this dispatch from Little Compton as Newport History is committed to publishing articles concerning all of Newport County which includes the towns of Middletown, Portsmouth, Tiverton, Little Compton and Jamestown, as well as the city of Newport. Marjory Gomez O’Toole has been Executive Director of the Little Compton Historical Society for the past eighteen years. During her tenure she has authored or edited nine local history books for the LCHS including If Jane Should Want to be Sold: Stories of Enslavement, Indenture and Freedom in Newport History Little Compton, R.I. (2016) and Remember Me: A Guide to Little Compton’s 46 Historic Cemeteries (2018). She has overseen a number of exhibits including the Little Compton Women’s History Project, an in-person and virtual exhibit (2020)
Recollections of Elizabeth McAuliffe, R.S.M., Ed.D., \u2768 (known as Sister Mary Christella before graduation)
No full textIn this interview, Sister Betty recalls the experience of attending Salve as a young Sister of Mercy, of living in convents in St. Mary Academy Bayview in East Providence and St. Mary\u27s on Spring Street in Newport. Sister Betty recounts how the young sisters weren\u27t allowed to socialize with the lay students outside of class, but as a chemistry major, she was in long labs with students she became friends. During her interview she describes what was special about Salve Regina in the late sixties, a haven, her participation in an anti-racism march in Newport and the connection of the Sisters of Mercy and the Mercy critical concerns to social justice movements, what Mercy and the Salve mission means and how it\u27s being lived at Salve Regina today, when there are only two Sisters on campus
China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Is it Really Influencing the Geopolitical Landscape?
No full textThe implication of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on geopolitics is not fully understood. References to potential Chinese geopolitical influence from the BRI have been well explored. Academics, journalists, and government officials argue that China is able to influence the foreign policy decisions of other nations through debts incurred by participation in the BRI—debt trap diplomacy. The question that needs to be answered is, does quantifiable evidence show this correlation? My research addresses this question by studying UN resolutions representing the interests of China—as a metric of geopolitical influence—and how nations participating in the BRI voted on them. My thesis is that China’s BRI-related geopolitical influence is derived from preexisting alignments in foreign policy interests with the participants, not because of its investment in those states. Quantitative analysis shows that there is no correlation between BRI investments and changes to the foreign relation stances of the participants. Case studies demonstrate how China appears to be leveraging this preexisting alignment through the BRI to promote and gain consensus for its foreign interests. While China’s foreign agenda is broad, it is focused on areas of cooperation among nations and non-interference in domestic affairs. Finally, in assessing the BRI’s geopolitical influence potential, my research used a limited data set representing the foreign policy stances of the participants—a point which is expounded upon in the counter argument that BRI-participating nations act in opposition to China’s foreign relations interests if they do not align with their own
Female Lawyers Don’t Need Pity; They Need a Paycheck
Get PDFWhether it\u27s pity or patronization female lawyers have often been criticized. They\u27re visualized on the lower level of the patriarchal hierarchy system in the Hollywood courtroom. However, women that hold emotional intelligence don\u27t need pity. Emotional intelligence encompasses how to set boundaries, stay motivated, hold healthy relationships inside and outside the courtroom, as well as maintain self-regulation. Through analysis of the biographical films Erin Brockovich, On the Basis of Sex, and The Mauritanian this study explores how extensively psychological resilience subfactors are depicted, proving whether or not female lawyers are emotionally prepared to succeed in their noteworthy cases
Editor\u27s Note
No full textThe entire Winter/Spring 2023 issue of Newport History commemorates the presence of the French military in Newport during the Revolutionary War. As one historian has noted, “jubilation was in short supply” when the French fleet under Admiral de Ternay arrived in Newport harbor on July 11, 1780. The warships carried thousands of French soldiers commanded by General Rochambeau, coming to the aid of the American cause. Still reeling from the British occupation of 1776-1779, the town’s residents were wary of an influx of soldiers with a language, religion, and culture that differed from their own. Within a few days, however, Newport staged a grand illumination to welcome the officers and troops of their ally. Rochambeau’s army remained in Newport for almost a year, departing in June 1781
China’s Foreign Policy in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the Islamic Republic of Iran: Exploring China’s Renewed Diplomacy in the Region
No full textThis dissertation explains how the PRC achieved its foreign policy objectives in the UAE but failed to achieve the same in the KSA. The decades following WWII were one where the PRC went through inner turmoil and also supported communist movements around the world. In the 1980s, it began to court Western countries to develop an industrial base and improve the lives of its citizens. Following China\u27s accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001, the CCP sought to grow its economy and ensure its continued rule. In 2004, China\u27s political leaders devoted significant resources to promoting cultural diplomacy with Persian Gulf countries, primarily through cultural diplomacy. After 2010, Sino-Emerati bilateral trade began to increase significantly and, as of 2020, is just slightly below that of Sino-Saudi trade. In 2016, the PRC published its Chinese Arab Policy Paper, outlining its goals in the Middle East. Due to unique circumstances (according to the World Bank, it is ranked among the top countries for ease of doing business) in the UAE, China’s quest to grow its trade has transformed significantly in the Emirates, and 6,000 Chinese companies operate in the UAE as of 2020, while only 132 were present in 2012. One reason is that Emirati leaders created laws in the early 2000s that were inclusive and protective of foreign investors (and they severely punish hate crime and discrimination), leading most Muslim countries in the Middle East. Furthermore, the UAE created the Dubai Financial Market in 2000 and numerous trade-free zones to encourage foreign investment. China’s success in the UAE is instructive and might signal challenges for American influence as the PRC refines trade agreements and promotes the Belt and Road Initiative