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Postcolonial Servitude: Domestic Servants in Global South Asian English Literature
No full textPostcolonial Servitude explores how a new generation of contemporary global, transnational, award-winning writers with origins in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh engages with the complexities of domestic servitude as a problem for the nation and for the novel. Servitude, to be distinguished from slavery, is a distinctive and pervasive phenomenon in South Asia, with a long history. Unprotected by labor laws, subject to exploitation and dehumanization, members of the lower classes provide essential services to employers whose homes become the servants\u27 workplace. South Asian literature has always featured servants, usually as marginal or instrumental. This book focuses on writers who make servants and servitude central, and craft new narrative forms to achieve their goals. Identifying a blind spot in contemporary postcolonial studies, this is the first full-length study to focus on domestic servants in Anglophone postcolonial or South Asian literature and to examine their political, thematic, and formal significance.
Offering fresh readings of well-known early to mid-20th-century writers, this book shows how South Asian English fiction conventionally keeps servants in the background, peripheral but necessary to the constitution of an elite or middle class. It analyses closely the formal strategies, interventions, and modes of representation of five younger writers (Daniyal Mueenuddin, Romesh Gunesekera, Aravind Adiga, Thrity Umrigar, and Kiran Desai), who, it argues, pull servants and servitude into the foreground, humanizing servants as protagonists with agency, complex subjectivities, and stories of their own. Postcolonial Servitude reveals a cultural shift in the twenty-first century postcolonial novel, a new attentiveness, self-implication, and ethics, linked with a new poetics. Source: Publisherhttps://scholarworks.smith.edu/eng_books/1019/thumbnail.jp
The Violence of Recognition: Adivasi Indigeneity and Anti-Dalitness in India
No full textThe Violence of Recognition offers an unprecedented firsthand account of the operations of Hindu nationalists and their role in sparking the largest incident of anti-Christian violence in India’s history. Through vivid ethnographic storytelling, Pinky Hota explores the roots of ethnonationalist conflict between two historically marginalized groups—the Kandha, who are Adivasi (tribal people considered indigenous in India), and the Pana, a community of Christian Dalits (previously referred to as “untouchables”). Hota documents how Hindutva mobilization led to large-scale violence, culminating in attacks against many thousands of Pana Dalits in the district of Kandhamal in 2008.
Bringing indigenous studies as well as race and ethnic studies into conversation with Dalit studies, Hota shows that, despite attempts to frame these ethnonationalist tensions as an indigenous population’s resistance against disenfranchisement, Kandha hostility against the Pana must be understood as anti-Christian, anti-Dalit violence animated by racial capitalism. Hota’s analysis of caste in relation to race and religion details how Hindu nationalists exploit the singular and exclusionary legal recognition of Adivasis and the putatively liberatory, anti-capitalist discourse of indigeneity in order to justify continued oppression of Dalits—particularly those such as the Pana. Because the Pana lost their legal protection as recognized minorities (Scheduled Caste) upon conversion to Christianity, they struggle for recognition within the Indian state’s classificatory scheme. Within the framework of recognition, Hota shows, indigeneity works as a political technology that reproduces the political, economic, and cultural exclusion of landless marginalized groups such as Dalits. The Violence of Recognition reveals the violent implications of minority recognition in creating and maintaining hierarchies of racial capitalism.https://scholarworks.smith.edu/ant_books/1004/thumbnail.jp
Acute Increases in Physical Activity and Temperature are Associated with Hot Flash Experience in Midlife Women
Get PDFObjective: This study determined the association between acute changes in physical activity, temperature and humidity and 24-hour subjective and objective hot flash experience.
Methods: Data collection occurred during the cooler months of the year in Western Massachusetts (October-April). Women aged 45-55 across 3 menopause stages (n=270) were instrumented with ambulatory monitors to continuously measure hot flashes, physical activity, temperature and humidity for 24-hours. Objective hot flashes were assessed via sternal skin conductance, and subjective hot flashes were recorded by pressing an event marker and data logging. Physical activity was measured with wrist-worn accelerometers and used to define sleep and wake periods. Logistic multilevel modeling was used to examine the differences in physical activity, humidity, and temperature in the 10 minutes preceding a hot flash versus control windows when no hot flashes occurred. The odds of hot flashes were considered separately for objective and subjective hot flashes as well as for wake and sleep periods.
Results: Data from 188 participants were included in the analyses. There was a significantly greater odds of a hot flash following acute increases in physical activity for objective waking hot flashes (OR=1.31, 95% CI:1.17-1.47, p\u3c 0.001) and subjective waking hot flashes (OR=1.16, 95% CI: 1.0-1.33, p=0.03). Acute increases in the actigraphy signal were associated with significantly higher odds of having an objective (OR=1.17, 95% CI:1.03- 1.35, p\u3c 0.01) or subjective (OR=1.72, 95% CI 1.52-2.01, p\u3c 0.001) sleeping hot flash. Increases in temperature were significantly related to the odds of subjective sleeping hot flashes only (OR=1.38, 95% CI:1.15-1.62, p\u3c 0.001). There was no evidence for a relationship between humidity and odds of experiencing any hot flashes.
Conclusions: These results indicate that acute increases in physical activity increase the odds of hot flashes that are objectively measured and subjectively reported during waking and sleeping periods. Temperature increases were only related to subjectively reported nighttime hot flashes
Connecting Smith to Criminal justice Reform: Smith College Student’s Involvement in Criminal Justice Reform in MA
Get PDFThe aim of this initiative is to actively involve Smith College students and the Jandon Center in comprehensive and varied efforts to reform the criminal justice system in Massachusetts. My goal is to develop a deep understanding of the complex challenges within the system, especially focusing on addressing systemic injustices, advocating for humane treatment of those incarcerated, and creating paths for rehabilitation and societal reintegration. By building partnerships, fostering meaningful discussions, and encouraging tangible actions, this initiative aims to empower Smith College students to drive positive changes in criminal justice, both locally and across the state. Through direct involvement in existing programs, educational activities, research projects, and collaborative advocacy efforts, Smith students can contribute to creating a fairer, more equitable, and compassionate criminal justice system in Massachusetts
Reflections of a College Student: Reimagining Activism, Education, and Collaborative Projects
No full textAdvanced General Chemistry
Get PDFTextbook adapted for CHM 118 at Smith College:
This course is for students with a very strong background in chemistry. The elementary theories of stoichiometry, atomic structure, bonding, structure, energetics and reactions are quickly reviewed. The major portions of the course involve a detailed analysis of atomic theory and bonding from an orbital concept, an examination of the concepts behind thermodynamic arguments in chemical systems, and an investigation of chemical reactions and kinetics. The laboratory deals with synthesis, physical properties and kinetics.https://scholarworks.smith.edu/textbooks/1006/thumbnail.jp
Successful Application of Emerging FTIRS Technique to Quantify Biogenic Silica and Organic Carbon in Lake Sediments for Paleoclimate Reconstruction: A Case Study from Lacawac Lake, Pennsylvania
No full textThis project utilizes FTIR Spectroscopy, an emerging method for generating BSi and TOC predictions to reconstruct past climate at Lacawac Lake in Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania. BSi and TOC are broad environmental proxies, where relatively higher percentages correlate with warmer temperatures and relatively lower percentages correlate with colder temperatures. Prior methods exist for producing BSi and TOC values but consume large amounts of sediment and are time-consuming and expensive. BSi has been especially difficult to quantify via traditional methods due to the margin of error associated with different lab techniques. FTIR Spectroscopy presents a unique opportunity to improve BSi predictions and quickly generate high-resolution climate reconstructions. Raw FTIR absorbance is converted to weight percentages of BSi and TOC based on a calibration data set of traditional values. This project thickens FTIR methodology by addressing uncertainties about the calibration data set. Based on preliminary FTIR predictions with four calibrations, a localized calibration most accurately captures past climate trends at Lacawac Lake. FTIR predictions generated with the 50% calibration had an AAD of 1.25% for BSi and 4.48% for TOC; predictions generated via the 100% calibration had an AAD of 1.13% for BSi and 4.06% for TOC. While the 100% calibration produced the most accurate results, the 50% calibration is ideal for maximizing efficiency when generating FTIR data sets. The similar trends in the traditional and FTIR data demonstrate that interpretation of FTIR data is possible with a well-calibrated data set. The results from this study still need to be constrained by an accurate age model, however, the BSi and TOC curves appear to suggest LIS meltwater influence from ~1,300cm to 1,100cm, and diverging proxy trends from 900-5cm. Following the initial climate response, Lacawac BSi likely indicates temperature and insolation changes, and TOC likely indicates changes in surrounding landscape vegetation. The significance of Lacawac paleoclimate reconstruction over the past ~15,000 years could be thickened with additional climate proxies and knowledge about historical human activity in northeastern Pennsylvania
Pluripotency of a Founding Field: Rebranding Developmental Biology
No full textThe field of developmental biology has declined in prominence in recent decades, with off-shoots from the field becoming more fashionable and highly funded. This has created inequity in discovery and opportunity, partly due to the perception that the field is antiquated or not cutting edge. A \u27think tank\u27 of scientists from multiple developmental biology-related disciplines came together to define specific challenges in the field that may have inhibited innovation, and to provide tangible solutions to some of the issues facing developmental biology. The community suggestions include a call to the community to help \u27rebrand\u27 the field, alongside proposals for additional funding apparatuses, frameworks for interdisciplinary innovative collaborations, pedagogical access, improved science communication, increased diversity and inclusion, and equity of resources to provide maximal impact to the community
Outlining the Hidden Curriculum: Perspectives on Successfully Navigating Scientific Conferences
Get PDFScientific conferences and meetings are valuable opportunities for researchers to network, communicate, and develop knowledge. For early career scientists, conferences can also be intimidating, confusing, and overwhelming, especially without having adequate preparation or experience. In this Perspective, we provide advice based on previous experiences navigating scientific meetings and conferences. These guidelines outline parts of the hidden curriculum around preparing for and attending meetings, navigating conference sessions, networking with other scientists, and participating in social activities while upholding a recommended code of conduct
Testate Amoebae (Arcellinida, Amoebozoa) Community Diversity in New England Bogs and Fens Assessed through Lineage-Specific Amplicon Sequencing
Get PDFTestate amoebae (order Arcellinida) are abundant in freshwater ecosystems, including low pH bogs and fens. Within these environments, Arcellinida are considered top predators in microbial food webs and their tests are useful bioindicators of paleoclimatic changes and anthropogenic pollutants. Accurate species identifications and characterizations of diversity are important for studies of paleoclimate, microbial ecology, and environmental change; however, morphological species definitions mask cryptic diversity, which is a common phenomenon among microbial eukaryotes. Lineage-specific primers recently designed to target Arcellinida for amplicon sequencing successfully captured a poorly-described yet diverse fraction of the microbial eukaryotic community. Here, we leveraged the application of these newly-designed primers to survey the diversity of Arcellinida in four low-pH New England bogs and fens, investigating variation among bogs (2018) and then across seasons and habitats within two bogs (2019). Three OTUs represented 66% of Arcellinida reads obtained across all habitats surveyed. 103 additional OTUs were present in lower abundance with some OTUs detected in only one sampling location, suggesting habitat specificity. By establishing a baseline for Arcellinida diversity, we provide a foundation to monitor key taxa in habitats that are predicted to change with increasing anthropogenic pressure and rapid climate change