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Between Xinjiang and Guangzhou: Uyghur Migrants in 1990s Chinese Cinema
Get PDFDuring the 1980s and 1990s, postsocialist China saw a rise in issues of urbanization, migration, and urban-rural disparities to accompany the reforms to the socialist economic system. In this article, I place the film Xinjiang Boy Comes to Guangzhou (Guangzhou laile xinjiangwa, 1995) by Wang Jin in the frameworks of postsocialism and urban cinema to analyze how the representations of ethnic minorities engage with the dynamics of the above social issues. Based on a true incident, the film tells the harrowing story of a Uyghur boy from Xinjiang wandering in Guangzhou, and his eventual return home with the help of local news. I argue that by depicting the protagonist as constantly drifting in different urban spaces, this film not only exposes the structural inequality between Guangzhou and Xinjiang, but demonstrates the language gap, the living conditions, and the identity crisis Uyghur migrants face when entering the city. In addition, Uyghur migrants’ views of the city change as they interact with the local community. This individual-level interaction echoes the discourses of national solidarity (minzu tuanjie) promoted in official media, mediating the tension between ethnic minority migrants and locals.departmental bulletin pape
夢の時間における孤独からの解放 : Tom’s Midnight GardenにおけるMrs Bartholomewの意識変化
Get PDFThis paper examines the concept of time travel in Philippa Pearce’s Tom’s Midnight Garden from the perspective of dream time and explores the psychological transformation of Mrs Bartholomew’s loneliness. Time travel in this novel is based on Mrs Bartholomew’s dreams, and this approach creates a unique temporal structure. Therefore, understanding how dreams relate to time is essential for interpreting the characters’ psychological states. Previous studies have focused on the non-physical and psychological aspects of the time that Tom experiences, often incorporating the role of dreams. Lesley Aers (1970) highlights Tom’s journey through non-linear time and the importance of “dream time”. Neil Philip (1982) discusses dreams as tools to explore psychological and temporal dimensions. Raymond E. Jones (1985) argues that time in the novel is a “continuing imaginary reality”, and Maria Nikolajeva (2009) examines the interplay between physical time (chronos) and psychological time (kairos). However, little research has examined how Tom’s adventures, mediated by dreams, alter Mrs Bartholomew’s emotional state from the perspective of dream time. Therefore, this paper aims to focus on the dream-based temporal structure in the novel and shed light on Mrs Bartholomew’s inner world. The analysis will concentrate on the five-dimensional nature of time in the garden, drawing on J.W. Dunne’s theory of Serialism, to highlight Mrs Bartholomew’s present-day loneliness and her psychological release from it. It will also demonstrate that Tom’s intervention in multi-layered time alleviates her loneliness without altering Mrs Bartholomew’s real past. In doing so, this paper elucidates that the novel can be read as a story about the psychological transformation and release from the loneliness of a lonely elderly woman.departmental bulletin pape
Living a Feminist Artist Life: Collective Identity and Subversive Creative Labor of Mako Idemitsu’s Videos
Get PDFThis paper investigates the politics of feminist art practices through the lens of Mako Idemitsu’s career and artworks. As a pioneering video artist, Idemitsu has consistently demonstrated her commitment to feminist movements, challenging prevailing societal norms and gender expectations since the 1970s. This study addresses the question: How do Idemitsu’s video artworks engage with and critique the constraints imposed upon female artists by societal and institutional norms? The analysis centers on two key artworks, Kiyoko’s Situation (1989) and Kae, Act Like A Girl! (1996), with a focus on themes of domestic labor. These pieces not only depict the struggle to balance artistic pursuits with domestic responsibilities but also provide critical insights into the naturalization of gender roles and hierarchies within the art system. By examining Idemitsu’s work, this paper highlights the subversive potential of feminist art in challenging and reshaping institutional narratives. The article engages with a theoretical framework that integrates concepts of collective identity, social reproduction theory, and institutional critique to argue that Idemitsu’s approach creates a space for sustained political engagement and resistance to complicity in capitalist structures. Building on social reproduction and feminist thoughts, it proposes a form of artistic labor as “subversive creative labor,” involving a double critique that emphasizes social reproductive labor and art as reproductive institutions. This approach allows artists to challenge the art system and demand more resources from the institution without compromising their radicalness to institutional inclusiveness. In light of the backlash against feminism following the introduction of the “Basic Act for a Gender- Equal Society” in Japan in 1999, the recent resurgence of feminist art exhibitions illustrates the evolving dynamics within contemporary Japanese art. Idemitsu’s integration of personal experiences with broader feminist movements, especially within the realm of video art, enriches her artistic narrative, making her work a vital study of resistance against patriarchal and capitalist pressures. This essay argues that by actively forging a collective identity, Idemitsu deepens her understanding of herself and others, sharing experiences that culminate in politically motivated art practices. Furthermore, this paper contributes to the de-Westernization of women's art history and criticism, highlighting the importance of diverse feminist perspectives in contemporary discourse.departmental bulletin pape
鮫人について : 小説から詩賦への一考察
Get PDFThe concept of “thing”(事), which was commonly used by literati in the Six Dynasties of ancient China, can be understood by the modern word knowledge(知識). In that case, the story(小説) of the Six Dynasties, which was used to record various kinds of things, was a good presentation of the knowledge world of the Six Dynasties literati. At the same time, the literati also used allusions(典故) in their poetry(詩賦), which was called “用(隸)事”, and formed a trend. It can be understood that literati of the Six Dynasties liked to use knowledge in their poetry. The logic of “knowledge-thingallusion”, is necessary to understand the great role and far-reaching influence of the Six Dynasties story in providing allusions for poetry. Based on the viewpoint of “knowledge-thing-allusion”, this paper first analyses the “jiao ren” (鮫 人)knowledge in the story of Six Dynasties, and then examines the use of the “jiao ren” allusion in poetry from the Six Dynasties to the Song Dynasty. By examining such jiao ren, we can see one of the steps in the operation of the Six Dynasties literati’s knowledge world and realize the influence of the Six Dynasties story on later generations of literati. As a new thing that appeared in the Six Dynasties period, jiao ren was noticed by the literati. They recorded a lot of information about jiao ren in their stories and used this new thing/knowledge as an allusion in their poetry. It is worth noting that the writings about jiao ren in the poetry of the Six Dynasties can be summarized into three main points: “building living room in the ocean” (鮫人築室) ; “weaving in the water” (鮫人潜織) ; “Weeping out pearls” (鮫人泣珠) . These stories and poetry about jiao ren in the Six Dynasties had a far-reaching influence on the later generations. Through the poetry of the Tang and Song dynasties, the literary image of jiao ren became very classic and colorful.departmental bulletin pape
状況名詞に前接する動態・静態表現 : 「模様ダ」と「様子ダ」を対象に
Get PDFThis study investigates situational nouns "moyoo" and "yoosu" and their attributive clauses, which have received limited attention in previous studies. Miyata (2004) classifies "moyoo" and "yoosu" under the same category of expressing "appearance of a situation." "Moyoo" and "yoosu" followed by "da" are also similar to each other in meaning and usage. However, the fact that they are not entirely interchangeable may be confusing for Japanese language learners. Therefore, it is essential to analyze their actual differences. Diverging from previous studies, this study utilizes Shinya's (2010) concepts of "dynamic" and "static." Through the comparison of attributive clauses preceding "moyoo-da" and "yoosu-da," we observed that both "moyoo-da" and "yoosu-da" can take attributive clauses containing verb phrases and adjectival nouns. However, attributive clauses of "yoosu-da" can have a wider range in expression, including quotations and descriptive expressions, which are not commonly found in those of "moyooda." This difference is correlated with the concepts of "dynamic" and "static." Further analysis of semantic characteristics of these attributive clauses reveals that attributive clauses of "moyoo-da" contain more commonly dynamic expressions, whereas those of "yoosu-da" tend to be more static. The fact that attributive clauses of "yoosu-da" exhibits a wider variety in form compared to those of "moyoo-da," can be attributed to the inherent lexical semantic characteristics of "moyoo" and "yoosu." Furthermore, the preference for dynamic or static expressions in attributive clauses is linked to the distinct functions played by "moyoo-da" and "yoosu-da" respectively.departmental bulletin pape
Understanding Recruitments Circumstances of Lao Migrant Workers
Get PDFLao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) aims to promote improved labour migration governance including ethical recruitment, while ensuring migrant workers have access to recognized and sustainable skills development opportunities. It will contribute to more effective national policies including greater alignment of labour migration policies, skills development and employment policies; increased policy coherence bilaterally and regionally; and an enabling policy environment that contributes to the full potential of labour migration as a source of poverty reduction, economic growth, and resilience. To achieve these, a researcher conducted a country-specific assessment of its recruitment environment by doing field trip for interview focused group and key informant interview as part of a wider programme assessment. This research aims to assess the post COVID―19 recruitment landscape in Lao PDR, with the aim of identifying gaps and providing some recommendations that better serve the needs of migrant workers and employers. This paper is the outcome of a scoping review and a series of extensive consultations with various line ministries, businesses, recruitment agencies, skills development providers, civil society organizations, United Nations agencies and other development partners. The researcher is grateful to all participating actors for their valuable contributions and collaborative efforts that made this research study possible, with a special expression of appreciation to the Department of Employment, Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare and International Organization for Migration (IOM) for their pivotal role in facilitating this collaborative endeavor. This document stands as a comprehensive resource to better understand the recruitment environment in Lao PDR. It serves as a valuable tool for policymakers, recruitment agencies, and stakeholders, providing insights to inform recommendations on skills development and promoting decent employment for migrant workers.departmental bulletin pape
Electoral Competitiveness and Social Conflicts in Peru
Get PDFConventional arguments posit that the quality of institutional representation influences the likelihood of non-institutional political participation, such as street protests. What aspect of institutional quality matters, however, is underexplored. This study considers electoral competitiveness a crucial aspect of democratic representation and empirically assesses whether it mitigates social conflicts in Peru. Democratic principles hold that competitive elections motivate representatives to serve better for electorates because doing so increases their chance of electoral success. Notwithstanding, there are reasons to be uncertain about this conjecture, particularly regarding social conflicts. Social conflicts, defined as local demand-making through public manifestations mostly deploying non-violent repertoire, take their origins in various demands unattended by institutional channels, and authorities facing more intensive competition are supposed to address them more effectively. However, scholars may suggest that some authorities who afford abundant resources to buy a greater margin of electoral support than rivals--following the rentier state model--may enjoy less competitive situations and fewer conflicts. In Peru, social conflicts are rampant, and subnational authorities may receive massive financial resources. Using department-level data from 2006 to 2020, I confirm that the smaller margin of votes obtained by two top contenders for governorship is associated with fewer social conflicts under their mandates.departmental bulletin pape
形容詞派生動詞の自他対応について : 多義性の観点から
Get PDFThis paper deepens the understanding of the polysemy of 22 adjective-derived verbs and the corresponding transitive and intransitive verbs. The main findings are as follows: First, an examination of the relationship between the prototypical meanings of adjectives and their corresponding adjective-derived verbs revealed that only six out of the eleven adjectives showed verb derivation. This indicates that the starting point of the derivation lies in the adjectives. Furthermore, the factors behind the lack of correspondence between the prototypical meanings of the adjectives and the derived verbs were clarified using the concepts of stage-level property and individual-level property. Next, after investigating the number of extended meanings for each word, adjectives had the most, followed by verbs ending in “-meru” in second place, and verbs ending in “-maru” in third place. From this, it can be said that verbs are generally derived from adjectives, followed by derivation from “-meru” to “-maru.” On the other hand, some adjective-derived verbs, such as “katamaru”, “hiromeru” and “marumeru” possess extended meanings that are not found in the corresponding adjectives. In other words, these words are considered to have expanded their meanings independently, separate from the derivational relationship.departmental bulletin pape
Manzai Karaoke: A Real-Time Visual Guidance System for Assisting Japanese Double Act Performance
No full textWhile the common way to enjoy two-person comedic dialogue, such as double act, is by watching it, performing Japanese manzai has recently gained attention for its entertainment value and effectiveness in improving dialogue skills. However, performing manzai is challenging, as it requires memorizing scripts and mastering its unique intonation, actions, and timing. In this study, we propose “Manzai Karaoke,” a real-time visual guidance system that assists two-person manzai performances. Similar to karaoke, this system provides script line displays and nonverbal performance cues, enabling inexperienced users to perform manzai. To design an interface that meets the key requirements—allowing users to perform with ease and ensuring audience amusement—we conducted a two-step prototyping and user study. The first step validated the feasibility of real-time comedy performance assistance, revealing that in addition to displaying script lines, guidance on intonation, emotion, actions, and timing is essential. The second step demonstrated that the implemented interface incorporating these elements effectively meets the requirements. This study contributes to the field of entertainment computing by demonstrating the potential of visual guidance and providing design recommendations for assisting novice manzai performances.M., Di Iorio, A., Figueroa, P., Yamanishi, R., Matsumura, K. (eds) Entertainment Computing – ICEC 2025. ICEC 2025. Lecture Notes in Computer Scienceconference pape
The Controversy of Formal and Informal Land Deed Systems in Afghanistan: The Case of Dehsabz District
Get PDFA land deed is essential for identifying land ownership in a modern land administration system. However, most land in Afghanistan lack legal deeds and ownership relies on informal customary deeds. This creates controversy between the formal and informal deed systems, causing land tenure disputes between the government and the people, which has hindered national development projects like the Kabul New City in the Dehsabz area. The purpose of this study is to assess the root causes of these controversies and analyzes the factors influencing the reliance on one system over the other. This research employs a socio-legal methodology, combining quantitative and qualitative methods. Specifically, a survey of citizens from the Dehsabz district was conducted with 130 responses collected. The qualitative aspect of the study analyzed Afghanistan’s land-related regulations, policies, and institutional procedures. The findings reveal that despite the formal deed system’s benefits, around 80% of respondents rely on customary systems for three main reasons: 50% of people use land based on informal deeds or without a title, formal institutions are weak, corrupt, and expensive, and there are disputes between the government and people over land size and grade. In conclusion, Afghanistan needs a unified land deed system that integrates informal and formal deeds to resolve the controversy and support national development projects.departmental bulletin pape