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Ice Hockey and the Cold War: Impacts on the Development of Canadian National Identity
Get PDFThe Cold War era, beginning in the late 1940s and ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, created distinct divisions between nations depending on their associations with either communism or capitalism. Although Canada found itself closely linked with the United States in its Cold War policy, this conflict also presented the opportunity to create and strengthen a national identity at home. Athletic achievements emerged within this context as examples of national greatness. Through the use of both political and diplomatic means, the Canadian government was successful in utilising the sport of ice hockey to promote a national identity at home while also asserting its ideological superiority on the international stage. Representing their respective ideologies, the set of shared political and socioeconomic ideals, Canadian and Soviet ice hockey teams faced off against each other in a series of international events including the Summit Series, Winter Olympics, Canada Cup, and World Championships. These events were viewed as symbolic expressions of ideology that were reflected in the way that each nation played the game, enabling the attachment of national identity to the sport itself. Within the context of this, one of the key areas in which the Cold War between Canada and the Soviet Union was “fought,” was on the ice
On Divine Wings and Mortal Backs: Representations of Victory, Empire and Subjugation on the Acropolis
Get PDFThe Athenian Acropolis, the central hill in Athens, home to the Parthenon and many other Classical ruins, is a famous historical monument. The artistic and historical associations of this location are complex and frequently negative, despite its current reputation as a positive beacon of Greek culture. The art of the Acropolis elevated Athenian status and projected an image of superiority over other Greek city-states during the fifth century B.C.E. and beyond through the use of four different mythological stories: the Amazonomachy, the Centauromachy, the Trojan War and the Gigantomachy. Athens’ victories during the Persian Wars were assimilated to these mythological episodes, and Athens’ patron goddess, Athena, was placed in a prominent position. This paper examines how such assimilation was accomplished and explains the importance of the specific Atheno-centric depictions of each narrative on the Acropolis. The association of the Acropolis’s art and architecture with empire continued to emphasise Athenian primacy in later decades of the fifth century B.C.E., and was well demonstrated by the combined Doric and Ionic elements in the Parthenon. Similarly, the iconography of the Parthenon frieze supported the Athenian Empire, alluding to the Delian League, the association which eventually morphed into Athens’ empire. This paper also argues that the Caryatids of the Erechtheum are a strong artistic representation of ancient Athens’ oppression of other city-states, and uses multiple examples of Athens’ subjugation of its allies over the course of its empire to support this claim. The iconographic examples examined throughout this paper clearly demonstrate that the art and architecture of the Acropolis promoted Athenian superiority, reinforced Athenian power, bolstered Athenian imperialism and legitimated the city-state’s oppression of its allies
‘It’s Mine. My Own. My Precious’: The Interweaving of Imperialism, Colonialism, and Identity in the British Museum
Get PDFThe history of the British Museum and its collections are intrinsically linked to imperialism, colonialism, and national British identity. This paper examines the museum’s organizing principles and museological discourse in the twentieth century, referencing especially Henry Shelley’s 1911 guide to the museum, to illustrate the identity of superiority that the British Museum enforced while simultaneously promoting the inferiority of other, non-British peoples. Hints of colonialism and imperialism also remain a part of the British Museum in a contemporary context. The Parthenon Marbles act as a focal point for this discussion: these works of art demonstrate one way in which Britain, and by extension, the British Museum, have appropriated cultural heritage for their own purposes. This paper asserts that references to the British Museum as an ‘encyclopedic’ or ‘universal’ museum both obscure the problematic past of the museum and allow colonial and imperial notions to enter into modern British society
Portrayals of Nazisploitation and the Exploration of War and Hero in Popular Media: A Case Study of Call of Duty: World at War
Get PDFThis paper explores how Treyarch’s 2008 videogame, Call of Duty: World at War, remembers the history of World War II, and the German and Russian soldiers of the Eastern Front. Specifically, this paper looks at how Nazisploitation is used, and the conclusions developers encourage players to derive from it. World at War forgoes the fantastical and sexual elements of Nazisploitation for a more serious approach to claim historical authenticity. This paper argues that the videogame ultimately remains detached from the real historical context and experiences of those involved to create a narrative that reiterates the continued relevance of American and post-Soviet popular remembrance of World War II and its heroes. Additionally, this highlights how videogames, as an art medium, engage with history as a secondary source that can interpret and recall the past
Huguenots and Nouvelle France: Tracing the Impact of the French Protestant Minority on Colonial Development in Canada
Get PDFThe economic, population, and infrastructure development of the French colony of Nouvelle France was impacted by the participation of France’s Protestant minority, the Huguenots. Huguenots were concentrated in the upper-middle merchant class and lived predominantly in the provinces and cities on or near France’s north-west Atlantic coast. Between the 1560s and their expulsion from France and her colonies in 1685, Huguenots helped fund, construct, develop, and populate Nouvelle France. During that same period, successive French monarchs eroded the rights and privileges afforded Huguenots by l’Edit de Nantes, the document which signaled the end of the French religious wars of the 16th century. The erosion of l’Edit de Nantes culminated in the promulgation of l’Edit de Fontainebleau (1685), which revoked all rights afforded Huguenots as citizens of France, thus ending direct Huguenot involvement in the development of Nouvelle France
Amazon & Antitrust: Restoring Competition in the Digital Economy through Structural Separation Policy
Get PDFThe rapid innovation witnessed in the modern digital economy has drawn comparison to the policy environment of the early 19th century. With calls for contemporary antitrust action increasing, leading to the House Subcommittee on Antitrust report on the state of Competition in Digital Markets. The report opines the anti-competitive practices committed by digital monopolies (Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google) and their harmful results on consumers and competition. This paper will argue that the current laws available to enforce antitrust action are insufficient to regulate digital markets. The case study into Amazon’s marketplace behaviour demonstrates the need for regulatory renewal and the implementation of structural separations to prohibit conflicts of interest between the operators of marketplaces and promotion of their own private label brands. The paper provides the rationale for policymakers to renew antitrust legislation to adapt for the digital age
An NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Production Function
Get PDFEach year pundits across the NCAA football landscape debate the validity of various NCAA football teamsâ relative worthiness to play for the national championship. Given this debate seems to revolve around which team is the best in terms of total team production, I have developed and statistically estimated a complex invasion NCAA football bowl subdivision production function measuring NCAA football team productivity covering the 2008 to 2017 seasons. The model estimates both points scored and points surrendered for each team during this time period and then is combined to determine each teamâs overall productivity. Finally, as an application of the complex invasion college football production function model, I have ranked the overall productivity of the NCAA football bowl subdivision teams for the 2017 season to find the most productive team. The model concludes that the University of Alabama was the most productive team for the 2017 season
Content Validation of a Recreational and Sport Risk Taking Scale
Get PDFe: The practice of sport and leisure has many physiological and psychological benefits. However, certain behaviours may contravene the physical integrity and well-being of participants, notably through sports injuries. Several endogenous (sensation seeking, risk perception, psychoaffective aspects, substance consumption, age) and exogenous (social influence, recreational and sporting factors, protective equipment, physical environment) dimensions make up risk-taking behaviours. Method: A qualitative study helped in developing an explanatory risk-taking model. A scale, based on the results of this work, could serve as a useful tool to better understand the determinants of leisure risk-taking among young people and, thus, propose more relevant prevention measures. The purpose of our research is to precisely design and attest to the content validity of a scale based on measuring recreational and sport risk-taking factors among young people between the ages of fourteen and twenty-four years through a Delphi survey with experts (n=7) and two focus groups (n=12). Results: Our findings show that, after these two data collections, the questionnaire displays satisfactory content validity. Continued analysis of psychometric qualities will ensure construct validity and fidelity
Effects of Imagery and Mindfulness on Anxiety, Confidence, Mental Well-Being, and Performance in Shot Putt Throwers: A Case Study
Get PDFThe purpose of the present study was to introduce imagery and mindfulness to athletes as tools to help deal with competition anxiety, and improve confidence, mental well-being, and performance. Two female varsity level throwers (Mage = 20) met individually with the researcher twice a week during the competitive season (25 weeks). Athletes were introduced to breathing and relaxation techniques, followed by basic imagery scripts and mindfulness. Results revealed that both athletes decreased their anxiety levels, while increasing their self-confidence, mental well-being, and performance. The findings highlight the positive effect of employing a combination of imagery and mindfulness in sport life