Synergy: International Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies
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Pierre de Coubertin’s Ode to Sport: A Feminist Reassessment of Gender Bias in Olympic Ideals
Get PDFPierre de Coubertin’s Ode to Sport has long been celebrated for its philosophical exploration of the moral and physical virtues of sport, emphasising its role in uniting humanity and promoting justice. However, this iconic poem has largely escaped critical scrutiny from a feminist perspective, particularly regarding its gendered portrayal of sport. This paper offers a feminist reassessment of the Ode to Sport, focusing on how Coubertin’s representation of sport reinforces hegemonic masculinity and excludes women from the idealised Olympic vision. By analysing the language, imagery, and historical context of the poem, this study shows how Coubertin’s male-centric ideals shaped the early Olympic Games and reflect broader societal views on gender and corporeality. Drawing on feminist literary theory and historical research, it highlights the exclusionary nature of the Olympic movement in its early years, as well as subsequent feminist challenges to these gendered narratives. The paper concludes with a consideration of how contemporary feminist athletes and sports movements have redefined sport as a space for gender inclusion, empowerment, and equality. It offers a critique of the legacy of the ode to sport and the possibility of a more inclusive vision of sport in the modern era
Good Girl: by Aria Aber, United Kingdom, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2025, pp. 368, Price 699 (paperback), ISBN: 978-1-52-667904-8
Get PDFUnseen and Unbelieved: Crip Feminism, Narrative Agency, and Disabled Women in Global Psychological Thrillers
Get PDFThis study employs crip feminism—a framework integrating disability justice and feminist theory—to examine how disabled women protagonists in psychological thrillers navigate surveillance, trauma, and credibility across Western and non-Western contexts. Analyzing Gail Honeyman’s Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, Caitlín R. Kiernan’s The Drowning Girl, Porochista Khakpour’s Sick, Yoko Ogawa’s The Memory Police, and Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister, the Serial Killer, I argue that neurodivergent, chronically ill, and mentally distressed characters subvert ableist labels of "unreliability" through fragmented narratives and embodied resistance. By juxtaposing texts from the UK, US, Japan, and Nigeria, this project reveals how race, class, and cultural context intensify scrutiny of disabled women’s voices, while digital platforms (e.g., social media, health apps) introduce new modes of surveillance. Combining close reading, comparative analysis, crip narrative theory (Siebers, Kafer), and digital ethnography of reader responses on Goodreads/BookTok, I demonstrate that these protagonists reclaim agency against medical gaslighting, institutional erasure, and societal dismissal. The research bridges gaps in feminist thriller scholarship—which overlooks disability (Philips, 2021; Cîrlig, 2022)—and disability studies, which neglects popular genres (Davis, 2017). Findings contest linear, ableist storytelling norms and highlight thrillers as sites for decolonizing literary analysis, offering new insights into inclusive narratives, intersectional oppression, and digital-age resistance
Beyond Ad Hocism: Towards Rights based Refugee protection in India
Get PDFIndia’s absence of a national refugee law entrenches discriminatory and securitised governance of displaced populations. Despite hosting over 200,000 refugees from Tibet, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Myanmar, India relies on ad hoc policies under immigration statutes like the Foreigners Act (1946), creating hierarchies of protection. This paper critiques India’s “strategic ambiguity” through comparative case studies of three groups: state-supported Sri Lankan Tamils (Category I), UNHCR-recognised Afghans (Category II), and criminalised Rohingya Muslims (Category III). It reveals how geopolitical interests—not vulnerability—determine rights access, with Muslim refugees systematically excluded. Legal limbo denies refugees socio-economic entitlements: Rohingya in Delhi/Jammu lack documentation for schools, healthcare, and formal work, violating constitutional guarantees. Concurrently, securitisation frames refugees as security threats, justifying deportations (e.g., MHA’s 2017 Rohingya policy) and religious exclusion under the Citizenship Amendment Act (2019). The analysis employs securitisation theory (Buzan et al.) and “crimmigration” (Stumpf) to argue that India’s policy asymmetry enables state-sanctioned discrimination. Recommendations include enacting a rights-based refugee law enshrining non-refoulement, regional cooperation via SAARC, and learning from Mizoram’s local integration of Chin refugees. Without structural reform, India’s selective humanitarianism will continue violating international norms and marginalizing the most vulnerable
Navigating the Landscape of Solid Waste Management: Innovating Developmental Strategies for a Sustainable Environment
Get PDFEffective solid waste management is decisive for environmental sustainability and community healthiness. This study addresses critical research gaps in scalable solid waste management (SWM) for developing economies through a systematic analysis of circular economy innovations, policy frameworks, and socio-economic barriers. Employing a dual-method approach combining a literature review and policy analysis, we identify infrastructure deficits, environmental justice trade-offs in waste-to-energy adoption, and formalization challenges for informal waste sectors as key constraints. Findings demonstrate modular technologies can reduce collection costs by 35%, while gamified education increases waste segregation by 60% in low-resource settings. The research proposes a justice-centered framework integrating three pillars: (1) Technical (low-cost modular solutions), (2) Social (formalized waste picker inclusion), and (3) Policy (equity-focused EPR reforms). By quantifying implementation metrics across 12 case studies, this work presents actionable pathways for building resilient SWM systems that balance ecological integrity, economic viability, and social equity
The Exploring Kevlar's Chemical Structure through Advanced Topological Co-Indices: Exploring Kevlar's Chemical Structure
No full textUnlocking the secrets of molecular structures has become a paramount pursuit in the realm of scientific inquiry, where the marriage of mathematical models and physical properties plays a pivotal role. Topological co-indices, as mathematical constructs, serve as potent tools to scrutinize the intricate relationship between chemical structures and their properties. By harnessing the power of molecular graphs, where edges represent bonds and points symbolize atoms, these co-indices provide numerical insights into diverse chemical structures. In this study, we delve into the fascinating world of topological co-indices by employing the iconic Kevlar’s chemical structure as our focal point. Unlike conventional lab tests, our approach offers a time-efficient alternative, enabling frequent usage without compromising accuracy. The investigation encompasses the derivation and analysis of several topological co-indices tailored to the unique attributes of Kevlar. Furthermore, this research introduces graphical representations that vividly illustrate the comparative landscape of estimated topological indices associated with Kevlar’s chemical structure. These visuals serve as a powerful tool for both experts and enthusiasts, enhancing the accessibility and comprehensibility of our findings. Join us on this captivating journey as we unravel the mathematical intricacies intertwined with the physical essence of Kevlar’s molecular architecture, shedding light on its distinctive properties through the lens of topological co-indices
Exploring Dystopian Literature as a Medium to Critique and Reflect on Contemporary Societal Issues.
No full textDystopian literature has long served as a mirror through which societies confront their deepest fears, moral contradictions, and political issues. This research examines how the genre works as a dynamic tool to critique and reflect on contemporary social problems — from surveillance and authoritarian rule to gender oppression, ecological decline, and the dehumanizing impacts of technology. Through a qualitative, comparative, and interpretive analysis of selected texts, including George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower, and Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, the study explores how authors use narrative techniques like world-building, symbolism, allegory, and intertextuality to express the anxieties of their eras. The paper also draws on theoretical perspectives from Michel Foucault’s discourse on power, feminist literary criticism, and eco-criticism to reveal the socio-political and ethical messages embedded in these stories. By placing dystopian fiction in the context of global social and historical movements — from the rise of totalitarian regimes to the digital age — this research argues that dystopian stories do more than imagine disaster; they act as moral maps, encouraging readers to question the direction of modern civilization. In the end, the study highlights the lasting importance of dystopian literature as a form of cultural resistance, ethical reflection, and political creativity in a time of crisis and change
Contours of Indian Elements in Persian Imagination: Literary and Linguistic Encounters in Pre-Modern India
Get PDFPersian, initially a foreign language, maintained a profound connection to India for centuries due to ancient Indo-Iranian ties dating back to the prehistoric and Vedic periods. With the arrival of Turks, Iranians, and Mughals from the 13th century onward, Persian had already established itself as a dominant cultural and intellectual lingua franca across much of Asia, from Afghanistan to Anatolia, a period scholars like Eaton refer to as the Persianate Age. In India, during the Ghaznavid, Ghurid, and Mughal eras, Persian became the court and administrative language, while also serving as a vital medium for literary, cultural, religious, and philosophical expression. This paper highlights the diverse influence of Indian cultural elements on Persian language and literature, emphasizing linguistic, literary, cultural, religious, and philosophical aspects, especially during medieval and early modern India
Pathways of Devotion and Domination: Consumption, Caste and the Production of Space at Govardhan
Get PDFThis paper examines the socio-spatial transformations of Govardhan Mountain, a pilgrimage site in Uttar Pradesh, India. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, combining participant observation, informal interviews, and spatial mapping, it argues that the once-egalitarian ritual of parikrama (circumambulation) has been reconfigured through the rising service economy, caste-based religious brokerage, and consumerist pressures. Employing Lefebvre’s production of space, Bourdieu’s concepts of symbolic capital and habitus, and insights from critical caste studies, the study shows how upper-caste networks dominate temple bidding, direct tourist flows, and commodify ritual goods. Simultaneously, marginalised castes are relegated to precarious e-rickshaw labour and informal markets, where they deploy everyday tactics of alliance and ritual reinterpretation to carve out visibility and dignity. The paper also highlights the ecological toll of adulterated ritual products (synthetic milk) and mismanaged communal resources, revealing a disconnect between various forms of the political economy of space. Policy interventions like plastic bans, cleaning contracts, and mobility regulations often fail due to corruption and a lack of grounding in local life-worlds. By centering both the structural reproduction of caste hierarchies and the tactical agency of marginalised actors, this study argues that space is neither static nor purely spiritual but a contested arena of power, capital, and everyday negotiation
Reel Representation: Fostering Justice and Empowerment for the LGBTIQA+ Community Through Indian Cinema
Get PDFMedia representations hold a significant place in contemporary times, with cinema emerging as one of the most influential and widely consumed mediums. As an ideological state apparatus, cinema has the power to shape discourse and public consciousness. Historically, Indian films have portrayed the LGBTIQA+ community in a negative light, often reinforcing stereotypes and reducing individuals to caricatures used for ridicule, mockery, or villainy. These portrayals reflect the deep-rooted homophobia in Indian society, where, despite the decriminalisation of homosexuality, the community continues to face discrimination in education, employment, legal rights, and daily social interactions. They remain marginalised as ‘others’ within a predominantly heteronormative framework. However, Indian cinema has witnessed a gradual shift—from stereotypical portrayals to more nuanced and empathetic representations of LGBTIQA+ lives. By showcasing complex characters and their struggles within a cis-gendered society, films have the potential to foster empathy, validate identities, and create awareness. Cinema, therefore, emerges not just as a source of entertainment but also as a vital pedagogical tool that sensitises audiences by bringing to light the lived realities of the LGBTIQA+ community. The objective of this paper is to examine three Indian films that authentically depict the challenges faced by the LGBTIQA+ community. It seeks to highlight how cinema can act as a catalyst for social change, promoting justice, inclusion, and empowerment. Through thoughtful storytelling, films can play a transformative role in building a just and equitable society by normalising diverse identities and encouraging meaningful dialogue