USB Journals (Univ. Köln)
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Gender and Violence in Pandemic Futures in Larissa Lai\u27s The Tiger Flu
This article engages with the speculative future of Larissa Lai\u27s 2018 novel The Tiger Flu and its exploration of utopian possibilities via alternative forms of female survival. In contrast to prototypical depictions of survival in classic dystopian or post-apocalpytic narratives, such as Cormac McCarthy\u27s The Road (2006), where straight white male heroes are the ones who take charge, Lai changes some central premises: the novel is alternately told from the first-person perspective of Kirilow Groundsel and from a third-person perspective that uses a second protagonist, Kora Ko, as a focalizer. Issues pertaining to gender and sex as material-discursive formations that shape social relations are thus foregrounded in The Tiger Flu not only by the fact that the eponymous flu itself has "a taste for men," but also through its two female queer protagonists of color, who are, moreover, not contained by the contours of lone hero/ine tropes. As we will show, however, the novel is likewise careful to not conjure feminist utopianism as a dea ex machina via its two protagonists and the worlds they inhabit: Lai\u27s narrative also traces continuities from "the world before," showcasing that patriarchal structures, and particularly gendered violence, are not as far off as it would seem. Quite to the contrary, they are now frequently perpetuated and perpetrated by women and even by the protagonists themselves, and for that very reason might appear less conspicuous. The Tiger Flu hence simultaneously explores, celebrates, and criticizes utopian possibilities while emphasizing the continued parallel exploitation of both the environment and women - and by doing so the narrative teases readers with the possibility of utopian closure that it, however, ultimately denies in favor of interrogating ways of working towards utopia
Moroccan indefinite determiners in Dutch
In the early 21st century, Dutch can be considered the most common mode of interaction among Moroccan-heritage youngsters who were raised in the Netherlands or Flanders. It is among this group that specific ways of speaking have emerged, probably in the early years of the new millennium. Among other features, this style is characterized by the frequent use of words with a Moroccan etymological background (Arabic or Berber) in speech which is otherwise Dutch. This article will focus on one specific set of Moroccan elements that frequently appear in Moroccan Dutch speech, indefinite determiners. I will largely restrict myself to three questions. First, as Arabic and Berber indefinites occur side by side, the question of their distribution will be addressed. Second, it will be studied to what extent structural differences between Dutch and Moroccan languages may account for the choice of Moroccan indefinites in some contexts. Third, a shift in meaning from indefinite with expressive connotations to a pure intensifier will be documented both among speakers with a Moroccan linguistic heritage and others
Using global products to improve under-standing of eco-hydrological processes and patterns in tropical catchments
Understanding the ecohydrological processes at large-scale in tropical regions across Latin America has been a challenge due to climate variability and the lack of long temporal data series. As an alternative, remote sensing data and global products have been widely used in ungauged basins to get insights into key hydro-climatic patterns. Here, we study eco-hydrological processes in 27 tropical catchments across Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico through the vegetation water use efficiency described by the Horton Index (HI) and the long-term water-energy balance described by the Budyko curve. Streamflow records from 2000 to 2014 were correlated with vegetation and climate indexes derived from MODIS, TRMM and CHIRPS at long-term and annual scales in order to find which factors presented more influence on the catchment’s response. Most of the Colombian and Costa Rican catchments were classified as energy-limited according to the dryness index (AI>1) and low water efficiency (HI ~ 0.48), meanwhile, Mexican catchments tended to be water-limited (AI>1) and more water efficient (HI ~ 0.52). Results suggested that climate is the strongest driver of water partitioning, where mean annual precipitation presented a strong linear relationship (ρ=0.93) with mean annual and intra-annual streamflow. Furthermore, the dryness index was a good predictor (r2=0.83 and 0.86, respectively) of the annual and long-term streamflow through a non-linear relationship similar to Budyko theory. Vegetation water use efficiency plays a secondary role in water partitioning, where HI was linearly negatively correlated with streamflow and baseflow (ρ=-0.78 and 0.82
La otra visita: legitimidad interna y convulsión externa. Richard Milhous Nixon en Costa Rica (1955)
By studying documents produced by US and Costa Rican agencies, as well as newspapers from both countries during that time, this article explores the contextual factors that surrounded Richard M. Nixon\u27s official visit to Costa Rica. The article determines the fundamental role of the US-Costa Rica relationship, not only for the Costa Rican government but also for the opposition within domestic politics. Additionally, this research exemplifies how Costa Rican actors aimed not only to adapt to US policy but also, utilizing the tools at their disposal, sought to modify it in their favor. This perspective highlights that the objectives of US authorities were not always achieved as intended, revealing the limitations of US influence when dealing with smaller actors in the region, such as Costa Rican political factions.By studying documents produced by US and Costa Rican agencies, as well as newspapers from both countries during that time, this article explores the contextual factors that surrounded Richard M. Nixon\u27s official visit to Costa Rica. The article determines the fundamental role of the US-Costa Rica relationship, not only for the Costa Rican government but also for the opposition within domestic politics. Additionally, this research exemplifies how Costa Rican actors aimed not only to adapt to US policy but also, utilizing the tools at their disposal, sought to modify it in their favor. This perspective highlights that the objectives of US authorities were not always achieved as intended, revealing the limitations of US influence when dealing with smaller actors in the region, such as Costa Rican political factions.Mediante la revisión de documentos producidos por las agencias estadounidenses y costarricenses, así como periódicos de la época en ambos países, se analizan los factores coyunturales que rodearon la visita de Richard M. Nixon a Costa Rica. El artículo concluye que la relación con Estados Unidos era fundamental tanto para el gobierno costarricense como para la oposición en el ámbito de la política interna. Además, la investigación ejemplifica cómo los actores costarricenses no solo buscaban adaptarse a la política estadounidense, sino que también intentaban influenciarla en su propio beneficio. Desde esta perspectiva, los objetivos de las autoridades estadounidenses no siempre se desarrollaron según lo planeado, lo que demuestra las limitaciones de la influencia estadounidense en relación con actores menos poderosos de la región, como los actores políticos de Costa Rica
Female Agency and Scandal: Doña Josefa de Angulo in 17th-Century Mexico City
This essay examines the life of Doña Josefa de Angulo through the lens of a 1661 Inquisition case. Josefa, whose much older husband, Juan de Vilches, deposited her at the Recogimiento de la Magdalena (the home for wayward women) in Mexico City, demonstrated a concerted effort to live life on her terms, ignoring the expectations for a married woman of some socio-economic standing. She dramatically altered life at the recogimiento and set in motion a series of scandalous events that involved employees at that institution, the archbishop and his staff, her stepchildren, the inquisitors, and her confessor Miguel de Palmares, who she accused of solicitation in the confessional. She challenged normative ideas about marriage, obedience to male authority, female agency, and the very purpose of the recogimiento. Her story illuminates the complicated relationship between gendered social control and the nature of scandal in colonial Mexico City.This essay examines the life of Doña Josefa de Angulo through the lens of a 1661 Inquisition case. Josefa, whose much older husband, Juan de Vilches, deposited her at the Recogimiento de la Magdalena (the home for wayward women) in Mexico City, demonstrated a concerted effort to live life on her terms, ignoring the expectations for a married woman of some socio-economic standing. She dramatically altered life at the recogimiento and set in motion a series of scandalous events that involved employees at that institution, the archbishop and his staff, her stepchildren, the inquisitors, and her confessor Miguel de Palmares, who she accused of solicitation in the confessional. She challenged normative ideas about marriage, obedience to male authority, female agency, and the very purpose of the recogimiento. Her story illuminates the complicated relationship between gendered social control and the nature of scandal in colonial Mexico City.Este ensayo se examina la vida de Doña Josefa de Angulo a través de un análisis de un caso inquisitorial del año 1661. Josefa, casada con un hombre mucho mayor, Juan de Vilches quien la depositó en el Recogimiento de la Magdalena, se mostraba un esfuerzo concentrado en vivir su vida por sí misma, rechazando las expectativas para una criolla casada y acomodada. Ella dramáticamente alteró la vida cotidiana en el recogimiento y provocó una serie de sucesos escandalosas las cuales se involucraban los empleados de la dicha institución, el arzobispo y su personal, sus hijastros, los inquisidores, y su confesor Miguel de Palmares, lo cual le acusó de solicitación en el confesionario. Ella desafiaba las normas sobre el matrimonio, la supuesta sumisión femenina a la autoridad masculina, y el mismo propósito del recogimiento. Su historia se ilumina la complicada relación entre el control social de género y la idea del escándalo en la capital virreinal
El catolicismo chileno entre los 40s y los 60s. Un estudio a través de tres polémicas: la Ley Maldita, la huelga de Molina y las cartas pastorales de 1962
Hispanic-American Catholicism has faced numerous changes in the last fifty years due to events in the international Church and to internal challenges in each of the countries where it is present. Chilean Catholicism presents itself as a privileged scenario to study these transformations, given that the Chilean Church was considered in the last century as one of the most progressive in Latin America, and that attitude had profound consequences among the country\u27s Catholics. This study focuses on Chile, but we believe it can be relevant to help understand the processes that Catholicism in our continent has experienced in the last century, as well as an instance of discussion about the history of the Catholic laity and the Church. The objective is to contribute to the history of Catholic ideas and intellectualism through a study of thought and debates within national Catholicism in years of profound structural changes marked by the new protagonism of the laity, the emergence of a markedly more progressive clergy, and the great ecclesial transformation that was Vatican II. We want to see how both the Catholic laity and ecclesial sectors continued to develop a strong presence in the public sphere, participating in discussions and debates that sought to improve society and the state. The proposal of this work is to elucidate the main flags of struggle that arose within the Chilean Catholic world, about how to interpret and disseminate the Social Doctrine of the Church and in what way to put it into practice, focusing on three specific moments in which Catholicism and politics intersected, causing debates and deep ruptures within the Chilean Catholic world. Those three moments are: the discussion around the so-called "The Coursed Law," which proscribed the Chilean Communist Party in 1948; the Molina peasant strike, which occurred in late 1953; and the publication of the two controversial pastorals of the Chilean Episcopate in 1962. Thus, the topic is inserted into a broader approach that investigates the close relationship between catholicism and politics in Chile, despite the separation between Church and State in 1925, to insist on its persistent influence on the affairs of civil society and the growing secularization of the Chilean clergy, especially in the chronological period studied.Hispanic-American Catholicism has faced numerous changes in the last fifty years due to events in the international Church and to internal challenges in each of the countries where it is present. Chilean Catholicism presents itself as a privileged scenario to study these transformations, given that the Chilean Church was considered in the last century as one of the most progressive in Latin America, and that attitude had profound consequences among the country\u27s Catholics. This study focuses on Chile, but we believe it can be relevant to help understand the processes that Catholicism in our continent has experienced in the last century, as well as an instance of discussion about the history of the Catholic laity and the Church. The objective is to contribute to the history of Catholic ideas and intellectualism through a study of thought and debates within national Catholicism in years of profound structural changes marked by the new protagonism of the laity, the emergence of a markedly more progressive clergy, and the great ecclesial transformation that was Vatican II. We want to see how both the Catholic laity and ecclesial sectors continued to develop a strong presence in the public sphere, participating in discussions and debates that sought to improve society and the state. The proposal of this work is to elucidate the main flags of struggle that arose within the Chilean Catholic world, about how to interpret and disseminate the Social Doctrine of the Church and in what way to put it into practice, focusing on three specific moments in which Catholicism and politics intersected, causing debates and deep ruptures within the Chilean Catholic world. Those three moments are: the discussion around the so-called "The Coursed Law," which proscribed the Chilean Communist Party in 1948; the Molina peasant strike, which occurred in late 1953; and the publication of the two controversial pastorals of the Chilean Episcopate in 1962. Thus, the topic is inserted into a broader approach that investigates the close relationship between catholicism and politics in Chile, despite the separation between Church and State in 1925, to insist on its persistent influence on the affairs of civil society and the growing secularization of the Chilean clergy, especially in the chronological period studied.El catolicismo hispanoamericano se ha enfrentado en los últimos cincuenta años a numerosos cambios provocados por los acontecimientos de la Iglesia a nivel internacional, así también como por los desafíos internos de cada uno de los países en los que está presente. El catolicismo chileno se presenta como un escenario privilegiado para estudiar estas transformaciones, dado que la Iglesia chilena fue considerada en el siglo pasado como una de las más progresista de Latinoamérica, y esa actitud tuvo consecuencias profundas entre los católicos del país. Este estudio se centra en Chile, pero creemos que puede ser pertinente para ayudar a comprender los procesos que ha vivido el catolicismo de nuestro continente en el último siglo, a la vez que como instancia de discusión sobre la historia del laicado católico y de la Iglesia. El objetivo es contribuir a la historia de las ideas y de las intelectualidades católicas a través de un estudio sobre el pensamiento y sobre los debates al interior del catolicismo nacional en años de profundos cambios estructurales marcados por el nuevo protagonismo del laicado, la aparición de un clero marcadamente más progresista y la gran transformación eclesial que significó el Concilio Vaticano II. Queremos ver cómo, tanto el laicado católico como los sectores eclesiales continuaron desarrollando una fuerte presencia en el espacio público, formando parte de las discusiones y debates que buscaban perfeccionar a la sociedad y al Estado. La propuesta de este trabajo es dilucidar las principales banderas de lucha que se suscitaron al interior del mundo católico chileno, sobre cómo interpretar y difundir la Doctrina Social de la Iglesia y en qué forma llevarla a la práctica, enfocándonos en tres momentos específicos en que catolicismo y política se entrecruzaron causando sendos debates y profundos quiebres que marcaron el catolicismo nacional. Esos tres momentos son: la discusión en torno a la llamada “Ley Maldita”, que proscribió en 1948 al Partido Comunista chileno; la huelga campesina de Molina, ocurrida a fines de 1953 y la publicación de las dos polémicas pastorales del Episcopado chileno en 1962. Así, el tema se inserta en un enfoque más amplio que indaga sobre la estrecha relación existente en Chile entre catolicismo y política, a pesar de la separación entre la Iglesia y el Estado en 1925, para insistir en su persistente influencia en los asuntos de la sociedad civil y en la creciente secularización del clero chileno, sobre todo en el período cronológico estudiado
Exploración y práctica científica en México. El caso de Karl Theodor Sapper como geólogo oficial (1893-1896)
Karl Theodor Sapper (1866-1945) was a prominent naturalist who was part of the constellation of German travelers, explorers and men of science who toured, described and studied portions of the American continent during the nineteenth century. The German geologist, geographer, ethnologist, Mayan and collector resided in Central America from 1888 to 1900; for twelve years he traveled from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to Panama. In his travels through the tropics he made studies in geology, volcanology, mining, soils, linguistics, cartography, archaeology and economics, which are pioneers in the region. His initial activity as administrator of coffee farms in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, -owned by his brother-, was combined with explorations and scientific studies, which ultimately reputed him worldwide fame as an expert scientific explorer of the Central American regions at the service of several of his governments and Mexico and as an epistemic authority in geology. In 1893 he signed a three-year contract with the Ministry of Development, Colonization, Industry and Commerce to perform the geological and geographical commission of Chiapas, Tabasco and the Yucatan Peninsula to perform the geological and geographical commission in charge of the Geological Institute of Mexico. The focus of this work is to study the geological practice at service of a government institution in Mexico by a transnational scientist like Sapper within the framework of “culture of exploration” proposed by Felix Driver, useful as a means of highlighting the ways in wich ideas, images and practices of exploration that crossed areas of culture during nineteenth century.Karl Theodor Sapper (1866-1945) was a prominent naturalist who was part of the constellation of German travelers, explorers and men of science who toured, described and studied portions of the American continent during the nineteenth century. The German geologist, geographer, ethnologist, Mayan and collector resided in Central America from 1888 to 1900; for twelve years he traveled from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to Panama. In his travels through the tropics he made studies in geology, volcanology, mining, soils, linguistics, cartography, archaeology and economics, which are pioneers in the region. His initial activity as administrator of coffee farms in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, -owned by his brother-, was combined with explorations and scientific studies, which ultimately reputed him worldwide fame as an expert scientific explorer of the Central American regions at the service of several of his governments and Mexico and as an epistemic authority in geology. In 1893 he signed a three-year contract with the Ministry of Development, Colonization, Industry and Commerce to perform the geological and geographical commission of Chiapas, Tabasco and the Yucatan Peninsula to perform the geological and geographical commission in charge of the Geological Institute of Mexico. The focus of this work is to study the geological practice at service of a government institution in Mexico by a transnational scientist like Sapper within the framework of “culture of exploration” proposed by Felix Driver, useful as a means of highlighting the ways in wich ideas, images and practices of exploration that crossed areas of culture during nineteenth century.Karl Theodor Sapper (1866-1945) fue un destacado naturalista que formó parte de la constelación de hombres de ciencia, viajeros y exploradores alemanes que recorrieron, describieron y estudiaron porciones del continente americano durante el siglo XIX. El geólogo, geógrafo, etnólogo, mayista y coleccionista germano residió en Centroamérica de 1888 a 1900; durante doce años recorrió desde el Istmo de Tehuantepec hasta Panamá. En sus viajes por el trópico realizó estudios de geología, geografía, vulcanología, minería, suelos, lingüística, etnología, arqueología, cartografía y economía, que son pioneros en la región. Su actividad inicial como administrador de fincas de café en Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, -propiedad de su hermano-, la combinó con exploraciones y estudios científicos, que a la postre le reputaron fama mundial como experto científico explorador de las comarcas centroamericanas al servicio de varios de sus gobiernos y México y como autoridad epistémica en la geología. En 1893 firmó un contrato por tres años con la Secretaría de Fomento, Colonización, Industria y Comercio de México para desempeñar la comisión geológica y geográfica de Chiapas, Tabasco y la Península de Yucatán a cargo del Instituto Geológico de México. El objetivo de este trabajo es estudiar la práctica geológica al servicio de una institución gubernamental en México por un hombre de ciencia trasnacional como Sapper, en el marco de la “cultura de exploración científica” propuesta por Felix Driver, como medio para resaltar las formas, ideas, imágenes y prácticas de exploración que atravesaron ámbitos de la cultura durante el siglo XIX
Resistencia de los ayuntamientos en el régimen de intendencias y su protagonismo en los procesos de independencias. Estudios de casos - Introducción
En este documento se resumen los principales puntos tratados en el dossier “Resistencia de los ayuntamientos en el régimen de intendencias y su protagonismo en los procesos de independencias. Estudios de casos”. Se argumenta que los cabildos durante la segunda mitad del siglo XVIII empezaron a emerger de la crisis de funcionamiento que los aquejaba, por lo que la Reforma de Intendencias más que debilitarlos, los reforzó al tener sus miembros que unir fuerzas contra las reformas y los actores encargados de llevarlas a cabo. Los cinco artículos que incluyen el dossier se abocan en las Resistencias de los cabildos a la reforma de intendencias, el conflicto está implícito, y sirve de base para mostrar que, en realidad, para ponerle fin, los implicados debían negociar para llegar a acuerdos. Es decir, no es que la Corona española lograra imponerse y uniformizar como era el objetivo inicial por medio de esa reforma, debido a que cada lugar muestra diferentes formas de resistencia, por lo cual el proceso fue más complejo de lo que hasta ahora se ha sostenido y estuvo determinado por la casuística.En este documento se resumen los principales puntos tratados en el dossier “Resistencia de los ayuntamientos en el régimen de intendencias y su protagonismo en los procesos de independencias. Estudios de casos”. Se argumenta que los cabildos durante la segunda mitad del siglo XVIII empezaron a emerger de la crisis de funcionamiento que los aquejaba, por lo que la Reforma de Intendencias más que debilitarlos, los reforzó al tener sus miembros que unir fuerzas contra las reformas y los actores encargados de llevarlas a cabo. Los cinco artículos que incluyen el dossier se abocan en las Resistencias de los cabildos a la reforma de intendencias, el conflicto está implícito, y sirve de base para mostrar que, en realidad, para ponerle fin, los implicados debían negociar para llegar a acuerdos. Es decir, no es que la Corona española lograra imponerse y uniformizar como era el objetivo inicial por medio de esa reforma, debido a que cada lugar muestra diferentes formas de resistencia, por lo cual el proceso fue más complejo de lo que hasta ahora se ha sostenido y estuvo determinado por la casuística.En este documento se resumen los principales puntos tratados en el dossier “Resistencia de los ayuntamientos en el régimen de intendencias y su protagonismo en los procesos de independencias. Estudios de casos”. Se argumenta que los cabildos durante la segunda mitad del siglo XVIII empezaron a emerger de la crisis de funcionamiento que los aquejaba, por lo que la Reforma de Intendencias más que debilitarlos, los reforzó al tener sus miembros que unir fuerzas contra las reformas y los actores encargados de llevarlas a cabo. Los cinco artículos que incluyen el dossier se abocan en las Resistencias de los cabildos a la reforma de intendencias, el conflicto está implícito, y sirve de base para mostrar que, en realidad, para ponerle fin, los implicados debían negociar para llegar a acuerdos. Es decir, no es que la Corona española lograra imponerse y uniformizar como era el objetivo inicial por medio de esa reforma, debido a que cada lugar muestra diferentes formas de resistencia, por lo cual el proceso fue más complejo de lo que hasta ahora se ha sostenido y estuvo determinado por la casuística
The Digital Granny: Staging Grandparents on Social Media
This article engages with the framing and performance of grandparenthood on social media and specifically discusses the intersection of the role of grandparent and gender. It thus takes into account that even though the internet tends to be read as a realm for younger generations, the new media and social media in particular play a prominent role in the lives of older people. Hereby, this article wonders how being a grandparent, a role that is commonly associated with the non-digital and the domestic and that tends to be approached with binary gender norms, can be performed in the digital realm. By focusing on three case studies from the U.S. and the UK—“Grandad Joe” Allington, Ross Smith and his grandmother Pauline “Granny” Kana, and Trisha “YourFitGrandma” Goldsmith—this contribution follows the presence of grandparents on social media, prominently TikTok and Instagram. While these successful accounts illustrate the presence of older generations in the digital realm, the discussion suggests that their staging still relies on referencing well-known gendered stereotypes of older people in general and grandparents in particular. Moreover, the discussion emphasizes the pivotal role of both younger audiences and grandchildren in the staging of grandparents and thus also resonates with the matter of authorship on social media
Review of Peculiar Places: A Queer Crip History of White Rural Nonconformity (2021) by Ryan Lee Cartwright
In lieu of an abstract, here is the first paragraph of the review:
The anti-idyll is a "longstanding cultural trope and social optic that produces tales of white rural nonconformity" (3). This optic is used as a way to name the presumed failures of rural communities to perform whiteness "properly - namely, by refusing to adhere to its demands of heteronormativity and ablenormativity. Peculiar Places: A Queer Crip History of Rural Nonconformity (2021) by Ryan Lee Cartwright seeks to challenge the anti-idyll through an examination of its proliferation in American cultural history and the ways in which it has left rural communities marginalized. The book functions as a genealogy of the sensationalized anti-idyll, in which Cartwright maps out the origins and expansions of the idea throughout the twentieth century. However, they recognize that there is no straightforward history of social difference in rural communities, and instead use their chapters to provide examples of how a narrative of such a history was created through different cultural artifacts and practices