University of Warwick Press: Journals
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From Cathartic ‘Brain Tingles’ to Scratching Chalkboard Sensations: An Exploratory Study Investigating the Phenomenological Aspects of ASMR
No full textASMR is a sensory-perceptual experience in which specific audio-visual or haptic stimuli reliably trigger electro-static-like ‘brain tingles’ extending peripherally from the back of the scalp. While generally an under-studied phenomenon, research is beginning to identify potential therapeutic benefits of immersing in ASMR-content, supported by anecdotal accounts from active online communities. The present mixed-methods online study aimed to explore the phenomenological aspects of ASMR and its potential therapeutic effects. A total of 224 participants watched ASMR-videos and completed scales measuring ASMR response and affect. Participants then completed four open-ended questions about their ASMR experience and use. In line with our hypotheses, quantitative results suggested that participants who experienced ASMR demonstrated significantly higher positive affect and significantly lower negative affect compared to those who did not (or were unsure about whether they did) experience ASMR. The pleasurability and intensity of ASMR also positively correlated with measures of positive affect, and negatively with measures of negative affect. Thematic analysis identified great phenomenological variability in perceived pleasurability and intensity of ASMR experience among individuals as a super-theme present across themes (Psychological, Physical and Social dimensions). Based on these findings, a multi-dimensional model for characterising ASMR is proposed, providing clear opportunities for future research
3 Minutes: From Zero to Hero: Reimagining poster sessions for the digital domain
Get PDFA reflection on the trial of three-minute student showreel video presentations, in place of a virtual rendition of a traditional academic poster session, in an interdisciplinary conference held online during the Covid-19 pandemic. I revisit the motivation for suggesting this pedagogical approach and reflect on the different learning stakeholders which contributed to the learning strategy’s success
The Sociology and Culture of Sustainable Development: An interview with Professor John Clammer
Get PDFThis is an interview with Professor John Clammer of Jindal Global University, Dehli, India. He is a British academic who has worked principally in Asia, and is now one of the leading writers and scholars on the vital issues pertaining to global sustainable development. This interview was begun while Professor Clammer was a visiting fellow at the Warwick Institute of Advanced Study (IAS) in 2018, and then continued with various iterations of our academic partnership since then. This interview cites his latest books, notably the publication Cultural Rights and Justice (2019), and also offers an historic overview of his experience of academic life within the evolving discourse of social and cultural development
Fiction as Therapy: Agency and authorship in Samuel Beckett\u27s The Unnamable
No full textThe Unnamable (1953) shows the breakdown of the Cartesian Cogito in a post-war soulless world in which its inhabitants suffer from disconnectedness. When the speaker’s consciousness breaks down and is no longer able to attribute the projections of its own consciousness to the self, he becomes incapable of ascertaining his own agency, authority and existence; hence the dissolution of the Cartesian Cogito. The condition is further exacerbated when the speaker who hears unattributable, disembodied authoritative voices finds himself in a universe where there is no one else to ascertain one’s existence. The sense of agency is therefore lost. Yet, the speaker, as in the fashion of AVATAR therapy for people with schizophrenia, attempts in writing, turning the voices into characters and stories and entering a dialogue with them to overcome his ontological insecurity in a universe that is generated out of his head and yet achieves an uncanny kind of independence. In other words, it is a therapeutic attempt to put the dismantled elements back into place in order to overcome the consequent ontological insecurity that this dissolution generates. This is done through a kind of quasi-corporeality that Steven Connor calls ‘the vocalic body.’ Nevertheless, as this paper argues, although being able to substantialise the voices, the Unnamable is still wavering between mediumship (being the medium of others’ voices) and agency
Climate Fiction and its Narratives: (Non) Secularists imaginaries for the environmental collapse
No full textIn the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the narratives about a possible environmental collapse and its consequences have multiplied. This is due to a growing awareness about issues such as climate change or the energy crisis. The so-called ‘climate science fiction’ or cli-fi has reflected these concerns in highly successful films, like the two analysed here: The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008), a remake of the 1951 classic. In this paper, I approach both films through an analysis of their plot and narrative structure, focusing mainly on the evolution of their main characters and storylines. I argue that these mainstream productions avoid any examination of the actual causes of the environmental crisis, turning it into a matter of individual responsibility based on Judaeo-Christian values such as guilt and redemption, especially those about the apocalypse
Beyond the Carceral #MeToo: Mapping the schizo-aesthetics of body and desire
No full textIn this article, we attempt a radical critique of the #MeToo movement. We do not aim to display #MeToo phenomenon as a molarity anchored to the nobility of its supposed historical origin. Rather we showcase it as a nomadological flow. This is a flow that, on the one hand, resonates with and folds the productive intensities of its supposed historical origin. But, on the other hand, it turns into a dangerous mad line of flight with a potential to stultify the relational dynamics of genders. Secondly, we will argue that what lies behind the metamorphosis of ‘Me Too’ activism into a dangerous line of flight, inclined to devilishly restructure the socius, is its precarious connection with the elusive media images. Thirdly we shall show how as a dangerous line of flight #MeToo activism ends up becoming an ally of neo-liberal carceral feminism and governmental schemes of incarceration and surveillance. And finally, we will focus on explaining the positionality of #MeToo in the light of schizo-aesthetics of body and desire
Geosocialities, Flow and Renewal in Microbial Rivers
No full textThis article draws on interview data and insights from environmental studies and somatic therapy to argue for the significance of thinking ‘with rivers’ in order to reaffirm human and nonhuman entanglements in the current challenges presented by anthropogenic devastation. River microbial communities are unintelligible and complex entities due to their unclear origin and continuous flow downstream. The account of one environmental scientist is presented to consider how the metaphors of movement used in the riverine context assist in exploring the complicated dynamics of fluid communities facing constantly changing environments I call ‘microbial rivers’. A pollution incident affecting a UK river, where microbial communities responded by growing in number and activity, further illustrates the intersection of communities and ecosystems in their adaptation to troubling human interventions. Engaging with somatic understandings of trauma, this article proposes thinking with flow as a possibility to reimagine the capacity for renewal when experiencing debilitating adversities, thus countering apocalyptic responses of immobility in the face of environmental destruction and inviting novel opportunities for growth for human and nonhuman communities
Use of Artificial Intelligence in Legal Technologies: A critical reflection
No full textThe use of artificial intelligence in the legal sector flourished in recent years. This development is often met with excitement and unease. In this critical reflection, we analyse how artificial intelligence functions in modern legal technologies, and what its future implications are for the legal sector and critical legal thinking. We firstly discuss how machine learning and ‘Narrow AI’ are pertinent in this discussion, and how misleading the ‘hype’ on robot lawyers is. We then show how legal technologies are currently utilized, and the potential ways to map the modern legal technology landscape. Finally, we examine the potential effects of AI and legal technologies on legal decision-making, as complex algorithms open up the potential to disarrange or obscure critical analysis.
Exchanges Discourse Podcast
A Conversation with...M Onat Topal [19:37
Twenty is Plenty: Editorial, Volume 9, Part 1
No full textIn this introductory editorial, the journal\u27s Editor-in-Chief reflects back on reaching the milestone 20th issue of Exchanges, at the end of a busy publication year. The piece moves on to introduce each of the articles in the issue in turn, providing a brief summary of each piece. Next the open calls for abstracts and papers are highlighted, with the current \u27plurality of translation\u27 special issue call given particular attention. After looking forward to future issues, and acknowledging the title\u27s supporters, the editorial closes by highlighting the ways readers and contributors can engage in ongoing conversations with the journal and its editorial team
Zombie ant graveyard dynamics in Gunung Mulu National Park
No full textOphiocordyceps is a genus of pathogenic fungi, which predominantly parasitise insects. This study investigates the spatial dynamics of zombie ant graveyards, and explores the optimal height for Ophiocordyceps unilateralis spore dispersal in a Bornean rainforest. While there is considerable research derived from alternative tropical regions, there is limited documentation of Ophiocordyceps fungi in Borneo. This paper aims to build on the current body of knowledge, focusing on the spatial dynamics of zombie ant graveyards, and in particular the height at which infected ants are found. In the present study, an area of Gunung Mulu National Park was searched for O. unilateralis-infected ants. Once an infected ant was located, the surrounding area was methodically searched to allow for the height and location of all surrounding ants to be recorded. Infected ants were found at variable heights between the four sites (means of 28.9–57.6 cm) above the expected height laid out in similar studies (approximately 25 cm). It is suggested that these heights may correspond to locations at which temperature and humidity are optimal for spore dispersal and fungal growth and that these heights differ depending on unique features of the environment