Search Results (57)

This article examines the intersecting forces of gender, class, and education in early twentieth-century Britain through a feminist reading of Pip Williams’ historical novel The Bookbinder of Jericho. Centering on the fictional character Peggy Jones—a working-class young woman employed in the Oxford University Press bindery—the study explores how women’s intellectual ambitions were constrained by economic hardship, institutional gatekeeping, and patriarchal social norms. By integrating close literary analysis with historical research on women bookbinders, educational reform, and the impact of World War I, the paper reveals how the novel functions as both a narrative of personal development and a broader critique of systemic exclusion. Drawing on the genre of the female Bildungsroman, the article argues that Peggy’s journey—from bindery worker to aspiring scholar—mirrors the real struggles of working-class women who sought education and recognition in a male-dominated society. It also highlights the significance of female solidarity, especially among those who served as volunteers, caregivers, and community organizers during wartime. Through the symbolic geography of Oxford and its working-class district of Jericho, the novel foregrounds the spatial and social divides that shaped women’s lives and labor. Ultimately, this study shows how The Bookbinder of Jericho offers not only a fictional portrait of one woman’s aspirations but also a feminist intervention that recovers and reinterprets the overlooked histories of British women workers. The novel becomes a literary space for reclaiming agency, articulating resistance, and criticizing the gendered boundaries of knowledge, work, and belonging. Full article

The Seven Masters of the Quanzhen 全真七子 sect served as central figures during the founding phase of Quanzhen Daoism and played key roles in the sect’s early development. Originally positioned as the “Northern Seven Perfected Ones” (Bei Qi Zhen 北七真), they were instrumental in propelling the prosperity and expansion of Quanzhen Daoism. Over time, their images subsequently proliferated across various media—including portrayals in stone inscription, painting, biography, and novel, undergoing transformations through inscriptions, paintings, biographies, and novels—transforming transmission channels from Daoist temples to stage performances and from street corners to modern screens. In the Jin and Yuan 金元 periods, Daoist biographies and inscriptions portrayed the Seven Masters as exemplary figures of Daoist practice. In folk novels and precious scrolls (Baojuan 宝卷) in the Ming 明 and Qing 清 dynasties, they were presented as legendary, divine immortals and distant ancestors available for narrative appropriation. In modern times—particularly due to the popularity of Jin Yong 金庸’s martial art novels—they completed their universalization as Daoist cultural resources blending chivalric ethos and entertainment value. Examining the evolution of the Seven Masters’ imagery, two fundamental implications emerge: First, this transformation was jointly shaped by the power structures, functional needs, and media forms of each era. Second, beneath the fluid representations from sacred patriarchs of the Jin–Yuan period to modern entertainment symbols, there is an enduring thread of Daoist transcendental consciousness. Full article

In African patriarchal contexts, women have borne the dual responsibilities of mental and physical caregiving for their households and communities. These responsibilities often contribute to significant emotional, social, and economic burdens imposed by deeply entrenched gender and power structures. Alternative psychological coping mechanisms emerge to navigate these challenges, some deeply rooted in cultural and historical practices. One such practice is soil eating, which has been observed in various African communities. Historically linked to cultural and spiritual beliefs, soil eating has been largely unexplored from a psychological perspective. This paper examined soil eating as a coping strategy among women in Africa, investigating its role as a means of emotional relief, resistance, or a symbolic reclamation of agency in the face of oppression. Drawing on the indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) of eZiko siPheka siSophula as a psychological framework, this study engaged sixteen women aged 20 to 89 in Ha Makintane Lesotho to participate in focus group discussions and reveal their personal narratives, cultural traditions, and the intersections of gender, race, and class to understand how this practice helps them manage their mental and emotional toll of patriarchal dominance. This research contributes to discussions on resilience, survival, and the psychological strategies developed by marginalized communities, shedding light on the complex interplay between cultural practices, mental health, and gendered experiences of power. Full article

Background: Intimate partner femicide (IPF) is the most common form of femicide and a severe expression of gender-based violence, highlighting persistent gender inequality worldwide. Addressing this major public health concern requires a comprehensive synthesis of existing evidence to inform prevention strategies. This review aims to identify risk factors for IPF and explore the demographic, behavioral, and psychosocial characteristics of victims and perpetrators. Methods: A narrative review was conducted using a systematic literature search in Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed, following PRISMA guidelines. Studies were selected based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Out of 1200 identified records, 51 met the criteria and were included. Data extraction and analysis were conducted independently by two reviewers. Findings are presented narratively. Results: The review identified multiple risk factors for IPF. Victims were more likely to be married, with a history of psychological and physical abuse as well as substance use. Perpetrators were typically older, with higher rates of unemployment, psychiatric disorders, and substance use. Common precipitating factors included jealousy, separation, and recurrent conflicts. Weapon use—particularly knives and firearms—and “overkill” were frequent. Perpetrators often exhibited stalking behaviors and a history of intimate partner violence. Compared to other homicide offenders, IPF perpetrators were generally older, more often employed, and less likely to have a criminal background, but more likely to engage in intimate partner violence and hold patriarchal beliefs. Conclusions: IPF is not an unpredictable act. Despite the heterogeneity among perpetrators, identifiable risk indicators can inform effective prevention and intervention efforts. Full article

Dvora Baron’s “Ogmat Nefesh” exemplifies the complexities of early 20th-century Jewish multilingualism, offering distinct Hebrew and Yiddish versions of the story to explore intersections of gender, ideology, and identity. This paper draws on theoretical frameworks from Harshav’s concept of the “language of power”, Miron’s notion of “amphibianism”, Even-Zohar’s polysystem theory, and Brenner’s “lingering bilingualism” to examine how Baron’s bilingual authorship shapes her narrative strategies and critiques systemic inequities. Through close readings of key passages, it analyzes how her linguistic choices influence character portrayal, narrative tone, and thematic emphasis across the two versions. Situating “Ogmat Nefesh” within the historical contexts of Eastern European and Palestinian Jewish communities, the study also considers Baron’s engagement with Zionist and diasporic frameworks and her feminist critique of patriarchal structures. Finally, Baron’s personal experiences of exile and literary seclusion further illuminate the interplay between individual circumstances and cultural production in her work. By engaging with secondary scholarship and feminist perspectives, this study highlights Baron’s contributions to early 20th-century feminist writing and her enduring relevance to debates on multilingualism and cultural identity in Jewish literature. Full article

This article critically examines the star persona of Lola Flores, an iconic Spanish flamenco artist, within the historical and political context of Francoist Spain (1939–1975). It argues that Flores’s carefully constructed star image not only persisted into post-Franco Spain but also served as a covert vehicle for the continued propagation of National-Falangist Catholic ideology. The article primarily focuses on two major productions: the book Lola en carne viva. Memorias de Lola Flores (1990) and the television series El coraje de vivir (1994). Both portray a linear and cohesive version of her life from childhood to her later years, carefully curated to defend and rehabilitate her image. While many view Flores as a self-made artist, the article argues that her star persona was a deliberate construct—shaped by Suevia Films, a major Francoist-era film studio, and media narratives that aligned her with traditional gender roles, Catholic values, and Spanish nationalism. Despite emerging in post-Franco Spain, Flores’s narrative does not mark a rupture from the ideological frameworks of the past. Instead, it repackages Francoist values—particularly those surrounding patriarchal gender norms, suffering, and the glorification of sacrifice—to ensure her continued relevance. Suevia Films (1951) played a significant role in shaping her star persona as a symbol of Spanish folklore, aligning her with Francoist ideals of nation, Catholic morality, and submissive femininity. Her image was used to promote Spain internationally as a welcoming and culturally rich destination. Her persona fit within Franco’s broader strategy of using flamenco and folklore to attract foreign tourism while maintaining tight ideological control over entertainment. Flores’s life is framed as a rags-to-riches story, which reinforces Social Spencerist ideology (a social Darwinist perspective) that hard work and endurance lead to success, rather than acknowledging systemic oppression under Francoism. Her personal struggles—poverty, romantic disappointments, accusations of collaboration with the Franco regime, and tax evasion—are framed as necessary trials that strengthen her character. This aligns with the Catholic ideal of redemptive suffering, reinforcing her status as the mater dolorosa (Sorrowful Mother) figure. This article highlights the contradictions in Flores’s gender performance—while she embodied passion and sensuality in flamenco, her offstage identity conformed to the submissive, self-sacrificing woman idealized by the Francoist Sección Femenina (SF). Even in her personal life, Flores’s narrative aligns with Francoist values—her father’s bar, La Fe de Pedro Flores, symbolizes the fusion of religion, nationalism, and traditional masculinity. Tico Medina plays a key role by framing Lola en carne viva as an “authentic” and unfiltered account. His portrayal is highly constructed, acting as her “defense lawyer” to counter criticisms. Flores’s autobiography is monologic—it suppresses alternative perspectives, ensuring that her version of events remains dominant and unquestioned. Rather than acknowledging structural oppression, the narrative glorifies suffering as a path to resilience, aligning with both Catholic doctrine and Francoist propaganda. The article ultimately deconstructs Lola Flores’s autobiographical myth, demonstrating that her public persona—both onstage and offstage—was a strategic construction that perpetuated Francoist ideals well beyond the dictatorship. While her image has been celebrated as a symbol of Spanish cultural identity, it also functioned as a tool for maintaining patriarchal and nationalist ideologies under the guise of entertainment. Full article

The Mandate of the XXV World Russian People’s Council of 27 March 2024 framed the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine as a “holy war”. This paper presents an in-depth textual analysis of the Mandate followed by an extended thematic and contextual analysis. The findings indicate that the Mandate’s mainstream discourses of eschatological–apocalyptic holy war and katechon state were not previously expressed at the level of official church leadership. They contribute to the ideological escalation of the Russian confrontation with Ukraine and the West around declared traditional values and the holy mission of the Russian people, while the involvement of Orthodoxy in the Russian ‘holy war’ narrative is neither exclusive of other religious referents nor of disbelief in ecclesial doctrine. The main referent of the Self (and correspondingly, of the sacred) is the (Russian) ‘nation’ or ‘people’, for which ‘spiritual’ and ‘civilizational’ are comprehensive religious markers of cultural identity. While two religious adversaries of the Russian geopolitical agenda of Ukraine—the Ecumenical Patriarchate and Ukrainian Orthodoxy—are not directly mentioned in the Mandate, it nevertheless attempts to re-formulate an Orthodox ‘just war’ theory, intensifies antagonistic inter-Orthodox relations in the Russia–Ukraine dimension and strengthens the resolve of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the Russian Federation to retain Ukraine’s Orthodox Church as an exclusively Russian space. Full article

An arrangement of Patristic quoted sources translated from Greek into Syriac were used by Peter of Callinicus in his works against Damian of Alexandria within the sixth-century Tritheist Controversy. Exemplifying one useful role for a translator, the quotations have been extracted and saved from inaccessibility in Peter’s very hefty volumes and presented side-by-side, author-by-author in checked and (where necessary) revised English. This not only better clarifies the argumentative thrust of Peter’s diatribes and how he himself translates Greek into a Semitic tongue, but it will serve Patristic scholarship in showing how the thoughts of well-known Greek Fathers are conveyed in Syriac in the contexts of earlier theological debates. A key theme of this presentation is the Tritheist Controversy which broke out more than a hundred years after the acrimonious controversy over the Council of Chalcedon had cooled down. The focus is mainly on the dispute over the doctrine of the Trinity between the so-named miaphysites, the Syrian Patriarch Peter of Callinicus/um (d. 591) and Coptic Pope Damian of Alexandria (d. 605), which, in turn, led to the schism between Alexandria and Antioch lasting about 30 years. It comprises two parts: (i) A brief outline of the origins, narrative, and postlude of the Tritheist controversy of Peter with Damian and its doctrinal issues; (ii) identifying, enlisting and reproducing numerous seminal quotations in English from the works of earlier Church Fathers contained in Peter’s magnum opus in support and in refutation of (or ‘against’) Damian of Alexandria; and (iii) reflection on issues of translating Patristic texts. Full article

Graphic memoir and feminist mothering theory are at the heart of my research-creation paper “Badass Mom Art: Motherhood Untold in My Kind of Crazy”, which brings feminist mothering theory into conversation with traumatic mothering stories. The research-creation comprises a series of sequential graphic stories from my 2023 memoir My Kind of Crazy and a drawing series, Mothering Myths: (Re)imaginings and (Re)visions. These narratives re-imagine trauma’s impact on my maternal generations and illustrate the feminist shift from the 20th century patriarchal institution of motherhood that creates mothers as powerless and oppressed to 21st century matricentric mothering that empowers mothers through agency, autonomy, authenticity, and authority. Through comic’s conventions of frames, gutters, and the ability to manipulate time, the stories—my grandmother’s, my mother’s, and mine—detail specific traumatic experiences that impact our abilities to mother; they also reveal my perspective on events according to my perceptions and beliefs as an adult creating our stories. These are real stories of mothers unfolding in images and words. The article foregrounds Western patriarchal mothering myths of the ideal mother and the generations of feminist activists and scholars, including Adrienne Rich and Andrea O’Reilly, who have worked to change how society perceives mothers. Feminist poet Adrienne Rich’s seminal text Of Woman Born (1986) differentiates between the idea of motherhood and the concept of mothering; she encourages mothers to be mother outlaws by mothering outside patriarchy’s institution of motherhood’s rules and prescriptions. O’Reilly first questioned why maternity was not understood as a subject position nor theorized as other subject positions regarding the meeting of gendered oppression and resistance in her 2016 text Feminism: Theory, Activism, and Practice. Rich’s and O’Reilly’s proposed mother-centered practice permeates and is key to my art and critical work. Full article

Rural women in the agricultural sector face greater challenges than men in accessing productive resources and equitably participating in agrifood value chains. This article highlights the empowerment experiences of rural women involved in the cocoa production chain in Sardinata, Norte de Santander, Colombia. A qualitative methodology was used, employing an inductive, interpretative approach and a case-study design. Interviews were conducted with 10 female cocoa producers from Sardinata. The coding process, grounded in theoretical material, generated five subcategories with corresponding theoretical codes, leading to the emergence of a new subcategory. The narratives revealed that women continue to face inequality in participation, decision-making and autonomy, which are reinforced by gender roles and stereotypes. Despite their involvement in agricultural production, they are often overburdened with unpaid caregiving duties. Land ownership, control and access to productive resources remain largely male-dominated. In addition, gender-based violence and patriarchal expectations continue to be significant barriers. The study underscores the fact that women’s empowerment and improved access to resources enhance their participation in decision-making, boost productivity and contribute to the economic and social development of their communities. Full article

This article focuses on a little-studied short story from Jewish American writer Cynthia Ozick, “What Happened to the Baby?” It explores the narrative elaboration of a distinctly feminine trauma—that of a mother in mourning whose grief is not acknowledged in a patriarchal context. My approach uses close readings and psychoanalytical insights to understand the female protagonist’s voiceless rage. The narrator of the framing narrative is a young woman trying to understand a mysterious family trauma—how little Henrietta, the daughter of her uncle Simon and his ex-wife, Essie, died. The starting point of the story is a distorted version of the accident, told to the narrator by her mother, Lily, and according to which it is Essie’s mistreatment that caused the little girl’s death. Through the narrative, the narrator encourages Essie to tell her own side of the story. In the embedded narrative, the mother reveals that it was in fact the father’s negligence that caused the death of their child. Father and mother subsequently develop differing models of mourning. Simon, a linguist, creates a whole new idiom enabling him to keep commemorating the dead child. In contrast, Essie, the mother, is determined to destroy any discourse that might account for her trauma, and to undermine the father’s very public mourning process. The narrator acts as a kind of therapist, allowing Essie’s discourse on loss to emerge after decades of repression. On the masculine/feminine, father/mother binary axis, I will observe, based on the study of this fascinating short story, that the father’s mourning involves mastering language, while the mother experiences loss through the sheer inability to speak up—at least until the narrator, Vivian, empowers her by giving her a voice. Full article

This study explored the role of digital platforms in shaping gender dynamics within Christian religious leadership in Nigeria. Historically, religious leadership in Nigerian Christianity has been predominantly male-dominated, with women often relegated to subordinate roles despite their significant contributions as preachers, healers, and founders. The advent of digital platforms has introduced a new paradigm, offering both male and female leaders with avenues to expand their communication, authority, and influence. Utilizing mediatization theory, this research investigated how online spaces allow women to bypass traditional patriarchal structures, engage broader audiences, and influence religious narratives. Through in-depth interviews with twenty religious leaders across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and comment analysis from online community interactions, the study identified eight main themes that reveal the complex interactions between gender, authority, and influence in both digital and offline contexts. The findings suggest that while digital platforms provide women with increased visibility and opportunities, male leaders retain a higher level of authority and reach, even in online spaces. The study highlights the dual nature of digital media as both liberating and limiting for female leaders, presenting an environment where empowerment coexists with persistent gendered expectations. This research contributes to understanding how digital platforms impact gendered access to religious authority, revealing the ongoing struggle for gender equality within Christian leadership in Nigeria. Full article

This study explores the Potaxie, Fifes, and Tilinx subcultures on TikTok, examining their origins, characteristics, and cultural significance. Originating from a viral video in 2020, the Potaxie subculture emerged within the Spanish-speaking LGBTQ+ community and evolved to symbolise inclusivity and gender equality. Potaxies use vibrant aesthetics influenced by Japanese and Korean pop culture to express their identities and resistance. In contrast, Fifes, associated with cisgender heterosexual men, embody traditional patriarchal values, often sexist and homophobic, creating a narrative of resistance between the groups. The Tilinx, symbolic descendants of the Potaxies, are inspired by ballroom culture and drag houses, with “Potaxie mothers” continuing the fight for inclusion and diversity. Using a mixed-methods approach, including quantitative analysis through the TikTok API and qualitative content analysis via MAXQDA and Python, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the subculture that accumulates over 2.3 billion interactions. The findings highlight how TikTok serves as a platform for identity construction, cultural resistance, and the redefinition of social norms. Additionally, the study examines how digital platforms mediate intersectional experiences, favouring certain types of content through algorithms, and how participants navigate these opportunities and constraints to express their intersecting identities. The implications for communication strategies, youth policies, educational plans, and research on the commercialization of these subcultures are profound, offering insights into the transformative potential of social media in shaping contemporary cultural and social narratives. Full article

The wolf has stalked human society for centuries, becoming a figure of fear and reverence. It is unsurprising that such a figure would infiltrate culture via folklore, myth, and legend, most notably in the form of the werewolf. A review of historical references reveals that the figure of the ‘she-wolf’ also shadows human culture, providing an outlet for fears around women’s power, desire, and sexuality. As storytelling has shifted from oral traditions to cinematic portrayals, the she-wolf has been left to the sidelines. This paper seeks to explore how the Ginger Snaps trilogy (2000–2004) reset this imbalance, providing three distinct narratives centered on the female werewolf, intertwining the stories of the Fitzgerald sisters and their lycanthropic transformation. This trilogy served to reinvent the stereotype of the werewolf, using traditional lycanthropic tropes to explore issues of feminine monstrosity, the painful transitory period of adolescence, and enduring social anxieties under patriarchal societies. This paper argues that the Ginger Snaps trilogy is an integral set of texts for understanding how the werewolf motif has transitioned into contemporary society and how it continues to act as a release point for wider social anxieties. Full article

This study articulates how naming and family trees can become epic texts upon which intended or unintended meanings, identities and narratives can be decoded, including mutations in families, as basic units of society. Many studies in African anthroponym have articulated names and naming from differing perspectives, but have tended to ignore the diachronic and synchronic significance of looking at family trees which are woven in time and space through naming. Within the framework of Darwinian Theory of Evolution, we used in-depth interviews with a purposive sample of respondents from the Bette people of the Obudu local government area, to enable us to build family trees which were subtextually analyzed for meaning and mutations through six generations. Our findings enabled us to develop deeper insights into how a longitudinal articulation of naming and family trees can enhance our understanding of the synchronic realities, increased cultural aliteracy, dislocation of homesteads due to occupational shifts, changing ideas of kinship, patriarchal attitudes towards women and challenge of new technologies like DNA testing and new media within the Bette traditional kinship tradition. Significantly, naming and family trees, beyond dynastic delineations for identity, inclusivity and otherness, can become signifiers of a people’s epic progression and mutation, and, as it were, a tapestry of significant narratives of micro and macro family history. Full article