Literature, Cultural and Media Studies

This book successfully represents the indispensable interdisciplinarity of viewpoints by its authors combining legal perspectives with architectural and anthropological approaches. With the observation and analysis presented here, this book is the first to demonstrate research-based governance solutions for cultural heritage within the process of recovering from traumatic events. Its opening statement is that universal international standards are not effective enough for the specific situations of disaster-struck places.

A major objective of this monograph is to allow its readers to go through a learning experience, from plural cases where reconstruction of cultural heritage became central to rebuilding a post-disaster society. This book introduces Japan as the most disaster-prone country, with a long history of confronting and overcoming the power of nature, resulting in its unique solutions for cultural heritage resilience and sustainability. But how do leadership and decision making become efficient in times of recovery? Bearing in mind what may be lacking in Japanese practices, this work also presents comparable governance models from other countries which indicate alternative solutions.

While a traumatic event may occur within one night, the process of recovery could last for decades. Such disasters also tend to recur. In order that directly affected communities can sustain resilience throughout the long recovery period, and that equally severe social trauma will not be repeated, a continuous, well-maintained governance response is required, whether grounded in local knowledge or national policy frameworks. At the heart of this book is the matter of the reconstruction process involving networks of small and large communities. Each of those has a role that becomes operational through linkages of contacts, the interchange of knowledge and skills, and above all through the sharing of common goals.

This book approaches the subject of contemporary art by exploring the social embeddedness and identities of Singaporean artists. Linking artistic processes and production to both personal worlds and wider issues, the book examines how artists negotiate their relationships between self and society and between artistic freedom and social responsibility. It is based on original research into the discourses and artistic practices of local artists, with a special focus on emerging artists and artists whose work and perspectives engage with questions of identity. Reimagining contemporary Singapore and their place within it, artists are asserting their multiple and heterogeneous self-identities and contesting hegemonic norms and notions, as they negotiate and adapt to the world around them. This book is relevant to students and researchers in the fields of cultural studies, media studies, art, sociology of art, arts education, and race and ethnicity studies.

This book is a collection of essays in Indonesian history and archaeology dealing with different and multiple trajectories, along four broad themes. The first part of the book covers competing or evolving representations of events, customs or traditions, and historical personae in Indonesian official and popular expression, as they are shaped by economic, political, and cultural forces. The second part deals with memories of war and peace, examining transnational conflict and collaboration, the role of political elites and state projects dealing with the aftermath of military aggression, while also focusing on the impact and responses of civilians. The third part focuses on how state and civil societies frame historical figures, in ways that transcend the dichotomy of heroes and victims. The fourth part of the book looks at the way Indonesian museums and museology serve as sites where new kinds of memory work occur, in a post-1998 era.

The book is designed with the aim ofclearing a space for a plurality of memory works. Discussions in this volume extend from Loloda island in Eastern Indonesia, to Sabang island at the north westernmost end of the archipelago, and to the cosmopolitan centers. Temporally, it covers the colonial, the post-independence and contemporary eras. By juxtaposing diverse works, the book offers a new vista of multiple trajectories of memory being traced out in and about Indonesia.

This is an open access book.

This book presents a new approach to the analysis of political psychology, political culture, and communication.

Using data from Japanese political interviews and parliamentary deliberations, it reveals how Japanese politicians address their audience. In addition to analyzing the use of verbal political rhetoric, the book shows that nonverbal communication is highly relevant as well. In a context where political leaders are becoming increasingly important, identifying the techniques used by Japanese politicians – especially facial expressions, hand gestures, and other forms of body language – to gain support from the audience, leads us to consider communication practices of political leaders around the world. Politicians adopt different communication styles based on their specific electoral system. The more single-seat constituency political candidates use rhetoric, the greater their chance of appealing to voters. In addition, the use of personal experiencesand others' speech quotations function as effective political rhetoric, further attracting the audience’s attention. In short, this book presents a more comprehensive and holistic picture of political “rhetoric” than usually offered by other studies of political communication.

The goal of this book is to show the role of TikTok as a tool for political purposes. To this end, the authors analyse the messages posted on this social medium by political figures and institutions such as politicians and political parties, their impact on political landscapes, as well as the transformation of political communication techniques in order to suit the platform’s features. 

In the last two years, the exponential growth of TikTok has led an increasing number of politicians and institutions to incorporate it into their communication strategies. The platform displays some very different features from other social media that determine the way in which the content is presented. In addition, it manages to reach an audience that normally does not access or share political messages.

Within this context, the volume pursues two main objectives. First, to examine how the communication techniques and the peculiarities of this social medium – where short videos with actors in informal attitudes prevail – affect the political message. A second objective is to analyse the influence of the messages distributed through TikTok that redefine political scenarios, and of the relationships of politicians and parties with voters. The core of the book comprises case studies that are organised into three parts, with nine chapters in all.

The authors are scholars and practitioners of political communication, with diverse geographical representation, who approach the topics from a range of methodological perspectives. The first part addresses the state of the art and the influence of TikTok features on the way political communication is performed. The second part discusses the influence of TikTok on electoral scenarios and political culture in India, Bangladesh, the United States, and Ecuador. Finally, in the third part, TikTok is analysed as an instrument for promoting far right politicians and parties in Europe, as in the case of MatteoSalvini in Italy, and AfD in Germany and Vox in Spain.

The volume is oriented to both scholars and communication professionals, such as journalists, communication consultants, and speechwriters, who want to become familiar with the platform, learn about its political impact, or wish to deepen their understanding of transformations in communication techniques and their adaptation to this growing social medium.

Chapter 2 “The Moving Body as the Articulator, Meme and Affective Link in Political Communication on TikTok” is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

This book describes the disability rights movement that started in the USA and its influence on the disability rights movement in Lebanon, which has led to the endorsement of the Lebanese Disability Act 220/2000. The book introduces the reader to the Lebanese Disability Act 220/ 2000, its definition of disability, and its relation to the medical and social models of disabilities and then articulate the Act articles. Then, it defines the inclusive design paradigm that acknowledges the needs of all people at each stage of their life cycle and presents the difference between inclusive design and accessibility and disability notions. 

What makes the book unique is its combination of empirical and theoretical application of inclusive design. The last section, reflects the author’s inclusive design teaching pedagogy. In this section, the author shares samples of students’ class design project and provides recommendations and guidelines for teaching inclusive design so it becomes mainstream.

This book delves into the multifaceted interplay between gender, migration, and development. It challenges conventional theories by sharing the unique experiences of migrants, particularly women, and their profound impact on development in the global South. It contributes significantly to the theory of intersectionality, which illuminates how various forms of oppression and privilege intertwine to shape individuals' experiences. It ventures beyond traditional boundaries, recognizing migration and development as transnational processes that transcend singular actors and spaces. It highlights the interconnectedness of people, cultures, and economies across national borders, unraveling the complex tapestry of migration and development. It provides invaluable feminist perspectives, illuminating pathways toward inclusivity and equity in development. Through its nuanced analysis, this book paves the way for a more inclusive, equitable, and empowering future for individuals and communities. It is a valuable resource for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars seeking to promote social justice and gender equality in migration and development contexts.

This book is unique in focusing on just one band from one city – but the story of Tat Ming Pair, in so many ways, is the story of Hong Kong's recent decades, from the Handover to the Umbrella Movement to 2019's standoff.  A comprehensive, theoretically informed study of the sonic history and present of Hong Kong through the prism of Tat Ming Pair, this book will be of interest to cultural studies scholars, scholars of Hong Kong, and those who study the arts in East Asia.

This is an open access book.

This book studies China’s Internet in the 2000s, with a focus on the challenges and dilemmas of the authorities and the battles between the authorities and the newly networked society in the cyber space, which has been a critical centerpiece in the Chinese authorities' struggle for political stability. The book also examines the distinct technological means and political/legal regulations/restrictions used for Internet control, unique characteristics, and the implications of their influences on the political change and social transformation of the world’s most populous country. It illuminates the fierce competition between the authorities and the newly networked Chinese society by looking at how Chinese netizens make every possible effort to gain access to the Internet for truth and make their voices and views heard, while how the authorities use whatever possible means to prevent that from happening. The in-depth analyses of how these challenges, dilemmas and battles have been affecting and changing China’s political system, the ruling communist ideology, the public’s access to information as well as the expression of the public’s discourse are relevant to policymakers and analysts in both business and government sectors, as well as scholars and researchers with an interest in Asian Studies, Chinese Studies, communication, new media, political science, and sociology.