Tag: Cultural Studies

Understanding the global nature of counterculture

April 13, 2011

Recent protests in Wisconsin are reminiscent of 1960s counterculture movements. Here, Steven Ridgely asks what, if any, form of counterculture might emerge from this highly politicized moment. Image source. BY STEVEN C. RIDGELYAssistant professor of Japanese literature at the University of Wisconsin–Madison The recent protests in Madison, Wisconsin, by a coalition of students, organized labor, … More Understanding the global nature of counterculture

Japan’s Fukushima nuclear crisis is latest example of how containing radioactive materials is simply not possible.

April 5, 2011

Japanese residents undergo radiation checks. Image source. BY PETER C. VAN WYCKAssociate professor of communication at Concordia University, Montreal, and author of Signs of Danger: Waste, Trauma, and Nuclear Threat (2005). At the time I wrote Signs of Danger, the two great nuclear indices were Three Mile Island (1979), and Chernobyl (1986). Hiroshima and Nagasaki … More Japan’s Fukushima nuclear crisis is latest example of how containing radioactive materials is simply not possible.

"HPV Boredom 2" and the future of public service announcements

March 2, 2011

From seventeenth-century broadsides about the handling of dead bodies, printed during London’s plague years, to YouTube videos about preventing the transmission of STDs, public health advocacy and education has always had a powerful visual component. Imagining Illness explores, through various essays, the diverse visual culture of public health, broadly defined, from the nineteenth century to … More "HPV Boredom 2" and the future of public service announcements

Reunion Island’s UNESCO designation puts spotlight on its medieval and colonial legacies—including its relationship with famous scholar Joseph Bédier.

January 13, 2011

Joseph Bédier (1864–1938) was one of the most famous scholars of his day. He held prestigious posts and lectured throughout Europe and the United States, an activity unusual for an academic of his time. A scholar of the French Middle Ages, he translated Tristan and Isolde as well as France’s national epic, The Song of … More Reunion Island’s UNESCO designation puts spotlight on its medieval and colonial legacies—including its relationship with famous scholar Joseph Bédier.

Quadrant: Architect Hilyard R. Robinson’s contributions to place-making and public culture.

December 7, 2010

This post is published in connection with the University of Minnesota Press’s launch this week of an an online research archive (www.quadrant.umn.edu) and book series that stems from Quadrant, a new initiative to foster collaborative scholarship and revolutionize interdisciplinary publishing. This is Quadrant post 2 of 3; please see below for links to other posts. … More Quadrant: Architect Hilyard R. Robinson’s contributions to place-making and public culture.

Quadrant: On zoo history, shame, and racial dynamics

December 6, 2010

The University of Minnesota Press has announced the launch of an online research archive (www.quadrant.umn.edu) and book series that stems from Quadrant, a new initiative to foster collaborative scholarship and revolutionize interdisciplinary publishing. As part of the launch, the University of Minnesota Press blog this week is publishing Q&As with three Quadrant fellows who discuss … More Quadrant: On zoo history, shame, and racial dynamics

Rethinking the American children’s picture book

November 24, 2010

Children look at picture books at school in Santa Clara, Utah, in October 1940. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. BY NATHALIE OP DE BEECKAssociate professor of English at Pacific Lutheran University and author of Suspended Animation: Children’s Picture Books and the Fairy Tale of Modernity. ——- The New York Times recently published a piece on … More Rethinking the American children’s picture book

What’s next — Pink Cigarettes for the Cure?

October 20, 2010

Samantha King is associate professor of kinesiology, health studies and gender studies at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. She is author of Pink Ribbons, Inc.: Breast Cancer and the Politics of Philanthropy. This article first appeared on the Breast Cancer Action Montreal‘s Fall 2010 bulletin. ——- With the annual pinkfest that marks October — Breast … More What’s next — Pink Cigarettes for the Cure?

Remembering British punk icon and former Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren

October 8, 2010

On April 8th, 2010 (six months ago today), former Sex Pistols manager and proclaimed inventor of punk Malcolm McLaren passed away at age 64 after a battle with cancer. The following material was posted to writer and interviewer Jon Savage‘s blog a few days after McLaren’s death. This material is reprinted with permission from the … More Remembering British punk icon and former Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren