CONCEPT

Love, Memory, and Resistance

Ceydy Jaramillo — Thu, 25 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Aesthetics as State Security

Andrew Noland — Thu, 25 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

This paper tackles the puzzle of private international law and why former colonizing states refuse to engage in art repatriation efforts. I combine existing ontological security, art restitution, and international law literatures to argue that states construct a sense of aesthetic confidence. Returning the art of their former colonial subjects would undermine their constructed ontological security and admit culpability in their past plunder of the world's cultural memories. Using this argument, I move to discuss two case studies: the Benin Bronzes and Mongyudowŏndo, under the control of the United Kingdom and Japan respectively. Both cases illustrate how international law was constructed and is still used as a type of "soothing mechanism" to protect former or existing empires from confronting the moral transgressions of their past both from international scrutiny and legal recourse.

"Is This Thing On?"

Teya Juarez — Thu, 25 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

N/A

“The Man That I Praise”

Brendan T. Cochran — Thu, 25 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Many of the plays of W.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory that were presented in the early years of the Abbey Theatre were allegorical works which promoted the cause of Irish nationalism. This impulse existed as a part of a larger political and literary movement to reject British rule and the idea of British exceptionalism in Ireland at the beginning of the 20th century, and it is one which aligns directly with Franz Fanon’s theory of decolonization. Within the plays Cathleen ni Houlihan, At the Hawk’s Well, and On Baile’s Strand this nationalist impulse is exemplified by young masculine characters who stand in stark contrast to the older generation of male characters in the play. Using Franz Fanon’s theory in conversation with Judith Butler’s theory of gender performativity, I argue that these plays constitute an attempt to redefine the masculine ideal in Ireland through depictions of a generational divide. I further argue that this is the result of anxieties around the process of decolonization, and that they constitute an attempt to shape the masculine ideal towards behavior that would facilitate violent armed resistance. This work exemplifies how the process of decolonization can and has influenced the performance of masculinity, and how it runs the risk of perpetuating patriarchal norms in the postcolonial society.

Legibility and Annotation: Reading Images and Words by Wendy Red Star, Thomas Harriot, and Theodore De Bry

James Wojtal — Thu, 25 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Let's Get Real

Kelly Morgan — Thu, 25 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

The paper aims to evaluate several models of realistic job previews (RJP) and their effectiveness when presented during the recruitment process. This is intended to provide a comprehensive background of realistic job previews starting with Breaugh (1983), a study in which overall effectiveness of the RJP is contemplated. Five groups of RJPs will be assessed: oral and written, video, animated simulation, in-person, and self-assessment. In these sections, there will be connections drawn to three industrial-organizational psychology theories: organizational honesty, self-selection, and signaling theory. RJPs are typically used in the recruitment process to allow the candidate to gauge their person-organization (P-O) fit within the group the candidate is interviewing with. There is a goal to show the reader how realistic job previews are relevant to organizational strategy as it relates to recruitment, specifically in job retention, job turnover, and job satisfaction. With the current state of the Great Resignation (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022), organizations seek to attract and retain top talent. An effective RJP may provide one solution to support these goals. The paper concludes with discussion of challenges and benefits across the five RJP deliveries presented, and suggestions are provided for organizational leaders to consider when implementing.

Gen Z on the Horizon: The Importance of Strategic Change Within the Organization

Doria Diacogiannis — Thu, 25 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Generation Z (Gen Z) has begun to newly enter the workforce with unique values, expectations, and social elements to their elder counterparts. Despite this change in their demographics, organizations are failing to strategically change in preparation for their Gen Z candidates. Organizational leaders must reinforce the notion that generational differences exist in the workplace, and when nurtured properly, can fuel the strength of the organization. By understanding the psycho-social development of Gen Z over the past approximate quarter-century, various Human Resource (HR) functions such as recruitment, onboarding, and performance management may more fluidly adapt. In following the person-organization fit theory, by aligning organizational values and employee values, a strong person-organization fit may positively impact job satisfaction, organizational citizenship behavior, and performance. To achieve person-organization fit with Gen Z professionals, the organization should elect goals as recommended by the DITTO framework to effectively adapt to the needs and values of its newest assets. In return, the organization will attain high-performing, satisfied employees who strengthen its competitiveness in the industry.

Dying for Wisdom

Elisa Markhoff — Thu, 25 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

In the spring of 399 BCE, surrounded by students and friends, the Athenian philosopher Socrates was condemned to die by drinking a hemlock cup. Almost five hundred years later, in 65 AD, the Roman philosopher Seneca allegedly chose to recreate his forced suicide in the same manner as Plato’s teacher. Both men were older, both were shunned by the authorities, and both shared a passion for wisdom – but other than that, few similarities remain. Socrates was poor, known for walking barefoot around the streets of Athens, while Seneca was the second wealthiest man in the Roman Empire. Though Socrates never wrote a single line of text, Seneca was an extremely prolific writer; and while Socrates preferred to stay out of politics, Seneca was (for better or worse) part of Nero’s inner circle. The contradictions abound, yet somehow Seneca felt a connection to Socrates that was strong enough to emulate his demise. By focusing on Plato’s Phaedo and Seneca’s Consolatio ad Marciam and Letter 65, this paper seeks to explore the common elements between them, both in their ideas about death and in the philosophers’ manners of dying.

Victory was Survival

Elizabeth Miner — Thu, 25 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

The Root of Empire: Botany, British Imperialism, & Early American Encounters with Ginseng, 1738-1784

Gabriel Morbeck — Thu, 25 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Recent historical scholarship has emphasized the link between the emergence of botanical science and British imperial expansion. However, this research has generally neglected the contribution that plants from the colder climates of Britain’s American colonies made to the country’s imperial interests. A key moment in this unfolding relationship between botany and imperialism was the discovery of ginseng, a flowering plant whose root was renowned for its medicinal properties, in Pennsylvania in 1738. Drawing on the transatlantic correspondence of eighteenth-century botanists, this article reveals how ginseng was turned from a botanical oddity to a plant that would shape the trajectory of British imperialism. The discovery of ginseng set off a frenzy to gather the plant and offered imperial Britain something it could find nowhere else: a good that Chinese traders, who long occupied a privileged position in global trade, would pay for with silver. Over time, the trade in ginseng would grow and help stem the outflow of silver currency to Chinese markets, strengthening Britain’s position economically and contributing to the remaking of the capitalist world system along British lines.

“This is How I Fight”: The Evolution of Masculinity within Contemporary Depictions of Asian American Men

James Matthew Villanueva — Thu, 25 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Within contemporary mass media, many use film and literature to define cultures and identities beyond personal accounts. They are how we contextualize the past and frame the world around the time it is written, which is why it is important to have accurate representations of cultures and identities when they are depicted. According to many popular films — such as Sixteen Candles and Breakfast at Tiffany’s — to be an AAPI man means to be weak, creepy, and socially inept. While Jackie Chan and the spike of Kung Fu films in America tried to counter this emasculation, it resulted in an unprogressive and hypermasculine persona. Within recent depictions of AAPI characters and actors, the awkward and “beta” stereotype has transformed into sensitive yet strong men with complex characteristics beyond race. Projected stereotypes of AAPIs are often a reminder not only of the expected assimilation of many immigrants but also of the potential for social consequence when they are not fully incorporated into the so-called “melting pot.” Movies and books, while providing a vantage point for history and the world surrounding the time, are often inadequate renderings of identity and reality. By looking at three contemporary and essential AAPI texts — Jin Lee, portrayed by John Cho, in Kogonada’s 2017 film Columbus; Little Dog in Ocean Vuong’s 2019 novel on earth we’re briefly gorgeous; and Waymond Wang, portrayed by Ke Huy Quan, in the Daniels’ 2022 film, Everything Everywhere All at Once — we can track different masculinities that may not fit the muscular fabric of toxic American masculinity, but rather masculinities that fit the sensitive, reserved, yet strong AAPI men that are often under looked. If there is a discontinuous representation of reality, history will be misrepresented as well.

The Ties That Bind

Eva Wynn — Thu, 25 May 2023 00:00:00 -0400

Rachel Greenwald Smith argues that the depiction of individual feelings in literature precludes readers from observing and understanding the systems, institutions, and networks present in society. Conversely, Judith Butler claims that it is through personal feelings such as grief that we come to know how connected to each other we truly are. In this essay, I provide an overview of both Smith and Butler’s theoretical positions and the places in which these theories converge. I then analyze the personal feelings and relationships present in James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room through the lens of each theory. Smith argues that literature about “personal feelings” perpetuates neoliberal ideas of individualism, and obscures connections between humans. In contrast, Judith Butler believes that one’s individual emotions can illuminate connection and cause us to recognize the ways in which we affect and are affected by the lives of others. For both, individuals are irrevocably connected to those around them, both close and far. The personal feelings that are owned and controlled by the individual, and emphasis on connection only for personal gain that Smith describes as hallmarks of neoliberalism are present in Giovanni’s Room. The characters in the novel are largely focused on self-advancement, and do not hesitate to leverage their personal relationships to achieve this end. The vulnerability, grievability, and connection that Butler describes are also present throughout Giovanni’s Room. Baldwin illuminates the ties that constitute his characters both explicitly and implicitly. In Giovanni’s Room, personal feelings illuminate the ways in which society acts upon the individual. While both Smith and Butler offer a valid and productive method of engaging with the text, Butler’s theory offers insight into Giovanni’s Room that Smith’s theory occludes. It is through Butler’s perspective that the reader can see all that Giovanni’s Room has to offer.