...Whether depicted in Japanese Horror, Japanese Noodle Western, or Asian American Musicals, the importance of complex characterization with regard to the main female protagonist figure is vital to a successful plot development. In various genres relating to Asian film, particularly the ones mentioned above, the female figure is portrayed as somewhat of a troubled or helpless woman who is in need of rescue and assistance from a male counterpart. The larger theme of finding a strong sense of self-identity while battling internal conflicts, as well as the fears and anxieties that arise within Japanese culture, are universal elements of characterization and mise-en-scene directly portrayed in various types of Chinese and Japanese films. Further,...
Words: 2268 - Pages: 10
...understand the culture. In this film, through love relations that really did not make sense between a French diplomat and the Chinese opera singer he believed the man became the woman, how could the failure for the wish to be separated from reality result in the deception and the tragedy. Gallimard changed Sole from "only humankind" in the "Perfect Woman". Due to his insecurity about his own masculinity, Gallimard needs to create Song in the image of the perfect Asian woman, which is exotic, sensual, and acquiescent, in order to feel wholly male. Although he seeks to confine Sole within the context of his fantasy, Gallimard poster vulnerability and need actually free Sole by providing her with an outlet to flee the Orientalist representation of Asian people. Gallimard transforms Sole into a butterfly, boots instead of transforming him into one of the butterfly. Whereas Gallimard, is actually the one who eventually ends up trapped by his own fantasy. Through an analysis of Gallimard practice cultural, sexual, and personal relationship with Sole Liling, this person is a reflection of the Western rape mentality toward the East, a philosophy that is ultimately self-destructive. Orientalism was the term that referred to the study about the East culture, but, according to the colonial theory of Edward Said, also could express the West strength and the East weakness - like that was seen by...
Words: 2090 - Pages: 9
...Engendering the Subaltern Subject: The Sexual Identity of Gay Asian Men We live in a world wherein we are controlled by our society. Society dictates what can and cannot be done, what is right and wrong, what is to be accepted and what is to be shunned. In our world today, we feel the need to conform to the norm, to feel as though we somehow belong, that we are a part of something bigger – that we belong to a community. In our world today, we are also encouraged to set ourselves apart from everyone else, to be our unique; our own person, but being different is something that is not generally accepted, the very notion that society brings forth, that we need to be our own person, society also contradicts because you can only be so different – it is as if there is a certain level of difference that can be tolerated, and anything beyond that comfort zone is deemed to be wrong. Today, it has become evident that more people have gathered the courage to defy society’s comfort zones and rise above them. Now, we see an increasing number of homosexuals that are becoming more open about their sexuality, but the question there is, are they coming out of the closet explicitly? Or is it simply an implied action? In the Philippines, we have local scenes that vividly showcase homosexual pride. We see this through the pubs that welcome gay acts to perform every now and then, the parlors whose staff consists primarily of gay stylists, even through the media we see how homosexuality is showcased...
Words: 4578 - Pages: 19
...difficult and complicate. Assimilating two separate cultures is an ongoing challenge. In this essay, I will describe the issues many immigrants face in regards to diversity, stereotyping, preserving self identity and personal values. America is nation that is populated with a culturally diverse group of people. The United States has welcomed more immigrants than any other country. The steady stream of people coming to America has had a profound effect on the evolution of American society. America is known as the land of the free and people from all over the world are attracted by promise of opportunity and success. It is not easy for those who move to the United States from other countries. It takes a lot of courage and sacrifice to leave your homeland and come to a new country, but the prospect of a better life makes the risk worth taking. Immigrants who come to America enrich the country by bringing aspects of their native cultures with them. For example, Hispanic Americans celebrate their culture with street fairs and other festivities on Cinco de Mayo. Other cultures, such as African Americans celebrate both Kwanzaa, a festival drawn from African rituals. As the population of the United States becomes more diverse its people are being exposed to holidays and traditions they would never have been experienced. One of the hurdles that immigrants encounter is stereotyping. Many false generalizations and assumptions are made about immigrants. For many, this their first experience...
Words: 1472 - Pages: 6
...2013 Mixed Racial and Cultural Groups of the United States is a huge topic being discussed recently because mixed racial relationships are increasing daily all around the world, but especially with-in the United States. There are many individuals who elaborate on whether or not each group expects to be treated as a separate entity, or be considered just Americans without the hyphen. Is the United States better off by classifying individuals by their ethnic background? What do we actually gain by these separate entities? Why is the government so concerned on everyone’s ethnic background? These are just a few of many questions that are being discussed and I will answer based on facts. While mixed racial and cultural groups continue to rise in the United States, it seems that the vast majority continues to pursue their separate ethnicity with-in the United States, but when approached abroad with-in another country, they seem to consider themselves as Americans vice African-American, Mexican American, Asian American, etc. (Perez and Hirshmann, “The Changing Racial and Ethnic Composition of the United States). Many Americans have multiple identities that reflect complex ancestral origins, tribal and communal associations, and varied ideological outlooks on race and culture. In general, people do not change their ethnicities as a matter of fashion, but they may emphasize different aspects depending on the circumstances. The United States is better off by classifying everyone...
Words: 2233 - Pages: 9
...Bharati Mukherjee and the American Immigrant: Reimaging the Nation in a Global Context Leah Rang University of Tennessee - Knoxville, lrang@utk.edu Recommended Citation Rang, Leah, "Bharati Mukherjee and the American Immigrant: Reimaging the Nation in a Global Context. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2010. http://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/655 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses by an authorized administrator of Trace: Tennessee Research and Creative Exchange. For more information, please contact trace@utk.edu. To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Leah Rang entitled "Bharati Mukherjee and the American Immigrant: Reimaging the Nation in a Global Context." I have examined the final electronic copy of this thesis for form and content and recommend that it be accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts, with a major in English. Urmila Seshagiri, Major Professor We have read this thesis and recommend its acceptance: Lisi Schoenbach, Bill Hardwig Accepted for the Council: Carolyn R. Hodges Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School (Original signatures are on file with official student records.) To the Graduate Council: I am submitting herewith a thesis written by Leah Rang entitled ―Bharati Mukherjee and the American Immigrant: Reimagining the...
Words: 30269 - Pages: 122
...FA ND OM UNB OUND —-1 —0 —+1 561-47344_ch00_1P.indd i 7/27/11 6:21 PM -1— 0— +1— 561-47344_ch00_1P.indd ii 7/27/11 6:21 PM FAN DO M U N BOUND Otaku Culture in a Connected World Edited by MIZUKO ITO DAISUKE OKABE IZUMI TSUJI —-1 —0 —+1 New Haven & London 561-47344_ch00_1P.indd iii 7/27/11 6:21 PM Published with assistance from Copyright © 2012 by Yale University. All rights reserved. Subject to the exception immediately following, this book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publishers. The author has made an online version of this work available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License. It can be accessed through the author’s Web site at http:www.itofisher.com/mito. Yale University Press books may be purchased in quantity for educational, business, or promotional use. For information, please e-mail sales.press @ yale.edu (U.S. office) or sales @ yaleup.co.uk (U.K. office). Designed by James J. Johnson Set in Janson Roman and Helvetica type by Westchester Book Group, Danbury, CT Printed in the United States of America [[CIP info to come]] A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence...
Words: 8227 - Pages: 33
...RUNNING HEAD: CULTURE AND PARENTING Culture and parenting Introduction Parenting is the first and likely most important mechanism through which culture is reproduced (Cauce, 2008). Every child is born into a certain circumstance and learns through interactions with the surroundings. Parents are generally the first and key people in a child’s life, so it should come as no surprise that parenting has influences on the development of children’s temperament, which later impacts their school performance. This article is going to explore how parenting varies among different ethnic groups including Asian Americans, African American, Latinos, and European Americans. More specifically, what factors should be included when considering the parenting characteristics of a unique ethnic group and what implications might they have for schooling today. Theories Two of the modern theories that are concerned with cultural influences on human development are Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory and Ecological Systems Theory proposed by Urie Bronfenbrenner. First, Vygotsky’s theory defined culture as the values, beliefs, customs, and skills of a social group. His Sociocultural Theory focuses on how culture is transmitted to the next generation. According to Vygotsky, social interaction – in particular, cooperative dialogues with more knowledgeable members of society – is necessary for children to acquire the ways of thinking...
Words: 5498 - Pages: 22
...Anyone know about the symbolism in ‘A Quiet American’ by Graham Greene? | Pyle represents the idealistic New Age America, thirsty for heroism. Phuong represents pre-war Vietnam, passive, innocent. What exactly does Fowler represent? Is it the wisdom and world-weariness of Old Europe or Britain’s involvement in the war simply for personal gain? | The symbolism of the individual characters has to be placed within the context of colonialism, since that was the relationship between the nations they each represented. Pyle's motives are far from heroic. An idealism that is motivated by interventionism in a Third World country's affairs can be dangerous and destructive, not only in the way Graham Greene saw it in the early fifties, but as history proved it by the events that unfolded years later, leading to the US war in Viet Nam. Or for what is happening now in Iraq, if you will. Fowler had the "old colonialist" wisdom that questioned Pyle's justification for violence. He had already learned that "democracy" is something many countries neither understand nor want, and any foreign attempt to impose it is doomed to failure. I don't know that this helps, but I can't see the novel any other way. | | Outline of characters | Thomas Fowler is a British journalist in his fifties who has been covering the French war in Viet Nam for over two years. He meets a young American idealist named Alden Pyle, who is a student of York Harding. Harding's theory is that neither Communism...
Words: 5177 - Pages: 21
...RAMBO Theories of Conversion: Understanding and Interpreting Religious Change The author explores the nature of theory and provides an overview of resources for the study of conversion to Islam. Theory is valuable in so far as it illuminates different aspects of a phenomenon. Various theoretical approaches include some dimensions and exclude others. Scholars of conversion must be aware of theoretical issues and systematically utilize theoretical options with sophistication. Such an approach will expand understanding of conversion and also enhance comparative studies of conversion. Theoretical orientations considered in this paper include: globalization, post-colonial, feminist, cross-cultural, religious/spiritual, intellectualist, narrative, identity, ritual, psychoanalytic, archetypal, attribution, attachment, process/stage, and Islamization theory. L’auteur analyse et offre un panorama des théories disponibles pour réaliser une étude des...
Words: 5949 - Pages: 24
...IGOROTS * Home * IGOROT SONGS * IGOROT DANCE * IGOROT TRADITIONS * MONEY ON THE MOUNTAIN IGOROT TRADITIONS IGOROT TRADITIONS When we talk about Igorot identity and culture, we also have to consider the time. My point is that: what I am going to share in this article concerning the Igorot culture might not be the same practiced by the Igorots of today. It has made variations by the passing of time, which is also normally happening to many other cultures, but the main core of respect and reverence to ancestors and to those who had just passed is still there. The Igorot culture that I like to share is about our practices and beliefs during the "time of Death". Death is part of the cycle of life. Igorots practice this part of life cycle with a great meaning and importance. Before the advent of Christianity in the Igorotlandia, the Igorots or the people of the Cordilleran region in the Philippines were animist or pagans. Our reverence or the importance of giving honor to our ancestors is a part of our daily activities. We consider our ancestors still to be with us, only that they exist in another world or dimension. Whenever we have some special feasts (e.g., occasions during death, wedding, family gathering, etc.), when we undertake something special (like going somewhere to look for a job or during thanksgiving), we perform some special offer. We call this "Menpalti/ Menkanyaw", an act of butchering and offering animals. During these times we call them...
Words: 53758 - Pages: 216
...THE RISE OF TONY FERNANDES AND AIRASIA IN MALAYSIA1 SHAHRIL EASHAK ISMAIL Monash Asia Institute, Monash University, Caulfield East Vic 3145, Australia Email: seism1@student.monash.edu 1 This paper was presented to the 18 Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association th of Australia in Adelaide, 5-8 July 2010. It has been peer reviewed via a double referee process and appears on the Conference Proceedings Website by the permission of the author who retains copyright. This paper may be downloaded for fair use under the Copyright Act (1954), its later amendments and other relevant legislation. 2 The Rise of Tony Fernandes and AirAsia in Malaysia This article discusses the emergence of Tony Fernandes and AirAsia. At first, when AirAsia was relaunched as a Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) under the leadership of Fernandes, no one thought the airliner would survive, let alone become a symbol of the liberalisation of the aviation industry in Southeast Asia. Second, Fernandes, a Malaysian Indian of Portuguese Malaccan descent – obviously not a Bumiputra2 - was able to thrive as an entrepreneur in an environment where the government gave top priority to Bumiputra entrepreneurs. These issues are discussed in this paper. Malaysia’s New Economic Policy (NEP) The Malaysian Government has played a significant role in Malaysia’s rapid economic growth. After the independence in August 1957, the economy shifted...
Words: 4100 - Pages: 17
...THE RISE OF TONY FERNANDES AND AIRASIA IN MALAYSIA1 SHAHRIL EASHAK ISMAIL Monash Asia Institute, Monash University, Caulfield East Vic 3145, Australia Email: seism1@student.monash.edu 1 This paper was presented to the 18 Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association th of Australia in Adelaide, 5-8 July 2010. It has been peer reviewed via a double referee process and appears on the Conference Proceedings Website by the permission of the author who retains copyright. This paper may be downloaded for fair use under the Copyright Act (1954), its later amendments and other relevant legislation. 2 The Rise of Tony Fernandes and AirAsia in Malaysia This article discusses the emergence of Tony Fernandes and AirAsia. At first, when AirAsia was relaunched as a Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) under the leadership of Fernandes, no one thought the airliner would survive, let alone become a symbol of the liberalisation of the aviation industry in Southeast Asia. Second, Fernandes, a Malaysian Indian of Portuguese Malaccan descent – obviously not a Bumiputra2 - was able to thrive as an entrepreneur in an environment where the government gave top priority to Bumiputra entrepreneurs. These issues are discussed in this paper. Malaysia’s New Economic Policy (NEP) The Malaysian Government has played a significant role in Malaysia’s rapid economic growth. After the independence in August 1957, the economy shifted...
Words: 4100 - Pages: 17
...Purpose: What do I want the student to do? In this course, we will explore the two most commonly used forms of writing for college students: expressive writing and academic writing. Expressive writing captures what is important to the writer. In order to succeed, writers must understand themselves. Such writing is deeply personal. Expressive writing is designed to prepare students for writing outside academics—communicating feelings and observations, beliefs and opinions, community and individuality—all skill sets that will enable students to succeed in any discipline or career path. From a learning perspective, expressive writing is often an easier form of writing than academic. It allows students to begin working with such concepts as language, reasoning and mechanics while working with material they find worth discussing. In this assignment, I want students to carefully examine both themselves and their community. What makes their community unique? What is their place within the community? How did their unique, individual personality take shape? Project Overview: How do I want the student to do the assignment? Component One: Personal Students will choose to write on one of the following three topics: • One’s sense of place (observation) • One’s place within a community (ethnography) • One’s relationship to an event from the past (memoir) Observation Students will write a “detailed description” of a local place that they know well (meaning:...
Words: 1855 - Pages: 8
...------------------------------------------------- Culture of India From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Part of a series on the | Culture of India | | History | People | Languages[show] | Mythology and folklore[show] | Cuisine | Religion | Art[show] | Literature[show] | Music and performing arts[show] | Media[show] | Sport | Monuments[show] | Symbols[show] | * India portal | * v * t * e | The culture of India is the way of living of the people of India. India's languages, religions, dance, music, architecture, food, and customs differ from place to place within the country. The Indian culture, often labeled as an amalgamation of several cultures, spans across the Indian subcontinent and has been influenced by a history that is several millennia old.[1][2] Many elements of India's diverse cultures, such as Indian religions, yoga and Indian cuisine, have had a profound impact across the world. Contents [hide] * 1 Religions * 2 Perceptions of Indian culture * 2.1 Arranged marriage * 2.2 Wedding rituals * 3 Greetings * 4 Festivals * 5 Animals * 6 Cuisine * 7 Clothing * 8 Languages and literature * 8.1 History * 8.2 Epics * 9 Performing arts * 9.1 Dance * 9.2 Drama and theatre * 9.3 Music * 10 Visual arts * 10.1 Painting * 10.2 Sculpture * 10.3 Architecture * 11 Sports and martial arts * 11.1 Sports ...
Words: 10182 - Pages: 41
