As a fantasy structure, film acts as a privileged medium to conceive of formations, including identity formations, which are otherwise unthinkable under dominant ideology. Film may be a series of images composed for human entertainment, but as Susan Hayward states, "film is not just film, it is also the nexus of text relations which function as fantasy structures enunciating unconscious desire"  (Hayward 109). That is, film possesses the potential to show sublimated and repressed desires, such as the spectator&... Continue reading

Paul Valéry’s “Philosophy of the Dance” may have ekphrastic potential, but before suggesting that the author’s words give voice to the dance, a strong association between word and the dancer’s image must be formed.  One way that Valéry solidifies this verbal/visual relationship is by comparing dancing to writing and poetry, which offers evidence ... Continue reading

Scholars have argued that no area of East German society more decisively formed the “socialist citizen” than education, and the monolithic nature of this socialist education serves as a testament to such indoctrination (Rodden 2002, pg. 9). The socialist principles of Marxism-Leninism were the underpinning of all curricula in the 10-year polytechnic school system of East Germany (which will be abbreviated in this paper as the GDR), and almost every young person in the GDR enrolled in these institutions (... Continue reading

The first Act of Cloud 9 by Caryl Churchill takes place during the Victorian era, a period associated with social repression; this part of the play is set in Africa. When the British colonized the continent, most of the colonists were men who formed homosocial relationships. Although these relationships were not necessarily homoerotic, Harry Bagley’s erotic encounters with other male characters indicate a bond found only between men, regardless of age or race. According to Michel ... Continue reading

In the 1960s, the second wave of feminism came crashing over America and led to the criticism of many cultural institutions that had long been bastions of sexism. Even the art museum, long seen as a holy temple above such politics, was not spared from the feminist critique. The goal was to transform museums into establishments that promoted inclusivity and multiple narratives. As time has passed and feminism has moved from the second to third and, some argue, fourth ... Continue reading

ABSTRACT 

This paper evaluates the problems that commonly plague education systems and policies in  developing nations. Through primarily qualitative with some quantitative investigation  conducted in Sylhet, Bangladesh and analysis of the secondary research, I find that besides  poverty there are several other functional problems that impact the quality of education in  developing countries. These include, but are not limited to: teaching curriculum and a lack of extra-curricular activities; parents’ and teacher&... Continue reading