Session 6(b): Roles, Race and Interculturalism
Session 6b: Roles, Race and Interculturalism
Chair: Saleh Abdelazim
Mixed Race and Gender in African American Literature
Jennifer Dasteel
English Department, Pomona College, Claremont, California, USA
This paper is the introduction to a thesis which examines the interconnections between Black – White mixed-race and gender in African American literature and how that changes a historicized and modern audience’s reading of the texts. The time period of focus is the 1800′s through 1900′s. Predominantly primary sources (e.g. original works of fiction, autobiography and biography) create the support for the various theories of interplay between gender and Black – White mixed-race. However, occasional critical nonfiction texts support the research as well. The research, hitherto, reveals that gender plays an integral and central role in the concept of Black – White mixed-race in African American literature. A well known example of this centrality is the now clichéd “tragic mulatto” plot line. This plot line hinges upon the mixed-race character being female, thus creating a strong tie between feminine attributes and Black-White mixed-race identity. Likewise the idea of mixed-race in many texts is exposed as a feminine characteristic and thus personally, but not politically, avoided by most mixed-race male characters. The “tragic mulatto” plot line is likewise avoided by well known mixed-race authors like Fredrick Douglas. Further findings include transgender and homoerotic motifs involving mixed-race characters particularly in slave narratives, and biographies. And finally, the history of rape plays a fundamental part in the connection between Black – White mixed-race and gender in African American literature. Rape itself created and perpetuated the Black – White mixed-race condition, as well as commodifying light skinned slaves. Further areas of examination may include the concepts of interculturalism within literary food studies.
The Roles of Religion, sexuality, age, status, profession, and other parameters in determining the level of nurturing qualities of Filipino women, young, middle-aged and elderly
Wilhelmina Orozco
Araneta Subdv., QC, The Philippines
This paper is a specific study on the roles of religion, sexuality, age, status, profession, and other parameters in determining the level of nurturing qualities of Filipino women, young, middle-aged and elderly. The study is a veritable first of its kind study using quantitative and qualitative methods to bring out the nurturing perceptions and practices of women in my country.
The study covers 131 women coming from the academe, professional business sector and urban poor in MetroManila conducted from 1998 to 2001. The categories used in the quantitative phase, covered roles of women in the family, the community, and the society at large.
It also gives a historical background of the colonial forces that brought about feudalistic thinking and practices on the part of the women, thereby providing a structural analysis of women’s oppression and domination in society.
This study is important in terms of laying down the scholarly directions of the women’s movement in my country. In the past, the women’s movement had been reactive to the socio-political forces and events. But under the People Power phenomenon, we can now afford to undergo reflection and meditation on the meaning, value, and directions of our isms, objectives and praxis.
A New Approach Towards Translating Ogam Scripts
Edo Nyland
Sidney, B.C., Canada
This paper offers 4 possible approaches toward the interpretation and translation of Ogam scripts.
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