Redesigning
the World One Home at a Time: Cultural and Military Imperialism in ABC's
Extreme Makeover Home Edition
By:
Angela Krattiger; Advisor: Vernadette
Gonzalez
I analyze ABC's reality
TV show Extreme Makeover Home Edition
as one cultural text which creates and circulates national myths of American
innocence, benevolence, and volunteerism, presenting a unified narrative of the
nation. I argue that EMHE is an important cultural text for understanding
how national myths become created and circulated to Americans, particularly
during times of war. EMHE serves: (1) as a tool for military recruitment
and patriotism during the "war on terror;" (2) to promote American exceptionalism and invincibility; and (3) as a distraction
from policies that continue to escalate the "war on terror" and
result in increased casualties and violence.
Contesting
the “Invention of Tradition” Discourse:
Cultural
Struggles in Kin Bay and Kaho‘olawe
By: Kozue Uehara; Advisor: Mari Yoshihara
I examine two protest
movements that emerged in the 1970s, one in Okinawa
and one in Hawai‘i. The first, the Kin Bay Struggle, was a protest against the
reclamation of Kin Bay (on the eastern coast of Okinawa)
and the construction of oil storage tanks and refineries there. The other, the Kaho‘olawe Movement,
protested against US
military bombing of the Hawaiian island
of Kaho‘olawe. In these two struggles, the practice of
“traditional” culture enhanced the participants’ agency and their assertion of
epistemological difference as a challenge to hegemonic forces, and strengthened
community ties which in turn enabled networking with other struggles against developmentalism and militarism internationally. By
examining the use of “traditional” culture in both movements, I argue that the
“invention of tradition” discourse has failed to grasp the multiple components
of cultural practice.
Singing
Nationalisms: Language, Translation and Politics in the Singapore
National Anthem By: Cheryl Narumi Naruse; Advisor: Mari Yoshihara
I analyze Singapore’s
national anthem Majulah Singapura
lyrics and performance in order to interrogate the ways in which the state
(re)produces its national ideologies to construct its citizens. The national
anthem can be read for themes of unity and simultaneity for the purposes of
nationalism, but the national anthem also hails the Singaporean citizen as a
modern subject by emphasizing the value of progress and success. I look at the
translations of the national anthem into English to draw out the relationship
of national ideologies to language politics in Singapore. Historical tensions with
Malaysia
and geopolitics relegate the Malay language to a token status, thus
marginalizing the Malay community. Language politics in Singapore
elevates the economic value of English and the cultural capital of Mandarin.
Friday, May 9th
10:00am – 12:00pm
East-West Center, Burns Hall 4005