Music of the Arab-Anglicans in Israel： Dynamics of Ethno-Religious Identity

The paper focuses on music of the contemporary Arab-Anglican communities in Israel in their dynamics over the last years. The analysis is based on field recordings and other ethnography collected by the author in 2006-2011. The music of the contemporary Arab-Anglican churches in Israel comprises different styles, which might be decoded as indices of group identity, and transmits different signifiers of belonging to diverse branches of the contemporary world Anglican tradition. A remarkable feature of this Christian community is the ongoing shift of subaltern identities when their most ＂Western＂ component--association with a particular sub-division of the Church--receives its musical expression by means of ＂local motif＇, that is, the tunes associated with regional repertories. The dynamics of ethno-religious identity of Arab-Anglicans in Israel manifests itself through several tendencies, such as ecumenical tendency and some other trends. Though the study is situated in the context of an interdisciplinary academic discourse, music is the main text addressed. ＂Reading＂ this music allowed the author to uncover tenets, trends, and interrelations within the communities under study.

Subalternity vs. Hegemony in the Development of Science in Cuba After the Revolution

Every developing country has to meet the challenge of overcoming a condition of subalterrnity. After the victory of the Revolution in 1959, Cuba tackled this challenge in a very original way, prioritizing the development of scientific and technical know-how and of an advanced scientific system. Moreover, it pursued this goal with an extremely open attitude, using characteristic Cuban resourcefulness while at the same time taking advantage of every possible support and collaboration. While the country was increasingly integrated into the Soviet system and the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance （COMECON）, and therefore benefited from a close collaboration with the Soviet Union and the Eastern European countries＇ higher education and scientific systems, nevertheless it constantly sought collaboration with scientists and institutions in other countries as well, in particular in the Western world. The most meaningful instance of this collaboration is the development since the 1980s of an advanced biotechnological and biomedical system, which was created independently by the Soviet Union. Quite remarkably, when the socialist system collapsed, though Cuba faced a critical situation, the strategic choice was made not to cut support to this scientific sector, but rather to reinforce it. At present Cuba produces and exports advanced and in some cases unique vaccines and drugs, and this sector ranks as third in the country＇s source of current hard currency.

The Subaltern in Some Selected Poems by Mahmoud Darwish

The concept ＂Subaltern＂ or the ＂Other＂ has been a subject of discussion and debate in many fields such as Marxism, cultural studies, Orientalism, post-colonialism, history, sociology and politics. Consequently, many eminent critics and theorists have approached it from different perspectives. This study, depending on the post-colonial theories of many critics such as Edward Said, Gayatri Spivak and others, explores the type of voice given to the subaltern in some selected poems by Mahmoud Darwish. For Darwish, the subaltern can and should speak.

Postcolonialism Revisited： Representations of the Subaltern in Fadia Faqir＇s Pillars of Salt

Postcolonial theory is a well-established critical approach that addresses issues such as the quest for identity, the significance of land, homelessness, resistance, and the encounter between the colonized and the colonizers. This paper examines the postcolonial elements utilized by the Anglo-Jordanian novelist Fadia Faqir in her novel Pillars of Salt. It discusses the novel＇s themes and techniques associated with postcolonialism as a literary theory and as a critical approach. Being a postcolonial text, the novel shows the writer＇s attempt at writing back in response to the colonial past with its power structures and social hierarchies. Thematically, the novel is analyzed with special reference to such topics as the subaltern, Anglo-Jordanian ties, language, othemess, and identity. The paper also traces the continuity of postcolonial discourse in Faqir＇s novel and gives a short survey of the historical events that provide the background to the main events in this essentially postcolonial work.

Globalization, Women, and Poverty： A Transcultural Reading of Sheng Keyi＇s Northern Girls

China＇s rise within a global economy has had diverse consequences for Chinese women. For the super rich and the rising middle class, it has offered opportunities for vast wealth. For the newly emergent underclass of migrant workers who have flooded to the cities, it has engendered exploitative states of vulnerability, especially for rural women. In this paper we locate our inquiry in the context of globalization and its impact on rural women＇s lives as witnessed through the medium of a unique and distinctive women＇s life narrative, Sheng Keyi＇s Bei mei （Northern Girls）. The text testifies to the underside of women＇s lives within the new market economy, documenting the cruelty of global capitalism. It presents an alternative version of the history of China＇s rise in the global economy and maps a trajectory of increasing inequality from a previously silenced female perspective. Sheng Keyi＇s world speaks to the sordid world of women, the world of yin. It coexists with the dizzying ascent of the yang--as the powerful nation grapples with social inequality and fragmentation. In its international circulation, Northern Girls opens readers to the contradictions and ambivalent aspects of China＇s economic rise and its consequences specifically for migrant women.