Concrete, inherent to modernist architecture, possesses agency. Its ambivalent properties have diverse material effects on the spectator. Drawing on Ingold’s ‘anthropology of materials’, the... Show moreConcrete, inherent to modernist architecture, possesses agency. Its ambivalent properties have diverse material effects on the spectator. Drawing on Ingold’s ‘anthropology of materials’, the framework of the social life of materials allows to interpret sociocultural implications of material manifestation. Within the underdeveloped domain of autocratic modernist architecture, this discussion of the case of the Shayad/ Azadi Tower in Tehran, Iran aims to illustrate how the material properties of concrete produce ambiguous experiences which are reflected in the design-strategies of the monument. The materiality of the Shahyad monument emits experiences of modernity and ancientness at the same time, which aligns with the design-strategy and ideology of the Pahlavi regime. Evoking imperial continuity, the Shah rooted his modern vision of Iran’s future national identity in the permanence of Persian civilization. Yet, the highly malleable properties and agency of concrete have made the monument an active locus of power which continues to shape Iranian society after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Show less
A substantial body of research has found that social desirability motivates respondents to overstate support for immigration when asked directly, but when provided an unobtrusive means of... Show moreA substantial body of research has found that social desirability motivates respondents to overstate support for immigration when asked directly, but when provided an unobtrusive means of expressing preferences, support declines. In this paper, we ask whether South Koreans follow this pattern, especially with regards to co-ethnic migrants from North Korea and China. We use list experiments to determine whether observed levels of support for general immigration and co-ethnic migration are biased by social desirability. We find that generally respondents overstate their support for co-ethnics from North Korea by a significant amount when asked directly, but not for the other groups, although college-educated respondents overstate their support for general immigration. Social desirability bias with respect to co-ethnics from North Korea is particularly evident in older respondents and males. These findings challenge the notion that native-born citizens prefer co-ethnic immigrants. Show less
This article analyses Haitian immigration to Chile as a new factor that problematises discourses about the local population’s identity and how they perceive their own idiosyncratic characteristics... Show moreThis article analyses Haitian immigration to Chile as a new factor that problematises discourses about the local population’s identity and how they perceive their own idiosyncratic characteristics with regard to aspects such as cultural differences, racism, social and cultural segregation, sexual myths, solidarity, phenotypical differences and aesthetic patterns. These perceptions appear to fluctuate between positive and negative evaluations which necessitate a re-examination of traditional categories of local identity. Show less
The introduction of French literature to Lithuania occurred in different periods of its history. After analysing several cases, we can draw the conclusion that the culture and literature of Western... Show moreThe introduction of French literature to Lithuania occurred in different periods of its history. After analysing several cases, we can draw the conclusion that the culture and literature of Western Europe have always been present and well received in Lithuania. French literature represented the ideal to follow, the model to imitate. As it has been one of the world's great literatures for centuries, it has greatly influenced Lithuanian culture and literature.This thesis covers the most important periods of Lithuanian history: the Renaissance, the Republic of the two Nations (Poland and Lithuania), the occupation by Czarist Russia, Independence in the period between the two world wars, the Soviet occupation and the restoration of Independence in 1990. Show less
Most historians today agree that nations are constructed and their borders largely arbitrary. So, why should we study nationalism by limiting ourselves to the boundaries of existing nation-states... Show moreMost historians today agree that nations are constructed and their borders largely arbitrary. So, why should we study nationalism by limiting ourselves to the boundaries of existing nation-states or nationalist movements? In fact, since the 1990s historians have been analysing the interaction between local, regional and national identities, mostly by concentrating on the territorial identification processes in a specific city or region. Other scholars examined trans-border influences on the nation-building process by focusing on the role of emigrants, borders, transfers or the impact of foreign scholars and tourists. As a consequence, nationalism is now being studied at various geographical levels besides the traditional emphasis on the nation itself: the local, the regional, the transnational and the global (which will be the topic of chapter twelve). This chapter aims to provide an overview of the impact of the ‘spatial turn’ on the history of nationalism. Show less
Methodological nationalism is still dominant in nationalism studies. When studying the construction of national identities, scholars generally limit their study to the borders of one nation-state,... Show moreMethodological nationalism is still dominant in nationalism studies. When studying the construction of national identities, scholars generally limit their study to the borders of one nation-state, while only paying attention to members of that particular nation. Implicitly, foreign actors and influences are left out of the picture. I will challenge this methodological nationalism with a case study, which demonstrates that the place of Toledo within the Spanish national imagination, and more particularly that of El Greco, the most important representative of the city's artistic heritage, was largely determined by foreigners. During the nineteenth century, El Greco was rediscovered primarily by foreign scholars and artists. Moreover, it would be the rise of international tourism in the early twentieth century that convinced Toledans to adopt El Greco as the city's main artistic icon. This case, thus, clearly shows that in nationalism studies methodological nationalism can be avoided by also including foreign actors. Show less
Methodological nationalism is still dominant in nationalism studies. When studying the construction of national identities, scholars generally limit their study to the borders of one nation-state,... Show moreMethodological nationalism is still dominant in nationalism studies. When studying the construction of national identities, scholars generally limit their study to the borders of one nation-state, while only paying attention to members of that particular nation. Implicitly, foreign actors and influences are left out of the picture. I will challenge this methodological nationalism with a case study, which demonstrates that the place of Toledo within the Spanish national imagination, and more particularly that of El Greco, the most important representative of the city's artistic heritage, was largely determined by foreigners. During the nineteenth century, El Greco was rediscovered primarily by foreign scholars and artists. Moreover, it would be the rise of international tourism in the early twentieth century that convinced Toledans to adopt El Greco as the city's main artistic icon. This case, thus, clearly shows that in nationalism studies methodological nationalism can be avoided by also including foreign actors. Show less
