International Journal of Arts and Humanities Studies
The International Journal of Arts and Humanities Studies (ISSN: 2754-4311), published monthly by Al-Kindi Center for Research and Development, is a peer-reviewed academic journal dedicated to advancing knowledge and critical discussion in the fields of arts, culture, and humanities. Its aim is to provide an open platform for scholars, researchers, and practitioners worldwide to share original research, theoretical contributions, and innovative perspectives that enhance understanding of human expression, history, language, literature, philosophy, and related disciplines. The journal welcomes interdisciplinary approaches and seeks to foster intellectual exchange that bridges traditional and contemporary issues, thereby contributing to the global dialogue on the role of arts and humanities in shaping societies.
Al-Kindi Center for Research and Development
The Proprioceptive Paradigm: Mapping English Prepositions and Spatial Syntax through Motor-Sensory Feedback Loops in Moroccan EFL Beginners who are Completely Visually Challenged
This study investigates the "Proprioceptive Paradigm" as a multimodal pedagogical framework for teaching English spatial prepositions and syntax to completely visually challenged students during their first year of English instruction in the Moroccan secondary school cycle. Focusing on a beginner cohort aged 14 to 15, the research explores how the student's own body can serve as a primary "grammatical image" through the activation of motor-sensory feedback loops. Employing a qualitative case study design, the research utilizes longitudinal classroom observations of seven completely visually challenged students and a semi-structured interview with their English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher. Data were analyzed using the six-phase reflexive thematic analysis method. Findings reveal that physicalizing spatial relations—such as "between," "across," and "through"—effectively anchors abstract grammatical concepts into long-term memory via motoric encoding, bypassing the didactic barriers presented by image-heavy curricula. The study concludes that for completely visually challenged students, the transition from an ocularcentric curriculum to an embodied, kinesthetic approach significantly enhances spatial syntactic acquisition and optimizes learning outcomes for novice learners.
Proprioceptive Paradigm; Motor-Sensory Feedback Loops; English Spatial Prepositions; Completely Visually Challenged Students; Moroccan EFL Beginners
Copyright (c) 2026 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Role of Home Literacy Environment in Strengthening the Literacy Competencies of Grade Two Learners
This study examined the influence of the home literacy environment on the literacy skills of learners. Specifically, it assessed the status of the home literacy environment in terms of physical environment, parent literacy habits, child literacy habits, parent–child interaction, and parental beliefs, and determined learners’ literacy skills in word recognition, sentence reading, reading fluency, and comprehension. The study employed a descriptive–correlational research design and was conducted at Liburon Elementary School, Department of Education–Carcar City Division, during School Year 2024–2025. Using total sampling technique, the respondents consisted of ninety-six (96) Grade Two learners and their corresponding parents. Data were gathered through a Survey Questionnaire for Parents adapted from Buvaneswari and Padakannaya and the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA) for learners. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s product–moment correlation were utilized for data analysis. The findings indicated that the home literacy environment was generally supportive of literacy development, and learners demonstrated strong literacy skills appropriate for their grade level. However, the test of relationship showed that variations in the home literacy environment were not significantly associated with learners’ literacy skills. It was concluded that learners’ reading competencies were likely reinforced by effective school-based instruction alongside home support. Based on the results, the study strongly recommends the implementation of the proposed Literacy Skills Enhancement Plan to strengthen home–school collaboration and sustain early literacy development.
Home Literacy Environment, Early Literacy, Reading Skills, Parental Involvement, Word Recognition, Reading Fluency, Comprehension,
Principals and Supervisors' Perspectives on Employing Differentiated Instruction Strategies in TEFL
This study aimed to explore the views of school principals and educational supervisors on the employment of differentiated instruction in teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL). To achieve this aim, the researcher used the descriptive survey approach. A questionnaire was used to assess the extent to which English language female teachers used differentiated instruction strategies, namely problem-solving, gradual activities, and think/pair/share. The study sample included (125) school principals and English language supervisors from Bisha Province. Since differentiated instruction aims to meet the different needs of students through the use of various strategies, the results of the study showed that the degree of teacher’s use of the problem-solving strategy in teaching English was high, with an arithmetic mean of (2.34), while the degree of the use of gradual activities and think/pair/share strategies was average, with an average of (1.93). The study also showed that differentiated instruction in general was average, with an arithmetic mean of (2.19). Based on the results, the researcher presented several recommendations, most notably the need to enhance the use of problem-solving strategies in teaching English in particular, and in teaching other subjects in general.
Differentiated Instruction, Problem-solving Strategy, Gradual Activity Strategy, Think/pair/share Strategy
Research on Cultural and Creative Design Based on AIGC
This paper briefly expounds on AIGC and its advantages in the application of cultural and creative design, and puts forward the general process of AIGC in cultural and creative design applications. Based on AIGC design platforms such as SD and Comfyui, after element extraction, attempts at cultural and creative design are carried out according to "text instructions" and "image instructions". Taking the design of fridge magnets as an example, this paper verifies the effectiveness of AIGC technology in generating cultural and creative design renderings. The research indicates that AIGC technology can provide creators with more creativity during the design stage of cultural and creative products, and shorten the product design cycle and improve the product design quality by rapidly generating renderings. In recent years, AIGC technology has witnessed rapid development, especially with the continuous updates of various related application platforms. Consequently, it has been extensively applied across various industries. Cultural and creative products play a crucial role in the tourism economy. However, currently, China's cultural and creative products are confronted with issues such as severe homogenization, weak design sense, and shoddy production. The author posits that by better leveraging AIGC technology in the cultural and creative industry, more design inspirations can be furnished for cultural and creative product design, thereby enhancing the quality of product design.
Cultural and creative products, Route, AIGC,design,Software,Future Prospects, Concept of AIGC
Copyright (c) 2025 International Journal of Arts and Humanities Studies
Virtue as Governance: Moral Leadership and Social Harmony in the Confucian Analects
This article elucidates the principles of governance articulated by Confucius in the Analects, arguing for their enduring relevance as a framework for ethical leadership. Confucius posited that effective rule is not rooted in coercive power but in the moral character of the leader, who serves as a paradigmatic exemplar for the populace. Through an exegesis of key passages, this paper explores the interconnected concepts of virtue (de), ritual propriety (li), filial piety (xiao), trustworthiness (xin), education, inclusivity, and reflective praxis. It demonstrates how these principles collectively form a system aimed at cultivating social harmony and political stability through moral suasion and self-cultivation. The analysis concludes that Confucian thought offers critical insights for contemporary leadership, emphasizing that sustainable governance is fundamentally an ethical enterprise.
Confucianism, Governance, Virtue (De), Ritual (Li), Trustworthiness (Xin), Moral Leadership, Social Harmony
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The Humanities in the Age of STEM: Moroccan High School Students’ Perceptions
As global attention increasingly privileges STEM disciplines, the Arts and Humanities face escalating marginalization and devaluation. In Morocco, this phenomenon is particularly pronounced: these fields are not only dismissed as less valuable but are also frequently treated with overt condescension. The prevailing social discourse surrounding the Arts and Humanities remains predominantly negative, a perception that exerts tangible effects on their academic status and societal reputation. This study investigates the extent to which Moroccan high school students internalize and reproduce these negative narratives, while also seeking to uncover the underlying causes of such attitudes. To this end, a mixed-methods survey was administered to collect both qualitative and quantitative data from a representative sample of Moroccan high school students. The findings reveal that most respondents share the dominant negative perceptions of the Humanities, primarily grounded in the belief that these disciplines provide limited professional prospects and economic value. Moreover, the results highlight a persistent stereotype portraying students who pursue the Arts and Humanities as less intelligent and academically underperforming compared to their peers in scientific fields.
Arts and Humanities, STEM, high school students, Morocco, education, social perception
Copyright (c) 2025 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Identify the Environmental Impact of hazardous materials and chemical waste generated by printmaking process
Printmaking is a versatile art form with a long and rich history, evolving from a functional means of reproduction into a distinct and powerful creative medium. Its origins trace back to ancient civilizations, with its development heavily influenced by advancements in technology, chemistry and materials. A substantial amount of waste is produced while making the artworks, which may create environmental challenges. Printmaking, as both a traditional art form and a technical process, involves the extensive use of materials such as inks, solvents, acids, and metallic compounds. While these substances are essential for creative expression, their improper disposal and management have raised growing environmental and health concerns. This study investigates the types, composition, and ecological consequences of chemical and material wastes produced during printmaking activities, emphasizing their implications for environmental health. Using a qualitative and quantitative approach supported by existing environmental studies and case analyses, this paper examines common printmaking materials such as pigment based inks, volatile organic compound (VOC) containing solvents, and acidic etchants. This research indicates that solvent-based inks and cleaning agents release VOCs that contribute to air pollution and pose inhalation risks. The research aims to identify the most hazardous components within printmaking processes, analyze their potential pathways into the environment, and assess their impact on ecosystems and human well-being.
Printmaking, Waste, Chemical, Environment, Hazardous, Materials
Gendered Dynamics of Political Leadership: A Comparative Study of Morocco, the MENA Region, and Western Democracies
This research paper explores the intricate intersections of gender, power, and politics in Morocco and the broader Arab world through a feminist analytical framework. Adopting a comparative approach, it examines Moroccan women’s participation in political leadership and decision-making processes. Morocco’s national development strategy underscores the equitable inclusion of all citizens as a prerequisite for sustainable progress, positioning political participation at the core of this vision. Despite significant strides toward gender equality in the political sphere, further advancements remain essential to achieving substantive parity comparable to that of advanced Western democracies. Women’s empowerment thus constitutes a pivotal factor in the consolidation of democracy, equality, and social justice. Although Morocco outperforms several MENA countries in terms of women’s political representation, it continues to trail behind European and Scandinavian nations in realizing comprehensive gender parity.
Feminism, Gender Parity, Gender Equality, Decision-Making, Power Dynamics, Human Development, Leadership, Democracy, Political Representation
Metapoetry and Narcissism in the Poetry of Seamus Heaney: A critical Study of Selected Poems
This research examines metapoetry or self-reference poems which is concerned with writing about poetry itself. In other words, poetry is thematized and manipulated as the basic subject matter. The study aims to expose the narcissist traces and the creative aspects through the selected poems of Seamus Heaney in terms of meta poetry and self-reference. It highlights the authentic relation between manual work and place in one hand and the creative work of a poet on the other hand. In this respect, the research investigates the artistic ability of the poet in translating manual work through invoking traditional manual works such as "Digging", "Forge ","The Salmon Fisher to the Salmon", "Poet's Chair" and "A Shiver" that have not been used any longer because of machinery and modern technology. These works are shown as equivalent to the process of writing poetry to explore mystery, curiosity, hard work yet productivity. Also, by referring to the physical world represented by certain places such as such "Anahorish" and "Broagh" Ending with "Personal Helicon" as the metaphorical construction for writing poetry or the actual home for inspiration yet for the creative work of a poet. Whether adapting laboring poems or languary poems, Heaney, as a narcissist poet shows artifice capacity to enhance his poetry in terms of self-conscious and reflexivity.
artificer, laboring poems, languary poems, metapoetry, narcissism, Seamus Heaney
Speaking Health through Culture: Designing Afrikan Symbols as Metaphors for Maternal Health Communication
Across Afrika, cultural identity is expressed through symbols and objects that carry shared meanings within communities. These symbols, deeply rooted in tradition, have historically served as visual metaphors that simplify complex ideas and foster collective understanding. In countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa, symbols continue to provide a cultural language through which values and knowledge are communicated. This study examines how such cultural symbols can be harnessed to support maternal health communication in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3 on Good Health and Well-being and SDG 5 on Gender Equality. Focusing on underserved mothers in Grabouw, Western Cape, South Africa, the research engaged community caregivers in a participatory design process to explore the potential of Afrikan symbols as metaphors for health education. Through inductive, design methods, caregivers co-created low-fidelity prototypes that translated health-related concepts into culturally resonant visual forms. Findings demonstrate that cultural symbols offer meaningful entry points for maternal health communication, enabling mothers to connect health information with familiar cultural references. This not only improves comprehension but also empowers women to make informed decisions for their own well-being and that of their children. The study contributes to both design and health communication scholarship by showing how integrating cultural heritage into maternal health strategies can advance equity in resource-constrained contexts. It recommends further exploration of symbol-based communication tools as culturally grounded design interventions that align with the global agenda of reducing maternal mortality and promoting gender equality.
Afrika; Cultural symbols; Maternal health; Health communication; Participatory design; Sustainable Development Goals
Copyright (c) 2024 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Packaging Design in Ghana: Consumer Reaction to Culture-Oriented Design
This study examines how Ghanaian consumers respond to culture-oriented packaging design and how such design influences perceptions, attitudes, and product choice. Drawing on a culture-oriented design model, we integrated Ghanaian cultural elements—traditional patterns, socio-cultural practices, and symbols—into a product label and explored consumer reactions using qualitative methods (interviews and observations). Data were analysed thematically. Findings indicate that culturally infused packaging evokes emotional connection, enhances perceived authenticity, and strengthens brand attachment, with many participants expressing a higher willingness to pay for designs that reflect their cultural identity. Beyond market outcomes, participants viewed culture-oriented packaging as contributing to cultural preservation and countering the homogenising effects of globalisation. The study offers practical guidance for businesses seeking culturally resonant marketing strategies in Ghana and contributes to scholarship on the intersection of packaging, culture, and consumer behaviour. We recommend future work that compares demographic segments and conducts cross-cultural studies to test transferability across markets.
Culture-oriented Design, Packaging Design, Consumer Behaviour, Brand Loyalty, Globalisation
Exploring Graphic Designers’ Motivations and Their Influence on Environmental Sustainability in Design Practice
This research explores the critical role of designers’ motivations in environmental sustainability considerations in graphic design. While existing research examines the material aspects of sustainable design, this paper argues that designers’ mindsets are a crucial but often overlooked factor influencing their choices. Focusing on both South African and Ghanaian contexts, the study investigated the motivations of graphic designers in these distinct yet interconnected creative landscapes. The findings reveal that economic benefits, personal passion, client satisfaction, and professional recognition are primary motivators for South African and Ghanaian designers. These motivations were within Maslow’s hierarchy of physiological, safety, and belongingness levels, which are hinged on personal and profit gains, and thus overshadowed conscious consideration of environmental sustainability in the graphic designers’ practices. Thematic analysis on the interview data was conducted through the lens of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs theory, providing a framework for understanding the motivational drivers at play, which is uncommon in design research. The findings, therefore, demand the need for a mental shift that is driven by the need to counter negative environmental consequences. Based on the research outcome, professional design associations in both South Africa and Ghana may play a vital role in promoting and enforcing sustainable practices and should actively demand environmentally conscious design solutions from graphic design practitioners, creating a market-driven incentive for sustainable practices.
Sustainability, Graphic Design, Motivations, Environmental
Copyright (c) 2025 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Linguistic Study of the Used Strategies by Candidates in The U.S. Elections
This study explores how sexism is used in political discourse during the 2024 U.S. presidential election through an analysis of tweets by the candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. The research is based on in Sara Mills’ (2008) model of sexism in language, it investigates both overt and covert forms of sexist discourse, focusing on how language interacts with broader gendered power structures. Using a qualitative method, the study analyzes eight tweets (four from each candidate) chosen for their contrasting rhetorical strategies related to gender and authority. The results present that while neither candidate uses explicitly sexist language, their discourse engages differently with gender norms. Harris avoids overt and covert sexism but adopts assertive, expert-driven rhetoric traditionally associated with male political figures, thus, challenging conventional gender expectations. Trump’s tweets rely on rhetorical strategies such as contrastive framing, presupposition, and tone to subtly emphasize stereotypes of female inadequacy masculine ideals of leadership. These patterns align with Mills’ concept of covert sexism, in which discriminatory implications are embedded in language without direct expression. The analysis demonstrates that sexism in political discourse often operates not through explicit statements, but through interpretation, reception, and culturally embedded gender norms. The study highlights the need to examine not only what is said, but also how political messages are shaped by the gender of the speaker and societal expectations. finally, the findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how political figures both reproduce and resist gendered discourse in contemporary communication.
U.S. Elections; political discourse; Sara Mills
Artificer, laboring poems, languary poems, metapoetry, narcissism, Seamus Heaney
Unpacking Transnational Feminism: A Journey Through Its Nuances and Challenges
Transnational feminism offers a nuanced approach to understanding gender justice by examining the intersection of global power structures, race, class, and gender across national borders. It challenges the dominance of Western feminist discourses by highlighting the diverse experiences of women, particularly from the Global South, and critiques global systems like neoliberalism, imperialism, and patriarchy. Central to transnational feminism, its focus is on global solidarity and the recognition of interconnectedness of struggles for gender justice worldwide. It emphasizes the importance of addressing both local and global dynamics in feminist activism, ensuring that marginalized voices are heard. Relying on a qualitative explorative study through close examination of scholarly articles, this article will shed light on the complexities of transnational feminism. While the movement seeks to constantly balance the tension between fostering global solidarity and respecting local complexities as well as aims to dismantle hierarchies, it can sometimes reproduce the same power imbalances it critiques, particularly between feminists from the Global North and the Global South. The challenge of translating theoretical ideals into practice, especially in terms of equitable representation and collaboration across borders, adds further layers of complexity to transnational feminist work.
Transnational feminism, global power structures, interconnectedness, gender justice, Global South, Global North, global solidarity, local complexities
Women’s organizations and the fight for women’s rights: Case study of UAF and MRA
In an attempt to shed light on the efforts deployed by women’s organizations in Morocco dealing with discrimination against women and gender inequality, and understand the nuances of women’s culture in Morocco, this article will look at the beginnings, the missions and ideals of two renowned women’s organizations, UAF (Union de l’Action Féminine) and MRA (Mobilising for Rights Associates). Since their inception, they have strived to improve women’s situation and help ease the hurdles that women face at the social, economic and political levels. This article will rely on a qualitative explorative study to present an account of UAF and MRA’s missions and their fight against women’s discrimination and gender inequality.
Women's Organizations in Morocco, Gender Inequality, Discrimination Against Women, l’Union de l’Action Féminine (UAF), Mobilising for Rights Associates (MRA)
Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: The Journey to Freedom and Empowerment
Maya Angelou's memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), demonstrates the transformative power of resistance and the complexities of being a Black woman in a racially oppressive society. This paper delves into Angelou's narrative, examining how she portrays the complexities and intersections of race and gender and their impact on Black women’s lives. The study also explores the various forms of resistance employed by Angelou and other Black women depicted in the memoir through the Black feminist perspectives of Patricia Hill Collins. This perspective provides a lens through which to thoroughly examine the themes of racism, sexism, identity, and resilience central to Angelou's work. Collins’ perspectives offer a critical and intersectional analysis of Black women's unique perspectives, experiences, and struggles. This study argues that Angelou's acts of defiance, ranging from self-expression through literature and poetry to the pursuit of education and the strength found in the community, lead to personal growth, empowerment, and liberation. The findings of this research highlight Angelou’s self-determination, acts of defiance and resistance, self-expression, and collective solidarity in the ongoing struggle against intersectional oppression and the impact on her journey of empowerment, self-healing, and liberation to become a voice that supports others’ freedom.
Black Feminism, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Intersectionality, Maya Angelou, Memoir, Patricia Hill Collins
Collaborative Efforts of Parents and Teachers on Literacy Instructionn of the Kindergarten Learners
This research assessed the collaborative effort of teachers and parents on the literacy instruction of kindergarten learners at the identified schools of the Aloguinsa District in the Division of Cebu Province for the School Year 2022-2023 as the basis for a Literacy Skills Enhancement Plan. It utilized a descriptive-correlation research design to determine the extent of collaboration among respondent groups on the literacy instruction of kindergarten learners. Respondents were selected using a universal sampling technique. Gathered data were treated using frequency, percentage, standard deviation, weighted mean, Likert scale, and Spearman Rho. The findings revealed that most parent-respondents were female, whose age bracket was 29-36 years old, were high school graduates, had one or two children, and earned 10,000 pesos and below. On the other hand, teacher-respondents were primarily females with masteral units, ranked teacher 1, and had six to 10 years in service. Furthermore, results indicated that the respondent groups always collaborated on the literacy instruction of the kindergarten learners. Meanwhile, there was a significant difference in the extent of collaboration among the respondent groups in literacy instruction of kindergarten learners. It is recommended that the literacy skills enhancement plan be adopted.
Early Childhood Education, parent-teacher collaboration, literacy instruction, descriptive-correlation, Aloguinsan, Cebu
Feminine Re-Narrating the Nation in Nawal El Saadawi’s: A Daughter of Isis
This study introduces a postcolonial feminist analysis of Nawal El Saadawi's A Daughter of Isis, focusing on the lived experiences of Egyptian women within the intersections of gender, colonialism, and religion. It examines how patriarchal structures and colonial legacies collectively shape women's roles and identities in Egyptian society. Central to this analysis is El Saadawi's challenge of oppressive cultural and religious traditions, including female genital mutilation and gender-restrictive roles, highlighting women's resistance against systemic inequities. The study explores the strategies employed by women to assert their agency and reshape narratives of national and personal identity amidst patriarchal dominance. Additionally, it critiques El Saadawi's use of autobiography as a tool for resistance, emphasizing the re-narration of history through marginalized voices. By intertwining personal memory with broader socio-political critique, El Saadawi reclaims women's voices, offering a nuanced perspective on identity formation and the quest for justice in a postcolonial context.
Postcolonial feminism , Egyptian women's experiences , Patriarchy and resistance, Gender and power, Autobiography as resistance
The Impact Of Using Technology In Language Learning: Reflection On The Teacher's Experience
This study aims to describe the ability of language teachers to use digital learning applications and their impact on language learning outcomes. This goal is based on the results of observations that show technological developments in education such as the development of various types of applications that teachers can use in the learning process. The method used in this study is qualitative descriptive. Data collection is carried out through interviews, questionnaires, and direct observation. The data sources that became respondents were six Indonesian teachers. The data is in the form of interview results related to teachers' reflections on the use of educational technology, its impact on teachers and students, and the teachers' future views on the use of technology in learning. The collected data is then grouped, analyzed, interpreted, and concluded. The results show that using technology, such as interactive learning applications and digital devices, has increased student engagement in learning literacy concepts and facilitated access to various learning resources. The use of educational technology, such as interactive learning applications, educational videos, and digital devices, increases students' interest in learning literacy. As many as 85% of teachers surveyed explained that their students become more active in reading and writing when technology is used in the classroom.
Copyright (c) 2024 International Journal of Arts and Humanities Studies
Challenges of Autonomous Vehicles: Investigating the Legal Implications and Regulatory Challenges Associated with the Rise of Autonomous Vehicles
The deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs) introduces transformative possibilities for transportation, from improved safety to enhanced efficiency. However, these advancements are accompanied by complex legal and regulatory challenges, such as liability for accidents, data privacy concerns, cybersecurity risks, and ethical considerations in AV programming. This paper examines these challenges, comparing different international regulatory approaches, discussing ethical dilemmas, and proposing legal frameworks. Through these discussions, we aim to build a comprehensive understanding of the evolving legal landscape for autonomous vehicles and advocate for robust legal reforms to ensure their safe and responsible integration into society.
Autonomous vehicles, liability, cybersecurity, data privacy, legal challenges, regulatory frameworks, ethical considerations.
Human Rights and Technology: Exploring How Technological Advancements Impact Human Rights, Particularly in Surveillance and Data Collection
Technological advancements, particularly in surveillance and data collection, have transformed how societies function and how governments and corporations interact with individuals. While technology has brought substantial benefits in communication, healthcare, and public safety, it has also raised profound concerns about human rights, particularly in privacy, freedom of expression, and security. This paper explores the impact of technology on human rights, focusing on the ethical and legal implications of surveillance and data collection practices. We analyze how different technologies, including facial recognition, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics, affect individual freedoms and privacy, offering policy recommendations for a more balanced approach to technology that respects human rights.
Human rights, technology, surveillance, data collection, privacy, artificial intelligence, ethics
A Review of on China by Henry Kissinger: Insights into Diplomacy and History and its Implications for Afghans
This book review critically examines On China by Henry Kissinger, exploring its significance in the fields of international relations, diplomacy, and history. The review summarizes the book's key themes and sections, with a focus on Chinese foreign policy and the evolution of Chinese leadership. Additionally, it contextualizes the book's relevance for Afghan scholars, policymakers, and students by highlighting China's expanding influence in Afghanistan. The review emphasizes the importance of understanding China’s geopolitical strategies and concludes with insights into how the book can inform future policy decisions.
Henry Kissinger, On China, Chinese diplomacy, Afghan foreign policy, International relations
Incidence of Smartphone Addiction, Poor Sleep Quality and Daytime Sleepiness on Academic Performance of High School Students in Marrakech
Excessive use of smartphones has been associated with both poor sleep quality as well as daytime sleepiness. In the educational context, it is established that these factors often have an impact on the academic performance of students. This cross-sectional study is conducted to assess the impact of sleep quality in relation to the use of smartphones on academic performance among Moroccan high school students in the city of Marrakech. It involves 570 students of both sexes, aged 17 to 20 years. Participants answered a self-administered questionnaire assessing Smartphone Addiction (SA), Sleep Quality (SQ), and excessive Daytime Sleepiness (DS). The results show that smartphone addiction is positively correlated with poor sleep quality (r = 0.445; p = 0.000) and daytime sleepiness (r = 0.482; p = 0.000). In the same vein, academic performance is negatively correlated with smartphone addiction (r = -.144; p < 0.05), poor sleep quality (r = -0.074, p > 0.05), and daytime sleepiness (r = -0.073, p > 0.05). Smartphone addiction has proven to have a negative impact on sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, and academic performance of high school students. These results call on parents and school health officials to implement awareness campaigns aimed at promoting rational and moderate use of screens and healthy sleep among high school students.
The Narrative Rhetoric of the Spanish Civil War: Examples from the Works of Three Left-wing Artists During the War
The Spanish Civil War, which broke out on July 17, 1936, has great significance throughout history. This civil war was a rehearsal for the Second World War that broke out later. Different national forces and different ideologies clashed and collided fiercely in Spain. This article will start with three left-wing artists who participated in the Spanish Civil War in different ways, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, and Robert Capa, and analyze how these artists' works spread the special narrative of the Spanish Civil War. This article will use a documentary analysis approach to analyze the connotations that these three artists want to express through their different works. This article will also analyze how these artists played an important role in consolidating anti-fascist and anti-war consensus through their unique media.
Spanish Civil War, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, Robert Capa, Narrative Rhetoric.
Electronic and Social Media Enhance Business Communication: A Literature Survey
The study explores the role of electronic and social media in enhancing business communication. A qualitative approach is used to uncover the role of both media types. For this purpose, the study conducts a literature survey over the last three decades. We observe that electronic media enhances business communication, and email is the most popular electronic media content. Our findings demonstrate that social media favours business performance because it promotes customers' corporate image and enhances the sale of products and services. In practice, the findings can guide businesses to optimize their social media usage to constantly update consumer expectations and maximize profitability.
Electronic and Social Media; Business Communication; Literature Survey
Exploring Feminist Resistance: Women's Discontent in Siham Benchekroun’s Oser Vivre
Moroccan women's writings offer a multifaceted portrayal of the female experience within society. The works in question employ a variety of genres, including autobiographies and fiction, to provide a nuanced exploration of identities, livelihoods, and the female experience. Among these writers, Siham Benchekroun stands out for her distinctive style, which exudes a sense of empowerment. Her novel Oser Vivre transcends temporal and spatial boundaries, embodying the resilience of Moroccan women. This paper examines how Benchekroun seeks to dismantle patriarchal oppression. Using qualitative literary analysis, the study dissects her fiction, with a focus on the representation of women's issues, including marriage, body image, divorce, and child labor. Close textual and intersectional analysis, coupled with thematic categorization, is employed to scrutinize the corpus through the lens of Fatima Mernissi's feminist critique, Judith Butler's gender performativity, Pierre Bourdieu's symbolic violence, and Laura Mulvey's male gaze trope. The results show that Benchekroun depicts a variety of women's acts of resistance, with a particular emphasis on self-liberation. Her novel demonstrates the interconnectedness of gender with social class, religion, and culture, and how internalized social norms perpetuate oppression.
Militancy, Resistance, Patriarchy, Women’s Writings
Niche-Making in Intersectional Spaces: Narratives of a Mathematics Teacher Union Activist
In a world of rigid social norms that have shaped women’s lives, there are those who have broken stereotypes and advanced the field. This qualitative research investigates the narratives of Kaisog, a mathematics teacher whose strategic and deliberate decisions created within intersectional spaces brought about a negotiation of a mathematics teacher’s professional identity in the eventual creation of a new professional category: that of a mathematics teacher union activist. This paper explores the three categories of intersectionality namely structural, representational, and political, that were present in the life of Kaisog. Thematic analysis of the data revealed three themes of intersectionality: Neglecting the Vulnerable, Selective Mathematics, Women in the Workplace, and Being Queer in Society. It also argues how these intersectional spaces created niches for Kaisog: The Designated “Mother” Role, Decolonizing the Mathematics Curriculum, and Social Justice through Mathematics Education. Kaisog’s empowering structures include quality basic education, brilliant teachers, a matriarchal Ilonggo culture, and supportive family. Kaisog used mathematics as a tool for liberation and for achieving social justice and thus, creating a new niche for herself, that of a mathematics teacher union activist.
Re-Writing History in Assia Djebar’s Fantasia: An Algerian Cavalcade
This study introduces a postcolonial feminist analysis of Assia Djebar's Fantasia: An Algerian Cavalcade focusing on portraying Algerian women's experiences during and post-French colonization. It explores the intertwining of gender and colonialism and how they collectively shape these women's lives. Central to this analysis is the role women played in resisting colonial oppression, examining their navigation and challenge of patriarchal structures within their societies under colonial rule. This research highlights the strategies Algerian women employ to assert their agency and preserve their cultural identity amidst the oppressive forces of colonization. Furthermore, the paper delves into the complexities of identity formation within a postcolonial context, examining the impact of colonialism on women's bodies and psyches. The study also critiques the subversion of traditional narrative structures in Djebar's autobiography, emphasizing the incorporation of alternative voices and perspectives that highlight the often marginalized experiences of Algerian women. Djebar's primary goal is to give voice and visibility to women's experiences, which have been largely overlooked in texts that explore the relationship between colonized people and their history. We try to uncover the intersection of gender and colonialism, presenting a nuanced view that embraces perspectives typically marginalized or overlooked.
Autobiography, history, postcolonialism, feminism, identity, narrative subversion
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Dunhuang Intangible Arts in the Perspective of Pedagogy and Cultural Studies: Innovative Practices of Intercultural Education and Construction of Cultural Identity
The purpose of this article is to discuss the innovative practice of Dunhuang intangible cultural heritage arts in the field of intercultural education and its role in the construction of cultural identity. Firstly, the article emphasizes the status of Dunhuang intangible cultural heritage art as an important carrier of Chinese traditional culture and a bridge of international cultural exchange, and in the context of globalization, focuses on how Dunhuang intangible cultural heritage art can promote the innovation of the education system and play a key role in global intercultural dialogue; secondly, based on the pedagogical point of view, it elaborates in detail on the way of integrating Dunhuang intangible cultural heritage art into the modern education system as well as the specific application and transformation in order to Then, from the perspective of cultural studies, it explores the role of Dunhuang NFA in the process of globalisation and its impact on individual and collective cultural identities, and reveals its contribution to the maintenance of cultural diversity, the promotion of cross-cultural exchanges and understanding, the strengthening of the local cultural identity, and the shaping of China's global cultural image; lastly, it extracts the practical experience and successful elements of cross-cultural education of Dunhuang NFA through the empirical analysis of the successful cases. Finally, through empirical analyses of successful cases, the practical experience and successful elements of intercultural education of Dunhuang non-heritage art are extracted, and it is concluded that combining Dunhuang non-heritage art with pedagogy and cultural research is of great significance in enriching the connotation of modern education, promoting the construction of cultural identity, and fostering the prosperity and development of global cultural diversity.
Dunhuang intangible cultural heritage art, cultural research perspective, cross-cultural education, pedagogy perspective, globalization process, case analysis, empirical research, innovative practice path