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<em>“This is a unique book that is both theoretically lucid and draws together a very interesting set of seemingly incommensurable ethnographic examples and renders them comparable.”</em> <strong>• Paul Manning</strong>, Trent University</p>
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<em>“In its coherence and patience with dwelling on specific concepts and the optics of engagements with particular objects, the manuscript offers refreshing and trans-disciplinary insights into contemporary culture.”</em> <strong>• John Borneman</strong>, Princeton University</p>

Investigating the politics of seeing and its effects, this book draws on Slavoj Žižek’s notion of fetish and Walter Benjamin’s notion of the optical unconscious to offer newer concepts: “tinted glasses”, through which we see the world; “unit-thinking”, which renders the world as consisting of discrete units; and “coherants”, which help fragmented experiences cohere into something intelligible. Examining experiences at a Japanese heritage language school, a study-abroad trip to Sierra Leone, as well as in college classrooms, this book reveals the workings of unit-thinking and fetishism in diverse contexts and explores possibilities for social change.
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Acknowledgments Introduction: Tinted Glasses, Unit Thinking, and Coherants Chapter 1. The Politics of Vision and the Fetish beyond Optical Unconscious: Towards Spectacle Pedagogy Chapter 2. Seeing Failed Ninja, Ghost Samurai, and Last Samurai: Phantom Japan at a Weekend Japanese Language School in the US Chapter 3. Seeing Angels: The Fetish of Smiling Angels in the “Poor but Happy” Discourse in Sierra Leone Chapter 4. Seeing Holy Mouth Man: Fetish of Study Abroad Transformation Talk Chapter 5. Seeing Dr Jekyll in Mr. Hyde: Political Others and Beyond Polarization of “Critical” and “Uncritical” Chapter 6. Seeing Fairies and Anti-Spectacle Pedagogy: Cottingley Photographs of Fairies and Linguistic Landscape Project   Chapter 7. Seeing Santa Claus and Elves: Swinging between Fantasy-World-for-Escape and Scrutinized-World-for-Change Chapter 8. Seeing Robbers, Freaks, and Dirt: Seeing Maui’s Fishhook in Scorpio and Fetish of Us Conclusion: Continuing Dialogues References Index
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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781800736870
Publisert
2022-11-11
Utgiver
Vendor
Berghahn Books
Høyde
229 mm
Bredde
152 mm
Aldersnivå
P, 06
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
278

Biographical note

Neriko Musha Doerr is Assistant Professor at Ramapo College. Her publications include Transforming Study Abroad: A Handbook (Berghahn, 2020), The Global Education Effect and Japan: Constructing New Borders and Identification Practices (Routledge, 2020) and The Romance of Crossing Borders: Studying and Volunteering Abroad (Berghahn, 2017, with Hannah Taïeb).