Hitherto undiscovered yet fundamental historical and literary texts from the Pacific provide the subject matter of this collection of essays which sets out to explore the new forms of writing and hybrid identities emerging from both past and contemporary cultural contact and exchange in the South Seas .
This is also a weaving of the connections between Francophone and Anglophone writers long separated by colonial history. Luis Cardoso, writing in Portuguese from East Timor offers further points of contrast. The places of encounter the beaches of Tahiti, the retelling of the texts of oral...

This book contributes to a growing corpus of writing on the body, bringing new perspectives to this fascinating and topical subject. Feminist, psychoanalytic and queer readings, among others, have demonstrated the extent of the functions and roles fulfilled by the body, as well as the number of critical perspectives it can serve. However, by and large, African representations of the body have been overlooked. This coherent volume brings together essays on the portrayal of the body in African art, film, literature, photography and theatre. The book includes thematically linked contributions...

This book provides a comprehensive analysis of the writing of Monika Maron. Her biography charts a complex relationship with the GDR state, from initial ideological identification to sustained, radical rejection. Situating its reflections on her work against the backdrop of a changing critical landscape, this analysis takes account of the re-contextualisation of her writing necessitated by the collapse of the GDR.
The author charts the development of a number of seminal themes in Maron s uvre. The search for an authentic form of expression in her earliest texts gave way to a focus on the...

This book examines some of the ways in which HIV/AIDS is affecting South African society. Catholic theological responses have focused extensively on the implications of HIV/AIDS for the area of sexual ethics. Although there are important questions to be answered here, many more fundamental issues have been overlooked as a result. This book responds to the need within Catholic theology for a greater examination of the injustices associated with the AIDS pandemic. The author argues that the human rights challenges associated with poverty, gender discrimination, sexual violence and access to...

This collection of philosophical essays addresses important issues in the arts, encompassing painting, sculpture, photography, film and architecture. The author s point of departure is the conviction that art in all its manifestations is an extremely significant cultural practice because it embodies a creative, reflective appropriation of social, political, economic, religious, historical and ecological developments, and as such merits close philosophical scrutiny, reflection and interpretation. The question of whether painting is still a viable artistic practice in our technocratic society...

The currently emerging model of economic production is characterized by a process of constant change and instability. A new political culture and regulatory concept - a concept of self-regulation and greater market flexibility - has emerged. Political intervention has become problematic: the need for intervention in the labour market is more important than ever but there is increasing pressure to reduce the control of the welfare state.
In order to examine what kind of policies can produce a positive relationship between social justice and economic efficiency, this book emphasises the...

This volume addresses the representation of history and collective memory in Latin American literature. The book presents a variety of novel perspectives on the subject, linked by the common themes of the subjectivity of time and history, literature used as a political tool and the representation of marginalized groups.
The collection takes an original approach to viewing national histories as represented in literature by adopting a cross-disciplinary position. While there are other publications addressing some of the issues raised in this collection, this book goes beyond literary...

At a time when momentous changes are taking place in the Middle East, this volume provides a timely and critical assessment of the European Union (EU) foreign policy towards the region. The book collects revised and updated versions of the papers presented at the third Academic Forum on European Security, which took place at the Institute for European Studies (IHEE) in Strasbourg on March 30-31, 2010. The subtitle -the hour of the EU- was chosen to emphasize the moment of opportunity for the EU to actively influence a peaceful resolution of the major crises affecting the Middle East....

The EU has long played a central role in promoting economic prosperity and political stability in Europe. With twenty-seven countries, it is a powerful trade negotiator and is seen by many as a growing force for global security and welfare. But does the EU giant have feet of clay? Is it recognized as a legitimate political and social project by its own citizens? How well does it respond to global challenges, such as environmental degradation and terrorism? How successful is it in projecting its image as a promoter of human rights, of conflict prevention, social justice, development...

Historical and literary scholars have become increasingly interested in women s roles in and approaches to war. In times of conflict, French and francophone women have made crucial contributions in aid of the patrie, but wars have also set women against the governing powers, frequently forcing them to choose between their concerns as women, and the economic and social demands of their belligerent nations. This volume, the proceedings of the 9th UK Women in French conference entitled Les femmes et la guerre, brings together scholars from different academic disciplines history,...