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Arts Scholars
Koi te hinengaro, koi te arero, koi te mahi!
Sharp of mind, tongue, and work!
Keep up with the latest discussions and thoughts from our Arts Scholars whānau
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Reparations for Slavery to End Systemic Racism is a Terrible Idea
There have been many proposed solutions to end systemic racism, reparations for slavery being one. Reparations are a terrible idea. Systemic racism is a problem that’s deeply embedded in the system, something that doesn’t go away with a check. Systemic racism is like...
The “intelligible rationale” behind the George Floyd protests
There is a long history of dismissive linguistic and narrative framings of sociopolitical protests, both deliberate and inadvertent. Today, certain representations of the George Floyd protests delegitimize them and distract from their driving philosophy. This...
六四事件 – Three Decades On
The late twentieth century was a time of tremendous change. With the weakening of the Soviet Union before the capitalist machine of the United States, the legitimacy of authoritarian regimes was beginning to crumble. To survive the fallout of the Cold War, China...
The Power of Peaceful Protests
When Joe gave his lecture a few weeks it brought up some interesting ideas, but I didn’t imagine just how relevant it would become a few weeks later. With the help of the internet and other technology, protests against systemic racism have spread across the US and the...
The Modern Erosion of the American Revolutionary Spirit
The spirit of the American Revolution was embodied in the Constitution and its amendments: tenets for the protection of individual liberty and limitation of governmental power. Yet while such ideals seemingly entrenched to the founding fathers, arguably, that liberal spirit has been eroded either by the isolation of citizenry from the original injustices or by the diminution of the original law. Analysing the recent murder of George Floyd, we see how the complexities of modernity inhibit individual intervention against the abuse of state powers.
How Victors Shape History – Napoleon’s Rise and Fall
A sweeping golden cloak, pristine military attire and commanding a white stallion while staring directly into the viewers eyes as he points his army towards victory. That is how Napoleon Bonaparte is portrayed in the famous, Napoleon Crossing the Alps painting. The...
You and I, We Could Start Something
Wherein I help you cause violence.
What Can Art Do?
Conflict has existed for almost as long as mankind has. Sometimes it erupts into war, sometimes into simmering problems under the surface, other times like an earthquake, with effects resonating across all kinds of people and over hundreds of years. All along these...
Revolutionary Violence and our Modern Identity
At the end of his session, Joe Zizek posed the question, “how important is remembering (or forgetting) revolutionary violence to our modern identities?” following his discussion of collective violence leading to revolution. This question connects directly to both how...
Are We Living Through A Revolution?
I must confess that when I sat down for our lecture on the French Revolution, I was confused. I felt determined to figure out how this idea of a revolution was impacting my everyday life. So, I began where most people would begin - by googling the definition of a...
The Standard of Truth
To understand conflicts is to reach into a tumult of voices and take out something sensical. History has tended to focus on the loudest – those who could afford, or were interesting enough, to have their voices written and preserved. Until recently, the voice of the...