The Sound of Rebellion: Voting Dissent and Legislative Speech in the UK House of Commons

Using data on the content of debate associated with votes in the UK House of Commons from 1992–2015, this article examines how government party MPs employ language in legislative speech when they vote against the party line. We find a robust statistical association between dissent on votes and the use of first-person pronouns, simpler language, and giving longer speeches. Using a random forest algorithm for classification, we find that these language covariates are predictive of rebellion. The use of simpler, first-person language has implications for political representation and offers new insight into how MPs use votes to distinguish themselves from their party, perhaps reflecting attempts to connect with constituents.     

Undermining,defusing or defending European integration? Assessing public communication of European executives in times of EU politicisation

How do mainstream political executives cue their politicised constituencies on European integration? Moving beyond static expectations that EU politicisation induces executives to either undermine, defuse or defend integration, this article theorises executives’ incentives under different configurations of public and partisan Euroscepticism in their home countries. Expectations are tested on the sentiment and complexity that executives attach to European integration in almost 9,000 public speeches delivered throughout the Euro Crisis. It is found that national leaders faced with sceptical public opinion and low levels of partisan Euroscepticism rhetorically undermine integration, whereas European Commissioners faced with similar conditions are prone to defend it. These responses intensify disproportionally with growing public Euroscepticism, but are moderated by Eurosceptic party strength in surprising ways. When such challenger parties come closer to absorbing the Eurosceptic potential in public opinion, executive communication turns more positive again but also involves less clear rhetorical signals. These findings move beyond existing uniform expectations on mainstream responses to Eurosceptic challenges and highlight the relevance of different domestic configurations of EU politicisation.     

‘The Message Is in the Book’: What Virago's Sale in 1995 Means for Feminist Publishing

This article examines the UK publisher Virago, the world's largest women's imprint and the best known of the second-wave feminist publishing houses that sprang up during the 1970s and 1980s. Feminist publishing remains a peculiarly unacknowledged and underexamined aspect of feminist history, but one that had real influence and effect. This article gives a historical account of Virago, noting its intention to enact feminist politicking through the act of publishing books. The author looks at the effect Virago had on the industry more widely, on literary culture and on attitudes to women. The author also examines changing formulations of feminism and how these were reflected—or not—through Virago's published output. The author then moves on to her central proposition: that Virago's sale in 1995, rather than marking the death of feminist publishing (as was stated in media comment at the time), was in fact the point at which it was saved. Virago's move into Little, Brown, coinciding with the rise of an increasingly commodified consumer culture, the conglomeration of the book industry and more pluralized expressions of feminism, allowed it to continue to work as a publisher of women's writing while none of its contemporaries survived. The author looks in detail at the changes post-1995 within the book industry, within feminism and in wider culture, as well as at Virago. The author asks whether Virago still has value as a ‘feminist’ imprint and how it has sought to remain vital and relevant.     

希望与迷惘--女权主义与当代中国大陆女性写作

参照西方女权主义的接纳理论和发展情况,可以比较、概括、分析当代中国大陆女性作家不同阶段的写作实践.在中国当代社会文化发展进程中,虽然不具备像西方社会那样的女权主义产生与发展的社会、哲学和文化基础,也没有形成女权主义的运动和明确的理论,但是在女性作家们的写作中却包含有浓厚的女权主义的话语意识.20世纪80年代以后,在不同阶段的写作中还形成了鲜明的女权主义的文化话语.     

Two Walks: Palestine and the Peak District. A Conversation between Raja Shehadeh and Marina Lewycka, September 2008

In the summer of 2008 novelist Marina Lewycka and author and human rights lawyer Raja Shehadeh went on two walks: the first in Palestine near Ramallah near the Beit Eil Jewish settlement, the second on Kinder Scout in the Peak District, the site of the mass trespass in 1932 to reclaim the right to walk on the hills. This account of the conversation they recorded on the second walk includes observations by Marina on writing about Palestine and Israel and reflections by Raja about the effect of the Israeli occupation on the fragile Palestinian landscape. It also includes their discussions on writing, walking and the meaning it has to each of them, as well as political comments on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict evoked by visiting these sites. They wonder whether a similar act of resistance would be possible in Palestine and what it would mean to the future of the conflict.     

《源氏物语》与《蜻蛉日记》之间关系探微

《源氏物语》与《蜻蛉日记》两部文学作品之间关系密切,《源氏物语》是《蜻蛉日记》的继承、扬弃与超越。本论从两位女性作家的执笔动机、文论观念、女性意识3个方面推考两部著作的内在联系。两部作品中的若干相同与相似重申了被男性主流文学掠过边缘经典女流文学的价值,正是这一边缘经典文学更为真实记录了当时社会现状、女性思想、男女的情感生活,两位女性作家的叙事才情更是勿容忽视。     

少数民族文字比较探源

语言和文字都是文化传承和传播的载体,而文字的产生更具有划时代意义。由于文字的发明,使人们的交际范围豁然扩大,可以跨越时间、空间而传递信息,极大地促进了人类的文明,成为“野蛮时代”与“文明时代”的分水岭。在我国,除汉字外,还有多种少数民族文字,通过这些文字,保存和发展了光辉灿烂的中华文化。少数民族文字繁多,有的在历史上通行一时而成了“死文字”,如佉卢文、突厥文、回鹘文、焉耆龟兹文、于阗文、契丹文、西夏文、女真文、满文等;有的虽然延续下来,但主要保留在宗教经典中,如彝文、东     

多次测定法确定蓝色圆珠笔字迹形成时间

通过研究相隔一定时间的多次测定数据的变化规律与书写时间的内在关系，建立了部分近期书写的圆珠笔字迹形成时间的检验方法，确定了相隔一定时间的两次测定数据的变化规律与书写时间内在关系的判定阀值。形成了无需对照样本即可判定部分圆珠笔字迹是否近期书写的检验方法。     

法治反对过度解释：论法律解释的限度

司法权的本质是一种解释法律的权力,司法过程中的法律解释是一种服从法律的解释,这一服从主要体现在法律解释过程中必须充分尊重法律文本含义的确定性和客观性,法律解释中的法律意义必须以法律文本的含义为前提,法治要求法律解释必须有一定的限度,反对过度解释.法治反对过度解释,表现在法律解释的姿态上就是要捍卫司法克制主义的立场.     

散落的珠玉——论《新月》杂志上的文学广告

《新月》杂志上的文学广告在20年代末30年代初的报刊界独树一帜。编辑们以多样的行销策略和高超的写作艺术使其达到了文学性与商业性、趣味性与严肃性的经典结合,具有很高的审美价值和典范意义。