Making a homeland,constructing a diaspora: The case of Taglit-Birthright Israel

The study of diaspora policies in political science, international relations, and political geography has moved away from conceiving diasporas as bounded entities to conceptualizing diasporas as a process to be made. One body of literature maps different strategies employed to bond diasporas to their country of origin, while another body of literature pays specific attention to diasporic identities and the ways such identities are reproduced and constructed abroad. This article seeks to bring these two literatures together by focusing on homeland tourism as a diasporization strategy, i.e. the construction, reproduction, and transmission of diasporic identity. Through the case of Taglit-Birthright – a free educational trip to Israel offered to young Jewish adults – the article identifies the specific mechanisms and micro-practices used in order to transform Israeli territory into a Jewish homeland, reproduce the narrative of dispersion, and demarcate group boundaries. Incorporating insights from theories of territorialization and based on the program's educational platform and existing ethnographies of Taglit-Birthright, this article unpacks the notion of the homeland and demonstrates how the homeland itself – as an embodied, affective, and symbolic site – is strategically used in order to cultivate diasporic attachments.     

中原经济区的“三化”协调发展之路

中原经济区走新型工业化、新型城镇化与农业现代化"三化"协调发展之路,是中原崛起的时代呼唤,是中原经济区建设的最高境界,是中原儿女的庄严承诺。选择"三化"协调作为中原经济区的发展之路,有着深厚的宏观背景。在整体、协调、融合、可持续原则的制约下,"三化"协调发展的主要途径为:产业集群发展、产城互动发展、城乡统筹发展。其中,城乡统筹发展是"三化"协调发展的最终落脚点,包括构建现代城镇体系,搭建城镇化本土承载平台,推进新农村和新型农村社区建设,构建城乡资源共享平台和社会保障体系。     

“Comrade Mzala”: Memory Construction and Legacy Preservation

Adopting the broad inter-disciplinary concept of “memory” and its construction in a public sphere, I examine some of the ways in which memories of Jabulani Nobleman Nxumalo, known as “Comrade Mzala” in liberation struggle circles, have been constructed and kept alive since his passing. A leading activist of the ANC, MK and the SACP, Mzala succumbed to an illness in a London hospital on February 22, 1991. A number of commemorative events and other activities, including grass-roots and branch-level initiatives, media releases, memorial lectures, colloquia and speeches and tributary statements, are analysed. Their tone, emotion, style and implicit objectives are explored. Notwithstanding the ubiquitous recognition of Mzala's liberation struggle credentials and intellectual prowess, there is no homogeneity in the manner he is remembered and celebrated; nor is there agreement in the reading of Mzala in a post-apartheid South Africa and its associated political and socio- economic context. Moreover, whilst it is predominantly organisations and individuals within the Tripartite Alliance who have been the main proponents of remembering, honouring and memorialising Mzala, there are others, outside of the Alliance and even antagonistic, who find inspiration in his radical world outlook, work and persona; and often use their memory of Mzala to critique the current political and economic conjuncture.     

Adopting ‘things of the little’: intangible cultural heritage and experiential authenticity of place in the Jewellery Quarter,Birmingham

The paper discusses notions and experiences of authenticity of place in relation to intangible cultural heritage. Drawing on qualitative informant interviews with representatives of traditional and new businesses in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham (UK), it analyses authenticity of place with regard to three key dimensions: the experience of origins, the experience of continuity and the experience of potentiality and actuality. Findings suggest that intangible cultural heritage activates and facilitates experiences of authenticity, often related to people’s individual identity constructs and associated benefits or detriments. Some heritage concepts have evolved from their narrowly defined historic context and inform experiences of authenticity in the present.     

贵州基本建设考古初探

基本建设考古是当前考古工作的重要组成,在国家经济建设大背景下,是一项长期艰巨的任务。本文对贵州基本建设考古历程、成果、状况进行梳理,提出问题与对策,力促此项工作顺利开展。     

关于加强网络文化建设和管理的思考

互联网是人类20世纪的伟大发明之一。随着网络的普及和迅猛发展,一种新的文化形态——网络文化逐步兴起并发展,且影响深远。网络既给我们带来了机遇,也给我们提出了严峻挑战。如何加强网络文化建设和管理,是一个亟待深入研究的重大课题。本文在理论联系实际的基础上,从提高各级领导干部的思想认识、加大立法力度、完善体制机制、巩固扩大阵地、搞好产品服务、发展文化产业、提高引导水平、加强行政监管、净化网络环境、强化技术保障、建设人才队伍等十一个方面,提出了加强网络文化建设和管理的对策性建议。     

对农村基层组织反腐倡廉建设的几点思考

坚决惩治和有效预防腐败,是新时期我们党的重大政治任务。认真分析农村基层组织反腐倡廉建设面临的突出问题,深入探讨加强农村基层组织反腐倡廉建设的有效措施,对于我们以改革创新精神全面推进党的建设新的伟大工程具有重要的意义。     

改革开放与青海民族地区党的执政能力建设实践

改革开放三十来,青海民族地区党的执政能力建设取得了长足的进步。回顾和总结民族地区党的执政能力建设的实践,在新的历史起点上不断加强民族地区党的执政能力建设,对于青海以改革创新精神闯出一条欠发达地区实践科学发展观的成功之路,具有极其深远的意义。     

历史观与意识形态:世界历史叙事中的现代化理论

作为世界历史叙事的一种范式,现代化理论不仅体现了一种历史观,也展示了其意识形态的特质。现代化理论的意识形态功能包括：解释功能、压制宣传功能、整合和激发功能以及合法化功能,这些功能使世界历史叙事充斥着偏见与“公允”、“真理”与权力、压制与整合等悖论。这种悖论在历史观层面,则凸显为现代化的“历史观”和历史观的“现代化”二者之间的张力。只有克服二者之间的张力,才能超越现代化的“历史观”的局限,才能使历史观的“现代化”成为一种世界历史叙事的实践理念。