Automobility in Manchester Fiction

Abstract

This article contributes to recent debates concerning automobility and ‘mobile, embodied practices’ (Cresswell & Merriman, 2011 Cresswell, T. and Merriman, P., eds. 2011. Geographies of Mobilities: Practices, Spaces, Subjects, Farnham: Ashgate.  [Google Scholar]) by considering how various ‘driving events’ entail modes of perception that are of interest from an ontological perspective; that is, how drivers and passengers see the world through the windows of a moving car and how the driving ‘sensorium’ (Gilroy, 2001 Gilroy, P. 2001. “Driving while black”. In Car Cultures, Edited by: Miller, D. 81–104. Oxford: Berg.  [Google Scholar]; Sheller, 2004 Sheller, M. 2004. Automotive emotions: Feeling the car. Theory, Culture & Society, 21(4–5): 221–242. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) may be associated with emotional states (such as ‘escape’, ‘frustration’, ‘nostalgia’) that arguably characterize the everyday life of late modernity. In addition, the discussion speculates on what this altered perception means for how we see and conceptualize the contemporary urban landscape, concurring with Doel (1996 Doel, M. 1996. A hundred thousand lines of flight: A machinic introduction to the nomad thought and scrumpled geography of Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space, 14(4): 421–439. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) that such space has effectively become a ‘scrumpled geography’ that can no longer be accounted for in traditional cartographical terms. These reflections are explored through close readings of a selection of literary texts (principally, crime fiction novels) emanating from Greater Manchester (England) and thus the article also contributes to recent work (both cultural and sociological) on the re-imagining of this particular urban landscape in recent times (Haslam, 2000 Haslam, D. 2000. Manchester, England: The Story of a Pop Cult City, London: Fourth Estate.  [Google Scholar]; Pearce et al., forthcoming Pearce, L., Crawshaw, R. and Fowler, C. forthcoming. Postcolonial Manchester: Writing, Migration, Place, Manchester: Manchester University Press.  [Google Scholar]).     

“Life Without Line Dancing and the Other Activities Would be Too Dreadful to Imagine”: An Increase in Social Activity for Older Women

ABSTRACT

The literature on aging is replete with the positive effects of physical exercise on the well-being of older adults. Some Glass, T. A., de Leon, C. M., Marottoli, R. A. and Berkman, L. F. 1999. Population based study of social and productive activities as predictors of survival among elderly Americans. British Medical Journal, 319: 478–483. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] suggest, however, that the potential impact of social activities has not received adequate attention, and others Lennartsson, C. and Silverstein, M. 2001. Does engagement with life enhance survival of elderly people in Sweden? The role of social and leisure activities. The Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 56B(6): S335–S342. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar] note the importance of distinguishing between the physical and nonphysical impact of these activities. This study investigated whether line dancing, a physical activity, led to an increase in social activity. Thirty women over the age of 60 were interviewed to discover how line dancing affected them. Content analysis of the interviews helped identify various themes indicating that line dancing enabled these women to expand their repertoire of social activity, leading to positive reinforcements such as further community involvement, charitable work, inclusion in national sports events, self-expression, and personal development. The impact of line dancing plainly goes beyond the perceived physical benefits.     

“Starting To Feel Like A Chick”

This article explores the relationship between Campion's campion, jane. 2003. Interview with Lizzie Francke in. Sight and Sound, 13(11): 19 (November) [Google Scholar] In the Cut (2003 in the cut (film) (2003) Jane Campion (dir.), Australia/USA/UK, Sony Pictures [Google Scholar]) and the HBO television series Sex and the City (1998 sex and the city (television series) (1998–2004) USA, HBO, Seasons 1-6 [Google Scholar]–2004), and in particular, the series' concluding two episodes, “An American Girl in Paris (Parts Une and Deux).” It argues that In the Cut, despite its visual and narrative references to film noir, is most usefully seen, as Felperin observed in Sight and Sound, as a film for and about “the Sex and the City generation.” In its representation of contemporary New York, and of female friendship, in its exploration of the relationship between femininity, feminism and fantasy, and in its account of the problems of female authorship, it both evokes and interrogates the dominant themes of the hugely successful HBO series. In doing so, it also exposes the losses, repudiations, and violence which form the repressed shadow to the fantasised resolution which Sex and the City offers: that of a feminised New York as the place in which romance can be re-authored by women to serve a post-feminist female narcissism.     

The Effects of Body Image Perceptions and Sociocommunicative Orientations on Self-Esteem,Depression, and Identification and Involvement in the Gay Community

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to examine how nonverbally communicated messages based on weight and physical appearance related to antifat attitudes, image fixation, and discrimination based on physical appearance and weight on bisexual, gay, and lesbian people. Using an Internet-based sample of 233 participants (88% Anglo/Saxon or Caucasian), the results indicated Richmond and Valencic's (2000) Richmond, V. P. and Valencic, K. M. . Image Fixation Measure. Paper presented at the Eastern Communication Association's Annual Conference. Pittsburgh, PA. April,  [Google Scholar] conceptualization of image fixation negatively related to an individual's self-esteem and positively related to reported levels of depression. Results also indicated people with highly assertive and responsive communicative behaviors were less likely to hold antifat attitudes and less likely to dislike fat people. Differences between gay/bisexual males and lesbian/bisexual females were also analyzed, and gay/bisexual males had significantly higher levels of image fixation, antifat attitudes, dislike of fat people, weight locus of control, perceptions of self physical/weight discrimination, and depression than lesbian/bisexual females. The results also indicated lesbian/bisexual females had significantly higher levels of self-esteem and interaction and involvement within the bisexual and gay and lesbian community than gay/bisexual men.     

Patterns of Career and Identity Interference for Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Young Adults

Researchers have hypothesized about the potentially competing demands of sexual identity development and career development (e.g., Chen, Stracuzzi, & Ruckdeschel, 2004 Chen, E. C., Stracuzzi, T. I. and Ruckdeschel, D. E. 2004. “Affirmative counseling with gay men”. In Counseling diverse populations, Edited by: Atkinson, D. R. and Hackett, G. 388–411. Boston: McGraw Hill.  [Google Scholar]; Fassinger, 1996 Fassinger, R. E. 1996. Notes from the margins: Integrating lesbian experience into the vocational psychology of women. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 48: 160–175. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]; Morrow, 1997 Morrow, S. L. 1997. Career development of lesbian and gay youth: Effects of sexual orientation, coming out, and homophobia. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, 7: 1–15. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]; Schmidt, 2004 Schmidt, C. K. 2004. The effects of simultaneous developmental processes: The prediction of career development outcomes for lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth, Kansas City: Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Missouri.  [Google Scholar]). In the present study, we explored these hypotheses focusing specifically on career decision making. Using cluster analysis, we identified three groups of lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults who differed in terms of the conflict experienced between sexual identity and career development: career conflict group (n?=?11), sexual identity conflict group (n?=?45), and those who experienced low levels of conflict between the two domains (n?=?71). Differences were found between the clusters in levels of career decision making supports, career decision making barriers, and career decision making self-efficacy. Results tentatively suggest the importance of considering within-group differences when using Social Cognitive Career Theory to understand the career decision making of this population.     

Impact of Family Environment on Future Mental Health Professionals' Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men

This study explored the relationship between dimensions of functioning in the family of origin of graduate students in helping profession programs and their attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. One hundred forty-three participants completed the Family Environment Scale (FES-R: Moos & Moos, 1986 Moos, R. H. and Moos, B. S. 1986. Family Environment Scale, 2nd, Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.  [Google Scholar]), the Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men scale (ATLG: Herek, 1994 Herek, G. M. 1994. “Assessing attitudes toward lesbians and gay men: A review of empirical research with the ATLG scale”. In Lesbian and gay psychology: Theory, research, and clinical applications, Edited by: Greene, B. and Herek, G.M. 206–224. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. [Crossref] , [Google Scholar]), and demographic questions. Results suggest that three family dimensions (conflict, intellectual-cultural orientation, and moral-religious emphasis) significantly predicted attitudes toward lesbians and gay men. The results also revealed that younger students held more negative attitudes toward lesbians and gay men than their older peers. Implications for educators, researchers, and practitioners are discussed.     

The Social,Political, and Legal Construction of the Concept of Child Pornography

This article examines the construction of the concept of child pornography, developed in several Supreme Court decisions. New York v. Ferber (1982) New York v.Ferber. 102 S.Ct. 2248. Also 458 U.S. 747. 1982.  [Google Scholar] separated child pornography from adult obscenity, and soon thereafter almost all pictures of nude children became illegal. These images had been common in art and usually signified innocence, although they often had an erotic component. The assumption that images of nude youths can only be viewed erotically is a significant change. The justification—that children were hurt in producing child pornography, and that distribution (even no-cost distribution) and private possession contributed to that harm—does not hold up under analysis. It is statistically flawed and inconsistent with other Court decisions. Justice Kennedy's decision in Ashcroft v. The Free Speech Coalition supports the argument that the images are forbidden because they challenge the ideology of the innocent child. Since erotic images of adults are common, understanding the different treatment of youths is important for understanding contemporary sexual politics.     

Mobile Phones as Network Capital: Facilitating Connections

Mobile phones enable interaction at times and in places where it was previously impossible, facilitating social networks. This paper identifies and explores the ways in which mobile phones increase the social support afforded by a network, improving access to contacts and promoting the development and maintenance of personal relationships. Mobile phones are ‘network capital’ (Larsen et al., 2006a Larsen, J., Axhausen, K. W. and Urry, J. 2006a. Geographies of social networks: meetings, travel and communications. Mobilities, 1(9): 261–283. [Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]) because they expedite the availability of social support in a network. The exploratory research involved 32 UK mobile phone users, and combined several different qualitative research techniques: communication diaries; text message analysis; and interviews. The paper concludes that mobile phones increase access to networks and facilitate the development and maintenance of network ties; this highlights the catalytic role of communication technology in social networks.     

Foreign Women and Toilets

This article considers representations of migrant women who work as domestic help and probes the abjecting logic of cleaning practices vis-à-vis current issues of legality, illegality, immigration, transcultural difference, and rage. I survey diverse media depictions of foreign women and cleaning scenes in transnational settings: Fear and Trembling (2003), Maid in America (2004), The Ukrainian Cleaning Lady (2002 The Ukrainian Cleaning Lady (Pani Z Ukrainy) (documentary) (2002) Pawe? ?oziński (dir.), Poland [Google Scholar]), Dirt (2003 Dirt (film) (2003) Nancy Savoca (dir.), USA [Google Scholar]), and Friends with Money (2006). I examine the formation and apprehension of female “foreign” subjectivity in relation to cleaning for others, in relation to dirt. The visual analysis discusses ways in which removing other people's dirt by an immigrant, migrant, or a guest worker intertwines with gendered and racialized processes of social abjection. Privileging images of toilets and expressions of rage, my analysis inquires into a conceptual correspondence between garbage and the cultural renditions of foreign others; into ways in which the concept of “dirt” gets transposed onto the cleaners suggesting that those who clean dirt are themselves disposable bodies, only useful and tolerable as long as they cohere the messy lives of “legitimate” and properly “clean” natives.     

Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Bill C-150: A Rational Approach to Homosexual Acts, 1968–69

Between 1968 and 1969, Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau sparked a controversy surrounding his liberal government's passage of Bill C-150, which not only decriminalized homosexual acts between consenting adults in private, but also polarized supporters of natural law and positive law. What tipped the balance in favor of a more secular analysis of homosexuality? In the post-World War II era, three events were particularly relevant to the successful passage of Bill C-150: the Kinsey (1948 Kinsey, A. C. 1948. Sexual behavior in the human male, Philadelphia: W.B. Sanders.  [Google Scholar]) studies, Britain's Wolfenden Report (1957), and the Supreme Court of Canada case Klippert v. The Queen (des Rivieres & Shipley, 1967 des Rivieres, F. and Shipley, M. 1967. “Canada law reports: The Supreme Court of Canada”. In Klippert v. The Queen, Ottawa: King's Printer.  [Google Scholar]). However, the Liberals, Conservatives, Social Credit Party, and the Ralliement Créditistes were all influenced by the social construction of inversion, openly expressing a Judeo-Christian natural law bias during Debates of the House of Commons (1968-69). Nonetheless, it was the Liberals that were identified as forces within Canadian politics that could separate legalism from moralism, even while retaining personal moral stances against homosexuals. It is this paradox that is often forgotten when discussing liberal policy in Canada during the late 1960s.     

High Levels of Same-Sex Experiences in the Netherlands: Prevalences of Same-Sex Experiences in Historical and International Perspective

Some authors suggest that the public stance toward homosexuality can influence the prevalence of same-sex experiences (e.g., Butler, 2005 Butler, A. C. 2005. Gender differences in the prevalence of same-sex partnering: 1988–2002. Social Forces,, 84(1): 421–449. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). Since the Dutch stance toward homosexuality has become more positive during the last decades, it was hypothesized that the current Dutch prevalences of same-sex experiences are higher than in other times and countries. This hypothesis was investigated using the data of a recent Dutch population study, and comparing these results to those from previous and international studies. The current Dutch figures were indeed higher than recent figures from other countries. Among women, the recent figures were also higher than those found in previous Dutch studies. The prevalence of same-sex experiences among Dutch males stayed the same. These results and the methodological aspects of the study are discussed.     

Lost in Transnational Space? Migrant Farm Workers in Rural Districts

Abstract

In recent decades, theories of transnationalism have emerged as key perspectives for analysis of international migration. Drawing on Glorius and Friedrich’s (2006 Glorius, B. and Friedrich, K. 2006. Transnational social spaces of Polish migrants in Leipzig. Migracijske i enticke teme, 22(1–2): 163–180.  [Google Scholar]) model of transnationalism, the paper analyses the case of migrant farm labour in rural Norway and demonstrates how the social context of migrants’ work influences their building of various kinds of social-capital resources which are crucial for development of transnational space. The paper argues that circularity of migration is not sufficient to instigate full-fledged transculturation and hybrid identity-formation processes. In conclusion, the paper recommends that transnational theory should pay greater attention to the social contexts of migration and observe the limits of the theory’s application.     

Minority Stress in Same-Sex Male Relationships: When Does It Impact Relationship Satisfaction?

The minority stress model (Meyer, 2003 Meyer, I. H. 2003. Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129: 674–697. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) has been proposed to explain higher rates of psychopathology in lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals. However, studies of minority stress have rarely taken into account the interface between minority stress and same-sex relationship processes. In the current study, 142 gay men in romantic relationships completed an online survey assessing minority stress constructs, relationship features, and relationship satisfaction. Minority stress was not directly related to relationship satisfaction, while commitment, trust, and support from one's partner were related to relationship satisfaction. Significant moderation effects emerged between discrimination and trust and between internalized heterosexism and commitment, indicating that trust was related to satisfaction for those who had experienced frequent discrimination, while commitment was related to satisfaction for those low in internalized heterosexism.     

“Worse than dogs and pigs?” Attitudes Toward Homosexual Practice in Zimbabwe

Politicians call them the “festering finger,” endangering the body of the nation; churchmen say God wants them dead; the courts send them to jail. Zimbabwe has declared that it will not tolerate homosexuality. Gays and lesbians feel persecuted and their rights are undermined. The controversy that was ignited in 1997 when the Zimbabwean government forced the closure of a fair booth by Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe at the Zimbabwe International Book Fair continues to echo. At issue are fundamental questions of the scope of human rights protection in Zimbabwe and other African countries (BBC News, 1998 “UK more liberal on homosexuality, says survey.” (1998). BBC News. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8479624.stm  [Google Scholar]). Such issues have sparked endless debates on homosexuality in religion, politics, and other forums. This article seeks to explore the attitudes of both traditional Shona culture and Christian sectors in Zimbabwe. The goal is to find out if the practice is rooted in Shona tradition or if it can be seen as a new phenomenon emanating from Western political and Judeo-Christian influences on Zimbabwe. The article argues that the Zimbabwean attitudes toward homosexuality combine Christian and traditional morality. Finally, the article will discuss how Christian churches and traditional Shona culture come to terms with homosexual practice today.     

“May the Force be with Katie”

Responding to the 2010 media discourse around Katie Goldman—a ten-year-old Star Wars fan bullied for her interest in something perceived to be “for boys”—this essay investigates the relationship between industrial logics of media franchising, postfeminist culture, and the vernacular participation of social media users in regulatory ideologies of gender and sexuality. Reading mediated public performances of support for Katie against the hyper-feminized, industrially-produced “princess” media culture she seemingly rejected, as well as the sci-fi fashion shop HerUniverse that opened up a feminized space of fan subjectivity in the marketing of the Star Wars Star Wars (1977). Film. George Lucas (dir.), Twentieth Century Fox, US. [Google Scholar] franchise, we can see how the transgression of normative consumer ideals by girls became re-inscribed within postfeminist and heteronormative gender roles. While celebrating unruly girl science fiction consumers as “different,” both industry and vernacular media cultures repositioned these figures in relation to beauty, princesses, heteronormative romance, and other postfeminist (but traditionally feminine) ideological frames.     

Sexual Orientation Microaggressions and the Experience of Sexual Minorities

This qualitative study sought to confirm and expand on previous research on sexual orientation microaggressions—subtle discrimination in the form of verbal, behavioral, and environmental slights and indignities as defined by Sue (2010 Sue, D. W. 2010. “Microaggressions in everyday life: Race”. In gender, and sexual orientation Hoboken, NJ: Wiley [Google Scholar]). The study had two primary research questions: Does the data from the sample validate Sue's (2010) typology of sexual orientation microaggressions? Beyond Sue's (2010) typology, are other themes/types of sexual orientation microaggressions present in the data? Using a focus group methodology, data was collected from a sample of self-identified non-heterosexual college students (N = 12). Data analysis confirmed five previously identified themes from Sue's (2010) typology (Endorsement of Heteronormative Culture, Sinfulness, Homophobia, Heterosexist Language/Terminology, and Oversexualization) and demonstrated two new themes (Undersexualization and Microaggressions as Humor). The implications of sexual orientation microaggressions, along with limitations and future research directions, are discussed.     

Flexible Queers,Serious Bodies: Transgender Inclusion in Queer Spaces

Queer spaces are significant for understanding transgender inclusion as “queer spaces were places where individuals were expected to be attentive to or aware of alternative possibilities for being, including non-normative formulations of bodies, genders, desires and practices” (Nash, 2011 Nash, C. J. 2011. Trans experiences in lesbian and queer space. Canadian Geographer/Le Géographe Canadien, 55: 192–207. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar], p. 203). Indeed, in this interview study of members of a queer leather group called the Club, members described a flexible “sexual landscape” that easily includes transgender members. However, these same queer spaces have been criticized for the way they regulate queer bodies and organize queer subjectivities. In this study, queer members of the Club also contrasted playful queer flexibility with serious transgender bodies. This article argues that, although there is a reiterative relation between transgender inclusion and queer spaces, the idealization of flexibility within queer spaces can also serve to marginalize and regulate transgender bodies.     

Application and Testing the Reliability and Validity of a Modified Version of Herek's Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men Scale in China

The present study was the first attempt to test the reliability and validity of Herek's Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men Scale (ATLG; Herek, 1988 Herek, G. M. 1988. Heterosexuals' attitudes toward lesbians and gay men: Correlatesand gender differences. The Journal of Sex Research, 25(4): 451–477. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) in the Chinese population. Participants (n = 2,391 for the field trials and n = 200 for test–retest reliability) were asked to complete the translated, slightly modified version of the ATLG. The resulting ATLG has a two-dimensional factor structure as well as good validity and reliability in the Chinese culture. ATLG scores followed distinct patterns according sex and level of education that were consistent with previous studies in other populations. The significance of these findings in Chinese culture is discussed.     

Core American Values and the Structure of Antigay Prejudice

This work presents a new scale to measure conflicting attitudes toward sexual minorities. This scale parallels existing measures of conflicting racial attitudes (anti-Black and pro-Black attitudes; Katz & Hass, 1988 Katz, I. and Hass, G. R. 1988. Racial ambivalence and American value conflict: Correlational and priming studies of dual cognitive processes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 55: 893–905. [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). After constructing and validating measures of antigay and progay attitudes, we tested relationships among core American values with racial and sexual minority attitudes. We examined relations among the Protestant Work Ethic (PWE), Traditional Family Ideology (TFI), and egalitarian values with attitudes toward racial outgroups and sexual minorities. The results revealed that both PWE values and egalitarian values predicted anti-Black attitudes. By contrast, endorsement of egalitarian values, but not PWE values, predicted pro-Black attitudes. Results also revealed a similar but distinct pattern among values and heterosexuals' attitudes toward sexual minorities. TFI, but not egalitarian value endorsement, predicted antigay attitudes, whereas both TFI and egalitarian value endorsement predicted progay attitudes. The implications of these findings are discussed.     

Wearing Pink as a Stand Against Bullying: Why We Need To Say More

This article presents a contextual discourse analysis of the media response to a campaign against bullying that was developed in the spring of 2007 in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. As a feature of masculine socialization, male-on-male bullying secures the reproduction of an aggressive and heteronormative hegemonic masculinity (Connell, 1987 Connell, R.W. 1987. Gender and power, Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.  [Google Scholar]) for boys and young men in contemporary North American mainstream culture. I argue that the celebration of the “Pink Campaign” is illustrative of the normalizing silences, or “unremarkability,” about the related discourses of sexism and homophobia that motivate everyday practices of male-on-male bullying.