Novelist Sean O'Faolain, playwright Brian Friel, and poet Seamus Heaney have been highly critical of the Irish revolutionary generation for its oversimplification of the interstice between past and present. These post-war writers complain that the nationalists see Irish history as a great romantic narrative with a tragic beginning and possibly a happy ending. The present collection of essays centres on the implications of an intricate conception of Irish history and identity. It emphasises both the historical considerations and the literary representations of Irish identities. The text of the "Good Friday Peace Accord" is included along with individual chapters on the slow triumph of politics, historical revisionism, uses of the national anthem, on Sean O'Faolain, on Frank McCourt's "Angela's Ashes", and nationalism and unionism in this decade. The chapters on literary representation discuss the peotry of Northern Ireland, of John Hewitt and Seamus Heaney, James Joyce's "modern hells", Samuel Beckett, and the state of the Irish theatre. Apart from essays by such Irish writers as Tom Garvin, Colm Toibin, Edna Longley, and Fintan O'Toole, the collection contains contributions by American, Norwegian, Swedish and Danish scholars.

This volume brings together international scholars of American Studies whose work explores the issues of ethnicity, race, gender, national, and cross-cultural identity in American literature and culture. The ramifications of this discussion go far beyond the borders of North America; in our era of European consolidation and global communications, even the seemingly most homogeneous of national literatures find themselves at last responding to and acknowledging external cultural influences. With articles ranging from an examination of early colonial texts through postcolonial theory to a theoretical discussion of Michael Wigglesworth's Diaries and the latest work of Maya Angelou, "Other Americans, Other Americas" will appeal to a wide academic audience as a significant contribution to the latest scholarship in the field of multicultural studies.

The Japanese educational system is admired and envied for its success in providing a well-educated population and contributing to the spectacular post-War industrialisation and modernisation of the nation. It is also criticised for inhibiting creativity and spontaneity, seen as crucial talents in the forthcoming information age. "Moving Mountains" is based on two propositions: that the educational system is undergoing a number of changes, despite charges to the contrary, and that there is a conflict between the rhetoric of the National Council on Education Reform undertaken by Prime Minister Nakasone (1982-1987) and its emphasis on issues like internationalism vis-à-vis the national and economic needs as defined by the politicians.

Explores the problems faced by refugees and migrants in the rich society of the western world today as they are seen by the refugees and migrants themselves. The main focus is on the literature written by these displaced persons. The writers discuss the issues of language, cultural transmission and racism and give artistic expression to their thoughts and feelings. The book also includes an article by Peter Noble, Sweden's ombudsman for refugees who traces the legal concept of refugees.

What was the relationship between city and country in the Roman Empire? The writings which have been preserved show an enormous empire, divided into "cells", each with a city at its centre. But the written sources are few, and focus mainly on the cities of Italy; they do not tell what life was like in the Roman provinces. Through systematic studies of the ancient landscape in Northern Tunisia, archaeologists have reconstructed the day-to-day history and economic activity of the rural population around the city of Segermes. Over 100 persons have been involved in this joint Danish-Tunisian project. The findings presented in these two volumes indicate that in Roman times, the valley was given over to intensive cultivation of wheat and olives, maintained at a high output level by means of extensive irrigation works. The population was dense and, surprisingly, reached its peak between 350 and 550 AD, a period of economic decline elsewhere in the Roman Empire.

Every second year the Danish Institute at Athens publishes a volume in this series presenting results of Danish field research archaeology in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean and research in this area by Danish as well as international scholars.

Text in Danish and Latin.

This volume presents maps and plates of the excavation area, together with additional material introduced in the previous seven volumes. German text.

This study provides a comprehensive overview of Iwano Homei's life and his distinctive body of literary work. Iwano Homei (1873-1920) was the first Japanese writer to concern himself rhetorically with the question of presenting the point of view within a narration. His works and theories of literature remain largely unknown and unstudied in the West. He is infrequently included in studies of Japanese literature, and only one of his novels has been translated into a Western language, Czech. Iwano's writings reflect his central theory of "monistic narration" (ichigen byosha). This sense of the momentary became a philosophy of life. For Iwano, "literature" and "action" were of equal value. He saw literature and art "as the most individual and most momentary of activities, both capable of bringing to life the symbolic mystic world." Both as a poet and novelist, Iwano's writing centred on his egocentricity, his fanatical nationalism and his belief in monogamy. The book then introduces the reader to Iwano's theory of literature, its development and content, as well as reactions to the theory. Lastly, Iwano's theories are placed within a larger context, compared with traditional Japanese and Western theories concerning point of view within a narration, as found in the work of, for instance, Henry James.

Does rationality, the intellectual bedrock of all science, apply to the study of religion? Religion, arguably the most subjective area of human behaviour, has particular challenges associated with its study. Attracting crowd-healers, conjurers, the pious and the prophetic alongside comparativists and sceptics, it excites opinions and generalisations whilst seldom explicitly staking out the territory for the discussions in which it partakes. Increasingly, scholars argue that religious study needs to define and critique its own field, and to distinguish itself from theology and other non-objective disciplines. Yet how can rational techniques be applied to beliefs and states of mind regarded by some as beyond the scope of human reason? Can these be made empirically testable, or comparable and replicable within academic communities? Can science explicate religion without reducing it to mere superstition, or redefine its truth in some empirical but meaningful way? Featuring contributions from leading international experts including Donald Wiebe, Roger Trigg and Michael Pye, Rationality and the Study of Religion gets under the surface of the religious studies discipline to expose the ideologies beneath. Reopening debate in a neglected yet philosophically significant field, it questions the role of rationality in religious anthropology, natural history and anti-scientific theologies, with implications not only for supposedly objective disciplines but for our deepest attitudes to personal experience. 'Interesting and important.

These eleven essays by historians, political scientists, sociologists and anthropologists establish a foundation for appreciating the political history of Central Europe. By examining the political landscape in each country, the contributors aim to evoke the legacy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and bridge the gap between the two extreme images of Central European history. Specific topics presented include: the lost dimensions of social movements and classes; the relationship between the concepts of "nation" and "state"; Austrian democracy; party system development; the myth of Czech liberalism; the Sudeten-German problem; Slovak politics; the regime change in Hungary; and the relationship between democracy and organised interests. By focusing on the consequences of past regime types, social structures and cultural contexts for democractic development, this volume presents a significant base from which future scholars can proceed on a country-by-country analysis.

This splendid volume provides an interdisciplinary overview of the Middle East from age-old enmities to discussions of current political concerns. In forty-four essays, an international assemblage of scholars, politicians, and experts address the problems of Palestine and Israel; Iran, Syria and Iraq; Turkey; and the Kurdish regions. Concerned with questions of national, religious, or ethnic identification, the authors touch on topics from the definition of the "Middle East", the Salman Rushdie fatwa, the constancy of the Mosque as an institution, mass murders in Iraq, the role of women, the crises affecting the Assyrian Chaldean-Syriacs, torture in Iran, and the peace process. Comprehensive chapters chart the politics, ethnicity, and history of Turkey.

This multidisciplinary collection of essays represents studies on Japan and Korea mainly from the Nordic countries, but also from other parts of Europe, and from the USA, Canada, Korea and Japan. The full range of contemporary Japanese studies is covered, from history, literature and philosophy to sociology, political science and linguistics. Within each discipline there is a diversity of offerings. Also represented are essays on the Korean language and on the Ryukyuan language.

The contributors to this volume seek to decipher the Hellenistic citizens' views on vital elements of their society: the city, the ruler, religion, magic and astrology, everyday life and social relations (family and gender), morality, uses of the past, and the iconography of death. How did the changes in political and social ideas affect actions and practices, which in turn again altered concepts? Moreover, the authors distinguish between the views of the common people and the elite, the evidence from inscriptions (seen as popular sentiment) and the evidence from literature (from the elite). The authors' conclusions have broad ramifications for future scholars in a field that has not hitherto received much attention. This volume is essential reading on the early development of individualism and the history of ideas.

This handbook aims at imparting the grammatical facts, as well an awareness of linguistic structure. It is organised according to linguistic structure and has all the detailed information of a reference work. Explicit clause and phrase analyses are employed throughout. A structure-function handbook, it also introduces a number of concepts important to communicative language teaching. The grammar text should stimulate students' interest in grammar by providing options explained in semantic and pragmatic terms. It is intended for advanced students, whether native speakers or foreign learners. It works well with both British and American English, and differences are pointed out systematically.

This is a systematic presentation of Danish political attitudes and voting behaviour. Based on a study of the country's 1994 election and interviews with 2000 voters, the book also draws on the results of previous elections and surveys of Danish political attitudes and voting choices during the past ten to 20 years. The book describes the political development, seen from the perspective of the voter, of a country that has attracted international attention several times: in reluctant support of NATO and in the European Community referendum. The authors describe the origin and history of the Danish party system, before analysing the issue of declining class voting and the rise of a new 'middle class', issues of generational change, and concern about immigration and the environment.