Dr Andrew McKenzie-McHarg: 'Making Sense of Assassinations'
The talk looks at historical examples in which multiple assassinations have generated the spectre of conspiracy.
Wolfson College lunchtime seminar series
enDecember 04, 2015
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Umeda Yurika: Popular Sentiment and Constitutional Problems in the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake: Self-Defense Forces, the Imperial System and Democracy
enJune 12, 2014
About this Episode
It has been three years since the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake of the 11th of March 2011. This unprecedented catastrophe, and the resulting accident at the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant, shocked the public and rocked Japanese politics and society as a whole. Among other incidents, the huge tsunami and the nuclear accident thrust the Tohoku Region into a state of emergency. Even now, three years later, the reconstruction of the disaster-stricken areas still cannot be said to be going smoothly. In addition, Japan is faced not only with the challenges of implementing and achieving specific reconstruction policies, but also with the need to consider and solve some longer-term problems, seen from a wider perspective, such as harsh domestic economic conditions, public distrust of politicians, and the negative impact of the nuclear accident on the international community. The national crisis caused by the catastrophe awoke a community spirit among the people that lies dormant in times of peace. It also brought to light some fundamental problems latent in the nation and its people. Among the various issues that have been illuminated by the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake, I shall focus on the relationship between the state of emergency, declared after the earthquake occurred, and the Constitution of Japan, from the perspective of the popular sentiment toward the Self-Defense Forces (the Japanese military), the Emperor and the Imperial system. This seminar is not a legal analysis of the constitutional issues but a summary of the political and philosophical issues surrounding the challenges of reconstruction.
Recent Episodes from Wolfson College lunchtime seminar series
Dr Yvonne Reddick : ‘Ted Hughes: Ecopoet and Environmentalist’
Dr Yvonne Reddick's, talk is on an interesting aspect of Ted Hughes's work
Wolfson College lunchtime seminar series
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Dr Jordi Sanchez Marti : "English medieval romance in the age of print"
The literary culture of late medieval England underwent a significant change with the advent of the printing press in the 1470s. While the most popular genre of secular literature in Middle English was chivalric romance, only one fourth of all extant medieval romances made the transition from manuscript to print. This paper explores the circumstances that influenced the meagre distribution of medieval romance through the medium of print.
Wolfson College lunchtime seminar series
enNovember 16, 2015
Siri Vevle : "Approaching William Blake's Fourfold Vision through Cognitive Theory and Enlightenment Philosophy".
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Wolfson College lunchtime seminar series
enNovember 16, 2015
Richard Synge: How Britain missed its chance to bring democracy to Libya
In 1949, Britain unilaterally recognised Sayyid Mohammed Idris as king of Cyrenaica (eastern Libya), a move that encouraged the UN to recognise him as king of all Libya in 1951. His was a despotic regime that was easily overthrown by (the equally despotic) Muammar Qadhafi in 1969. Since his fall in 2011, distant events of earlier times have greater relevance.
The talk is an introduction to Richard Synge’s new book Operation Idris: Inside the British Administration of Cyrenaica and Libya 1942-52, published by Silphium Press, the imprint of the Society of Libyan Studies, London.
Wolfson College lunchtime seminar series
enOctober 30, 2015
Dr. Dan Tidhar: "A question of temperament": Identifying Musical Tones
Today many definitions are easily retrievable by means of no more than just a few mouse clicks. But “simple” definitions such as those of the frequencies which determine the identities of musical tones are far from straightforward, even when considered only within the realm of Western music. Tuning of musical instruments has occupied the minds of scientists and musicians at least since Pythagoras of Samos, and yet misconceptions are still not uncommon amongst musicians and audiences alike. Catering both to musicians and non-musicians, this talk will aim to explain the fundamental difficulties in tuning as well as the different ways these difficulties are overcome accompanied by hands-on demonstrations using a harpsichord.
Wolfson College lunchtime seminar series
enOctober 30, 2015
Professor Roald Berg: Mixed feelings. Norwegian attitudes to the Britons, 1814-1914
In 1856 the British consul general in Christiania reported to the Foreign Office: ”I am not far from the truth when I say that a Norwegian […] feels himself more at home in England than in [the union partner, 1814-1905] Sweden.” Britain had the role of Norway’s protector, and represented the democratic and civilized norm-makers in international politics. On the other hand, during World War I, a journalist noted that the Norwegian relationship to Britain was “an arithmetic problem”: It would take 36 hours to stop supplies to Norway. The western bias thus was inescapable and unavoidable.
Wolfson College lunchtime seminar series
enOctober 14, 2015
Meg Westbury: Creation, Collaboration, Contemplation: Academic Libraries and the Digital Revolution
Having worked in academic libraries through an intense period of change, I will explore how academic libraries have responded to the digital revolution through innovative services, outreach and spaces. Far from disappearing or becoming irrelevant, recent changes in pedagogy and information organisation have prompted academic libraries to change in important ways. In this talk, we’ll explore how academic libraries, including the Wolfson Library, have responded to the digital revolution through innovative services, outreach and spaces. It’s not about old ladies in cardies protecting dusty books anymore (and never was!).
Wolfson College lunchtime seminar series
enOctober 14, 2015
Delphine Driaux - Living Conditions in Ancient Egyptian Settlements and the Place occupied by the Non-Elite Population
In the 1960’s, it was generally admitted that ancient Egypt was a civilization which did not possess cities. To define an ancient Egyptian city turns out to be a difficult task because we too often tend to impose our modern models on ancient examples. In a seminal study, Manfred Bietak specified that “the Egyptians felt no need to make their distinctions between towns, villages, hamlets, etc.” He adds, however, that in the New Kingdom (ca. 1539-1077 BC), a different mode of classification allowed differentiations, which vaguely resemble a modern day construct. Taking this information into account it is possible to conclude that there is not only one “Egyptian city type” but several.
This talk aims to present the different kind of settlements known in ancient Egypt, their mode of functioning, their town planning, as well as their arrangements. It will then take a closer look at the living conditions in these settlements through the domestic architecture and built-in installations. Certain aspects of daily life are quite well known, thanks to the studies that have been conducted on the elite in Egyptian society. The highest social class is arguably easier to study because the members of this wealthy socioeconomic stratum left more evidence: finely decorated tombs and large houses with elaborate furnishings and luxury goods. Finally, the talk will explore the place occupied by the non-elite population in these settlements.
Wolfson College lunchtime seminar series
enJune 09, 2015
What is going on in Portugal? A Critical Reflection of the Political Consequences of Austerity
Tiago Carvalho discusses the ongoing political consequences of the economic crisis in Portugal. This talk is based on collected data and analysis from his PhD thesis. He will critically reflect and compare why countries experiencing austerity measures, such as Greece and Spain, have been in the news because of their political turbulence; while Portugal presents a very different political landscape. In this seminar he looks at the reasons why Portugal is reacting so differently?
Wolfson College lunchtime seminar series
enJune 01, 2015