Defining “White Trash”
The term “white trash” once was used to disparage poor white people. In the Civil Rights era, its meaning shifted to support business-friendly racial politics.
A Multiculturalism of the Undead
Labeling the undead figures in non-European mythology, popular culture, and academia as “vampires” doesn’t make sense.
Islamic Calligraphy in West Africa
The Hausa people of northern Nigeria have adapted—and continue to transform—sacred Islamic calligraphy that originated in the Arab world.
Power Posing in the Taiwan Photo Studio
As photography became more popular in occupied Taiwan, the camera subtly captured the shifting boundaries between Japanese colonizers and their Taiwanese subjects.
Eight Collections Perfect for Hispanic Heritage Month
Freely available images and other primary source materials from the JSTOR Collections.
Underground Conquest: Cave Exploration and Nationalism
As cave exploration became more popular and speleology developed as an academic discipline, cave explorers were drawn into a problematic European nationalism.
What the Trees Are Telling Us
Markers of both environmental change and periods of stability, trees have a lot to tell us about nature—but also about humanity.
The Scandalous Play in Mansfield Park
Jane Austen uses Elizabeth Inchbald’s Lovers’ Vows to explore the social boundaries, both public and private, of Regency England.
Using Pollen To Make Paper, Sponges, and More
Reengineered, the powdery stuff could become a range of eco-friendly objects.
From Neoliberalism to Trumpism
The neoliberal politics that developed in the 1970s created financial instability and fragmented cultural markets, helping to pave the way for Trumpism.