Reconstructing the south : how commercial myths compete for identity value through the ideological shaping of popular memories and countermemories

This study explicates the coconstitutive relationships between commercial myth- making and popular memory that arise through myth market competitions for identity value. We develop a genealogical analysis of the representational strategies and ideological rationales that two prominent New South mythmakers use to shape popular memories in relation to their competitive goals and to efface counter- memories that contradict their mythologized representations. We then derive a conceptual model that highlights competitive, historical, and ideological influences on commercial mythmaking and their transformative effects on popular memory, which have not been addressed by prior theorizations of the meaning transfer process.

Holes in my memories : a qualitative study of men affected by father absence

 This qualitative study explored adult men's experiences of father absence. Interviews with 21 men between the ages of 24 and 70 explored narratives of father absence and how the men perceived this influenced their life trajectory. Thematic analysis revealed that these men experienced a range of difficulties and challenges, including episodes of sadness and depression associated with loss and grief for the paternal relationship, self-esteem issues, feelings of anger and rejection, and difficulty forming trusting relationships particularly with other men. This study contributes to understanding mental health issues that can be associated with paternal absence for men.

The Thai-Burma Railway: asymmetrical and transitional memories

The Pacific War is an umbrella term that refers collectively to a disparate set of wars, however, this book presents a strong case for considering this assemblage of conflicts as a collective, singular war.

The interior of our memories: a history of Melbourne's Jewish holocaust centre

The Interior of Our Memories describes the development of the Centre within global Holocaust memorial activity, both during the Holocaust and in the following decades when many survivors made new lives for themselves in Melbourne. The story begins, not in March 1984 when it first opened its doors, but during the Holocaust, when survivors began gathering documents. The book provides a history of the Centre’s early days and examines its transformation from a collection of photos, documents and material objects into the modern, educationally focused organisation it is today. The book situates the Jewish Holocaust Centre within a broader context, exploring issues of memory, testimony, the role of the museum within contemporary society, and what we can learn from one of the worst tragedies in human history.

A facile method to enhance ferroelectric properties in PVDF nanocomposites

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/nanoclay composites were prepared using melt compounding. The effect of acrylic rubber (ACM) as a compatibilizer on different polymorph formation and on the ferroelectric properties of nanocomposites were investigated. The intercalation and morphological structure of the samples were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The infrared spectroscopy and X-ray analysis revealed the coexistence of β and γ crystalline forms in PVDF-clay nanocomposite, while in partially miscible PVDF/ACM/clay hybrids, three polymorphs of α, β and γ coexisted. The coefficients of electric field-polarization (E-P) Taylor expansion were calculated based on the Lorentz theory. Using a genetic algorithm, complex dielectric susceptibilities as well as the dielectric constants for each sample were calculated and optimized. The predicted dielectric constants were found to be in good agreement with the experimental results. A dielectric constant of 16 (10 Hz) was obtained for PVDF/ACM/clay (90/10/5), which was 40% higher than that of the PVDF-clay (100/5) nanocomposite without ACM. The improved dielectric performance of the nanocomposites can be attributed to the compatibilizing effect of ACM, which facilitated the growth of β polymorph in the sample.