Ideology in Polish Translations of Anglo-American Literature

Ideology has always influenced translation, yet this fact became a topic of scholarly research only in the 1990s. The working of ideology in literary translations most often manifests itself as a conflict of value systems. From vast reservoir of foreign sources, the native axiology absorbs values that it needs to sustain its culture. It is not a coincidence that Anglo-American literature, propagating ideas of democracy and individual freedom, became popular in Poland in the first half of the nineteenth-century when Poland did not exist as a state. Only a century later, American literature was the most popular of all foreign literatures in pre-1939 Poland. World War II changed this situation, and the Soviet-controlled apparatchiks favored translations that were “politically correct.” Yet, because of their connections with earlier revolutionary movements, avant-garde Anglo-American writers were often published during the communist regime, for example Virginia Woolf, whose novels were standardized to appeal to the tastes of popular readers. After Poland regained independence in 1989, the national book market was privatized and commercialized, and avant-garde literature needed advertising to get noticed. Cormack McCarthy’s novels were translated into Polish on the wave of popularity of the Coen brothers movie based on No Country for Old Men. The two Polish translations of McCarthy’s novel try to sound like a typical hard-boiled realistic fiction. This is where the ideology of consumerism meets the ideology of communism: literature is a means to sustain – and control – a cultural monolith, where all differences are perceived as possible threats to social order.

The Science-Math Stories Based on Digital Learning: Digital Literacy Innovation in Increasing Ability to Solve Problems

The existence and use of technology can be a means of maximizing the potential of students' thinking abilities, including the ability to solve problems. Learning that utilizes cellular technology that contains material in science-math stories be-comes one of the ways of utilizing technological developments in learning activi-ties. The study used a pretest-posttest control group design with more than one experimental group. There were two experimental groups from two schools that experienced learning with science-math stories based on digital learning as digital literacy media, and one control group from another school who carried out litera-cy activities using reading books in the class and the library. The use of science-math stories based on digital learning as a digital literacy media can improve problem-solving skills for elementary school students. The main content in the form of realistic fiction illustrated stories with adventure themes that raise envi-ronmental problems to be solved becomes the main strategy in improving the ability to solve the problems of elementary school students.

Images of Poverty in Contemporary Realistic Fiction for Youth: Preliminary Results of a Content Analysis Using a Social Psychological Conceptual Framework

This preliminary study of 20 contemporary realistic fiction books for youth in middle school and above, analyzed images of poverty using a framework adapted from Leahy (1981, 1983). Findings indicate that, as a whole, the books in this sample rely on concrete images of poverty and do not adequately represent current demographic data for people living in poverty in the United States. The paper concludes with suggestions for how teachers and school librarians/media specialists can use these books with students.

Bridge to Cultural Understanding

This longitudinal study on recommended children's books translated into English and published in the United States between 1990-2003 allowed the researchers to identify trends in translations based on language, genre and subject. The most frequent language of translation was German, followed by French and Swedish. Animal Personification was the most popular genre, followed by Realistic Fiction and Information books. A majority of the translated children's books were in the picture book format, primarily from the Animal Personification genre. Popular subject headings included Animals (specific)-Fiction, Fairy Tales/Folklore, Family Relationships-Fiction and Friendship-Fiction, much the same as in the United States.

Magiczny ironista. O "Szamańskiej chorobie" Jacka Hugo-Badera

The Magical Ironist. On "Shamanic Disease" by Jacek Hugo-Bader The purpose of this paper is to analyze Jacek Hugo-Bader’s novel reportage “Shamanic Disease” ("Szamańska choroba") understood as a blend of reportage and the conventions of magical realism. By utilizing ironic self-creation of the narrator in the reportage, Hugo-Bader’s discussion of belief in terms of problematization and thematization rather than as a fact-finding process through research does not violate the referential pact. The case study is a part of the discussion on both the literary reportage, which boldly combines the elements of journalism with licentia poetica, and on Melchior Wańkowicz’s “extension of the convention” of the reportage genre in Poland. In addition to the categories of realistic fiction and fantastic fiction – understood in the context of non-fiction – this paper will discuss a third element: magical fiction, which will be related to contemporary theories of performative ethnography. Celem artykułu jest analiza "Szamańskiej choroby" Jacka Hugo-Badera, rozpatrywanej jako reportażowa realizacja konwencji realizmu magicznego. Problematyzowanie i tematyzowanie wiary (a nie faktów i prowadzącego do ich poznania researchu) nie powoduje zerwania paktu referencjalnego dzięki ironicznej autokreacji podmiotu reporterskiego. Studium przypadku wpisuje się w dyskusje na temat literackiego reportażu, śmiało łączącego dziennikarskość z licentia poetica, oraz postulowanego przez Melchiora Wańkowicza „poszerzenia konwencji” tego gatunku. Uruchamiane w kontekście literatury faktu kategorie fikcji realistycznej i fikcji fantastycznej uzupełniam o element trzeci: fikcję magiczną, odnosząc się m.in. do współczesnych teorii etnografii performatywnej.

Series of Discrimination: Exploring Discrimination among Children

This series of children’s literature focuses on discrimination among children based on their race, sex, disability, physical attractiveness, and social class. The goal is to find the ways children discriminate against their friends and also the ways they cope with discrimination. To do so, this creative thesis uses the concept of prejudice and discrimination and also the theory of Coping. From the series, it is shown that children can verbally, behaviorally, and relationally discriminate against their friends and that children can use problem-focused coping to cope with discrimination. Therefore, by understanding ways discrimination manifests itself and knowing how to cope with discrimination, children can detect discrimination and learn to cope with it.Keywords: Discrimination, Picture Books, Children’s literature, Realistic fiction

Is It Too Late? Exploring Self-Actualisation of a Self-Proclaimed Artist in a Restrictive Chinese-Indonesian Family

Self-actualisation is an interesting topic to be talked about in Indonesia, as Indonesian families still uphold filial piety very highly. Thus, the concept of putting forwards one’s dreams and wishes for one’s own future and brushing aside one’s parents’ wants and plans is mostly unheard of. I made this creative work, in form of a novel, to highlight this highly-relevant phenomena and initiate the talk between parents and their descendants. This story is written from the perspective of the son of a family who wants to be an artist, but faces hurdles in the form of his chasing tiger mother and how that affected him and his decision-making in relation of becoming the best version of himself.Keywords: Artistry, Chinese-Indonesian, Filial piety, Poetry, Realistic fiction, Self-actualisation.