title: The Ethics of Reading: Levinas and Gadamer on encountering the other in literature

authors: Dougan, Melanie Jane

abstract: This dissertation explores the question ‘can we encounter the Other through the mediation of literature?’ The question reflects an increasing interest in ethics by literary theorists and particularly in the application of Emmanuel Levinas’s work to the field of literary studies. I identify a major concern with this trend that has been largely overlooked: Levinas states that the Other cannot be encountered through the mediation of literature. With questions of justice towards texts and the necessity to respect alterity at the forefront, I argue that Levinas’s concerns cannot be overlooked. To explore a possible solution to the problem I first consider Levinas’s concerns with literature and argue that his adamant stance on the Other and literature stems not so much from the arguments he puts forward but a human conviction that the ethical is limited to the immediate face-to-face encounter. I suggest that this desire which cannot be fully accounted for by his philosophical account finds its origin in the Holocaust but, more than this, can be seen as the ethical saying interrupting and disturbing his writing. 
The answer to the question of the thesis hinges on the interpretation of both who the Other is and what exactly the encounter with the Other means for Levinas. Unlike most literary theorists, I do not look for ways in which Levinas’s ethical work is portrayed in literary texts; I am interested in the text as Other and the reader’s responsibility towards it rather than situations or characters that fit the face-to-face model. I draw upon Hans-Georg Gadamer’s hermeneutics to both consider the relation one has with regard to a text and to clarify who exactly the Other might be. I conclude by trying to rehabilitate the idea of author but couch this in Gadamerian terms, it is the world view or horizon of the text that we encounter as other and I name this ‘author’. My consideration of Gadamer confirms that we feel that we encounter alterity in literature and he suggests a way to say something about this that does not annihilate otherness. I then return to the problem of literature for Levinas and find that I can answer the question of the thesis affirmatively, with some qualification. I argue that the Levinasian encounter is best understood by analogy to the Kantian sublime. We cannot encounter the Other at all except through experiences that signify or remind us of this primordial encounter. Lived encounters with the other are structurally similar to and signify the encounter with the Other which in turn gives the everyday encounters their meaning. I combine this interpretation with Jean Baudrillard’s argument regarding representation in photography which posits a view of a productive presentation of the fiction of reality rather than a hollow representation of an absent reality. With a positive answer to the question of the thesis in hand, I read Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, ‘The Purloined Letter’ to explore the implications of my research in a concrete example.

text: The Ethics of Reading: Levinas and Gadamer on encountering the other in literature This dissertation explores the question ‘can we encounter the Other through the mediation of literature?’ The question reflects an increasing interest in ethics by literary theorists and particularly in the application of Emmanuel Levinas’s work to the field of literary studies. I identify a major concern with this trend that has been largely overlooked: Levinas states that the Other cannot be encountered through the mediation of literature. With questions of justice towards texts and the necessity to respect alterity at the forefront, I argue that Levinas’s concerns cannot be overlooked. To explore a possible solution to the problem I first consider Levinas’s concerns with literature and argue that his adamant stance on the Other and literature stems not so much from the arguments he puts forward but a human conviction that the ethical is limited to the immediate face-to-face encounter. I suggest that this desire which cannot be fully accounted for by his philosophical account finds its origin in the Holocaust but, more than this, can be seen as the ethical saying interrupting and disturbing his writing. 
The answer to the question of the thesis hinges on the interpretation of both who the Other is and what exactly the encounter with the Other means for Levinas. Unlike most literary theorists, I do not look for ways in which Levinas’s ethical work is portrayed in literary texts; I am interested in the text as Other and the reader’s responsibility towards it rather than situations or characters that fit the face-to-face model. I draw upon Hans-Georg Gadamer’s hermeneutics to both consider the relation one has with regard to a text and to clarify who exactly the Other might be. I conclude by trying to rehabilitate the idea of author but couch this in Gadamerian terms, it is the world view or horizon of the text that we encounter as other and I name this ‘author’. My consideration of Gadamer confirms that we feel that we encounter alterity in literature and he suggests a way to say something about this that does not annihilate otherness. I then return to the problem of literature for Levinas and find that I can answer the question of the thesis affirmatively, with some qualification. I argue that the Levinasian encounter is best understood by analogy to the Kantian sublime. We cannot encounter the Other at all except through experiences that signify or remind us of this primordial encounter. Lived encounters with the other are structurally similar to and signify the encounter with the Other which in turn gives the everyday encounters their meaning. I combine this interpretation with Jean Baudrillard’s argument regarding representation in photography which posits a view of a productive presentation of the fiction of reality rather than a hollow representation of an absent reality. With a positive answer to the question of the thesis in hand, I read Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, ‘The Purloined Letter’ to explore the implications of my research in a concrete example.

year: 2016

title: Impacts for Children Living with Genetic Muscle Disorders and their Parents - Findings from a Population-Based Study

authors: Jones, Kelly

subjects: Neuromuscular diseases

abstract: BACKGROUND: Genetic muscle disorders, including muscular dystrophies, congenital myopathies, and ion channel muscle diseases can be associated with significant disability. 
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore child and parent perspectives of the impact of living with a genetic muscle disorder. 
METHODS: Eighty-three children (<16 years) with a clinical or molecular diagnosis were identified as part of a national prevalence study. Parents' experiences and needs were assessed using a study-specific questionnaire. Additional outcome measures included parent and child self-report versions of the Behavior Assessment System for Children and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. Parents also completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Activlim.
RESULTS: Sixty-four percent of families had a combined annual household income below $60,000 NZD ($43,650 USD), being less than the national median income of $73,000 NZD ($53,112 USD). Parents reported needing more support than they were currently receiving (40%), particularly with household chores (23%) and transportation (17%). Few parents (13%) or children (4%) reported significant child behavioral difficulties. Risks of impaired quality of life were high (parent proxy 71%, child report 70%), and associated with co-morbid health conditions (p = 0.008), functional status (p = 0.001), wheelchair use (p = 0.001) and mechanical ventilation (p = 0.01). 
CONCLUSIONS: Findings are relevant to those involved in the care and support of children, and their families, who are impacted by genetic muscle disorders. Targeted guidelines are required to inform the provision of services, alongside promotion of existing community services to improve access to financial support, and assistance with day-to-day functioning. Future research should examine intervention and treatment options aimed at maximising affected children's quality of life.

text: Impacts for Children Living with Genetic Muscle Disorders and their Parents - Findings from a Population-Based Study BACKGROUND: Genetic muscle disorders, including muscular dystrophies, congenital myopathies, and ion channel muscle diseases can be associated with significant disability. 
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore child and parent perspectives of the impact of living with a genetic muscle disorder. 
METHODS: Eighty-three children (<16 years) with a clinical or molecular diagnosis were identified as part of a national prevalence study. Parents' experiences and needs were assessed using a study-specific questionnaire. Additional outcome measures included parent and child self-report versions of the Behavior Assessment System for Children and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. Parents also completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Activlim.
RESULTS: Sixty-four percent of families had a combined annual household income below $60,000 NZD ($43,650 USD), being less than the national median income of $73,000 NZD ($53,112 USD). Parents reported needing more support than they were currently receiving (40%), particularly with household chores (23%) and transportation (17%). Few parents (13%) or children (4%) reported significant child behavioral difficulties. Risks of impaired quality of life were high (parent proxy 71%, child report 70%), and associated with co-morbid health conditions (p = 0.008), functional status (p = 0.001), wheelchair use (p = 0.001) and mechanical ventilation (p = 0.01). 
CONCLUSIONS: Findings are relevant to those involved in the care and support of children, and their families, who are impacted by genetic muscle disorders. Targeted guidelines are required to inform the provision of services, alongside promotion of existing community services to improve access to financial support, and assistance with day-to-day functioning. Future research should examine intervention and treatment options aimed at maximising affected children's quality of life.

year: 2018

title: Kirihaehae

authors: Maxwell, Te Kahautu

abstract: A haka composed about moko. My grand aunt Tangiwai took the moko chin tattoo so when the man from Tauranga, Kōraurau Te Kani that she had been betrothed to arrived at Whitianga Bay on the East Coast of the Bay of Plenty, he would readily recognise her his intended bride to be. This haka was composed for Te Kapa Haka o Tūtawake. This composition will be performed at the Mātaatua Kapa Haka regional Competition in Ruatoki 2016.

text: Kirihaehae A haka composed about moko. My grand aunt Tangiwai took the moko chin tattoo so when the man from Tauranga, Kōraurau Te Kani that she had been betrothed to arrived at Whitianga Bay on the East Coast of the Bay of Plenty, he would readily recognise her his intended bride to be. This haka was composed for Te Kapa Haka o Tūtawake. This composition will be performed at the Mātaatua Kapa Haka regional Competition in Ruatoki 2016.

year: 2013