Proceedings of the 9th Biennial International Conference of Greek Studies, 2011

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https://hdl.handle.net/2328/26854
The papers in this volume discuss many issues in Greek studies. The papers deal with ancient Greek and Byzantine philosophy, philology, the history of Greece and the Greek world, the history of the Greek Diaspora, and the teaching of the Greek language. They cover a considerable span of time and space, crossing the boundaries of various fields of research. The papers on the ancient world range from discussions of Athenian pagan philosophy in the fifth century BCE to Christian criticisms of pagan thought in Egyptian Alexandria in the sixth century CE. The papers on the medieval and Modern Greek world range from discussions of Byzantine Orthodoxy to debates about the significance of Greek textiles in twenty first century Australia. The papers display the diachronic and multidimensional relevance of Greek studies in the current world. All of the papers were submitted to independent referees. Those that passed the scrutiny of the referees were revised in the light of their comments. Sincere thanks are extended to our referees who have provided considerable support in their field of expertise in order to make this publication scholarly and academically sound and useful for the future. Our gratitude is also extended to Maria Sakellaridis who has formatted the texts and organised the publication in a creative and impeccable manner.

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    Ageing and immigration in the Greek capital. Policy issues and developments since the early 1990s
    (Flinders University Department of Language Studies - Modern Greek, 2013-06) Maloutas, Thomas
    The paper deals with socio-demographic change and spatial transformation in Athens during the post war period and, in particular, since the early 1990s. It focuses on the interaction of two parallel processes — the precipitated ageing of the native Greek population and the rapid increase of the city’s immigrant population — in terms of residential patterns that enable contact between the two groups, and of the poorly developed local welfare state, within which immigrants have been acting as a substitute for the underdeveloped services for the elderly. The paper draws attention to recent changes in immigrants’ profiles and especially to the decreasing inflow — and more recently the outflow (GSPSC, 2011) — from neighbouring Balkan countries and the parallel increase of asylum seeking migrants and refugees from war zones in the broader Middle-East, Afghanistan and the Indian peninsula. These changes have led to a potentially less beneficial co-existence between ageing and immigration for both sides in a period where public funds for social policies as well as private funds for substitute solutions become scarce.
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    Aristotle and the intuitionists
    (Flinders University Department of Language Studies - Modern Greek, 2013-06) Mortensen, Chris
    Intuitionist mathematics has claimed a philosophy deriving from Kant. This paper aims to draw attention to significant similarities with a much older source, Aristotle. At the same time, the connection should not be over-stretched, given two millennia between them.
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    Aristotle's four conceptions of time
    (Flinders University Department of Language Studies - Modern Greek, 2013-06) Quigley, Peter
    In this paper I will describe four theories of time that can be found in Aristotle. I will compare these four theories with modern notions of time, and propose that the ancient and modern views are substantively the same. Of course, all four theories cannot be true together. I will present four ways to resolve the inconsistencies, and conclude that the contradictions can be resolved.
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    Aristotle, space and time
    (Flinders University Department of Language Studies - Modern Greek, 2013-06) Mann, Scott
    There are two fundamentally different conceptions of the nature of space and time. On the one side, and particularly associated with the ideas of Newton, is what is now called “substantivalism”, which sees space and time as existing objects, over and above the other material objects and processes of the world. On the other, and particularly associated with the ideas of Leibniz, is the “relationalist” approach, denying the existence of space and time as objects in their own right; seeing them rather as relations between material objects. This paper explores and defends Aristotle’s relationist account of space and time, in the light of subsequent developments of physics.
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    Art censorship as art criticism: fighting the sacrilegious and protecting the 'shell'
    (Flinders University Department of Language Studies - Modern Greek, 2013-06) Karaiskou, Vayia-Vicky
    Art censorship in Greece since the establishment of the new Greek state in 1830 has been formulated in relation to the ideological patterns of national identity. The influence of Romanticism intensified references to ancient ancestors, legitimised the focus on tradition, and corresponded to the need of the newly formed Greek society to establish the country’s position as a cultural equal of the other European countries. Ever since, the constant calling of Greek society upon the symbols of national identity have created rigid ideological barriers in the country. The fine arts were expected to express higher values; sculpture in particular, owing to its public and monumental character, was connected to the concept of “nation” and assumed the role of helping to visualise its constituent elements. On the part of the audience, art critics included, censorship took the form of art criticism. Sculptors, on the other hand, had to self-censor their work by adapting themselves to the requirements of their environment. Modernity became an obvious target of animosity during the 20th century. The imminent danger supposedly posed involved contaminating the authenticity of “Greekness”. During the seven-year dictatorship (1967–1974) modernity was for the first time understood as protecting — instead of violating — the essence of national identity, because of its connection to political art revolting against the regime. During the past three decades, despite the radical changes the country has undergone, a peculiar kind of self-censorship exercised by the state — on the occasion of prominent official and public cultural events — has proved the use of culture as leverage for broader political views and resulted in an ongoing introversion.
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    Auto/biographical writing and Greek-Australian historiography
    (Flinders University Department of Language Studies - Modern Greek, 2013-06) Nicolacopoulos, Toula ; Vassilacopoulos, George
    This paper outlines a methodology for 'auto/biographical' life-history writing and argues for its merits based on a particular case study. In the present context 'auto/ biographical life writing' refers to life writing that is produced collaboratively by the participants, the researchers and research subjects, who are respectively positioned as writers/editors and narrators. We will propose an account of the dialogical structure that informs this inter-subjective interaction as developed in our collaboration with one Greek-Australian political activist. In our collaboration with George Gotsis on his auto/biography we have been taking what we call an ontological approach, in the sense of addressing the conditions of being in a collaborative researcher–researched relationship. We present the main features of this approach and discuss its merits and connection with our Greek-Australian historiography more broadly.
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    Between young and old Greek Orthodox Christians: saint worship and dance as offering to a saint
    (Flinders University Department of Language Studies - Modern Greek, 2013-06) Riak, Patricia
    The paper reconstructs what is remembered about saint worship practiced in the Rhodian highland village of Istrios. Istrian memory reveals a religious practice that included dance as a form of promise (taximo) and offering (tama) to Saint Merkourios, particularly by Istrian mothers and their role in assisting to cure their children of illness. The paper introduces the presence of dancing as a form of promise and offering to worship a saint, describing in detail how Istrian mothers performed the dance in a Holy shrine atypically located in a cemetery chapel.
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    Blending Greek with Aboriginal Australian cultural elements in artistic expression
    (Flinders University Department of Language Studies - Modern Greek, 2013-06) Kanarakis, George
    This paper pursues another transnational course extending the paper I presented at the Eighth International Conference on Greek Research, where the influence of cultural aspects of Aboriginal Australians upon a variety of first generation Greek Australians’ artistic expression was examined. Exploring both direct and indirect influence of elements of Greek and Aboriginal Australian cultures evident in artistic works (including theatre arts, painting, photography, music and dance), my current research focuses on how this blending has transcended through the filter of second generation Australians of Greek and Koori parentage, as well as of Aborigines, Anglo-Australians and members of other immigrant groups, and how this has been transformed and exhibited by them, thus being “recreated” artistically.
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    Coping with school bullying: a cross national pilot intervention study
    (Modern Greek Studies Association of Australia and New Zealand (MGSAANZ), 2013-07) Skrzypiec, Grace ; Slee, Phillip T ; Roussi-Vergou, Christina ; Andreou, Eleni
    In Australia and Greece the issue of school bullying is a significant concern of educators and students. While victims are not to be blamed for being bullied, research suggests that the strategies utilised by victims to cope with bullying may inadvertently reinforce victimisation. This paper will outline the successful Australian “Coping with School Bullying” (CWSB) program, including the use of a translated Greek version of the CWSB DVD, and describe the outcomes of the replication of the CWSB questionnaire with Greek students to identify effective and ineffective coping. Preliminary research conducted in Greek schools indicates that the CWSB program was successful in significantly reducing bullying amongst Greek students who had reported being seriously bullied pre-program. The intervention will now be rolled out to a larger number of schools in Greece in 2013.
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    Copper and foreign investment: the development of the mining industry in Cyprus during the Great Depression
    (Flinders University Department of Language Studies - Modern Greek, 2013-06) Apostolides, Alexander
    This paper evaluates the impact of the rapid growth of mining on the Cypriot economy during the period 1921–1938, with special focus on the expansion of copper sulphate mining. During this period the industry was transformed by companies such as the Cyprus Mining Corporation (CMC) and this affected the whole economy and society. The island was for the first time inundated with substantial foreign direct investment, which encouraged technological adaptation and altered labour relations; as such there has been a debate on how beneficial was mining for the economy at that time. Using substantial primary data we estimated output (GDP share), employment and productivity estimates for the mining industry, as well as profit estimates for the foreign mining firms through the use of a counterfactual. The data allows us to argue that mining was very beneficial in increasing labour productivity and earning foreign exchange, but also highlights that the economic and social benefits for the economy were less than those suggested by the colonial authorities due to mass exports of profits.
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    The Crone role revisited in the migrant diaspora to Australia
    (Flinders University Department of Language Studies - Modern Greek, 2013-06) Frantzi, Kyriaki
    In mythical tradition as revisited by research during the few last decades, the Crone is the feminine aspect of the ageing individual, she who protects and guides youngsters through her wisdom. Drawing on the darker as well as the more glowing sides of this powerful image, the paper investigates how migrant women in old age are conceptualised by younger Australians of a Mediterranean background. Qualitative data such as recent performance materials, student publications and autobiographical essays point to a shift in perceptions which, beyond challenging stereotypical representations of old females as custodians of tradition, highlight a need to apply new tools to investigating scholarly themes in situations where subjects originate from societies of illiteracy and orality.
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    The distinction between laiko and logio as a particular characteristic of the Modern Greek language: historical interpretation, contemporary function and didactic usage
    (Flinders University Department of Language Studies - Modern Greek, 2013-06) Paradia, Maria ; Mitsis, Napoleon
    It is well known that the Greek language, despite its long history and the various adventures it has experienced over the centuries and in contrast with other ancient European languages (e.g. Latin), has not undergone any radical changes with the passage of time. Instead, it has maintained a noteworthy diachronic homogeneity and a unified character that have made it intriguing for scholars and, at the same time, give it a unique nature. The functional presence of a large number of diachronic elements within contemporary Modern Greek undoubtedly make it a unique case. They have not, however, been sufficiently researched, and this paper aims to make a contribution in this direction.
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    Faces beyond the Greek café: the traditional diversity of Greek-Australian occupational pursuits, 1820s–2010
    (Flinders University Department of Language Studies - Modern Greek, 2013-06) Janiszewski, Leonard ; Alexakis, Effy
    From the late nineteenth century until the closing decades of the twentieth century, Greeks played a large part in Australia’s food catering industry. They continued, nevertheless, to enter a wide variety of occupations. These included: agricultural and pastoral activities, mining, sea-related industries, itinerant work, secondary industries, public life, professional fields, and artistic and sporting avenues. Moreover, their contribution in some activities proved significant. This paper firmly challenges the entrenched, popular stereotype of Greek-Australians as being historically defined as essentially a collection of fish’n’chip shop owners and café and milk bar proprietors. Rather, their complex and broad involvement in Australia’s mainstream development over the last two hundred years is clearly revealed, acknowledged and celebrated.
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    The Greek audience 'discovers' the Turkish soap-series: Turkey’s 'soft power' and the psyche of Greeks
    (Flinders University Department of Language Studies - Modern Greek, 2013-06) Mihalakopoulos, Georgios
    Today’s world is mainly characterised, among other things, by interdependence and confusion. And the best way for a state to distinguish itself from the others is to promote globally a “shiny image”. This kind of strategy focuses on persuasion aiming at the gaining of influence. And this is the rationale behind the promotion of the Turkish TV series globally and especially in the Balkans and the Middle East. This paper tries to elucidate some of the aspects related to the extraordinary, albeit unexpected, success of this “goldmine” called Turkish soap-operas.
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    The Greek language of the diaspora in the era of globalisation
    (Flinders University Department of Language Studies - Modern Greek, 2013-06) Michopoulos, Aristotle
    This paper is divided into two parts. The first one deals with the Greek language and education in the United States, focusing on schools, books, teachers and the educational policy of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese and the Greek Government regarding this subject. For comparative purposes a brief portion of this section deals with the teaching of the Greek language and culture in Canada, Australia, Germany, and other countries. The second part focuses on the global aspects of the Greek language. It discusses the effects of the fall of Communism and the full membership of Greece in the EU and how these factors affected the Greek language and Government policy, regarding the funding of Greek Education globally. Finally, the paper offers some recommendations for maximising the benefits arising from this new world of globalisation.
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    Greek Orthodox iconography from a historical and cultural perspective
    (Flinders University Department of Language Studies - Modern Greek, 2013-06) Doupis, Ekaterini
    This paper will examine the historical events that made an impact on Greek Orthodox Iconography including the Iconoclastic period, and its acceptance into the Greek Orthodox community during the Byzantine period. As well as looking at the dogmatic meaning of the “icon” in the Greek Orthodox community, I will evaluate through the interview results collected from the youth, elderly and priests of the Greek Orthodox community of South Australia whether the initial dogmatic purpose of the “icon” is understood and upheld by the community of today.
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    Harbours, harbour works and commerce in Cyprus, 1878-1910
    (Flinders University Department of Language Studies - Modern Greek, 2013-06) Panayiotou, Maria
    The lack of harbour facilities was always a setback in the financial development of Cyprus. The paper aims to describe the harbour facilities of the island in 1878–1879, and to analyse how the harbour works in Limasol, Larnaca and Kyrenia in 1881, 1882 and 1890 respectively and in Famagusta harbour in 1905, affected the shipping and commercial activity of the coastal towns. At the same time it will outline how much was spent on the harbour works and its authorisation. All of these factors will highlight to what extent the harbour works contributed to the economic development of Cyprus.
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    A home away from home: the Greek-Cypriot migrants/refugees in South Australia
    (Modern Greek Studies Association of Australia and New Zealand (MGSAANZ), 2013-07) Shialis, Maria
    Migration waves have occurred over many centuries due to the historical events of countries experiencing turmoil and people wanting to have a better future elsewhere. Australia was and still is today known as the “land of opportunities”. It was a likely destination for many Greek-Cypriots at a time of crisis, in the period leading up to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and afterwards. This paper intends to explain the experiences of people — ranging from political migrants to refugees — settling into a predominantly Australian society or predominantly British origins. The foundation for this study was oral history interviews conducted with members of the Greek Cypriot community in South Australia. This research will provide an understanding of “belonging” as experienced from previous decades till the present time.
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    The 'invisible' immigrants: Greek immigrant women in Australia (1952–1972)
    (Modern Greek Studies Association of Australia and New Zealand (MGSAANZ), 2013-07) Palaktsoglou, Maria
    1952–1972 is considered as the twenty-year period of mass or chain migration, during which the greatest number of Greek immigrants arrived in Australia. Just under half of these immigrants were women, who arrived mainly as dependent siblings, daughters, wives or brides of male immigrants. In addition, approximately 9,000 women migrated independently as factory or domestic workers. Though Greek women immigrants are an integral part of the overall Greek migration to Australia, their history still remains marginal and has not been thoroughly investigated and reported on. Greek women are regarded as the “invisible” immigrants, whose individual migration experience is encompassed within the male-dominated migration discourse. In this article we examine aspects of the migration of Greeks to Australia during the period of mass or chain migration, with a special focus on the marginal representation of women immigrants within the migration discourse.
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    Migrants’ Belongings: preliminary considerations of Greek and Italian migrants’ travel trunks in the post-Second World War period of settlement to South Australia
    (Modern Greek Studies Association of Australia and New Zealand (MGSAANZ), 2013-07) Agutter, Karen Maree ; Bouvet, Eric James ; Glenn, Diana Cavuoto ; Leader-Elliott, Lynette Frances ; Finnimore, Christine ; Rose, Daniela ; Palaktsoglou, Maria
    The Migrants’ Belongings project, while considering both the scholarly work of the past and more contemporary trends, aims to take migration studies one step further by investigating the significance of belongings brought in the travel trunks of Greek and Italian migrants when they settled in Australia after the Second World War. The project seeks to understand, in the context of displacement, movement and loss, what objects were of particular relevance in reshaping the lives and the identities of these migrants, with particular reference to those objects carried by trunk, rather than by suitcase. This article, the first in a series relating to the Migrants’ Belongings project, aims to situate the project within the wider literature of post-Second World War Italian and Greek migration to Australia. It will consider the use and representation of migrants’ belongings, drawing on methodologies and findings from museology, material culture and identity studies. The project will reflect on the reasons why the “objects of migration”, and more specifically the contents of “migrant trunks”, have so far been largely neglected by scholars of history and migration studies. Finally, this article will highlight the project’s proposed methodology.