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Published Papers by Mohammed Mizanur Rashid

Media Fields Journal: Critical Explorations in Media and Space, 2022

In this essay I argue that blogging communities in Bangladesh have always functioned as an altern... more In this essay I argue that blogging communities in Bangladesh have always functioned as an alternative media, and by playing crucial activist roles, have historically challenged hegemonic political and religious institutions. However, the blogging community has remained selectively unconcerned at the vitriolic representation and brutal treatment of LGBTQIA+ subjects all over the nation-state since 2014, and this essay contextualizes this abandonment of queer subjects by the blogging community in light of how queerness is hatefully rendered in Bangladeshi online public-spheres. I also argue that this negligence from the nation’s primary digital counter-space necessitated a shift in modality in the Bangladeshi blogosphere, one that reoriented queer activism in the region and imagined new avenues and tactical ways of functioning that primarily pays attention to more sustainable enclave counter-public modes of being. Following Catherine Squires’ conceptualization of ‘enclave publics’, the essay suggests by example, the emergence of an alternate queer blog and digital archive Mondro, which functions as a digital counter-space that not only ensures ‘queer curation’ and promotes solidarity and affective communication between queer subjects and their allies, but also operates as both reminder of and resistance to the dominant cissexism and heteronormative ideology and narratives rampant in traditional blogging communities and the Bangladeshi society writ-large.

Comparative Media Arts Journal, 2019

The consequential significance of Diaspora Art has been exponentially rising in the last few deca... more The consequential significance of Diaspora Art has been exponentially rising in the last few decades and it goes without saying that most of it has stemmed from the tension, phenomena and grand narratives surrounding migration and diaspora from all around the world. Artists who produce Diaspora Art may or may not have direct or indirect experiences of events that cause diaspora, such as-political instability, civil war, terrorism, ethnic cleansing etc., but the collective experience of geographic relocation by the diasporic communities shape and counter shape artistic and aesthetic practices in certain ways. In this paper, I will be focusing on Critical Making and Makerspace practices to perceive how these particular practices may be of potential value to Diaspora Artists. Influenced by Matt Ratto's conceptualization of Critical Making as a situated field in the intersections of critical thinking and goal-based physical work, this paper will not only excavate the potential affordances of Critical Making to formulate and construct meaningful and more affective Diaspora Art, but will also propose certain maker-practices that will presage future possibilities of forming harmonious world communities.

Crossings: A Journal of English Studies, 2018

The arrival of digital tools has the potential to profoundly influence learners of English as a f... more The arrival of digital tools has the potential to profoundly influence learners of English as a foreign language in our country and this paper offers an account of how these proceedings may work. The focus of the study is to recognize how, in terms of English language learning, the teaching-learning environment can be created in cyberspace and how it could function with special emphasis on serendipitous learning. The paper then aims to explore the role of motivation in learning the English language from the perspective of Bangladeshi EFL learners. Later, the paper introduces a mechanism of inspiring the less motivated learners by concentrating on unconscious and semiconscious learning through utilizing tools in cyberspace. The study is based on data collected from a number of students from five public and private universities of Bangladesh. The research employs both qualitative and quantitative approaches by analyzing both questionnaire responses and one-on-one interviews.

Crossings: A Journal of English Studies, 2016

The ability to intuitively focus on ideas of sports and the fandom that it entails has not been t... more The ability to intuitively focus on ideas of sports and the fandom that it entails has not been the strongest subject of research throughout the countries of South Asia, and to understand the psychology that comes with it has been an even more farfetched notion. There is no denying that a gap subsists in the current literature that is accessible on matters such as sports fandom or identity formafion apropos sports entities, teams, or even franchises. Obviously, it is better to have an understanding of what sports fanaticism is, how it is related to individual identity and, more importantly, how it creates fan identity and also, to what extent the influences of such fandom operate in the context of our country. My paper, therefore, will primarily provide an account of sports fandom and fanaticism which will lead to the discussion of the present condifion of sports fanaticism in Bangladesh focusing on the most popular sports of football. The paper will also put forward a theory about how sports fandom can accommodate itself as a perfect venue for idenfity creafion and at the same fime depict that, personal and psychological characteristics, contributing to the most basic determining factors of human psychology, have an immense part to play in the making of a sports fan. Finally, the paper will discuss the socio-cultural effects and consumerist attitudes of sports fandom in our country. The research is based both on qualitative and quantitative approaches and is discussed in terms of social factors.

The rise of the 21st century had seen many new ideas emerge and materialize. The Internet is not ... more The rise of the 21st century had seen many new ideas emerge and materialize. The Internet is not a new phenomenon but what we as users do with it, does not seize to perplex us every once in a while. The ‘Troll’ culture is one such corridor that has not seen a good amount of visitors lately and clearly we did not do justice to it. The amount of happenings and actions in the virtual world aka Cyberspace deserves more attention than it
has received lately because when talking about Cyberspace we are talking about the Americas standing in Columbus’ boots. My paper briefly introduces this novel culture of ‘trolling’ on the Internet and goes further to provide a detailed study of how this culture functions as a gigantic hypothetical billboard and manufactures consent in the minds of millions. Paradoxically, the webs of ‘Troll’ culture are so disheveled that the very
culture that works as a site for advertisement and publicity, also facilitates and advocates the principles of Marxism. My paper also argues that not only does it support those doctrines but thanks to this latest cyber culture, Marx’s ideas could be more re(alistic/alized) now. And as a product of the overall discussion and studies, the paper will provide a better understanding about the after-effects of ‘Troll’ culture and ‘Troll’ politics or ‘Trollitics’. Specific images, posters and posts from social networking sites, where they are mostly put into effect will be analyzed to rationalize and legalize the general understanding.

Key words: Troll-Culture, Cyberspace, Virtual Consumerism, Marxism.

Conference Presentations by Mohammed Mizanur Rashid

Recognizing the proceedings of social activism and its modes of engagement to determine the neces... more Recognizing the proceedings of social activism and its modes of engagement to determine the necessity of media literacy among media activists today, is imperative. Through case studies, this paper will analyze the proliferation of these engagements through social media platforms and what level of media literacy is required to participate in them. The paper also deconstructs the traditional concept of ‘keyboard warriors’ and represents it as an intervention to conventional notions of media literacy. The paper instantiates that, promoting social justice, these ‘keyboard warriors’ become the forerunners of infrastructural media literacy in regions where media literacy is yet to be established as either approach or method.

Media Fields Journal: Critical Explorations in Media and Space, 2022

In this essay I argue that blogging communities in Bangladesh have always functioned as an altern... more In this essay I argue that blogging communities in Bangladesh have always functioned as an alternative media, and by playing crucial activist roles, have historically challenged hegemonic political and religious institutions. However, the blogging community has remained selectively unconcerned at the vitriolic representation and brutal treatment of LGBTQIA+ subjects all over the nation-state since 2014, and this essay contextualizes this abandonment of queer subjects by the blogging community in light of how queerness is hatefully rendered in Bangladeshi online public-spheres. I also argue that this negligence from the nation’s primary digital counter-space necessitated a shift in modality in the Bangladeshi blogosphere, one that reoriented queer activism in the region and imagined new avenues and tactical ways of functioning that primarily pays attention to more sustainable enclave counter-public modes of being. Following Catherine Squires’ conceptualization of ‘enclave publics’, the essay suggests by example, the emergence of an alternate queer blog and digital archive Mondro, which functions as a digital counter-space that not only ensures ‘queer curation’ and promotes solidarity and affective communication between queer subjects and their allies, but also operates as both reminder of and resistance to the dominant cissexism and heteronormative ideology and narratives rampant in traditional blogging communities and the Bangladeshi society writ-large.

Comparative Media Arts Journal, 2019

The consequential significance of Diaspora Art has been exponentially rising in the last few deca... more The consequential significance of Diaspora Art has been exponentially rising in the last few decades and it goes without saying that most of it has stemmed from the tension, phenomena and grand narratives surrounding migration and diaspora from all around the world. Artists who produce Diaspora Art may or may not have direct or indirect experiences of events that cause diaspora, such as-political instability, civil war, terrorism, ethnic cleansing etc., but the collective experience of geographic relocation by the diasporic communities shape and counter shape artistic and aesthetic practices in certain ways. In this paper, I will be focusing on Critical Making and Makerspace practices to perceive how these particular practices may be of potential value to Diaspora Artists. Influenced by Matt Ratto's conceptualization of Critical Making as a situated field in the intersections of critical thinking and goal-based physical work, this paper will not only excavate the potential affordances of Critical Making to formulate and construct meaningful and more affective Diaspora Art, but will also propose certain maker-practices that will presage future possibilities of forming harmonious world communities.

Crossings: A Journal of English Studies, 2018

The arrival of digital tools has the potential to profoundly influence learners of English as a f... more The arrival of digital tools has the potential to profoundly influence learners of English as a foreign language in our country and this paper offers an account of how these proceedings may work. The focus of the study is to recognize how, in terms of English language learning, the teaching-learning environment can be created in cyberspace and how it could function with special emphasis on serendipitous learning. The paper then aims to explore the role of motivation in learning the English language from the perspective of Bangladeshi EFL learners. Later, the paper introduces a mechanism of inspiring the less motivated learners by concentrating on unconscious and semiconscious learning through utilizing tools in cyberspace. The study is based on data collected from a number of students from five public and private universities of Bangladesh. The research employs both qualitative and quantitative approaches by analyzing both questionnaire responses and one-on-one interviews.

Crossings: A Journal of English Studies, 2016

The ability to intuitively focus on ideas of sports and the fandom that it entails has not been t... more The ability to intuitively focus on ideas of sports and the fandom that it entails has not been the strongest subject of research throughout the countries of South Asia, and to understand the psychology that comes with it has been an even more farfetched notion. There is no denying that a gap subsists in the current literature that is accessible on matters such as sports fandom or identity formafion apropos sports entities, teams, or even franchises. Obviously, it is better to have an understanding of what sports fanaticism is, how it is related to individual identity and, more importantly, how it creates fan identity and also, to what extent the influences of such fandom operate in the context of our country. My paper, therefore, will primarily provide an account of sports fandom and fanaticism which will lead to the discussion of the present condifion of sports fanaticism in Bangladesh focusing on the most popular sports of football. The paper will also put forward a theory about how sports fandom can accommodate itself as a perfect venue for idenfity creafion and at the same fime depict that, personal and psychological characteristics, contributing to the most basic determining factors of human psychology, have an immense part to play in the making of a sports fan. Finally, the paper will discuss the socio-cultural effects and consumerist attitudes of sports fandom in our country. The research is based both on qualitative and quantitative approaches and is discussed in terms of social factors.

The rise of the 21st century had seen many new ideas emerge and materialize. The Internet is not ... more The rise of the 21st century had seen many new ideas emerge and materialize. The Internet is not a new phenomenon but what we as users do with it, does not seize to perplex us every once in a while. The ‘Troll’ culture is one such corridor that has not seen a good amount of visitors lately and clearly we did not do justice to it. The amount of happenings and actions in the virtual world aka Cyberspace deserves more attention than it
has received lately because when talking about Cyberspace we are talking about the Americas standing in Columbus’ boots. My paper briefly introduces this novel culture of ‘trolling’ on the Internet and goes further to provide a detailed study of how this culture functions as a gigantic hypothetical billboard and manufactures consent in the minds of millions. Paradoxically, the webs of ‘Troll’ culture are so disheveled that the very
culture that works as a site for advertisement and publicity, also facilitates and advocates the principles of Marxism. My paper also argues that not only does it support those doctrines but thanks to this latest cyber culture, Marx’s ideas could be more re(alistic/alized) now. And as a product of the overall discussion and studies, the paper will provide a better understanding about the after-effects of ‘Troll’ culture and ‘Troll’ politics or ‘Trollitics’. Specific images, posters and posts from social networking sites, where they are mostly put into effect will be analyzed to rationalize and legalize the general understanding.

Key words: Troll-Culture, Cyberspace, Virtual Consumerism, Marxism.

Recognizing the proceedings of social activism and its modes of engagement to determine the neces... more Recognizing the proceedings of social activism and its modes of engagement to determine the necessity of media literacy among media activists today, is imperative. Through case studies, this paper will analyze the proliferation of these engagements through social media platforms and what level of media literacy is required to participate in them. The paper also deconstructs the traditional concept of ‘keyboard warriors’ and represents it as an intervention to conventional notions of media literacy. The paper instantiates that, promoting social justice, these ‘keyboard warriors’ become the forerunners of infrastructural media literacy in regions where media literacy is yet to be established as either approach or method.