Research on Theoretical and Representative Reconstruction of Intimate/Public Spheres

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Developing past feminist criticism of patriarchal society, this research tried to investigate a new sort of self-formation, rereading Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalysis and reexamining the concepts of "subject" and "agency." What is emphasized---based upon the results of recent gender/sexuality studies---is "violence" exercised in the instances of articulation and suture between "the public" (the public sphere) and "the private" (the intimate sphere), where self itself is built in society. Theoretically, this research reconsidered both Freud's concept of "masochism" through Leo Bersani's discussion and Foucalt's "bio-politics" though Giorgio Agamben in terms of "suicide bombing," "abuse," "counseling," "sex changes," etc. Furthermore, "femininity," which is considered to be located in the interface between the public and intimate spheres, was examined in a non-polarized framework between essentialism and constructionism.This research also attempted analyses of cultural representations as ideological apparatuses of self formation, dealing with terrorist novels such as the first American terrorist novel by Henry James and the newly-published one by Michael Cunningham, in terms of "homosociality" and "extended family" described there, referring to Derrida's concept, "hospitality." Hollywood films and recent Japanese movies were also treated from the perspective of "pure love" ideology.The achievements of this research were published in academic journals and books as well as presented at various academic meetings and lectures. They are now developed deeply in my own present research highlighting "violence" itself.