Volume 127

Albert Camus' "The Outsider" and Dazai Osamu's "No Longer Human", as literary works of the 1940s, vividly reflect the differences in philosophical concepts between Asia and Europe. Both works depict the survival status, behavioral patterns, and personal thoughts of the protagonists in the stories from the first-person perspective, exploring the individual's resistance against the absurd world from the perspective of European existentialism. And the decline of the individual in the process of integrating with the world under the Japanese Mono aware aesthetics and nihilism. Murso's insistence on self-existence and Yozo's nihilism after reconciliation with the world offer profound reflections on how cultural backgrounds shape the qualities of human thought, making these works classics in literary history. Through them, we can learn about the cultural roots of different regions in the 1940s. They also provide assistance for humanity to find more solutions in the face of the predicament of modernity.

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Gender stereotypes have long shaped the way people dress and how the fashion industry operates, limiting individual expression and reinforcing the gender binary. This paper explores how designers and cultural figures have challenged such stereotypes and opened space for new forms of identity in fashion. Using a comparative historical approach, it examines Coco Chanel’s equestrian and menswear-inspired designs, Yves Saint Laurent’s revolutionary Le Smoking suit, Rad Hourani’s unisex collections, and Harry Styles’ public challenges to gender norms. The analysis demonstrates that these figures not only introduced alternative styles but also questioned deep-rooted cultural associations between clothing and gender. While Chanel and Saint Laurent pioneered women’s access to garments coded as masculine, Hourani advanced the idea of neutrality through non-sexist couture, and Harry Styles helped bring gender-fluid fashion into mainstream popular culture. The results highlight that fashion can serve as a medium of resistance against restrictive stereotypes and an arena for diversity and inclusion. The conclusion emphasizes that although gender stereotypes persist, the increasing visibility of unisex and gender-neutral designs signals a continuing shift toward a more equitable and expressive fashion landscape.

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Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in communication, sensory processing, and behaviour. It makes social integration a pressing moral and policy priority worldwide. This paper examines the inclusion of individuals with ASD across three key domains: education, employment, and community life. It also considers the role of policy and resource allocation in shaping outcomes. Employing a secondary analysis of existing data, the study synthesizes findings from peer-reviewed articles, government reports, and advocacy publications produced over the past fifteen years to provide a comprehensive overview of barriers, best practices, and systemic reforms. The analysis reveals that inclusive education models, workplace initiatives such as SAP’s Autism at Work, and community-based programs significantly enhance opportunities for participation, but their effectiveness is unevenly distributed. Structural inequalities, resource scarcity, and cultural stigma continue to limit access, particularly in low- and middle-income contexts. The study concludes that sustainable inclusion requires more than legislative mandates: it demands systemic change through teacher training, employer engagement, sensory-friendly environments, stronger policy enforcement, and participatory, cross-cultural research. Ultimately, advancing neurodiversity requires coordinated action across sectors to dismantle barriers and foster equitable opportunities for individuals with ASD.

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According to Jacques Lacan’s mirror stage theory, the subject constructs self-consciusness through the mirror. In the film Good Things, whether it is the superhuman single mother Wang Tiemei, the always somewhat detached child Wang Moli, or the romance-obsessed neighbor Xiao Ye, all three female characters in the film face the life issue of subjective construction. This paper employs Jacan’s mirror stage theory-particularly the triad of the Imaginary, the Symbolic, and the real-to analyze how the three female characters in the film engage with external symbolic, undergoing a transformation from self-cognition to the reconstruction of self-identity. Although Lacan's mirror stage theory has been extensively applied to film and media studies, and while there is no shortage of contemporary cinematic works centered on female subjectivity, the intersection of these two areas remains underexplored. However, Good things diverges from traditional feminist cinema by transcending a singular narrative of gender oppression. Instead, it shifts the focus to the process by which modern women reconstruct their subjectivity in the face of adversity. This study employs Jacques Lacan's mirror stage theory to analyze narratives of female subjectivity in film. From a psychoanalytic perspective, it seeks to dissect the root causes behind the predicaments of the female subject. It aims to address a gap in the application of Lacanian theory to post-feminist film studies while simultaneously offering methodological inspiration and a critical framework for contemporary women grappling with identity crises.

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This paper takes Jitterbug as an example to explore the influence of short video platforms on the value formation of high school students. The high school stage is a critical period for the development of individual values, and TIKTOK, as a widely used social media platform, exerts a dual influence on high school students’ value formation with its algorithmic recommendation and content characteristics. This paper adopts the literature research method and conducts analysis based on developmental psychology and social learning theory. It is found that while TIKTOK meets the needs of high school students for emotional regulation, social belonging and knowledge expansion, it may also lead to cognitive fragmentation and biased consumption concepts. Accordingly, this paper proposes guidance strategies from the perspective of educational intervention, aiming to help adolescents form healthy and stable values in the digital environment.

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This work examines the Xuanquan Manuscripts from Dunhuang to explore the significant role of Han Dynasty women in fostering exchanges in the early Silk Road. Through marriage alliances and attendant diplomatic activities, Han princesses and their maidservants not only weakened the Xiongnu’s influence in the Western Regions but also consolidated the authority of the Han Dynasty. Princess Jieyou of the Wusun, in particular, established a pro-Han network through marital and political strategies, strengthening ties with states such as Wusun and Kucha. Her maidservant Feng Liao also acted as a female envoy, mediating conflicts and maintaining frontier stability. Meanwhile, women such as the Lady of the King of Kucha, who came to other Western Regions for marriage alliances also continued their pro-Han policy, promoting friendly exchanges between these Western Regions and the Han Dynasty, and constantly expanding the Han Dynasty’s influence and control in the Western Regions. The Xuanquan Manuscripts provide valuable first-hand evidence that compensates for the neglect of women’s diplomatic contributions in traditional historiography. By highlighting women as key participants in early Silk Road exchanges, this paper offers a new perspective on Han foreign relations and the role of gender in diplomacy.

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This paper focuses on the complex relationship between fashion and identity, exploring its role in socio-cultural construction. By reviewing literature, it analyzes how fashion, as a symbolic system, reflects and shapes individual and group identities while revealing the underlying socio-cultural implications. The study finds that fashion is not merely an expression of personal style but a product of intertwined factors such as social expectations, gender perceptions, cultural inheritance, and changes. In the context of globalization and multiculturalism, fashion plays an increasingly important role in constructing identity and facilitating socio-cultural exchange and integration. At the individual level, fashion empowers individuals to externalize self-cognition through bodily performance via symbolic carriers such as clothing and accessories. For instance, professionals convey a professional image through minimalist suits, and Generation Z expresses 个性反叛 (individuality and rebellion) through trendy outfits, both confirming fashion’s practical significance as an "identity badge." At the group level, fashion serves as a cohesive force for cultural communities: the revitalization of traditional patterns of ethnic minorities in modern design not only preserves ethnic memory but also reconstructs cultural identity in cross-border communication. In the context of globalization, the transnational flow and localization of street fashion further demonstrate the dynamic balance of identity amid collisions.

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